CoconutMilk

I hope they still have the lentil burger and power veggie sandwich. Kasha's was an underappreciated gem in Falls Church--easily one of the best lunch options in that area.

Oh, and a general question to anyone. What is the reasoning behind the smearing and dolloping of various components at many of the "nicer" restaurants? I know its been done forever but I still don't get it. The accompanying stuff is either really great and you wish there was more or really gross and you wonder why its even there. I appreciate the effort that goes into creating so many components but I'm just puzzled by that style of cooking.

Had dinner at Eventide tonight. I’ll be honest, I came in skeptical because I’m usually underwhelmed by $40 a person upscale-seasonal -farm-to-table whatever you want to call them restaurants. Also, I could give two craps about décor or service (so long as I get what I ordered I’m fine) or plating or any of that foo-foo stuff. Some people care about that and I get it but it’s just not important to me. On to the food… The amuse bouche was, I think, a spring pea risotto fritter with a mint crème fraiche. It was fine but very heavy. The biscuits that soon followed—which I had been looking forward to-- were outrageously buttery and really delicious. I mean, damn, those were good. Apps…Bison tartare, pork belly roulade, carrot soup, scallops. I liked the bison tartare but it didn’t pop—it was just sort of mild across the board. I expected more punch and tang from the accompanying cranberry mustard and the aji amarillo aioli. But that’s nit-picking. It’s a good dish. The pork belly roulade was rich and tasty but it bothered me that the pickled mushrooms and red pepper jam that came with it were literally in teaspoon servings. I felt like the pickled mushrooms MADE the dish and to me it would be better with a good quarter cup of them on the plate-- they really cut through the pork belly (I know the owner reads this thread…is that the sort of thing I can ask for extra of, or would that be too weird at a place like Eventide?…or could I ask for extra when I’m ordering it, like “Yeah, I’ll have the roulade, but with extra pickled mushrooms please”). The 3 scallops themselves were near-perfect, but I didn’t care for the accompanying smoked mushroom puree and oregano pesto. The carrot soup was fine but I wouldn’t get it again. I’d recommend all but the carrot soup but I wouldn’t expect to be bowled over by any of them. They are just good and clean and well-executed—not swoon-worthy to me. Entrees….mushroom risotto ,pork chops with all kinds of crap. The mushroom risotto was rich and plentiful with meat mushrooms. I could never eat a whole bowl of the stuff but for what it was it was very, very good. The pork chops were a tad overcooked but still tasty because they were well-brined. The myriad of accompaniments to the pork were all pretty good, especially the fava beans and what I think was grilled kale. Portions were generous. Desserts…banana cigars with butterscotch semifreddo, dense chocolate thingy. The banana cigars themselves were novel and good, especially the phyllo shell. But the butterscotch semifreddo was absolutely incredible. One of the best bites of food I’ve had in a long time. Just great. The chocolate “terrine” was very dense and chocolatey—some people like that, some hate it. I thought it was good. If I had the money, Eventide is the sort of place I’d visit each season to try out the menu for that season. But for now, I’ll only go back if someone else is paying. I just can’t stomach paying 40 or 50 bucks unless the food blows my mind (yes, I’m that cheap). Still, my overall first impression was a good one. This place is clearly trying hard and putting effort into each component of each dish. And simply based on what you read on this thread you can tell the owner is really committed to putting out great food and pleasing his customers. I think it will only get better and I’m sure there are some knock-out dishes to come in the summer.

I did a same day taste test of the Falls Church Pie-Tanza and Flippin and both were pretty lacking in many ways. Pie-tanza's problem is the paper-thin crust, which is just so ridiculously thin it makes me crazy. The whole middle of the pie is a soggy mess of cheese with a razor thin layer of wet cracker crust. I rather like Pie-Tanza's fresh-tasting sauce though. At Flippin all I had was a few by-the-slice options, but they were not very good. Ok, yeah, I know, everyone says get it the whole pie but whatever. This pizza had a good, sturdy crust but the sauce was non-existent and overall the pizza was actually quite bland and flat compared to Pie-Tanzas (I literally ran back to my car to try Pie-Tanza leftovers after eating at Flippin and the difference was SHOCKING...Pie-Tanza's pizza was much more seasoned and fresher tasting, in spite of its horrible crust). Still, I can't see myself going to either one again.

I ate here once and enjoyed the bread and chickpeas. I don't remember if I liked the rice or not. The chicken kabob, however, was a little underwhelming. It was moist but not terribly flavorful. Considering how many places there are to get similar pakistani border food (ravi kabob is only a few miles away), I don't see any reason to return. But its not bad by any stretch. If I worked in the area I'd probably drop in for lunch every now and again.

I tried six varieties the other day. Without exception, they were very good. And I wouldn't even classify myself as a cupcake fan. The frosting is light and not too sweet. The cake is supremely moist. The best part, though, is the crusty edge on the lip of the cupcake--so good.

I was there last week, my third or fourth visit overall. The much talked about Sopa de Mani, which I hadn't tried yet, was a bland disappointment. The saltenas were as good as ever, but at 5 bucks I still think they are overpriced. The arepas (we got a black bean and cheese one and JPs favorite) were good. I like to get a fried arepa on the side and make two small sandwiches. They are best doused with lots and lots of their killer salsa verde (thats the key to enjoying JPs favorite, especially). We also had some fried plantains, which were good, but those are hard to mess up. If I go back again--and I'm not sure I will because as good as some of the food is I'm sick of the pretentious owner, small portions, and higher-than-they-should-be prices-- I'd maybe try the diputado sandwich, the black bean soup, the fried yucca, the El Sabroso, or the tequenones in addtion to an arepa and a saltena.

Sounds like a great meal. How does this place compare to some of the Eden Center spots, like Huong Viet or Viet Bistro? Or even Minhs (I can't imagine the grilled pork was better than Minhs) or Four Sisters in Nova. FYI...banh hoi nem nuong is grilled pork meatballs with steamed rice vermicelli patties.

I tried four different "slices" tonight and none really did it for me. They weren't horrible, but I can't see myself going back either. The crust, while bland, was at least crispy-chewy and for me was the highlight of the pizza. THERE WAS NO SAUCE TO SPEAK OF. I hate a pizza drowned in sauce, but there was literally no sauce.

Agreed. I love the obsessive tone of Kliman's essay--a great piece of writing, not just food writing. It makes me regret the fact that I've never had Chang's food. A visit to Charlottesville is in order.

Has anyone been here in the last month? I'm considering making the trek from Arlington because I've got a feeling that its that good. The lunch specials and street fare are particularly appealing.

Hey, I've long been a "lurker" on DonRockwell.com but I'm now happy to be a member. I'm currently the weekly food columnist for fallschurchtimes.com, an online community newspaper in the City of Falls Church. I look forward to giving my two cents about alot of the cheap ethnic eats in the NOVA area--those are the types of places I tend to patronize the most. I'm obsessed with the Eden Center, Thai food, anything rolled, wrapped, or stuffed, Persian stews, noodles of all kinds and tons of other stuff. I just love to eat. I'll be posting under the same name that I've been using for chow.com: CoconutMilk. CoconutMilk