DOC - a culinary experience

Jeff and I are all about the experience when we go eat somewhere special. I love love that he appreciates food as much as I do. Yesterday was our 6th anniversary, and Jeff had made reservations at a teeny little spot we've heard amazing things about, called DOC (make reservations way in advance because it really gets full on weekends). It's right off Killingsworth, on NE 30th, tucked away in an adorable little neighborhood. The restaurant is just about as quaint and cozy inside as it looks to be from the outside (maybe a total of 10 tables?). I knew right away...this is going to be my type of dinner.

Upon entering the restaurant, you walk right through the kitchen, and sometimes even get a little welcome from the chefs. Our table was right in the front, allowing for an optimal view to watch the team prepare their culinary masterpieces. The menu (which is printed every day) listed an array of flavors, and it was obvious that each selection had been carefully planned with great attention to detail. As you can somewhat see in the picture, the chefs took time and care to present everything beautifully.

DOC offers a 5-course tasting menu, which is an absolute steal for $55/person. With this, you get Ken's Artisan bread/olives/butter, two antipasti, two primi (a pasta), two secondi (main course), and two desserts. It's quite a bit of food! We ate a late lunch and weren't too hungry so we ordered a la carte but will definitely be going back for a try of the tasting menu on a special occasion.

Thinking of this blog, I did want to whip out the camera for every course....but I restrained myself :) Among the things we tried...

• Ken's artisan bread with olives and butter
• A selection of local cow and sheep cheeses with fruit purees (aaaaamazing)
• Cavatelli pasta with mutton sugo and pecorino (similar to a red sauce with meat but not really)
• Sturgeon with cauliflower butter over cauliflower, fava, and scape (some funny but awesome looking veggies!)
• And for dessert....ahh, summer berries with hazelnuts and basil ice cream over top (huckleberries, golden raspberries, blueberries, and strawberries)...a truly amazing combination which I will definitely attempt to re-create at home!

It was the attention to detail that we so appreciated and noticed! Jeff ordered wine, and instead of him just ordering off of a by-the-glass wine menu (there isn't one), they brought several bottles over and let him taste before he chose which one suited his fancy. With our dessert, they poured us a complimentary "house favorite" white wine simply because it paired splendidly with our dessert. Each time a course was brought to our table, the server explained in detail what we were about to eat and where it came from. The service was fabulous, with one server tending to all of the tables. It was such an intimate eating experience! The food was being specially created just for us, and by people who view food as art and worthy of their time.

Definitely would recommend eating at DOC if you are looking for a special night out!