Amidst the chaos and uncertainty that is typical of the New London restaurant scene—the oppressively empty dining rooms, erratic business hours and dubious food quality—only a few establishments have distinguished themselves from the rest through good service, proper atmosphere and most importantly delicious food. They serve the type of food that makes you genuinely excited to eat it, food that exudes skilled craftsmanship, not the kind of munchie-induced excitement of a huge pizza from Iliano’s.
Dev’s on Bank Street makes this type of food. The tapas-oriented menu is a fusion of Asian and Mediterranean cuisine composed in a coherent way (you’re not going to find “Chicken Parm Sushi!” here). Dev’s tapas has placed in the New London Food Stroll’s top three all three years, and its Red Dragon Noodle Bowl just won top prize this year. (Note: Dev’s plans on winning again at next week’s Food Stroll, and I encourage you all to attend; tickets for students are $10, which allows you access to a pretty much unlimited amount of food).
Tapas recommendations include the Spanish Dim Sum, a large sampler of some of Dev’s specialties (crabcakes, vegetable dumplings, pork meatballs and toasted goat cheese), Si Si Pollo, crispy chicken wrapped in prosciutto with a citrus dipping sauce, as well as the sugar-seared salmon, a combination of tender salmon drizzled in a sweet and tangy sun-dried tomato citrus sauce. The fusions and juxtapositions are adventurous but not ostentatious. Dev’s earns points for its avoidance of haute cuisine; there are some very basic classics (Spanish Paella, for one) on the menu that succeed because of an impressive sensitivity to the proper preparation, ingredients and seasoning. The menu is vegetarian-friendly, but its meat dishes are more dynamic. There are other options besides tapas; full entrees range from $19-26, as well as salads, soups and a no-frills burger for good measure.
Dev’s atmosphere is elegant, but not pretentious or stiff. It is perfect for a dinner with the parents, for couples or for a birthday dinner with friends. A large fireplace anchors the restaurant’s intimate interior and dark wooden beams frame the walls. The service is excellent, and Bunny, one of the maitre-d’s, is as welcoming as your own mother. Encouragingly, New London fixtures frequent Dev’s; while we were eating, a group of local politicians were holding a meeting in a smaller dining room, with the deputy mayor in attendance. Bunny, of course, introduced him to us.
To be fair, Dev’s isn’t anywhere close to being the cheapest option in the area, and portions are not particularly generous. To walk away feeling full, you’ll likely need three tapas plates to yourself, and this can get pricey. But the logical corollary to this predicament are two beautiful, alliterative words; Happy Hour. Between 4 and 6 PM, tapas portions are doubled in size, beers are $2-3 and cocktails start at $3. If you want to forgo the gourmet dishes, get a good sandwich with fries for $5 or a basic pasta dish for $6. Dev’s has seven beers on tap, and house wines start at $3 a glass during Happy Hour.
The family-run management takes a lot of pride in their food, and rightfully so. Don’t pass this place up; it’s one of the few New London restaurants that will consistently impress.
Entrees: $19-26,
Tapas: $4-13
Happy Hour 4-6 PM
www.devsonbank.com
345 Bank Street,
just past the Fire Station
Very nice review of Dev’s, but in my opinion the opener of this article doesn’t accurately describe the dining scene downtown. There are plenty of delicious, and frequented dining establishments in the region. I live and work downtown and never, ever, do I feel that New London lacks great food fare and a terrific dining experience. I say, get out more.