The Dove Restaurant
3002 Abbott Road
Orchard Park, New York 14127
www.thedoveny.com
After a long hiatus, Diners Undercover is back in action and inspired by today’s Hidden Gem, The Dove Restaurant, located in Orchard Park, situated near the borders of Hamburg, West Seneca and Lackawanna, New York. The Dove Restaurant offers authentic Italian-Continental cuisine in a quiet, comfortable setting. To say that the The Dove Restaurant is quaint is an understatement. In what was once The Pony Post, The Dove has a dining area that is roomy, yet warm and cozy, with the charm of an old country inn. This wonderful establishment features family recipes prepared under the watchful eye of Executive Chef Dina Mattielo, who is co-owner along with Sherry Davies. Both of these ladies are often seen conferring with guests to make sure that all are satisfied. As we have stated in the past, we love establishments where the owners are involved and make it a point to meet their customers. As a result the service at The Dove is friendly, attentive and welcoming.
Our server greeted us with a smile as we walked in and at our request seated us at a table in the bar area in front of the faux fire place. The bar area is inviting and roomy with comfortable tables for dining which Mr. and Ms. Diner prefer as the clear white lighting against the beautiful old windows and bar adds to the charm.
The wine list is modest but varied and our choice of wine for the evening was a reasonably priced bottle of Penfolds Shiraz. For Mr. Diner the soup was a very authentic Past Fagioli served with bowls of grated Parmesan and chopped onions on the side. This is a very nice home-style touch as the cheese and onions can be added to taste, and the Parmesan is handy later for a pasta entre if desired. The presentation is reminiscent of our dining experiences throughout Northern and Central Italy. Ms. Diner enjoyed the wonderfully arranged Mixed Greens Salad. It is at this point in the meal, just before the main course, that the The Dove Restaurant adds another touch of old word style with a complementary, palate cleansing taste of Lemoncello.
Mr. Diner thoroughly enjoyed the entre, the Shrimp Luciano, which featured shrimp and mussels over linguine, in a garlic and olive oil sauce. It was both rich and delicious. Ms. Diner’s selection from the daily specials was the Chicken Milano, Fra Diavolo, with ricotta chicken sausage stuffing and a marinara that was just spicy enough, but not overpowering. The portion sizes were more than adequate. While there would normally be more than enough to take home, our healthy appetites had the upper hand; however, there was no room left for dessert.
We love The Dove Restaurant for the authentic Italian cuisine, the warm and friendly atmosphere, and the very reasonable price tag. We think you will too. We highly recommend The Dove Restaurant and will be sure to return again and again.