Out of this world

DNA’s space-age decor and down-to-earth Italian dishes make for a harmonious marriage

by A.J. KINIK

The Old Port has long been the site of some of the hippest, most branché, contemporary and design-heavy Montreal establishments—there’s nothing new about that. The fashionable set knows the advantages of loft spaces and solid building stock when they see them. But DNA, which will be celebrating its first anniversary early in 2009, is something different.

For a place with such an otherworldly interior—the space-age Plexiglas palace stylings of its dining room combined with its bright orange über-lounge make it look like a Roger Vadim-approved playground straight out of Barbarella—its cuisine is refreshingly earthy.

If you’re not in on the joke, DNA’s cuisine complice is the product of the partnership between chef Derek Dammann ‘N’ sommelier Alex Cruz. But luckily for us, there’s more to DNA than just a clever name and some stylin’ digs—much more.

Dammann in particular has quite the impressive resumé: a two-year stint as chef de cuisine at Jamie Oliver’s flagship Fifteen restaurant in London, plus a residency at Heston Blumenthal’s legendary The Fat Duck (also in the U.K.). But it’s Dammann’s travels through Italy that appear to have had the greatest influence on his cuisine at DNA. Over and over again, as my dining partner and I found out on a recent table d’hôte luncheon date, it’s Italy that serves as the muse for Dammann’s menu.

Take the veal sweetbread, for instance. Not only was it among the tenderest, sweetest sweetbreads I’ve ever encountered, but dusted with pulverized arborio rice (the kind they use to make risotto) and then fried, it made for an exquisite study in textures, and a perfect foil for the sweet and sour of the balsamic vinegar reduction and the wilted spinach leaves and carrot rounds that came with it.

Or the Sicilian-style squid, for that matter. Whereas most dishes that are given the “Sicilian-style” moniker here in Montreal are nothing but pale, lifeless imitations of Southernmost Italy’s complex mélange of influences, DNA’s squid was positively lusty, with stewed tomatoes, currants, pine nuts, herbs and a surprising (and welcome) amount of spicy heat for punctuation.

DNA also features a wide variety of charcuterie, all of them traditionally Italian, all of them made in-house. We gave their charcuterie plate ($15) a test drive and both agreed that it was one of the city’s very best, with their fennel salami, their fiery pepperoni and their luscious guanciale (cured pig’s jowls, an Italian specialty that for some reason is terribly elusive in Montreal) being standouts. The only disappointment (and the only misstep of the entire meal) was the homemade bread that it came with. They looked great from the outside, but two of their loaves had a strangely cakey crumb, and another was simply undercooked.

Curious about the homemade pasta that’s a featured attraction of the dinner menu, we ordered Ricotta Gnudi with Oxtail Ragù ($15) and were soon glad that we did. The plate that arrived was a minor masterpiece of homey goodness—pillowy, perfectly shaped dumplings draped in a lovingly prepared ragù that was both hearty and delicate.

Just as tantalizing were the main courses. I had a beautiful hunk of crispy yet tender roasted pork belly ($17), and it came with wonderfully umami-heavy turnips alla romana, or turnips sautéed with herbs, capers and anchovies, and braised fennel.

My partner, on the other hand, chose the fish of the day ($25), and couldn’t have been happier with the bright flavours of the baby halibut with Meyer lemon salsa, carrot purée and minced fresh herbs that arrived. These were both outstanding dishes and, considering that they both came with the aforementioned appetizers gratis, an outstanding value too.

Desserts cost a little bit extra ($5 each), but the honey-pine nut tart with ginger ice cream and the lightly spiced, ricotta-based cheesecake were just the kind of finish we were both looking for: totally Italian and surprisingly straightforward.

One last word on DNA: there’s no better time to explore Alex Cruz’s well-rounded wine list than during their daily 5 à 7, when every bottle is half-price.