| Address | 110 S. Pitt St., Alexandria, VA 22314 |
|---|---|
| Phone | (703) 706-0450 |
If living or visiting the Washington DC area, one Restaurant will always float to the surface of discussions of where to eat, and that is Restaurant Eve located in Old Town Alexandria a half block off King Street. Eve, as the locals call it, has been rated 4 Stars by Tom Seitsema, the Washington Post food critic and Chef Cathal Armstrong has been named one of the 50 best new chefs by Food & Wine magazine. This is a food lovers paradise but unfortunately it is always rated $$$$, hence Lunch in this post's title. Lunch at the Bistro at Restaurant Eve has a Lickity Split Special, from 11:30 - 4:00 PM, where any two items on the bistro menu is available for $13.50. I recently had lunch there with Rachel and a good friend. I was pretty hungry so I started with the Italian Hoagie special and followed with the Polpette, a savory semi-spicy meatball dish served with Polenta. While Rachel had a crab cake served with salad and a vinaigrette and a blue cheese & walnut infused risotto. I've eaten here many times over the years and recommend the Bistro if you are on a budget but want 4 star service. For those fortunate few where money is not a concern, enjoy the 5 course tasting menu with wine pairings and plan for 2-3 hours and just as many dollars. jimmystewart.me
The ambiance of Restaurant Eve made for a very relaxing atmosphere for our dinner. We ate in the Bistro as opposed to the tasting room. The paintings were nice and the walls covered with a neutral shade of paint but the skylight opened up the seating area.
The waiter gave us his utmost attention answering all our questions. We started out with a softshell crab tempura. The tempura was light and flaky. The waiter told us that it was due to their filtering their own water. (As we were seated we were offered flat or carbonated water, they also did their own carbonation.)
My wife believes in fresh and where possible organic ingredients. We were offered a vegetarian mushroom dish but we both selected fish. My wife had moi and I had halibut. I found the halibut a little dry. It came with spinach and baby asparagus. The asparagus was so baby that when I got the dish I thought they were bean sprouts. I was enjoying my dinner so much I didn't try her dish but she ate it all up. I had also ordered a side dish of bacon and pea risotto, all they had to tell me was that the peas were grown in their own vegetable garden. My wife finished the dinner off with a Tahiti vanilla creme brulee. Ever since finding my favorite creme brulee at a restaurant in Florida, I've grown tired of trying to find one as good up here so I did try one bite and found that with a berry mixture on the bottom it was very good.
When I called to make a reservation they asked if it was a special occasion and I told them it was my wife's birthday. They greeted her all evening with happy birthday. I thought they maybe they would bring a birthday dessert but that was not to be.
We had a wonderful meal at Restaurant Eve. I ordered the house cured pork belly as my entree and it was hands down the best dish I've had in the DC metro area since moving here 7 years ago. It just melts in your mouth. One bite and I was as content as I possibly could be. The bread served with dinner was absolutely perfect -- delicately crunchy on the outside, pillowy soft on the inside. Dessert was good, but not anything to write home about, with the exception of the birthday cake, which was just fun.
Additionally, the service was excellent. None of us ordered a first course and our entrees apparently would be a bit of a wait, so our waiter brought a house charcuterie plate, on the house, for the table, even though no one had complained or even noticed the wait. My only complaint is the pricing of the appetizers, which seem incongruously high compared to the rest of the menu. Despite this, I would definitely return.
We ate in the regular (non-tasting) dining room, which was very attractive. The portions were a little small, which is fine with us. We each had an appetizer and a main dish, and shared a dessert, and left feeling appropriately sated. Preparations generally combined several seasonal ingredients imaginatively and successfully.
A few quibbles -- we arrived early and had to wait for our table "to be set up", though, at 7:15, it is unlikely that there had been a previous party at the table -- especially given the leisureliness of the service. Also, the otherwise comforatble chairs are a tad too low for the tables.
The one-year-later review (a follow-up from my 9/11/05 review): Eve didn't live up to last year's memories. While all food was of high quality and creatively presentated, each course was so small, one could barely get enough on the tongue to really taste it. Courses are smaller than last year (and I believe the price has increased); after paying $95/person for the five-course chef's tasting menu, we shouldn't feel even the faintest pang of hunger - but we did. Dessert, in particular, was pathetically small; one of our party ordered a black tea-smoked peach with ice cream - what he got was a thin row of chopped up peaches on a large plate, along with a spoonful of ice cream. My dessert of honey mousse and ricotta ice cream was divine but equally sparse. In addition, the cheese course changed from picking three options from a large assortment, served with fig paste, bread, and a few other treats (which I reported last year as being extremely fun), to picking one type of cheese out of a smaller list of options, of which you are given four slices. This visit, I also felt an atmosphere I didn't sense last time at all, and that was of pretention. The waiter, while friendly and service-oriented, described each item down to its tiniest garnish ("such and such served with micro-mustard greens..."), and the menu advertised one item as being served with "100-year old balsamic vinegar," but only three drops of it appeared on the plate. These lofty descriptions make each course seem to be more than they really are; these are mere decorations, after all. Finally, as reported last year, Eve has not mastered the fine details of varying ingredients from course to course: the amuse-bouche contained the same spoonful of corn salad as the course of 'varieties of Eastern Shore corn.' The amuse-bouche, the tomato tartlet, and the gnocci (same gnocci as last year) courses all contained baby tomatoes as well. Why not highlight some other summer vegetables as well (e.g., beans, greens) to celebrate summer produce and prevent repetition? I once said that Eve was on par with the Inn at Little Washington, but these neglectful details have made me change my mind.
Ate off of the Happy Hour Menu at the bar and was disappointed by the charcuterie appetizer...it looked good and flavorful but it had very little taste....Please use more seasoning!!!! The mixed cheese tray was very good...drink prices however were not a good value for happy hour...I think the best time to come here is to have lunch at the bar where you get 2 items (food or alcohol) for $13.50 I think. Wish I were there for lunch instead of Happy Hour..could have saved $$$$
When making the reservation, we were asked if this was a special occasion, and dinner at Eve is a special occasion indeed. Having dined at the Inn at Little Washington, I can say that this meal was even more impressive in terms of service (wait staff more friendly and enjoyable, less stuffy) and ambiance (rooms lighter, more airy), and that the quality of the food is at least on par. The five-course menu in the Chef's Tasting Room is really eight courses, with the special extras they offer before ordering and after dessert. Presentation of each course is artistic, and while each course may seem small, the combined total of all food is more than adequate. The cheese course is most fun, being able to choose three selections and sharing. Our meal took three hours but we never felt like we were waiting and we never felt rushed. We'd definitely return to the tasting room and we plan to try the Bistro as well. One caution to the chef, however: It seems that no one planned for guests ordering a solidly vegetarian menu; otherwise they would have noticed two courses with an emphasis on tomatoes, two courses served in the same pastry tartlet, and two courses of similar cream-based soup. Nevertheless, each course was superb.
My wife and I had dinner in the tasting room on Saturday evening April celebrating that we do not owe Uncle Sam this year! It was our second trip to Eve, but the first in the Tasting Room, one word: sublime!! From the hostess to the fod to the food to the food to the waitress to the sommelier! We eat out all the time and this was one of our top five experiences of all time!
When I made the reservation, I was asked if it was a special occasion. It was my friend's birthday, but I didn't ask what (if anything) they planned to do to mark the event, and they didn't offer. So I was very pleased, and my friend was delighted, when they presented her with a little pack of ground coffee at the meal's end to wish her a happy birthday. The food was amazing and the service ideal, but that little extra touch is the sort of thing that earns good word-of-mouth.
We were seated immediately in the Bistro area - very pretty room with lots of natural light. We proceeded to sit for about 5 minutes without being greated by a server. We were presented with a wine list and told that this was the "more affordable menu." I found this to be presumptious. A lot of the items we had enjoyed in the past had been removed from the menu, the lamb appetizer and the veal entree in particular. Deciding on the NY Strip, half of the beef was well marinated with an abundance of garlic flavor- the other half was not.
The entire experience was a let down which is a shame. There is nothing like it in Old Town.
Who would think pork belly would make such a lasting impression??? YUMMY!! Restaurant Eve will quickly become a neighborhood hot spot and a destination for many - the reputation is well deserved. The entire evening was crisp without being pretentious, service was friendly and unobtrusive...what better combinations! I thoroughly enjoyed walking through the covered entranceway, it feels like a well-kept secret. Our meal was not over-filling and very flavorful. The server described our items accurately and patiently answered our questions. I think the black linen for men is a lovely, unexpected touch. And where else can you park so inexpensively??? We are looking forward to returning...
Best tasting menu and service that I've had in the DC area. Wine prices are not bad to boot.
Been there twice and the second visit had over cooked scallops but otherwise still very good.
Had tasting menu with wine paring. Sommolier was VERY knowledgable as well as the service staff. Service was the key to this experience!!
Finally - another DC calibre restaurant in Old Town. Open just a few weeks, this place is hopping. Not only is the place gorgeous to look at, the food is superb, the service excellent and the wine list reasonably priced and extensive. There's a "bistro" (regular dining room) and a tasting room serving 5 or 9-course prix fixe menus. The decor is very light and airy. It's also got a great bar that's quickly become my favorite "drop in for a quick or leisurely drink" place.
In a word: superb. Old Towne Alexandria finally has a restaurant in the same class with the region's best (think Citronelle, Maestro, etc.) Eve has two distinct sections: the bistro, with relatively inexpensive (but excellent) dining choices, and the chef's tasting room, where the restaurant's flavor and art are truly demonstrated.
We chose the tasting room. I selected the 9 course tasting menu, while my wife chose the five course option. Both were amazing. With the exception of one course (an slightly over-salty prawn), every dish was a success.
I strongly recommend Eve to anyone seeking an ejoyable meal out.
We had a wonderful meal of two appetizers and an entree. The appetizers consisted of a Braised Oxtail ravioli and another of Seared Lamb loin. Both of them were absolutely delicious. Our entree of Veal Shortribs with creamy polenta was out of this world. The meat was literally falling off of the bone, so tender it melted in your mouth. The presentation of everything was beautiful, almost too good to eat. We ate at the bar and were catered to by Ken. We allowed him to pair the wines with our meal and were not disappointed. Had a lovely Pinot Noir with the appetizers and a bold Bordeaux with the entree. We also had cocktails and an after dinner drink included in the total above.
Top notch in every respect; imaginative and tasty food, immaculate looks, and service that's prompt, efficient, and personal without being intrusive.
The Oxtail ravioli appetizer is not to be missed, I couldn't resist the temptation to swab some of the hot fresh bread served in the wonderfully concentrated sauce.
