Eventide

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.

Carolina Brothers Pit BBQ

20702 Ashburn RdAshburn, VA 20147- (703) 729-7070
Open Tue-Sun 10:30am-7pm

www.carolinabrothers.com

We recently "discovered" Carolina Brothers during a bike ride along the WO&D trail.  Plenty of clientele arrived on four wheels rather than two, but Carolina Brothers is extremely bike friendly.  We were starving after a long bike ride and the heavenly smoky smell (all of the bbq is smoked in smokers behind the restaurant) greeted us 1/2 mile before we arrived at the restaurant.

I highly recommend the baby back ribs.  They were quite lean and I thought the slightly sweet tomato based bbq sauce nicely balanced the smokiness of the meat.  The coleslaw was great--tangy but not too creamy--and the beans are good but certainly not the best I ever had (even after a 44 mile bike ride).  If you like beans, go to Jammin Joes off of Route 29 in New Baltimore, Virginia.

Sette Bello

3101 Wilson Blvd # 100
Arlington, VA 22201
(703) 351-1004

www.settebellorestaurant.com

Sette Bello is hit or miss.  Unfortunately it usually misses.  Why go back?  It is moderately priced, you can sit outside, they make amazing tiramisu, and every once in a while the food is good.

Tonight's meal was a 16/30.  We started with the antipasti platter.  The meats were thinly sliced and nicely presented--a good start.  I ordered my usual entree--basil fettuccini with tomatoes, eggplant and smoked mozzarella.  The flavors were delicious, however the pasta was about 5 minutes past al dented.  My husband's dish, penne with salmon in a vodka sauce, was very disappointing.  The pasta was cooked correctly, however the sauce was completely under seasoned.  The salt on the table helped a bit, but it couldn't completely mask the lack of flavor.  The tiramisu did not disappoint.  Sette Bello makes their tiramisu with thin layers of sponge cake rather than ladyfingers.  The espresso soaked layers and the smooth marscapone filling melt in your mouth.

Although the meal started and ended well we probably won't be heading back to Sette Bello any time soon; unless I get a craving for tiramisu...

Restaurant Eve

www.restauranteve.com

110 S Pitt St
Alexandria, VA 22314
(703) 706-0450

This is the second time I have eaten at Restaurant Eve and this meal did not disappoint.  Eve, in old town, is chef owned (I always view this as a good sign).  It is located in a renovated townhouse.  For a restaurant with few windows, it is surprisingly light and airy in the inside.

We began our meal with cocktails.  All of the cocktails are the creation of sommelier Todd Thrasher.  My bitter orange and house cured olive martini was well balanced.  The residual olive oil added a bit of viscosity so that the martini coated my tongue and enabled the flavors to develop in my mouth.  Thrasher's cocktails always inspire me to create my own concoctions when I get home.

For my first course, I had steak tartar.  Eve tosses their tartar in a slightly spicy mustard based sauce and serves it with homemade pumpernickel toasts.  I highly recommend it.  My dining companions had pan fried anchovies--the fish was juicy and mild flavored under a perfectly crisped crust--and Australian snapper.  The snapper, served sashimi style, was just ok.  I thought the fish was overpowered by its black pepper crust.

For my second course, I had oven roasted leg of veal.  The waiter warned that the veal was free range and would not melt in my mouth.  Regardless, it was very tender and nicely flavored.  My companions had the bouillabaisse, tilefish and halibut cheeks.  The bouillabaisse was wonderful--the broth was heavenly and the fish and shellfish--not surprisingly--was perfectly cooked.  The halibut cheeks was my favorite dish. The cheeks had a different texture from "normal" halibut and the flavor was akin to a cross between lobster and skate.  The tilefish, a bottom feeding fish whose flesh flakes nicely, was good but not memorable.

As always, the wine list was phenomenol.  They had one of my favorite wines--Green and Red Zinfandel--which was a perfect complement to a thoroughly wonderful meal.