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Eventide, Wilson Blvd. in Clarendon - Closed For Good Sunday, Nov 16, 2014


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I've actually received a few PM's about Eventide and was going to wait until our chef's name is public knowledge before I started this thread, but I guess it's never too early to give out details to this group. wink.gif

We're still in a lengthy construction period but truly hope to open by May/June. (My fingers are cramping as I type because they've been crossed for so long.) We're on Wilson Blvd. at the beginning of the same block that the Clarendon Ballroom and Liberty Tavern are on. The scoop...nice bar/lounge on the first floor run by an exceptionally professional and hilarious Bar Manager that will be concentrating on inspired, well-crafted cocktails and a bit of a more elegant atmosphere than a bunch of Clarendon restaurants play host to (read: no Jager bombs served here...ever). Second floor will be about 90 seats of unpretentious, "date night" dining with 3 semi-private areas where we can host 3 seperate groups of 10 or combine the areas to hold up to 30 for receptions, business dinners, etc...

The rooftop will feature table seating and will be a food-first floor. We certainly want cocktail-only guests to sit at the tables, but will not be playing host to an "SRO" rooftop scene...that's what the Clarendon Ballroom's roof is for. (The Ballroom owners are partners at Eventide as well. I might as well be straightforward and divulge that info now.) There will be a small bar on the roof for late night cocktails after dinner, but the roof will be managed so that it stays as comfortable as possible for all and remains a mostly-seated area.

I have also hired an extremely gregarious and knowledgable wine director but, you guessed it, I can't divulge his name either. Please don't think I'm being cloak-and-dagger about naming my management team, but they are all still working at their jobs and cannot put in their notice until I can afford for them to come on salary.

My Assistant GM (and also an Eventide partner) is Nick Freshman. Nick's a great guy that I've known for over 10 years and has worked with me at Olives and Poste and will be running the upstairs dining room. We're all extremely excited about this project and really can't wait to get our doors open. In the meantime, if any of you happen to walk by the site and the front doors are open, please feel free to stick your head and ask for Nick Freshman or myself and we'll give you a quick tour while it's still under construction. Just bring beers!!

(Feel free to post or PM me if you have any questions/comments/suggestions about the place. I welcome them and look forward to answering you.)

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Sounds great and I'm looking forward to it. Will there by heat lamps and coverings on the roof or will it be a may to September thing only?

To get it open for this year's use, we'll probably make it open air for favorable weather only. If we're busy enough and the roof gets enough demand for its use, we will talk about all-weather construction to be done during the winter of this year to be ready by Spring '09.

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Best of luck with construction, permitting, etc. I am guessing by the name it will have a seafood focus?

Actually, no. Eventide is a word that designates the evening or latter part of the day. We are going to be a dinner-only establishment with the lone exception being Sunday brunch. Thanks for the well wishes!

P.S. Permitting went rather smoothly with Arlington County. Construction, however, has been a whole different story...

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Congrats & best of luck - I live a few blocks away and definitely look forward to stopping by. I'm already thinking of warm weather rooftop al fresco dining (especially given the current weather)!

Can't wait to see/hear about the menu - I hope the cuisine will differentiate itself somewhat from the existing neighborhood spots (Liberty, Restaurant3, Harry's, Blvd Woodgrill. . .)

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Congrats & best of luck - I live a few blocks away and definitely look forward to stopping by. I'm already thinking of warm weather rooftop al fresco dining (especially given the current weather)!

Can't wait to see/hear about the menu - I hope the cuisine will differentiate itself somewhat from the existing neighborhood spots (Liberty, Restaurant3, Harry's, Blvd Woodgrill. . .)

Thanks MAdinolfi78! We'll be doing our best to become a favorite spot for our neighbors to frequent. As soon as our first sample menus are able to be released in a couple months, I'll post them on this site so you can determine for yourself if we are setting ourselves apart from the neighboring restaurants. Cheers!

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I'll have a special bottle of Lillet behind the bar just for you. Ladybug Red will be available but you will have to go in the kitchen and swipe it from the cooks to pour yourself a glass...you bastard! :mellow: Should I build a bag drop at the entrance for when you visit?

Just make sure there is a cleat scrape for my golf spikes, I don't want the floor scattered with bent grass everywhere. I will also bring a great shrimp cocktail recipe along with Club sandwiches for everyone :)

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All right David..enough already...let's get this thing open and functioning. I'm tired of waiting for those chocolate "bombs" and the promised good food and service. Grover and I are ready to see if you can give Nate a run for his money. Open dammit!!(and Josh, don't forget to do a wine critique..Matt is letting his school work get in the way of his wine recommendations)

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All right David..enough already...let's get this thing open and functioning. I'm tired of waiting for those chocolate "bombs" and the promised good food and service. Grover and I are ready to see if you can give Nate a run for his money. Open dammit!!(and Josh, don't forget to do a wine critique..Matt is letting his school work get in the way of his wine recommendations)

Trying my best...we're all working very hard right now. I'm sending out a press release next week about our chef and will post it here as well. We're very excited that our chef is officially on board and is already working on menu development and starting relationships with his purveyors.

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EVENTIDE RESTAURANT

3165 Wilson Boulevard

Arlington, Virginia 22206

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Dave Pressley, GM/Partner

Cell: 703-470-4102

Eventide Restaurant Opening in Clarendon This Summer

Equinox-Alum Miles Vaden Gets His Own Kitchen; Dave Pressley Serves as General Manager

ARLINGTON, VA – May 28, 2008 – The historic Odd Fellows Lodge building, on the corner of Hudson and Wilson Boulevards in Clarendon, will soon be home to Eventide Restaurant.

Slated for a summer 2008 opening, Eventide is owned by Clarendon heavyweights Nick Langman (owner, Clarendon Ballroom) and Peter Pflug (owner, Clarendon Grill, Clarendon Ballroom and Tallula Restaurant), and Dave Pressley, who will also be running the restaurant as general manager. Pressley was previously the director of operations for the Neighborhood Restaurant Group, and served as GM at Tallula, Poste and Olives in Washington, D.C., during his career.

Rising culinary star Miles Vaden takes over the restaurant’s kitchen as executive chef, with Eventide his first stint at the helm. He has worked under the direction of highly regarded award-winning chefs such as Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Shawn McClain, Todd Gray, and Anthony Chittum. Vaden spent the past two years as chef de cuisine at Sonoma in Washington, D.C., under Executive Chef Drew Trautmann.

Some of Vaden’s’ most influential years occurred at Equinox under Chef Todd Gray. He was the fourth man of a “dream team” that staffed that kitchen for two years: Brendan Cox (Circle Bistro) and Anthony Chittum (formerly of Notti Bianche and Dish, currently at Vermilion) were sous chefs while Nathan Anda (Tallula) was a fellow line cook. Vaden worked as sous chef under Chittum at Aria, Dish and Notti Bianche for another two years after leaving Equinox.

“Miles has surrounded himself with some of the industry’s top professional chefs, and is more than ready to launch his own culinary visions into the public spotlight,” says Pressley. “Under these mentors, he has gained an appreciation for regional cuisine and a thorough understanding of the ‘farm to fork’ movement -- supporting local farmers and their families -- something we will also embrace at Eventide.”

“Whatever assists me in bringing out the most flavor from my products is what I’m going to use,” says Vaden. “Sous-vide machines and immersion circulators have just as much place in my kitchen as old cast-iron skillets, sausage grinders and thin steel crepe pans. My craft incorporates traditional cooking techniques but I’m also fascinated by the technological advancements that are being made in our industry now. It’s a fun time to be a cook, and I’m looking forward to having my own kitchen!”

Steve Warner, a long-time fixture at Chadwick’s in Old Town Alexandria, will craft the cocktails. Well known for his speed, gregarious personality and desire to make balanced and interesting drinks, Warner will be personally concocting unique bar ingredients such as pomegranate grenadine, herb syrups, nut tinctures and bourbon barrel aged bitters.

Wine purveyor Glen Fisher, a long-time veteran of the wine industry who worked most recently representing the Country Vintner, will serve as Eventide’s wine director. The wine list will highlight wines mostly from North and South America and will offer around 100-150 selections. Twenty glass wines will be featured, rotating frequently, and will typically sell in the $8-$12 range.

North and South America are major influences for Eventide and will be strongly represented – but not exclusively -- on the menu, as well as the wine list, the hand-crafted cocktails and the beer selection.

Constructed in 1925, the Odd Fellows building provides the restaurant with a unique space. Much like the Masons, the Odd Fellows were a secretive fraternal organization, and built their meeting hall on the second floor. With no air conditioning in the 1920s, those ceilings were designed at a very high 18 feet, which will provide the restaurant with a distinctive dining room.

The restaurant will feature three distinct floors, with the first floor featuring a 20-seat bar. Three unusual “bump out” sections of the bar will make it possible to seat a party of four, not side by side, but rather at a “conversation enabling” semi-circle. The bar area has additional table seating for 40 guests.

The second-floor dining room features dramatic royal blue floor-to-ceiling curtains, exposed terra cotta blockwork, and tables of tiger-striped granite and reclaimed ancient Chinese elm. With approximately 90 seats, the second floor will be the dining room in Clarendon for date nights, business dinners and special evenings out. Three semi-private areas will seat parties of 8-10 people, which can be reconfigured to accommodate up to 30 people seated at a single 37-foot long table.

Taking advantage of its high roof line, Eventide will also feature a roof-level terrace, which boasts views of Georgetown and several monuments. Up to 60 people can sit on the roof for dining, and a separate bar area accommodates cocktail-only guests.

Eventide’s dining room (and rooftop dining area) will be open Tuesday through Saturday nights for dinner only and on Sundays for brunch only. The bar will open Tuesday through Saturday evenings and will serve until 1:30 AM every night. The kitchen on the first floor will serve the bar menu until 1:00 am every day it is open. Exact dining hours are yet to be determined.

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EVENTIDE RESTAURANT

3165 Wilson Boulevard

Arlington, Virginia 22206

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Dave Pressley, GM/Partner

Cell: 703-470-4102

Eventide Restaurant Opening in Clarendon This Summer

Equinox-Alum Miles Vaden Gets His Own Kitchen; Dave Pressley Serves as General Manager

...

Hooray!!! (and about time...thank you, Mr. Pressley)
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Miles did great work at Sonoma while he was chef de cuisine there. He's also just a real nice guy.
I second all of the above. I worked with Miles at Sonoma (my L'Academie externship) and learned a lot from him, not just culinary skills but also leadership-restaurant management skills. I will be taking the trip across the river when Eventide is open!
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I've also been a fan of Miles' work at Sonoma (as well, of course, of Drew Trautmann's). It will be nice to have him closer at hand and he will be another addition to a growing pantheon of young chefs in the Clarendon hood. Looking forward with great anticipation to Eventide's opening.

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Eventide will be opening in January, definitely. We've started our collection of "Final Inspections" and are busting our asses on a daily basis to progress further.

Steve, Glen, Miles, Justus, Alex, Nick and I have been onsite doing major demolition, build-outs, scraping, painting, general cleanup and equipment-loading for the last few months and are happy to finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. I hope we can count on support (and feedback) from the members of this board once we open.

Cheers!

-Dave

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Eventide will be opening in January, definitely. We've started our collection of "Final Inspections" and are busting our asses on a daily basis to progress further.

Steve, Glen, Miles, Justus, Alex, Nick and I have been onsite doing major demolition, build-outs, scraping, painting, general cleanup and equipment-loading for the last few months and are happy to finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. I hope we can count on support (and feedback) from the members of this board once we open.

Cheers!

-Dave

This one is really it? Huh? Huh? Looking forward to the opening, Dave...
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I can barely wait! I have been watching the progress and waiting patiently. The patio, which I can see from my window, is going to be a hot spot when the weather is warm. Good luck, Dave! You can definitely count on my support.

We must live in the same building. :-)

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Ok. So what should one think when the GM of a major new restaurant appears way too relaxed on the occasion of the grand opening?

1) That he is way out of his league and just doesn't realize that he is on the cusp of the major "big wave" of his career.

2) That he is on some really good meds.

3) That he is quietly confident that he is in on a really good thing.

Based on my quicky tour of Eventide with Dave, I am betting that it is #3 above. My reasons are that this is a truly impressive space. He has one of the best young chefs in the kitchen. It is in an excellent neighborhood, where one more restaurant -- no a restaurant that is in a different league -- will be more than welcome.

Eventide is doing a slow roll opening, by reservation, so if you call you might get a table for sometime this weekend (I didn't ask if he is fully booked, so no promises there).

You've gotta love the smell of a new restaurant. As I mentioned, this is a lovely space. The second floor dining room features an 18 foot high ceiling, really cool kind of mod oriental decor, the original terra cotta walls have been restored. Didn't get a chance to look at the wine list because my ride was coming, but the bar lounge on the first floor has its own menu and is also distinctive. The rooftop is not yet finished and is fully outdoors, so only available when the weather permits, but it has a nice panoramic view of the neighborhood.

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The roof is going to be the place to be during the spring and summer. I remember taking the tour over a half year ago (back in May or June maybe?) and I'm so happy to see this opening. I wish I could be in town for it.

Good luck Dave!

Ok. So what should one think when the GM of a major new restaurant appears way too relaxed on the occasion of the grand opening?

1) That he is way out of his league and just doesn't realize that he is on the cusp of the major "big wave" of his career.

2) That he is on some really good meds.

3) That he is quietly confident that he is in on a really good thing.

Based on my quicky tour of Eventide with Dave, I am betting that it is #3 above. My reasons are that this is a truly impressive space. He has one of the best young chefs in the kitchen. It is in an excellent neighborhood, where one more restaurant -- no a restaurant that is in a different league -- will be more than welcome.

Eventide is doing a slow roll opening, by reservation, so if you call you might get a table for sometime this weekend (I didn't ask if he is fully booked, so no promises there).

You've gotta love the smell of a new restaurant. As I mentioned, this is a lovely space. The second floor dining room features 18 foot high ceiling, really cool kind of mod oriental decor, the original terra cotta walls have been restored. Didn't get a chance to look at the wine list because my ride was coming, but the bar lounge on the first floor has its own menu and is also distinctive. The rooftop is not yet finished and is fully outdoors, so only available when the weather permits, but it has a nice panoramic view of the neighborhood.

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The lounge area is truly industrially beautiful. I do feel bad for the hostess, as the station is positioned right at the door, and she looked a bit wind-blown as I was leaving tonight. There are gently-stained exposed wooden support ceiling beams with chic, pendant-lighting (if that is the proper term) as the current trend goes in restaurants, but I do love that Eventide has taken the extra efforts to insulate the ceiling to buffer the noise and provide sufficient lighting so that one does not have to bring their own flashlight.

The wines by the glass run from $6-18 from a quick glance while a carefully selected beer collection averages around $6 per bottle. The Allagash White paired really well with the salt-crystaled Soft Pretzels that came with a deviled Virginia ham paste and a homemade Peach Honey Mustard sauce for $8. Needlessly to say, I mopped up the honey mustard sauce with care. A good beer will also pair well with the great batch of French Fries with Truffled Fontina Fondue ($8), lightly seasoned with herbs. The truffled fontina fondue was creamy and a bit addictive.

There was quite a crowd in the lounge area at 8:45pm and some people even waited a bit, which signaled a great first opening night. The waitstaff were cool as cucumbers, despite the number of people to wait on. Bravo!

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I made it to Eventide last night w/ some friends & even got to eat on the 2nd floor.

We met at the bar on the 1st floor. Crowded. Had a drink there which was fine but I noted a nice-level of service from the bartender [neglected to get his name, assumed it was Bar Manager Steve]. Friendly chap. At 1st glance, 1st floor is a little too dark for my tastes [dark paint & not enough strategic lighting in the corners]. Also, imo it also seemed sorta eclectic w/ the nice chandelier vs. the rest of the floor's look. Don't get me wrong this is w/ built-up expectations, it's just how it grabbed me so.

On the 2nd floor, wow. In my best Philly-accent, NIIIIIIICE! Huge dark blue velvet drapes hanging from the ceiling. I noticed them on tracks which makes sense that eventually they'll want to section-off the dining room for the occasional private parties/dining. I loved the look [drapes + mortar work] overall on this floor, sorta has a NYC-feel to bring that to the Clarendon scene is fantastic. And there was a similar if not same chandelier on this floor, tying the 2nd floors together some.

As we were perusing the wine list [good reasonable pricing across many bottles!] Shaggy stopped by to introduce himself [sorry Shags, could've mentioned DR but it would've been lost on my dining companions, I'll stop by sometime for another meal to say hi]. We ended getting a nice Meritage [Hedges Columbia Red] for our meal.

As for the food, luckily I brought friends that believe in sharing plates so everyone can sample a variety of dishes. For starters, we split the Ravioli of Duck Confit, Roasted Chestnut Soup, and the Seared Diver Scallops. All of them got complements from each of us, but the Chestnut Soup & Seared Diver Scallops [combined w/ the Wild Mushroom ragout] seemed to stand out the best. The Duck Confit Ravioilis were slightly more muted in flavor than I anticipated. Still good though.

For mains we tried the Pork Loin stuffed with Sausage & Preserved Summer Peaches [w/ Braised kale, cider and sage reduction], Lobster Tagliatelle [w/ Poached lobster tail, lobster meatballs, fennel, brandied butter, arugula], and the Malbec-Braised Lamb Shank [w/ Bison Sausage Cassoulet, grilled Swiss Chard]. Good-sized portions! The Pork Loin in particular had a really nice underlying spiciness/heat from the stuffed sausage. The Lamb Shank was huge and rich. And the Lobster Tagialtelle, we loved the lobster meatballs especially. We were diggin' the flavors.

For desserts we only split 2: Caramelized Banana Crepe [w/ Rum pastry cream, Dulce de Leche, salted pecans] and the Chocolate Mousse [w/ Port wine poached fig, whipped mascarpone, pistachio tuile]. They paired well together as all 3 of us were switching from one to another.

Forgot to mention, plating across the entire meal was nicely done. It was something individually each of us noted while dining. And service was nice tonight, no hovering but checked on us just enough times. If there's 1 thing that's a minor observation is from a design-perspective, I'd suggest a little better transitional between the 1st & 2nd floors [that's because the 2nd floor is so impressive]. Perhaps the staircase area is the opportunity? Just 1-person's opinion.

This is a place I plan on coming back to explore the rest of the menu! Excellent especially for a soft-launch.

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We had a great evening here tonight. We LOVE the space! The bar, although we didn't go in, looked pleasant and relaxing. We ate in the dining room upstairs -- posh! We thought the chairs were super comfortable and find the sofas with swinging arms incredibly intriguing! We also loved the amount of space between tables -- it had a really romantic feel, as we were able to focus on each other and let the rest of the restaurant fade away. Loved it. We started with the chestnut soup and the scallops. I really liked the flavor of the scallops, and they were perfectly seared. The soup was nice and rich. We had the barramundi and the pork next. I LOVED the pork -- the sausage was lovely, and the peaches were perfect. The fish was not to my taste, but I could see the thought behind the dish. We finished with the banana crepe, but (in a kind substitution for me) with the whipped marscapone instead of the rum cream. They are still working out some kinks, but we had a great time! After dinner, Dave stopped by everyone's table, and we got to meet him -- charming :rolleyes: He gave us the grand tour, and I'm already looking forward to dining on the lovely roof <_<

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I couldn't agree more with Walrus' post above. I had a lovely evening at Eventide last night with a good friend and both the bar and the restaurant were great for our long-overdue catch-up! We started in the bar with a cocktail and both were wonderful. I had the lingonberry/champagne cocktail, my friend enjoyed the gin/orange bitters cocktail. For the life of me, I cannot remember the names of the drinks. Mine came highly recommended by the hostesses and they did not steer me astray! Bar area is great. PACKED but good to see this early on...

Upstairs dining room is incredible. We were in awe of the space for the first 15 minutes... couldn't stop talking about the design and the huge yet warm space. Food was great - carpaccio/cobia for me, scallops/pork for him. Glenn came by to give some advice on the wines by the glass. We were both pleased but my sav. blanc was the winner of the evening. So much so that we popped back into the bar for another glass after dinner. (Well, that and the fact that my car was locked in the nearby garage. Who closes at 11pm?!)

Needless to say, I'm looking forward to returning and already planning a brunch trip!

Great add to the area!

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I noticed the following in the FAQ section of the new Eventide over in Arlington:

"Is Eventide family friendly?

Most of us who work at Eventide are parents, so we understand the need for a nice place to go out to dinner with the kids. In addition, we believe in serving the youngsters the same high quality, healthful food we provide for adults. As a result, we are offering a special option for families who aren't ready for "prime time" evening dining yet, but still want a refined restaurant experience with excellent culinary options. Come in any night before 6:30 and kids age 6 and younger will get the chef's daily selection of fresh steamed vegetables, fresh fruit and tender cuts of meat at NO cost*. It is our hope that this will provide both the comfortable and exceptional family dining experience you've been looking for.

*Please note: One free "kid's plate" per adult entree ordered. They are $5 each otherwise. Please remember that this special offer is only available to tables that are seated at 6:30 or earlier."

We'll be stopping by sometime soon.

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Currently, the kid's plate is chopped roast beef, steamed carrots and sliced bananas. We also have a "baby care room" for diaper changes, mothers that need to feed (yes, there's a newly upholstered antique armchair in there) and the little ones that can't stop crying (the heavy, security-rated door is a great sound barrier from the dining room).

We are trying to be as family-friendly as we can be and are hoping that those families grace us with their early evening business and frankly, also vacate when the young ones get restless so other people with "special evening" thoughts aren't put off.

I have a 3 year old daughter. My partner, Nick Langman, has two boys, 4 & 1 1/2 ish. Nick Freshman, my AGM, has a 1 1/2 year old daughter. Steve, the bar manager, has a 1 1/2 year old son. Glen, our wine director, has a little chunky monkey of his own...a 6 month old daughter.

We feel a special kinship with young families and want them to have a nice place to go where their kids aren't shunned...just leave when/if your kids get unruly. We do!

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surprisingly for such a young restaurant, just about everything was under control at a recent meal here. the platings are modern, decorated with fairly precise, exclamatory markings of sauce and random daubing and smudging of small flavors. main ingredients are the center of attention, with at least a few things going on around them -- a meaty, succulent filet of cobia at the helm of a deconstructed seafood stew with bits of octopus sounding the sharpest notes ($22). a delectable chocolate mousse similarly holds the center of the plate, a sturdy timbale that could be looser, but in good company with fig and other sweet diversions ($8). blasted thick terra cotta-tiled walls, a black and night-blue color scheme and soaring ceilings are impressive, though maybe hard to warm up to. the wine list is almost entirely from the americas. we ordered glasses of joel gott sauvignon blanc and morgan syrah/grenache ($9), lively and a little boozy and good accompaniments to the food, the former with a heaping plate of rich lobster tagliatelle ($27). the prices, while moderately high, are a good deal.

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I have been to eventide multiple times, all but one experience sitting at the bar enjoying some wine and usually a delicious mushroom burger. My friends and I decided to go the eventide for brunch the other weekend with mixed results. My friend and I had both had the french toast, which had good flavor but was kinda soggy. Another one in my party had the bison sausage, which I forget how it was served, but she really enjoyed it and thought it was a really nice portion. All and all the food was fine. My coffee was served in a french press which is nice and the tea service was lovely. Unfortunately out service was pretty disappointing. Being used to Steve downstairs I admit to being a bit spoiled but it took over ten minutes for anyone to even come over to our table. By the time we got our drinks and the server took our food orders we had been sitting there for over 30 minutes. That was a shame, but hopefully over time this will get better. I still need to try the dinner menu, have only been down in the lounge at night!

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I have been to eventide multiple times, all but one experience sitting at the bar enjoying some wine and usually a delicious mushroom burger. My friends and I decided to go the eventide for brunch the other weekend with mixed results. My friend and I had both had the french toast, which had good flavor but was kinda soggy. Another one in my party had the bison sausage, which I forget how it was served, but she really enjoyed it and thought it was a really nice portion. All and all the food was fine. My coffee was served in a french press which is nice and the tea service was lovely. Unfortunately out service was pretty disappointing. Being used to Steve downstairs I admit to being a bit spoiled but it took over ten minutes for anyone to even come over to our table. By the time we got our drinks and the server took our food orders we had been sitting there for over 30 minutes. That was a shame, but hopefully over time this will get better. I still need to try the dinner menu, have only been down in the lounge at night!

Who is Steve? :rolleyes:

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Wonderful night at Eventide this past Saturday. Started with a drink at the bar, my wife had a vague idea of what she wanted in a drink and Steve made it happen perfectly. Great way to start off the night.

We don't get out as often as we like (expecting our fourth), so I chose Eventide based on the description of the dinning room; the last thing we want we finally get a night out is to be sitting on top of someone else. They did not disappoint. Wonderful space, privacy without isolation, intimate yet open. Service was ideal; Berkley (great name) was attentive, friendly, informed and genuine (one of the most important traits, in my book). Apps were fantastic. I had the scallops, probably the most perfectly cooked I have ever had. My wife had the new grilled asparagus salad (Crispy poached egg, herbed goat cheese dressing, frisee, citrus vinaigrette) and loved it. It was really interesting, if you tasted any element of the salad alone (with the exception of those expertly grill asparagus) it was good, but the elements combined flavor and texture wonderfully. My wife had the pork, which was good, really liked the escabeche and yucca root cake, absolutely loved the grilled mustard greens (grilled greens, brilliant!). I had the strip which was also good, but I should have gone with the lobster pasta. The strip was not bad, it was perfectly grilled bright pink and warm, just not overwhelming, and the potatoes were a little firm. Reading the description again I realize that the cabernet reduction

was absent, that would have been nice. Dessert was fantastic, banana crepes and the chocolate mousse. I would usually pass on dessert, more of a savory person, but the port wine poached figs intrigued me. Man, did they really make the whole dish work! As gs said, the mousse is a little dense, intensely chocolate, and those figs cut the richness perfectly.

Wonderful night, great place, and a warm staff. We'll be back (looking forward to trying the bar menu)!

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Wonderful night at Eventide this past Saturday. Started with a drink at the bar, my wife had a vague idea of what she wanted in a drink and Steve made it happen perfectly. Great way to start off the night.

[That was 3 1/2 years without a post!]

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And wow, what a beautiful, mega-cool main dining room!

Cheers,

Rocks.

Not only is that a beautiful main dining room but the staff is amazingly adept at anticipating what you need and getting it to you with a minimum of fuss and bother. We took 2 other couples to dinner there last week and everyone left extremely happy with the food and the service.

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Eventide was full tonight at 7pm. Obviously the secret is out about this place because when we tried it a couple of weeks ago, I commented to my husband about how great it was to be able to just walk in without reservations. Our server told us that rooftop bar is not open yet because of the rainy weather we've been getting.

I got around to getting the lobster taglietelle with lobster meatballs and thoroughly enjoyed it. My friend got the roast chicken and absolutely loved her meal, especially the stuffing that came with the chicken. Although we were too full for dessert, the chocolate mousse seemed like it would be a nice little ending to the meal. I thought the chocolate mousse was good but too firm. We used our spoons to not very gracefully break it into large chunks and shards and I was a little afraid that a chunk would go flying off the plate while we tried to cut it.

My five year old came to dinner with my friend and I and her kid plate looked awesome. Roast dark meat chicken on buttered noodles with sides of sliced bananas and sauteed peas, snap peas, and carrots. The noodles and veggies glistened with buttery goodness.

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There are lots of reasons to like Eventide. Perhaps the best overarching reason is that this team has put a lot of good ideas into this business without coming off the least bit "conceptual." That is, the three dining areas and kitchens, the friendly staff, the spacious and well-designed areas, don't feel like gimmicks, but just commonsense responses to the sorts of things that are aggravations in otherwise worthy establishments.

That is not to say that last night's dinner was perfect--I think Sietsema's 2.5-star rating gets it about right--but Eventide seems to do so many things well and with an unforced ease that make it a remarkable pleasure. The space has a relaxed elegance to it--it's not overdesigned, and there's something about the large, far-from-fancy windows help remind diners to look outside and enjoy themselves.

The food, to my mind, is stronger in terms of expert preparation than originality or flavors. Yes, there are a number of surprises to be found, but some dishes are also perhaps more subtle than they need be (or are my 52-year-old taste buds beginning to fade?). I don't mean that so much as a criticism, but that I expect that as Eventide settles in for the long haul (and this does seem like a long-haul establishment) that they will become even bolder and brighter in their dishes.

So, I didn't swoon over the bison carpaccio in the way that Tim Carman did, but appreciated the well-thought-out variation on this dish. Bob's foie gras was much more lush and assertive from the get-go; the bison was more muted. My tagliatelle was delicious, with some large hunks of lobster tail meat mixed in with the lobster meatballs. Again, more subtle than astonishing, it comes close to the efforts of some of the better pasta purveyors in town. Bob's salmon with peas and gnocchi offered a substantial slab of perfectly cooked fish, and the pink and green dish was lovely to observe.

My dessert of olive oil cake with huckleberry compote was perhaps my favorite dish of the night, both in its simplicity but also the incredible moistness of the cake. Bob enjoyed his carmelized banana crepe, but my quick taste didn't leave much impression. Our pre-dinner drinks (Blood and Sand, Aviation cocktails) were well-made, though my Aviation seemed a bit short for a $10 drink. But another general strength is that Eventide's portions seem generous for the price.

I'm surprised that Glen's wine program hasn't gotten more notice on this board, but it deserves laurels and attention. I can't remember the last time I saw a list with so many moderately priced bottles that aren't the usual suspects. He may not be pricing as aggressively as Mark Slater is over at Ray's, but he's working in much the same spirit. He took a good deal of time to talk with us about what he's pursuing and even wrote down addresses for some Oregon winemakers to visit when we go to Portland this summer. He directed us to a nice off-menu Oregon Pinot Noir (Resonance Pulse, 2007); I left with the impression that he's one of Eventide's greatest strengths.

Service was as friendly and expert as has been reported, with one caveat: the timing of our meal was a bit off, particularly on the beverage side. Granted, the bar was slammed, but we had to wait quite a while for our cocktails, and Glen's zealous pursuit of addresses delayed his delivering our wine until we were well into our entrees. Follow-up pours were mostly left to us. I was surprised that on a Friday evening the dining room was often not particularly slammed with diners, with tables not always being refilled promptly (the bars were more crowded, but the upstairs patio had a number of empty tables also).

So, a lovely evening at a most worthy establishment. If it doesn't yet rise to be among my favorites, it's not for the effort that the whole staff is putting into it, but that it's occasionally too modest. But my overall impression is overwhelmingly positive. Thanks for a wonderful birthday!

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