So... after skulking about DonRockwell.com for approximately 5 years, checking out opinions for my own dining interests, I figured it's probably about time I signed up and chip in my two cents concerning my position & place of business!
Greetings to all - I am the "Bar Manager Matt Wilcox steps in for Steve Warner" as worded in the subtitle to this thread, and/or the "friggin Red Sox/Giants fan," as I am referred to in the Eventide Restaurant thread. I accepted the bar management position at Eventide after Steve's departure. In this DC Metro environment of culinary "who's who," I've done a pretty good job of remaining somewhat low-key, so perhaps I should lend a few tidbits of my backstory?
I started my fine dining experience in Rehoboth Beach, DE. I joined up with Nage in late 2004, quickly fell in love with the environment of teamwork, equality, and communication (not to mention the killer flavors of Kevin Reading, David Hamer, Hari Cameron, etc.). In late 2005, I moved out to the DC area to help open a Nage in Downtown (Scott Circle) in March 2006. In the meantime between my move and the restaurant opening, I took a "layover" position at Tallula, serving under Dave Pressley & Josh Radigan, keeping my wine knowledge sharp.
I was the bar manager & head bartender at Nage DC from March 2006 to September 2010, when I decided to seek out a bartending position at Eventide for a change of pace. Nage still produces some incredible food and deserves a bit more recognition than it gets, but sometimes ya gotta switch it up. I was happy to reunite with some familiar faces in Clarendon, yet little did I know I would find myself back in a bar management position so fast (approximately 2 1/2 months).
I had a great time training under Steve Warner, be it for such a short time. I crafted my cocktail creations in the past mainly from the use of fresh purees, housemade spirit infusions, infused syrups, curious muddlings, etc. There's a good name for a band: Curious Muddlings. However, during my time at Nage, i had strayed from the integrity of the original recipes of the classics. I obviously wouldn't continue to make anything that guests didn't like, but I tweaked classics almost the way I LIKED THEM. Or how I saw them being the best. Coming to Eventide was a fun reawakening to the art of the "original." We have such a fun group of regulars that come in and feel comfortable asking for anything from a Sazerac to a Martinez to a Blood & Sand to a Cooper Brothers (the last being one of our most frequently ordered). I've always felt that a courteous diner w/ good restaurant etiquette should always give the benefit of the doubt that they may have a seasoned bartender, before writing them off right away as not having some degree of cocktail knowledge. Perhaps some of our first-time diners even hold back from ordering an old-time favorite because they think we might have no idea what we are talking about. Let's face it: the modern day "vodka/soda bartender" has made it hard for those who see it as an honorable and dignified craft. It's kinda sad when what we do at Eventide may be viewed by some as "stuffy," when just 60-70 years ago, it was what a bar was. Heck, I've been in a helluva lot of bars in the last few years that didn't even carry cocktail glasses...
Enough ranting & waxing philosophic on what are just my grievances! The point I was trying to make is I learned some good work ethic from Steve Warner and was introduced to some new creative ideas in "alcoholic chemistry." A lot of commentary on topic boards regarding current affairs at Eventide discuss a "change of direction." Frankly, we are not doing so much of a "change of direction," as we are an "opening of arms" to those who may have found us to be not as approachable as another "beer & a shot" hangout in Clarendon. The main fear going around between all of the grapevine chatters was that Eventide was going to turn into a drunk tank. I assure you this is not the case. I will be glad to continue this discussion with those who wish to address it, and I will take the next few weeks to do specific replies to individual comments from the recent past.
Eventide is not going to start carrying Red Bull. Eventide is not going to get SO LOUD that you can't hear each other talk after 10pm. Eventide is not going to have 5 fights and 10 pools of vomit a night. I may sound extreme, but this is honestly where I started seeing & hearing some of the paranoia going. The Eventide lounge is going to continue to make the drinks & give the service that many of you came to love about it. At the same time, I have expanded some of the liquor stock and beers to include some of the more mainstream items. However, we will always have 5-7 craft beers, changing seasonally, and I will continue to run cask ale firkins as an announced 1-2 night event, every month or two. The spirits list will also shift and morph, as I find creative new additions to supplement the usual fallbacks. I have also posted my first list of cocktail creations in my time here at Eventide in early February. I sincerely hope many of you, especially the former regulars who felt that everything would go to hell after Steve left, will come and give them a try and meet some of our new staff.
I will conclude my Ivanhoe-sized introduction here. For those of you who made it through, I look forward to addressing any concerns or questions in future posts/replies. I will also probably directly reply to some of the previous posts that address specific topics & the direction of the restaurant/bar/lounge. Thanks for your time & warm welcome to the club. I, also, will continue to frequent the bars & restaurants that employ Dave Pressley, Steve Warner, and Amy Smoyer. Shout out!
Matty W
