The Dome Restaurant and Caviar Bar

• Cuisine(s): American, Latin, Latin American
  Hours: Lunch Tue-Fri noon-2 pm.; dinner Tue-Thu 5-10 p.m., Fri-Sat 5-11 p.m.
  Price: $$$$ $$$$
  Payment Types: All Major Credit Cards, cash
• Attire: Casual Dressy
  Features: Patio/Sidewalk Dining, Wheelchair Accessible
  Serving: Dinner, Lunch
  Alcohol: Full bar
• Reservations: Recommended
  Parking: Meters

Description

The Dome is LEED Silver-certified, tabletops are compressed from recycled paper, the caviar bar is culled from crushed quartz, lighting is LED, menus are paperless (iPads), and ingredients are organic. The resultant sleek décor is attractive but not one that conjures pastoral farmlands or anything remotely natural. Neither does the excitable music. But to be fair, the ambiance is suitable for the Gables crowd that crams in at later hours for vodka, cocktails, and Dome's specialty, caviar. Eight types of caviar are aquacultured in Russia, Uruguay, Italy, and North America -- from Russian osetra to American paddlefish to vegan caviar culled from kelp. The vegan faux white sturgeon mimics the size and color of Russian roe, with a similar popping texture in the mouth and a flavor pleasingly suggestive of mellow, neutral notes of the sea. Best of all, it's just $11 per ounce. The rest of the menu covers an eclectic collection of foods. Best of four entrées is beef short ribs succulently braised in a red wine reduction. If nothing else, the Dome is probably the best place in town to compose your own upstairs-downstairs-style surf 'n' turf of barbecue cheeseburger sliders and osetra caviar. But mostly it's a reliable go-to spot for caviar, cocktails, and tasty small plates.