Dining 2008: Newsmakers

John Fraser

Fraser’s Dovetail got some of 2008’s first rave reviews, with Bruni awarding it three stars in the Times and New York Mag’s Platt noting that a “pride of ownership is apparent in almost every dish.” Fraser, who previously helmed both Compass and Snack Taverna, and before that honed his talents at the French Laundry in California, prefigured the year’s Upper West Side dining boom, serving up deconstructed muffuletta sandwiches and breaded lamb’s tongue to diners stunned to be treated to such gustatory delights in their own zip code.