Really should have taken more pictures but I always feel a bit weird about doing that.
I’m a New England person that travels mainly based on food destinations, but I love trying New England spots, and I’m always interested in contrasting what my little area of the world has to offer in terms of fine dining vs Michelin awarded restaurants I’ve been to. It’s so interesting to me that there are no Michelin stars in New England.
Last night was my first time at Stages in Dover NH. This is Chef Evan Hennessey’s spot, he’s been open for almost a decade, I believe. It’s two seatings a night, six seats each, all at the chefs counter. Ten course tasting menu. My husband got the cocktail pairing and I don’t drink so I got the mocktail pairing.
Restaurant leans heavily on foraged and wild local, so lots of kelp and mushrooms, fern, walnut.
Standout courses were butter poached scallop with hedgehog mushrooms and tomato bordelaise, Hen of the Woods with Irish moss, ramps, and duck fat, and the Black Welsh mountain sheep with plum, yogurt, and olive brine (and a perfect, tiny amount of fresh dill).
Four cock/mock tails, each focusing on a flavor profile: bitter, sweet, salty, and sour. The salty was by far the most interesting, which was made with the liquid from pickled Aronia berries.
There was a “snacks” board to start, in the lounge, and if I had a complaint, it would be that the beets and squash from the snacks were very similar to the first formal course, in terms of flavors (smoky, umami, dashi). But, all three were delicious.
by ohjeeze_louise
4 Comments
Damn. Never thought I’d see Dirty Dover on this sub. Good on em. Looks incredible and glad to see someone putting the work in for that food and town. Now on to Somersworth!
I was wondering about this place when I was visiting New England this past summer. Seems like it was interesting!
We got here in summer 2022 and it was a super memorable experience for us. Love the intimacy of sitting in the kitchen having (at the time) just the two guys doing all the work in front of us. I think we had six courses, not 10.
Some dishes were unforgettably cool. Looking back at my camera roll now, photos were not helpful at all because there was a real black-and-white theme going on (even to the point of caviar on ice cream). I remember loving the very classic seafood especially – we had a local fish with little waffle-cut potato “chips”, dill, chive. The wine list was not very interesting so you didn’t miss much going mocktails.
Do they still do the cookies and milk dessert that Evan and his daughter developed together? (Cute story but my gf hated them, hah)
This has been on my list forever. I’m on the south shore, and it’s just a bit far for an evening out