Try some spaetzle for supper in Decatur

At the Deer and the Dove, the chefs make the most of their ingredients, using varying techniques. An exciting example of the restaurant’s nose-to-tail cuisine — making use of the entire animal — is the superb rabbit loin with spaetzle.

Chef Terry Koval procures whole rabbits from Rabbit Man Farms for his buttermilk-fried rabbit legs. The loins are served atop a tangle of light, sage spaetzle, which has a springy chew. The mild, delicate meat first is cooked sous vide, then goes into the restaurant’s wood-fired oven, where it takes on smoky flavor and is basted with butter and fresh thyme. It’s cooked until it is tender and browned.

A simple kale puree that is verdant and vibrant also dots the plate, with local beet greens adding a mild, earthy element to the mix. The surface of the dumpling-like spaetzle is ideal for soaking up the lush red wine jus.