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Restaurant Eve, Old Town Alexandria - Chef Cathal Armstrong and GM Todd Thrasher - Closed Jun 2, 2018


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Restaurant Eve is participating in Restaurant Week this year. Has anybody tried their menu? I'm curious but always concerned when high-end restaurants do RW given the tendency to lower standards because of the price point.

Going on Thursday, but don't know yet.

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Anyone know what the dish is that is labelled: You Must Be Brave to Order this Dish is?  Someone on tripadvisor said pork belly and tofu, so maybe mapo tofu-ish?

It was a yellow curry when I ordered it in December, but I don't remember the protein. It was fantastic. Very spicy, but not debilitating.

Have you thought it might be testicular in nature?

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Went to Restaurant Eve for my friend Megan's birthday and got RW lunch this week.  It was a little warm in the dining room, although the AC in the hall felt great, but given how hot and humid  it was outside, I give them some leeway.  I started with the mussels that were in a spicy sauce of naam jim and spring onions.  I also had a bite of rillette which was also very good.  But I really enjoyed the mussel dish and it is different from some of the menu that I have had in the past.  So many mussel dishes have cream, which I try to avoid, this was a great building spice, but the sauce was still so good with real flavor, not just heat, that I sopped it up with their gloriously crust and tender bread.  For my entree I had red curry soft shells, which were also very tasty, to me not as spicy as the mussels, a dining companion also had them and hers were definitely plumper than mine, but mine had plenty of meat, but for crabs served at the same table, there was a noticeable difference.  Note the dish doesn't have any sides, but given that I was eating three courses, I didn't need it. I also got a deviled egg from someone, which was fine, but not nearly as memorable as my mussels.  For dessert I got the chocolate mousse with berries no ice cream, which was a nice balance after the spice, I wish they had a more interesting non-dairy option than the "watermelon salad" I opted to eat the little bit that might be in my mousse.  Service was very professional and I always like the spacing of most the tables here as we could talk and not feel intrusive.  Overall it was a very nice lunch, we felt for one day like ladies who lunch in a very good way.

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Restaurant Eve last Saturday evening for a break from Turkey and the typical Thanksgiving leftovers.

Could not have had a better experience.  Having been here several times for various occasions, you really feel like you are eating in someone's home.  Todd Thrasher greeted us warmly and promptly seated us; checked on us periodically and made us feel very welcome.  We were educated on their wine list format, a little different from most, but the sommolier was more than helpful and we enjoyed a great bottle with dinner.  The 7-course option was our selection and basically we closed the place down.  It was a very nice, properly-timed dinner with attention to food preferences.  I do not think there was anything they could have done or presented better.  The gnochi was awesome, as was the fish, filet, prawns, soup, deviled quail egg, bread (warm, just out of the oven), pork etc, etc.  The staff gracious, sincere and professional.  If you have not been here and want a very nice evening out, I do not think you can go wrong.  Parking is the only hassle and if you circle the surrounding blocks a few times, you will find something close.

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14 hours ago, Ferris Bueller said:

 Parking is the only hassle and if you circle the surrounding blocks a few times, you will find something close.

We've never had trouble parking since there's a garage right across the street. I think it was even free after a certain hour. Has it closed?

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The prodigals returned to Eve after a (much too) long absence. We figured we'd better get in and try the Asian tasting menu since we've heard rumblings it will be phased out, before eventually reappearing in some form at the new spot coming to the Wharf development on the SW Waterfront. My only regret is that we waited so long. Well, that and the fact that I don't have an extra stomach or two - there was a LOT of food. My memory is a bit fuzzy on specifics, but the main point is that it was absolutely delicious.

While it's described as a three course menu, that only refers to how it is served. The first course was a beautiful plating that included pork belly with a lovely dipping sauce. After that, our table was transformed into a groaning board. There was a lazy Susan with a half dozen dishes and several other plates. It was truly a pan-Asian feast, with not a miss in the bunch. I am a huge fan of palak paneer; this was by far the favorite version I've ever tasted. I've let a few too many days pass, so don't recall each of the dishes, but there was panang, more pork belly, beautiful fish and other seafood, spice and heat, and no shortage of great flavors. I hope that we may be able to get back to experience it once more before it's no longer available. An amazing value at $65 and an impressive show of techniques, flavors, and styles of cooking.

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19 hours ago, goldenticket said:

The prodigals returned to Eve after a (much too) long absence. We figured we'd better get in and try the Asian tasting menu since we've heard rumblings it will be phased out, before eventually reappearing in some form at the new spot coming to the Wharf development on the SW Waterfront. My only regret is that we waited so long. Well, that and the fact that I don't have an extra stomach or two - there was a LOT of food. My memory is a bit fuzzy on specifics, but the main point is that it was absolutely delicious.

[Jackie, thank you for such a detailed noted about this - I've been waiting for postings to come in about it, and yours is much appreciated - and very useful to other people.]

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Restaurant Eve had been on our to try list for years but just never made it there, but got in for restaurant week last night and have to say we were not impressed - nothing was 'wow' the fish was cooked inconsistently within the piece, service was okay but some glaring errors (by the time my cream for my coffee arrived my coffee had started to cool down;  the table next to us got their appetizers twice and both before they got their drinks which they ordered first, and then got the wrong entree)  

Cocktails were good but not noteworthy

first course:  Deviled eggs (nicely done) and fish mousse (a bit thick but tasty)

second course: Rockfish (upcharge) (parts overdone, parts underdone) and Cod with shellfish nage - Quite good except one part which was underecooked

Sides (Not included so extra) Creamed leeks (Best thing all night) and Pomme Frites with garlic aioli (Yum)

Dessert: Amano chocolate cake (nothing special) and lemon pavlova (YUM - great texture) 

Coffee (Very small cup, cream took a while to get to table, no refils)

I know Restaurant Week Menus are not the best, but I should get a teasing and want to come back to enjoy the full or tasting menu - we were not impressed, especially not at the price point 

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1 hour ago, dcs said:

Restaurant Eve Will Likely Close in Old Town, by Anna Spiegel, February 8, 2018, on washingtonian.com.

I wish them the best, and was worried that something like this was inevitable - I wonder if winning the James Beard Award would have extended Eve's lifespan (I think the answer is "yes"). Cathal Armstrong was a finalist for the Mid-Atlantic award from 2007-2014, eight-straight years. Certainly, just being a finalist *helps* a restaurant, but he ended up becoming the Susan Lucci of the restaurant world - I strongly believe he deserved to win. Restaurant Eve was a truly great fine-dining establishment, and nobody in town was better at working with game than Cathal Armstrong.

There's too much talent here for them not to reemerge as something special.

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On 2/9/2018 at 9:48 AM, dcs said:

Restaurant Eve Will Likely Close in Old Town, by Anna Spiegel, February 8, 2018, on washingtonian.com.

I have mixed feelings about this. On the one hand, a dinner in the bistro room in 2007 (or 2008) was one of my first "fancy" meals (not much longer after joining this board) in the area dining scene. Because of that meal, I learned to appreciate gin again and had one of the best duck dishes of my life. But subsequent meals, both in the tasting room and the bistro room, were not particularly memorable save for one or two dishes. The service, however, was always exceptional.

Nevertheless, I always got the sense they were due for a significant refresh, particularly considering how much food in DC (and Baltimore, for that matter) has evolved. While I would hope they manage to pull off a stunning revival, Eve shouldn't be ashamed to go out on a high note.

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It is official: according to their website Restaurant Eve will close on June 2. This makes me sad. I live in Old Town and have been going there from the beginning, though only a couple of times per year and less so more recently. We will especially miss the bar. One of the best dishes I have ever eaten was a lobster creme brûlée served many years ago when they had the separate tasting room and bistro format. I hope we can get there a few times before they close.

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1 hour ago, Eljo said:

It is official: according to their website Restaurant Eve will close on June 2. This makes me sad. I live in Old Town and have been going there from the beginning, though only a couple of times per year and less so more recently. We will especially miss the bar. One of the best dishes I have ever eaten was a lobster creme brûlée served many years ago when they had the separate tasting room and bistro format. I hope we can get there a few times before they close.

Restaurant Eve and Cathal Armstrong absolutely deserved to have won the James Beard award.

Screenshot 2018-05-11 at 23.06.24.png

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One of the most important restaurants to open in the area in the last two decades. Surely a loss to the dwindling Old Town dining scene but very happy that the Armstrongs and their team have new, and old, ventures going strong.

 

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This hurts...a lot.

Starting with our very first visit, Restaurant Eve has been a special place for my wife and I. Prior to having kids, we dined there frequently - introducing both family and friends to the restaurant that we loved. Once our children were born, it was harder and harder for us to get there as often as we used to. Nevertheless, for 13 out of 14 years, Restaurant Eve was the place we would go for our anniversary celebration. Our 15th anniversary is coming up in July and I was about to make our usual reservation when I saw the news. Instead, we got a reservation for the last night of service so we can at least "say goodbye". 

Thanks to Cathal, Todd, and the rest of the Restaurant Eve family for so many years of wonderful memories. 

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Mr. BLB surprised me with his adamant dismay at the upcoming closing of Eve, reminisced about the pulled pork sandwich from 2006-07 and insisted that we had to go one last time.  Our anniversary was Wednesday and Friday was a half day of school for  BL-5th grader so we made the journey to Old Town yesterday.

It was a perfectly lovely dinner, lacking a bit in salt, but it didn't wow me the way Eve used to.  We started with eggs, fois gras, and the scallops.  Entrees were the cod and the veal sweetbreads.  And then a scoop of peach sorbet for BL-5th grader. The sorbet was served with a base of finely chopped walnuts.  Fortunately he didn't mind, but I would have been peeved had it been my plate since it wasn't mentioned when we ordered.  (No allergy, I just don't like nuts...)  The other desserts just didn't appeal to us so Mr. BLB and I skipped it.

Service was slow and there was a long delay between ordering a cocktail when we were seated and receiving it well after our first course was done and cleared.  

I'll be interested in the next chapter of Eve but last night was a shadow of what I remember. 

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