Dev's On Bank Street

The weekend got off to an early start when Amanda and I decided to go out to dinner on Thursday. We went to Dev's on Bank Street, a newer restaurant in town which bills its food style as "Mediterrasian Tapas." This turned out to be a most excellent choice. First of all, their wine list is more extensive - and interesting (it's nice to see a restaurant acknowledge that there are wine-producing regions outside of California!)than a lot of the restaurants around here. Once we settled on a couple glasses of Tapena tempranillo (delicious!), we were ready to decide on our food.



Amanda went with Dev's award-winning Sweet Corn & Chorizo Clam Chowder, which was so full of clams, corn, and assorted vegetables that I believe she could have stood the spoon up in the bowl. She also ordered the steamed vegetable dumplings. I chose the toasted goat cheese (I can never say no to goat cheese) and wasabi-crusted scallops.

The Mediterranean/Asian combination may at first sound like another lame attempt at 'fusion' cuisine, but Dev's makes it work. I was crazy about the goat cheese, which comes on crostini and is lightly drizzled with honey - just the tiniest bit of sweetness to compliment the savory flavor of the cheese. The wasabi scallops were surprisingly not hot, just coated in a flavorful and crunchy coating and served with an orange-infused soy dipping sauce - yum.

The prices for the tapas range from $3.00 - $12.00 per plate (the $12.00 is a sampler of several items). We did not try any of the regular-sized entrees during this particular trip, but definitely will in the future.

In addition to great food and great prices, part of the Dev;s experience is the people who work there. Amanda and I opted to sit at the bar, where the bartender, the owner, and the owner's mother/manager lavished attention on us. (Bunny is all about the gossip, so be prepared to share.) Everyone who works at the restaurant is friendly, knowledgeable, and eager to make a recommendation or chat with you about how they happened to choose the location. All in all, Dev's is a great experience.