Restaurant Eve

Dining at Restaurant Eve is like being taken to a European country dining room in the middle of Old Town Alexandria. This quaint restaurant located in an old warehouse building epitomizes all that is great about the farm-to-table movement: the produce is ridiculously fresh (much from Chef Cathal Armstrong’s own garden) and the meat is from sustainable sources and always top-notch. The combination of wonderful ingredients and the talent of a Food & Wine Best New Chef 2006 make Restaurant Eve one of the best eateries in the Washington, D.C., area.

There are two options at Eve: the more causal Bistro or the upscale, culinary showcase of the Tasting Room. I have dined only once in the Tasting Room, but have eaten in the Bistro half a dozen times in addition to another half dozen lunches at the bar ($13.50 for two courses). All told, every meal at Eve has been really good, and I have tasted more than a fair share of exceptional dishes there.

My most recent meal was of course shared with Sweetmonger and consisted of three courses. The first of which was a plate of housemade lobster and lemon ravioli served with garden peas and basil. It was a culinary delight that was nothing short of stupendous. The main course was roasted Muscovy duck breast served with potatoes, Swiss chard, sauteed onions and topped with an orange duck jus. The duck was immaculately prepared and the orange duck jus provided a hint of sweetness to contrast with the duck’s richness. For dessert, our waiter recommended a strawberry tiramisu since strawberries had just come in season. The cake was full of light, sweet deliciousness and the accompanying strawberry sorbet was excellent. It was another wonderful meal.

I also need to talk a little about the tasting room where diners can choose between Chef Armstrong’s five or nine course tasting menus. When Sweetmonger and I ate there for our anniversary, we went with the 5 course menu, and I still remember the meal vividly. It started with a wonderful Eastern Shore corn custard. This was followed by succulent, butter-poached Maine lobster. The entrée was a delectable, pan-roasted Polyface Farm beef ribeye that melted in my mouth. We finished with a blue cheese dish and a banana crème brulee. It was without a doubt one of the best meals I have ever had.  Restaurant Eve is a great restaurant.



Restaurant Eve
http://www.restauranteve.com/
110 South Pitt St.
Alexandria, VA 22314