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


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When dining at the bar, I ask what fresh fruit juices are on hand, then ask the bartender to make me something with whatever they have, "not too sweet, with a splash of soda water". Haven't been disappointed yet.

Thanks! We're not dining at the bar, but that's exactly what I'll do. Thanks everyone for your recommendations.

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I can't beleive it has been one year, but my husband and I are celebrating our one year anniversary this month! Holy crap! I made reservations at Eve, but sadly there were no reservations to be had in the Tasting Room. Should I keep the reservation? Is the regular dining room first anniversary-worthy? Thanks in advance for the input.

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I can't beleive it has been one year, but my husband and I are celebrating our one year anniversary this month! Holy crap! I made reservations at Eve, but sadly there were no reservations to be had in the Tasting Room. Should I keep the reservation? Is the regular dining room first anniversary-worthy? Thanks in advance for the input.

I've actually celebrated a couple anniversaries at Eve-both in the Tasting Room and Bistro. The bistro still offers phenomonal food and is the best option for Old Town by a long shot for an anniversary-worthy experience. (I like Vermilion, but they really only have two tables upstairs that offer a wee bit of privacy.)

If you're looking for a tasting menu-type blowout meal and can't convince Eve to find room in the Tasting Room, head downtown to Komi, CityZen and the like. That's my two cents. (FWIW, we celebrated our first anniversary at Equinox where Todd made two seperate tasting menus for my wife and I, each featuring the same protein! Pretty inventive and it had us sharing our food all night. I don't know if he still does that, though. Seems like a lot of hard work.)

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I can't beleive it has been one year, but my husband and I are celebrating our one year anniversary this month! Holy crap! I made reservations at Eve, but sadly there were no reservations to be had in the Tasting Room. Should I keep the reservation? Is the regular dining room first anniversary-worthy? Thanks in advance for the input.

Having enjoyed an anniversary dinner in the Tasting Room and a birthday dinner in the bistro, the only advice I'd offer is to make sure that your table in the bistro is a standalone two-top. We were seated at the banquette between two large parties, and it felt a little oppressive to me. Space was tight and it was a little too easy to hear others' conversations (and, presumably, for our conversations to be heard). I was jealous of the couples who had their own space, and will request such a table next time.

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(FWIW, we celebrated our first anniversary at Equinox where Todd made two seperate tasting menus for my wife and I, each featuring the same protein! Pretty inventive and it had us sharing our food all night. I don't know if he still does that, though. Seems like a lot of hard work.)

Restaurant Eve has done that as well, and yes, it is inventive and hard work. click.

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I can't beleive it has been one year, but my husband and I are celebrating our one year anniversary this month! Holy crap! I made reservations at Eve, but sadly there were no reservations to be had in the Tasting Room. Should I keep the reservation? Is the regular dining room first anniversary-worthy? Thanks in advance for the input.

My wife and I have celebrated all of our four anniversaries at Eve. This past June (our last anniversary) was the first time we had spent it in the bistro. Overall, I prefer the tasting room to the bistro for our anniversary. The anticipation of each course (and sharing each course with each other) gave us something to look forward to and it made the evening a litte more special. That being said, if you can't get into the tasting room, I doubt you'll find a better 3-course meal in the DC area, nor will you find better service then at Eve.

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They make their own cheese now!?!

And at least the one they were serving last night - Housemade Blue Chevre (served with Bull's Blood Beets and 100 yr Balsamic) - is really outstanding. Incredible soft, silky texture and really interesting slightly soft rind. Chevre and blue are my two favorite words when it comes to cheese, but wow, I think anyone would be thrilled to try this. Do other restaurants make their own cheese? Seriously, what's next with the Armstrong-Armstrong-Thrasher triumvirate? They never cease to amaze.

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Pied de Cochon - Braised pigs feet served in a crepinette (of Napa cabbage), topped with crispy cracklings and a heart jus...

Delicious - tender meat, the flavors of the braising liquid similar to when I've had braised lamb (I really like whatever goes into the braising pot). Wow!

The yellowtail tartare (similar to that from the "To Cork or Not to Cork" dinner) was a culinary nirvana for my +1. The hits keep coming :blink:

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the restaurant is easily accessible, but doesn't draw any attention from the few brave people out on king street in alexandria on a chilly november evening. walking through the front door, your expectations are risen with a sign that not only notes that the proper attire is required, but also a nod to manners, asking the gentlemen to remove their hats. immediately upon entering, you are greeted by the hostess while still taking in the rich earth tones of the decor and a vast selections of wines in encased in a sealed glass cellar to your left. the bar to the right is dimly lit; the background of conversations and people generally milling around warms you quickly from the briskness of a perfect autumn night. drinks are tastefully presented in elegant glasses, libations of all sorts, flashes of spiral lime garnishes whisk by to the people around you.

as you are notified by the hostess that your table is ready, the staff takes the drinks from the ladies in the party to be delivered at the table, while coats are checked and you make your way through a seemingly cavernous restaurant. the seats are comfortable and inviting. the table linen is thick and soft, but not in a manner that makes you wonder if you are going to beware of small bits of dinner escaping onto a frette napkin that resides on your lap for the duration of the evening.

the wait staff has a well honed knowledge of the menu, describing every minute detail of the bistro offerings to quickly trigger a pavlovian effect in you. an order of hamachi with sea salt and lemon to start, and one of the last pieces of the daily special, veal chops with creamy mashed potatoes, served with porcini mushrooms.

the hamachi is delicate to the tongue, well complemented with the sea salt and sprouts, each bite dissolves like butter in your mouth. conversation flows at the table about any manner of topics, from pop culture to brief verbal skirmishes of politics and religion. introductions are given development, back stories of people's lives provide added dimension to your gastronomic partners for the evening.

the veal chops are formidable in appearance. their arrival demands your attention. a large, solitary bone stands tall, and the arrival of only one bone in the order signifies that this is the last piece available of the evening. the wafting aroma of the veal takes a hold of your olfactory senses, as your mouth once again begins to water, savoring the arrival of 12 ounces of tender, medium rare veal, cooked to perfection. a porcini mushroom hangs at the crest of the meat, while it's companions await at the base of the large veal chop, lazily resting on a bed of creamy, buttered mashed potatoes with a sea of a thick, rich, brown veal broth reduction.

the first piece carved off is a complete shock to your senses. the veal brings you to believe that this is truly the culmination of epicurean capabilities, and no meal forthcoming will ever be as good as this. the meat is flavorful with every bite, complemented well with the porcini and dabs of mashed potatoes. this is not a meal to satisfy one's hunger, but to something that one enjoys as a piece of consumable art. every bite begs for another to follow. and when all is said and done, you are left satisfied and only a large 8 inch bone to mark the last of your food.

this has quickly and easily become my favorite restaurant in the area. if you haven't already, definitely go check it out. :blink:

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Fact, Don is awesome.

Question, which bear eats beets while watching battlestar galactica?

Bears do not . . . What is going on? What are you doing?

You know what . . . imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, so I thank you.

Identity theft is not a joke, Jim! Millions of families suffer every year!

Yes. I am obsessed (with The Office), and i'm looking forward to trying the tasting room at eve.

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Bears do not . . . What is going on? What are you doing?

You know what? Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, so I thank you.

Identity theft is not a joke, Jim! Millions of families suffer every year!

Yes. I am obsessed (with The Office), and i'm looking forward to trying the tasting room at eve.

"Post drunk and edit early."

It's a good rule of thumb, but you have to remember to do the second part! :blink:

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"Post drunk and edit early."

It's a good rule of thumb, but you have to remember to do the second part! :blink:

Very funny, Rocks!

Ulysses and I have contributed to this sacred community by sharing quotes from The Office, Season 3, Episode: Product Recall, where Jim imitates Dwight. It is, by far, one of the funniest moments of the four-season series. You've got to watch it! Although I have been drunk the better part of this week, I was not drunk at 5:11 this morning when I posted the dialogue from the second part of the scene. I'll have to work on that! :P

And, to keep things relevant, I enjoyed the lickety-split lunch this summer, and look forward to experiencing the tasting room this fall.

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We don't normally post on the Eve threads because we are such huge fans of the restaurant, but I just had to say something about our meal there this evening. Tomorrow is our 1-year anniversary, and because Eve is closed on Sundays, we ate there tonight. It was, in a word, superlative. Todd, Jason, Kris, Ken, Evan, and Craig took just outstanding care of us. We were warmly welcomed, fed delicious food and wine throughout the evening, and left feeling not just well cared for but special. The stand-out dishes were the beef filet and the yellowtail snapper, as well as the butternut squash custard and the pheasant. All I can say is, if you haven't yet eaten in the Tasting Room, just go already :blink:

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We're going to the Tasting Room tonight for my birthday dinner, but our reservation is on the late side--8:30--and we both have work tomorrow. Any ideas on what time we might find ourselves stumbling out the door? And is it possible to find a cab in the neighborhood so that we don't have to worry about driving?

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We're going to the Tasting Room tonight for my birthday dinner, but our reservation is on the late side--8:30--and we both have work tomorrow. Any ideas on what time we might find ourselves stumbling out the door? And is it possible to find a cab in the neighborhood so that we don't have to worry about driving?

How many courses are you having? For the 5 course meal, I'd estimate 2 1/2 to 3 hours. I've never taken a cab in the area, but I would imagine Eve can let you know how available cabs are late on a Tuesday.

Please report back about your meal. Mr. MV and I will be fortunate enough to dine there soon. It's been too long.

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Aw c'mon Babka -- my daughter does the 9 course meal. Be a sport...
and yet you wrote:
The kids each devoured the 9 course and my wife and I had the fiver.
No further comment, Sport.
They'll call a cab for you. And Happy Birthday, by the way :(
thank you!
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For my birthday, my wife took me to the Tasting Room at Restaurant Eve Friday night and our experience lived up to our lofty expectations. We, thank God, chose to go the 5 course route (which is really 9 courses, I think, with the amuse, etc.) and we picked perfectly for our tastes. To keep life interesting, sometimes my wife and I have contests over who can order better, so here is our head-to-head tasting battle royale to potentially help others in their selecting:

Round 1: Gnudi Fritti with Parsnip Puree and Housemade Merguez Sausage (wife) vs. Sauteed Skate Wing with Tragout of Boudin Noir, Ham Hock, Bone Marrow, and Cipollinis (me)

Victor: Wife

Note: We took full advantage of the ability to move items between courses since we wanted every item on the Ocean course; hence, nothing from "Creation".

Round 2:Nantucket Bay Scallop "Fricasse" with Leeks and Osetra Caviar (wife) vs. Sweet Butter Poached Maine Lobster with Heirloom Carrots, Ginger, and Micro Cilantro (Supplement $5) (me)

Victor: Me (our favorite dish of the night, well worth the upcharge; my wife would argue though that her scallops would trump my other orders, though)

Round 3: Bacon, Egg, and Cheese (wife) vs. Chapel Hill Farm Randall Lineback Rosy Red Veal Tenderloin "Saltimboca A La Romana"

Victor: Wife (she muscled me out on ordering this dish even though it was my birthday! God, I love their pork belly dishes.)

Round 4: Roquefort with Sauternes Gelee and Sugarsnap Cookie (wife) vs. Brie de Meaux with Dried Apricot Jam and Pate Sable (me)

Victor: Wife (I loved the Roquefort but wasn't blown away by the brie or jam accompaniement)

Fifth Course: Apple "Tarte Des Demoiselles Tartin" (wife) vs. Chocolate "Opera Torte" (me)

Victor: Wife (I love chocolate, but the tarte was a decadent knockout punch on the night)

So, yes, my wife kicked my ass. But did I really lose? I got to eat almost all of mine and sometimes half of hers.

To back track a little, we had a late reservation so we also managed to give the Armstrong's even more of our money before dinner by getting drinks at PX. Unique experience that we'd do again in a heart beat. I look forward to the Armstrong's continued growth with the planned bakery and butcher shop that will complement their expanding but benevolent empire.

Pax,

Brian

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Mr. MV and I enjoyed a Lickety-Split lunch last week. It just reminds me each time what a great deal this is and makes me kick myself for not going mor often. I had the poached mussels with merquez lamb sausage in a curry sauce and a short rib and roquefort sandwich with fingerling potatoes. The mussels were plump and juicy and I could not get over the portions-about 2 dozen! The sandwich oozed with cheese and gravy.

Mr. MV had the confit of duck salad and the BLT over which he pretty much swooned.

And that bread, that bread. I love how the room temp butter literally melts as it hits the bread. If they open a bakery I hope they sell this!

We're going again this week... :(

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My dinner at Eve's Tasting Room was me and 3 of my 20-something girlfriends, and although we are sometimes snubbed at other places for looking young and like we won't be spending money, the staff couldn't have been nicer at Eve last night. We started the evening with cocktails (Eve's Temptation, The Elixer, a Vodka with homemade tonic and some type of fruit martini with kumquat air). Also, when we ordered a $36 bottle of wine we were told we made an "awesome choice" and not looked down upon for ordering something less expensive.

Before we even ordered we got an amuse course that was a wild mushroom fritter, a quail egg (I think...like a tiny deviled egg) and a duck rilette. All were really good. Then our second amuse was a small bowl of a sort of lobster chowder type thing with dill and carrots and stuff in it. Not sure what else. Also there was a bread basket with dark rolls, white rolls and cheese breadsticks served with a lightly salted Irish butter and an unpasturized Amish butter. Everything served before our actual courses was really delicious.

My first course was "Sashimi of Yellow Fin Tuna with Preserved Lemon and Sea Salt." Apparently Whole Foods sells grade 2 tuna (which is really good) but this is grade 1++. It is caught in Hawaii and FedExed overnight so they serve it the next day. I wasn't a huge fan of the lemon part, but the tuna itself basically melts in your mouth and the Japanese sea salt was good with it. This dish was one of our server's favorites on the menu.

My second course was "Sauteed Skate Wing with Ragout of Boudin Noir, Ox Tongue, Bone Marrow and Cipollinis." It sounds a lot weirder and scarier than it is since I would normally shy away from marrow and tongue. This was actually I think my favorite course. The skate was lightly breaded and pan fried.

My third course was "Bacon Egg and Cheese." This was a base of potato pancake with cheese, topped with braised pork belly and topped with a poached egg. It's a pretty tasty piece of pig. The first few bites were so good, but it was really heavy and after all we'd eaten before I couldn't finish it.

My fourth course was "Pleasant Ridge Reserve with Honeycrisp Apple Compote and Apple 'Paper.'" This was the cheese course and I'm not crazy about cheeses as dessert so it was ok, but probably my least favorite course just cause I couldn't really appreciate it. Our waitress recommended this one because it is pretty rare and comes from Wisconsin cows that feed on wildflowers.

Between the fourth and fifth course we got a palate clenser that was some sort of marscapone-type cheese (a little sweat but mostly very creamy) with fig preserves.

My fifth coruse was "Apple 'Tarte Des Demoiselles Tartin.'" It was in three little sections on the plate. One was a small spice tart with black currant jam. One was a small glass of caramel apple cream and little pieces of apple on top. The third was some spiced apple slices with candied walnuts. It was all pretty good with the cream being best but I was so full at this point.

After the fifth course we assumed it was time to pay, but then they brought out another little tray of petit fours. Chocolate truffles, pecan caramel chews and quince jellies. Although we were more than stuffed, we all managed a bite or two of each to round out our meal.

So while this was a "Five Course Tasting Menu" we actually had more like 9 courses (10 counting the bread)!!! Wow. May be the most I've spent on a meal before, but certainly well worth it for a holiday celebration. The bill came to $500 (before tip) for four 5-course tasting menus plus four cocktails and a bottle of wine.

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My wife and I were there recently and had almost all of the same dishes as New Foodie had above. Everything was really delicious, but I must say that I felt that the service was juuuuust a tad off. All of our servers were very nice, but they got our orders mixed up several times, placing my order in front of my wife and hers in front of me. We were also never asked if we wanted coffee or after dinner drinks (we finally chimed in). Small things, I know, but I was a bit surprised (it was our first visit).

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Any pictures of the chocolate box?

It's a real work of art.

post-1122-1199242321_thumb.jpg

HUGE thanks to everyone at Eve and everyone here who helped turn me on to them. I had one of the most memorable nights of my life and one of the best meals on Friday.

Overall, the evening was a great success. I knew I would be in good hands here, but somehow the folks at Eve exceeded my lofty expectations for this momentous occasion. A number of people from the Restaurant called and emailed to discuss my vision for the evening and a number of other folks played a hand in executing it perfectly. The only thing that was important to me was that the engagement come as a total surprise. This was easier said than done, but she didn't know what was coming until Evan popped the top off the ring box and I quickly grabbed the ring and dropped to one knee. I had a lot of help building up to that moment. I was left alone when she ran to the bathroom early in the meal and our server (Chrissy?) made a b-line for me to ask if I had something to give her. I couldn't have been more relieved to get the ring out of my pocket! Turns out she too is a native of the Cleveland area (East side!) and she had all the Midwestern charm that only someone who's as proud to be from that part of the country as I am would ever expect. At every chance, she was checking in on me to make sure that I was at ease and not hyperventilating. And the delicious food and wine provided for the perfect distraction to keep me calm. The ring box itself was perfect in that it was totally gorgeous and designed such that one could (and did) mistake it for just another "gift from the kitchen). All in all, I couldn't be more pleased with the how the evening transpired.

And the food highlights were many. Newfoodie described some of the dishes we had in detail, so I'll try to limit my gushing to some new and as yet unposted about details from our evening. Everything we had was great, but the most interesting parts are below.

Newfoodie detailed the Yellow Fin Tuna "Sashimi" above. I believe ours was a 1+ which is second highest rating for Tuna and very difficult to obtain. As mentioned above, this stuff is caught in Hawaii one day and on your plate in the Tasting Room the next. This was without a doubt the best Tuna I've tasted in years. The presentation is very simple, so the extraordinary quality of the fish really shines through. I usually prefer more intricate presentations, but this fish was something akin to the Japanese Wagyu we tasted recently and warranted some room to shine. The texture was much firmer texture than I even remembered possible. I'd recently resigned myself to having an occasional tuna dish where the mealy texture and empty flavor of the mediocre tuna that most places are serving is masked by some heavy flavors and other textures, but I may scrap that plan and keep my fingers crossed that this source remains available indefinitely. Simply awesome.

The new Lobster preparation ("Butter Poached Main Lobster Tail with Sunchokes and Wild Winter Oyster Mushrooms") was outstanding. The heirloom carrots & ginger lobster was one for the ages, but I was excited to see something new on the menu. I'm told the mushroom were foraged by one of the chef's mushroom hunting lawyer friends. They were some special mushrooms. Verdejo and lobster seemed like an odd pairing, but here as throughout the meal, Evan produced an interesting wine in an seemingly unusual context that worked beautifully.

The other real food highlight was the Veal Sweetbreads we ordered off the 9 course tasting menu. It was a super earthy, but not too rich dish with Smoke Ham Hock, Turnips and Rosemary. It was paired with a super earthy Oregon Pinot, Panther Creek (2003).

As I mentioned, Evan was providing us with some really outstanding and interesting wines. I mentioned the delicious and complex Verdejo above, but other highlights (and firsts for me) included:

-a Tempranillo from Portugal (Vertente Douro Tempranillo, Niepoort, Portugal 2001). Apparently the Portugese do a much more subdued style of this grape and at least this one was fabulous;

-a Gran Vinum Albariño from the Rias Biaxas, Spain 2006 was one of the most interesting tasting white wines I've ever had and is going to cause to me to rethink my spanish whites are great for cheap white wine nights only strategy; and

-the Domaine de la Rectorié Grenache, Banyuls, France 2005, which I thought tasted something akin to a delicious, subtler, well oaked port. Evan knew these bottles and everything else he poured us inside and out, so it was a really fun tasting and educational experience for us in that everything he poured was new to us. I'd thought twice about whether to shell out for the wine pairing, but having done so I can say that I'd highly recommend it to someone who enjoys good wine and enjoys trying new bottles and talking about them with someone who really knows their stuff.

All in all, what was sure to be one of the most special nights of my life proved to be one of the most delicious and well executed meals as well. I couldn't be more grateful to everyone at Eve who helped make things perfect.

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as someone else who proposed in a restaurant, let me suggest this to all those out there reading this- you may be able to pack away the 9 course at Eve on any other night, but if you're the one doing the proposing you'll be too nervous to eat, thus if you want a full meal, do it early :( Congrats to you!

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The only thing that was important to me was that the engagement come as a total surprise. This was easier said than done, but she didn't know what was coming until Evan popped the top off the ring box and I quickly grabbed the ring and dropped to one knee.

Did she say yes?!

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Did she say yes?!

Hard to believe, right? She said yes, although I had to ask her to repeat it to confirm! Inaudible smiling and kissing is not the same as saying "yes!" And, rather amazingly, that part of the evening was even more important and better than all the delicious food and drink!

Good advice from jpschust, but I wasn't too nervous to eat. Actually, once the ring was out of my pocket, I was entirely thrilled to be distracted by various delicious plates, glasses, and stories about what we were being served. And after she said yes, she couldn't eat, but I thought eating was the perfect way to celebrate and so I devoured both desserts on my own!

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Just before I awoke this morning, it finally reached my deepest, most distal capillary. It took the entire night to make its rounds, but it happened.

"I'll have the five-course prix fixe, whatever the chef wants to make," I told my server last night. "The only thing I definitely want is the foie-gras supplement."

When you're paying $95 for a five-course prix fixe, a $25 supplement is a painful thought, but there are times in life to skimp, and there are times in life not to skimp. This is a time in life not to skimp.

Sautéed Goose Foie Gras with Huckleberries, Cipollinis, and Crisp House-Cured Bacon is a perfect match for the 2002 Zind-Humbrecht Tokay-Pinot Gris Clos Windsbuhl ($145), but pairings aside, it's a fantastic piece of foie gras - and a mammoth portion that's worth every penny.

Just how big is it? When It arrived, I honestly thought it was a filet mignon. This is a Foie-Gras Fisting Fantasy - a foie of the highest grade, perfectly seared, and lovingly conceived and plated. And it's merely the latest in a multi-year string of testaments that nobody, anywhere, is doing more interesting work with foie gras than the master of the medium, Cathal Armstrong - be it in a terrine, a paté, or seared straight from the lobe. He's at his best with noodles, women, and a garret-covered Rickenbach.

Now, like you, I have no idea what that last sentence means. But this morning, just before I awoke, I was having a dream - I don't remember who or what it was about, but the dream was being narrated, and the last words I remember were these: "He's at his best with noodles, women, and a garret-covered Rickenbach."

This was precisely the moment where Armstrong's foie reached the final vessel in my Temporal Lobe, setting off an electrical impulse that triggered the hallucinatory, post-prandial, REM-sleep twist, altering the narration in my dream, and forcing me awake, laughing out loud at the silliness I had just heard.

Thanks, Cathal, for making me start my day laughing and in a terrific mood - could I possibly ask anything more from a restaurant? Once again, dining at Restaurant Eve makes me happy - this time a bit more creatively than in the past.

Cheers,
Rocks.

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