Dopo

Category: Restaurants

"Why is Dopo so good?

Passion.

Jon, who is the chef/owner is so very passionate about the food he cooks. They keep things simple and coax the best out of every ingredient they use. They have been wise enough to keep it simple so that they can go to the market, see what's great and put it on the menu that night. Dopo reminds me of the upstairs at Chez Panisse without the deification. . .there are no altars at Dopo, but there should be 'cause I'd be kneeling there daily if I could afford it. They are making some really remarkable salumi/charcuterie these days. If you see Ciccioli on the salumi menu get it. It is one of the best things I have eaten. It's a pork based terrine of sorts that has similarities to rillettes but instead of the meat being shredded it is in tender, sublime chunks. Amazing.

I am not so fond of pine nuts. I can take or leave tuna. But somehow they managed to put tuna, pine nuts, mint and tomato together with some of their house-made spaghetti to make a dish I almost wanted to marry! It was unreal how good this was. We also had a pizza with the house-made Genoa salami and it was delicious. We were washing it down with an '01 Cabernet Riserva that was unreal - so delicious!

They make excellent espresso drinks. Kayta, who is Jon's girlfriend, runs the front of the house but she also oversees the pastry there. She loves pastry and it shows. The desserts are simple - you're not going to get some architectural behemoth of sweet stuff on a plate festooned with sugar work - there are no visual "showstoppers" here only really good, honest dessert - a perfect ending to a great meal.