Stalk — Restaurant in Dover

You know how everyone has that one restaurant they always return to time and again? Well, after spending quite a bit of time dining our way around the seacoast, my wife and I returned to our spot Friday night. For us that spot is Stalk in Dover, NH.

On this visit we sat at the bar. We ordered drinks and began looking over the menu. My wife ordered the Spring Fling. This drink is made with vodka or gin(she chose vodka), lavender and Proseco. I asked to be surprised with a bourbon cocktail and was given a Paper Planes. This drink consists of bourbon, Amaro, Aperol and lemon juice(picture 1). This was a great drink that had some zip to it. Every time I do this, they always come through with something creative and satisfying.

For our appetizer, we decided to share their Stalk Caesar(picture2). This is made with a parmesan mousse, tarragon lavender dressing, and topped with shredded parmesan. It was also served with toasted brioche. It was a really nice departure from your run of the mill Caesar Salad. Very flavorful and not a bit of that "heavy dressing" taste.

For her main course, my wife ordered the Hand Rolled Fettuccini. This dish was made with smoked corn cream, fresh basil, sundried tomato, and arugula. It was topped with sunflower seeds and parmesan. This was a very simplistic dish full of surprises that delighted the senses. The smoked corn and cream was a true show stopper. It added so much depth to the dish. The basil and sundried tomato was able to break through, adding their own footprint to the dish, rounding out its flavors. If the Fettuccini wasn't hand-made, it wouldn't have had the same impact. Believe me, great dishes are in the details.

For my main course, I ordered the New England Baked Cod(picture 3). My dish was made with charred cauliflower, sugar snap peas, farm kale, chive sage butter and almond romesco atop toasted orzo. The Cod was topped with a light house crumb. Once I placed my order, I asked to be paired with a great white wine. Instead, I was given 2 glasses with a taste of 2 different whites. The bartender, who doubled as our waitress, delivered my wine once I settled in with my choice. This dish was light as you would expect a fresh white fish to be. In the picture, you will notice the bowl rimmed with a red paste. This was a delightful surprise that added an unexpected complexity to the dish. If you took some on to your fork and then added the Cod, it complimented the fish beautifully. There was a zing to this paste and the flavor was undeniably beautiful. The orzo added another depth to the dish with its own flavor palette. This meal was so satisfying at every level.

For dessert, we decided on splitting the Bourbon Baba(picture 4). This dessert was made with brioche, grilled peach and lemon curd, accompanied by 2 black tea seed cookie wedges. All I can say is WOW!!! This was a great way to add to an already unbelievable meal.

When we go to Stalk, the entire staff makes you feel welcome and participates in your dining experience. Everyone is engaging with you to help deliver the most satisfying and memorable experience. It's no wonder that when we do return, we always feel like we're...

I'm surprised that this restaurant has such a high overall rating. We received a gift card for Stalk for Christmas and were excited to try this quaint little restaurant in downtown Dover. Unfortunately, what we were hoping would be a magical night was ultimately below average.

The evening started with the polite but unfortunate warning that they were out of steak, the exact main course that I had planned on ordering from the limited menu. Everything we ordered, including hors d'oeuvres, beet salad, main courses and coconut cake were all of average quality and presentation. My wife liked some of the dishes better than I did, but my daughter and I were not impressed.

For dessert we had hoped to order a cappuccino, but only French press coffee was available, so we simply ordered the coconut cake. The cake itself was a tad soggy, but the fruit toppings were exquisite, leaving us with an overall pleasant experience.

Unfortunately, we had calculated to more or less use our generous gift card to pay for the meal and most of the tip, only to learn at time of payment that we were not allowed to put any tip on the gift card. As we didn't want to return and hadn't spent all of the gift card, this was an unfortunate circumstance, which left us with a negative parting experience.

It appears that Stalk is trying to be a casual chic restaurant, but they need to raise their game if that is their goal. First, improve the flavor and presentation of the food to make it worth the upmarket prices. Second, do a little work on the menus to make them clearer and better align items for clarity and elegance (right-tabs and appropriate proximity to indicate relationships are your friends). Third, the decor could use some work - the multiple framed documents with tiny print are a bit confusing and awkward to read without disturbing other customers. Fourth, and most importantly, don't be petty during the final interaction of the evening with unfortunate surprises at time of payment. If you want people to return, make their final memory a...

Stalk is my happy place-my recent visit only reinforces this. A place that can take something seemingly ordinary (Black Garlic Carrots) and through carefully chosen accoutrements and expert cookery elevate it far beyond its humble origins. The Lamb Kofta meatballs, mouthwateringly amazing on their own, are paired with an incredible Harrisa hummus, a bright small salad and grilled pita (they season the pita!) Ending our pregaming, we tried the revolving version of Stalk's Caesar, this iteration having (just enough) new potatoes and a lively thyme Caesar dressing and hand cut pepper croutons. For beverages, I indulged in a gin martini special where the bartender displayed her whimsy and joie de vivre in her creation.. so much so I ended up ordering another, not a common occurrence. My entree was the Crispy Yucatan half-chicken, being tempted by the Pasilla Molé. This did not disappoint-the chicken was perfectly cooked and dressed with just the right amount of sour orange crema-applied with an expert hand, there was enough to let you crave more, but to also let the cookery shine. The Esparote refried black beans added a nice texture and addition to a bite of chicken. The roasted sweet potatoes were a rarity-crisp and nicely carmelised, another example of crisp cookery. The charred corn and snap pea salsa fresco was brightened by a splash of finely diced pineapple that added that sweet bit of complimentary acidity.

To finish things off, I kept with the Mexican theme and ordered the house-made chocolate Fresno-yes the chile! ice cream, a perfect nod to the Aztec/Mexican chocolate traditions. And yes, there was a zzzipppp!.... in a good way! This ended our evening and I would be terribly remiss if I didn't mention the fantastic staff-knowledgeable, attentive and clearly proud to be a part of this wonderful restaurant. Sure, you could come to Stalk for a 'special occasion', but Chef Nicole and her staff make every visit a...