www.eventiderestaurant.com
3165 Wilson Blvd
Arlington, VA 22201
(703) 276-3165
I was curious about this new restaurant that opened in my neighborhood. I went with one of my girlfriends, and found that Eventide was what I expected it to be--trying to be cool with a great bar scene, but with a food that fell short of potential.
The restaurant has a great atmosphere. The downstairs is noisy, but I actually like that when I meet friends out for a drink. The cocktail menu is interesting; its a mixture of drinks I could make at home (sparkling wine with elderberry liquor--which actually tastes like lycee fruit--and fresh berries) and different ones. I had the "peach chumpy"--rum, peach puree, white balsamic vinegar, and ginger puree. I had high expectations which were dashed at the first few sips. The drink was too sweet, and the ginger syrup was made with preserved ginger rather then fresh. As the ice melted into the drink, however, it got much, much better. next time I would order the sparkling wine cocktail.
The restaurant is upstairs. I loved the decor. It has a converted warehouse feel with high ceilings and exposed brick, and a mixture of NYC hip and Victorian decor. Crystal chandeliers mixed with floating test tube lights; velvet booths intermixed with granite tables; velvet curtails juxtaposed onto exposed brick. I have to admit I was impressed.
The food was ok, but not great. We started with an amuse bouche of "Jezebel Hushpuppies" which was a nice idea which fell flat. The hushpuppies were cold and tasteless and left a greasy feeling in my mouth--definitely not the way I wanted to start the meal and it absolutely did not amuse my bouche. I did love the fact that wines ordered by the glass were poured at the table. It added a classier feel to a moderately priced restaurant.
I wasn't inspired by the main courses and we each ordered two appetizers instead of a main course. I had an asparagus salad and bison carpaccio and my dining companion had a green salad followed by foie gras. The salad was good, but not great. I loved the concept--cold fresh greens, warm asparagus, and a "crisp poached egg" (a poached egg lightly dusted and quickly fried. it was delicious). The salad was also served with an herbed goat cheese. I thought it would have been much better with plain, more flavorful cheese. Also the salad desperately needed seasoning.
I should have gotten the foie gras which was delicious. The bison carpacio was just ok. I was intrigued by the condiments served with the carpacio--mole, jicama, and parmesan. They should have skipped the parmesan and either gone with a queso fresco, or just skipped the cheese entirely. The flavor of the parmesan was too strong for the bison, and the mole sauce was overpowered with chipotle pepper.
I would go back again, but probably only for brunch (they have a roof deck open for brunch in the summer) or for happy hour. The potential is there, however I think they still have a few issues to work out in the kitchen.