K- Finally! I made it to Restaurant Eve! It’s just been one of those things on my list that I never got around to….until this weekend. I will say that I had built it up in my mind that whenever I finally went it would be a fabulous experience with amazing food and wasn’t disappointed.
According to their website “Restaurant Eve has one intention: to bring everything together in perfect harmony—ingredients, cooking techniques, presentation, and that ephemeral, indescribable characteristic that we call soulfulness. We purchase from farms that share our values of quality and sustainability, and showcase the best hand-fed, farm-raised, organically grown bounty Virginia and the surrounding countryside have to offer.”
Entering the restaurant was interesting – you walk through a little candlelit tunnel to get to the door. Inside is warm and welcoming with paintings of food and flowers, wood and nicely spaced tables. No getting close and personal to the diners next to you – which was very pleasant for a change!
We started off with a cocktail. The cocktails had very long name and were a bit pricey but as it was a special occasion, we had one. All I can remember as far as the drink’s name was that it started with “Dublin” however I do know that it was made with Irish whiskey, ginger and something spicy and it was very good.
We decided on the Chef’s tasting menu, which had five courses, as I wanted to taste as many things as possible since I didn’t know when I might get to return to the restaurant. We also did the wine pairings.
We began with the amuse bouche that included a mini-gougère and deviled quail egg, they then brought a small bowl of asparagus soup and finally a spoonful of sorbet – everything tasted delightful – before they began serving dinner.
Before I continue, I have to confess that I didn’t take many pictures of the food. I was so captivated by the cuisine, atmosphere and company that I completely forgot that I needed to take pictures – but that’s a good thing, right?
Okay, so dinner began with Sashimi of Deepwater Golden Snapper with Green Thai Chili, Garlic Emulsion, and Red Mizuna (I know that because it was on their FB page) that jumped and melted in my mouth. We then had Diver’s Scallop, grilled fish and shoat and for dessert some heavenly chocolate concoction with raspberries. I wish I knew exactly what they were called and all of the amazing ingredients – but alas, I was too enthralled with the different delightful tastes that I was experiencing. Warm slices of bread accompanied our dinner and of course, the wine pairings. I must admit that I was disappointed with the wine. It was good wine, but not as brilliant as the food. I felt that at $104 the wine should have excited me as much as the food, but it didn’t.
As for the service, it was very good at the beginning but as the evening continued the service became uneven. At first, we had a knowledgeable sommelier who gave us interesting information about the wine we were drinking, such as it was a Kabinett that came from a stainless steel cask rather than oak. However, in the middle of dinner, we had two other people bring us our wine pairing who said very little about it and when we asked questions they didn’t seem to know the answer. Also, near the end of dinner, service slowed down a lot. I’m fine with the slower service however it was the opposite of what we began with. I will say that there was a moment that I was extremely impressed with. I was sitting on the long booth side of the table and the table near us had four kids with them (yes, that is correct and I was surprised) and one of them was kicking the booth continuously and noisily. The manager went over to him and discreetly went over and talked to the child and got him to stop.
Overall, a bit on the expensive side but yes, I will return! Oh yeah, went around Old Town too.
2GirlsinDC 