 Orchard Street Chop Shop 1 Orchard St., Dover 749-0006; orchardstreetchopshop.com Serving: Sunday-Thursday, 5-9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 5-10 p.m. Cuisine: Chicago-style steakhouse Dinner entrees: $20-$30 Scoring: Our Gourmet and The Dining Companion each grade a restaurant in five categories, for a combined total score of up to 100 points. Visit the Dining section of NewHampshire.com to read previous Our Gourmet reviews listed by town. |
Appetizer 19/20
OG: There were some nice appetizer offerings on the menu, but I couldn’t get past the shrimp and alligator cheesecake ($9). Really, how could anyone pass that up? It was delicious. It was more like a quiche than a cheesecake, but lighter and fluffier. From this dish, I can’t tell you what alligator taste like, but the flavors blended together harmoniously and were enhanced by a red pepper aioli. An absolute delight. 9.5
TDC: The braised beef short rib ($11) was served over a creamy onion risotto. This was definitely heaven and I would have been very happy ordering a double portion as a meal. The short rib was fork tender and melted in the mouth. The risotto was creamy and simply delicious. Unfortunately, I had to think about those next courses, or I would have licked this plate clean. 9.5
Entrée 18.5/20
OG: I started out on the road less traveled, so I decided I might as well stay there and try something else unusual: Canadian elk ($25). Our server, Steve, explained that elk is a very lean meat, which is why they wrap a couple of big pieces of bacon around it. He also said that it’s best enjoyed medium-rare to rare, so I ordered it medium rare. The meat was not gamey as you might expect and it was delicious.
At the Chop Shop you have a choice of sides. I chose the smoked carrots in pecan butter and the buttermilk mashed potatoes. The carrots were just smoky enough. There are few things better than good mashed potatoes — and these were very good. 9
TDC: When at a steak house, what else could I order but a steak? I ordered one of my favorite kinds of steak — the Delmonico (14 oz., $27), which is a finely marbled steak that exudes flavor and was cooked to perfection. For sides I had spinach sautéed in a cream sherry and shallot sauce, which was delicious. A side of roasted fall root veggies were half pureed and half not, giving a very nice mouth feel with the hint of maple pulling it all together. 9.5
Dessert 16/20
OG: This was the one place the Chop Shop fell a tiny bit short of expectations. The dessert menu consists of about six pretty standard items. Don’t get me wrong: The desserts are excellent. I guess I just expected more — perhaps a couple of more unique offerings…
Having said that, one can hardly go wrong with crème brûlée ($7) and that’s what I ordered. It was quite good, very smooth and creamy with a hint of vanilla. 8.5
TDC: A fine desert should finish a fine meal. I ordered the flourless chocolate paradise with Kahlua cream ($8). This was basically a flourless chocolate cake that was falling apart and not the most tasty, but the Kahlúa cream was nice. 7.5 All of the rest 18.5/20
OG: Our server Steve was a pro — he was knowledgeable about the food, friendly and professional. As we’ve said before: Service can make or break a dinner. Steve’s service only helped to enhance an excellent dining experience. 9.5
TDC: What a great place and fantastic server. The place is split in two sections, a fine dining area that seats about 60 folks, and the Top of the Chop, which is a more casual dining area upstairs that seats 20 in the bar. It’s nice having options. 9
Value 18/20
OG: This is always a tough one for an upscale restaurant. Many people think a $25 entrée isn’t a good value, but it’s not just about price. It’s about the whole experience. The food was excellent and the portions reasonable; the ambiance was comfortable and elegant; and the service was outstanding. If I’m going to spend my money, this is the kind of place where I’m happy to spend it. 9
TDC: As OG said, it isn’t inexpensive, but if you are looking for a fine meal in the Dover area, you couldn’t do much better. 9
TOTAL: 90/100
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