I recently visited Dovetail, executive chef James Gee's newest creation on the first floor of the Viceroy Hotel. It's part of a class of 14th St-(adjacent) restaurants I like - refined, elegant, but also lacking the stifling pretentiousness that certain high-end spots seem to exude. During my visit, Chef was kind enough to come and check on me as I was eating, my meal consisting of a wide spread of what the kitchen has to offer: New York strip steak; asparagus soup with egg and brioche; quinoa salad; and an array of small bar bites like pork cracklings, hush puppies, and kimchi deviled eggs.
I've always said that one of my favorite parts about a restaurant or bar cocktail experience is seeing what fun and funky spirits the mixologist is slinging. I'm somewhat of an omnivore when it comes to spirits, with few things I really don't like or use (in that arena, anything that goes into the cloyingly-sweet Godiva liqueurs and goofy cruise-ship "tropical" neon-colored nonsense.) To open my meal at Dovetail, I chose their "To Life and Adventure", a fitting name for my personal DC philosophy.
"To Life and Adventure" is a mix of pisco, Pedro Ximenez sherry, Palo Cortado sherry, strawberry puree, lemon, vanilla. I'm a sucker for cocktails made with fortified wines, so it was a natural choice.
The cocktail is served in a pilsner-style glass and topped with fresh strawberry garnish and a huge sheaf of fresh mint. The cocktail itself is served over ice, and the strawberry, lemon, and vanilla gave it a really neat fruit-smoothie vibe. The blend of sherries, PX being sweet and dark with dried-fruit notes, and Palo Cortado taking on a dry, delicate profile of walnuts. The oxidized nature of the wine is perfect to blend with sweet, pulpy fruit, and makes for a fantastic summer sipper. Too bad their rooftop, Hush, isn't open yet!
Do yourself a favor and check out Dovetail: 1430 Rhode Island Ave, NW, Washington DC.
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