Had dinner at Restaurant Eve last night – 5 of us. I won’t spend time describing what we had, other than to say we opted for the 9-course chef’s tasting menu with wine pairing. The food was good, not great, but some of the better dishes were the caviar (extra $$), lobster (extra $$) and the OOO. Quite disappointing was the wine pairing – low-end wines and some of the pairings were off. Definitely check out the cocktail menu – Gin and “Tonic,” I Cudda Been a Contenda, and Eamonn’s were great.
The service was fine and friendly, with two exceptions. As we waited for the risotto course (with white truffles – YUM! – extra $$) to be served, the waiter informed us that it would be 10-12 more minutes due to one of us having been in the restroom when they were ready to serve it. We would have been better off had they brought it out when she was in the restroom – the risotto that we did end up with was quite undercooked. The truffles were amazing, though.
The second, and most glaring, exception was when one of the service people spilled 2 glasses of wine all over my blouse and in my lap. I did receive a couple of napkins – one to wipe it up and one to wear under my blouse, so I wouldn’t freeze to death (it was pretty chilly in the tasting room, anyway). Given what we were spending on the meal, I would have expected at least something off of the bill for having sat through the majority of the meal uncomfortably wet – not to mention the dry cleaning bill for my blouse, slacks, and silk jacket.
Overall, if anyone is trying to decide where to eat a nice meal in the DC metro area, I would say to keep Restaurant Eve on your list, but look more to CityZen, Marcel’s, Citronelle, and even The Inn for better food at similar price points – we paid $325 per person (without tip). For food that is just as good at a much lower price, definitely go to Equinox – that is the best value for the quality of food. Restaurant Eve is way too pricey for the food and service that we experienced. We all walked away feeling regretful at the amount of money we spent on this meal. Especially considering we ate at the French Laundry two weeks ago for about that same price – totally different experience and in a bit of a different league. The lunch deal at Restaurant Eve sounds like a better option – we’d probably go back for that.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Mmm ... Truffle Frites!
In general…
A couple service blips, interesting menu, not too expensive, nice variety of wine at varied price ranges (although, more by-the-glass offerings would be nice), casual atmosphere
What did we have and how was it?
Farmstead Cheese Platter, Charcuterie Board & Tuscan Pork Belly
The verdict - the cheese selection was enjoyable & the quince jam quite tasty. The cranberry jam was mouth-puckeringly tart & did not seem to compliment any of the cheeses. On the charcuterie board was all handmade salamis & such - the bresaola & fennel salami were the standouts. We weren't big fans of the pork belly - virtually no meat, all fat - the sauce was full of flavor & the creamy polenta had a great texture.
Red Wine Braised Rabbit, Beef Bourguignon, Lamb Shank & Braised Belly
The verdict - the rabbit & the beef were both fairly dry. For the rabbit, the flavor of the poppy seed tagliatelle was pleasant; although, the pasta came out on the mushy side. The beef was in a flavorful bourguignon, with pearl onions & potatoes - great comfort food (although, one diner had sauce & the other did not … ??). The lamb shank was overpowered by extreme rosemary flavor & the risotto a bit undercooked. The lamb belly was perfectly cooked, with appropriate proportions of meat to fat.
For the table - Truffle Frites & Mac & Cheese
Both of these … great! Of course, who doesn't like a good truffle frite!?
Well?
Overall, good experience & with the wine & menu variety, so much more to taste should we ever go back. The staff was friendly, but the service blips that we experienced were disappointing - entrees delivered separately to the table over a span of nearly 10 minutes, our unopened bottle of wine sat on the table for quite a while before being opened & served, & we were given forks for desserts that clearly required spoons - ice creams, pudding ...
Here's the site … check it out and let us know what you think!
Website: http://www.postebrasserie.com/
A couple service blips, interesting menu, not too expensive, nice variety of wine at varied price ranges (although, more by-the-glass offerings would be nice), casual atmosphere
What did we have and how was it?
Farmstead Cheese Platter, Charcuterie Board & Tuscan Pork Belly
The verdict - the cheese selection was enjoyable & the quince jam quite tasty. The cranberry jam was mouth-puckeringly tart & did not seem to compliment any of the cheeses. On the charcuterie board was all handmade salamis & such - the bresaola & fennel salami were the standouts. We weren't big fans of the pork belly - virtually no meat, all fat - the sauce was full of flavor & the creamy polenta had a great texture.
Red Wine Braised Rabbit, Beef Bourguignon, Lamb Shank & Braised Belly
The verdict - the rabbit & the beef were both fairly dry. For the rabbit, the flavor of the poppy seed tagliatelle was pleasant; although, the pasta came out on the mushy side. The beef was in a flavorful bourguignon, with pearl onions & potatoes - great comfort food (although, one diner had sauce & the other did not … ??). The lamb shank was overpowered by extreme rosemary flavor & the risotto a bit undercooked. The lamb belly was perfectly cooked, with appropriate proportions of meat to fat.
For the table - Truffle Frites & Mac & Cheese
Both of these … great! Of course, who doesn't like a good truffle frite!?
Well?
Overall, good experience & with the wine & menu variety, so much more to taste should we ever go back. The staff was friendly, but the service blips that we experienced were disappointing - entrees delivered separately to the table over a span of nearly 10 minutes, our unopened bottle of wine sat on the table for quite a while before being opened & served, & we were given forks for desserts that clearly required spoons - ice creams, pudding ...
Here's the site … check it out and let us know what you think!
Website: http://www.postebrasserie.com/
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Wine Kitchen - Leesburg, VA
Summary - Good idea, ok wines, but I don't think I can "stand" it much more
In general ...
Boy, you really have to want to eat here … each time we've been at the Wine Kitchen since it opened a couple of months ago, we have had to wait at least 1.5 hours before we were seated. Yes, 1.5!!! The first time, the owner (Michael) was kind enough to give us a cheese plate for our troubles. To make matters worse, it was so crowded that we had to STAND the entire time. There are only 7-8 tables and not much else that's good in Leesburg, so come on WK, figure it out!
The décor is cute, the place is small, cozy, and once you're seated you don't feel crowded or cramped. Hopefully, the wine list will evolve over time, but there are a couple of decent reds and a good champagne.
What did we have and how was it?
We've had several dishes during the course of our visits, but the items that have kept us coming back to this point are:
-- Chicken & Waffles - this is a new addition to their menu. Mmmm! The first time we had it, it was sublime! Moist, fried quail atop a cornmeal, herb waffle with a bacon caramel syrup. Quail was slightly crispy which complimented the waffle's soft, airy texture. The savory and sweet combination was executed flawlessly, resulting in a perfect balance of flavor. This was so good that we immediately ordered a second helping. The next visit, we again ordered the chicken and waffles. Not nearly as good as the previous visit. The inconsistency was surprising - the quail was overcooked and dry and there was only a sparing amount of the bacon caramel syrup. This made the entire dish very dry and the sweet/savory balance was gone.
-- Steak w/ Chimichurri Sauce - we've had this one a few times. The 1st and last times, it was excellent - cooked medium rare, nicely seasoned, and the chimichurri sauce was perfectly acidic and garlicky. The second time we had it, the steak was not nearly as flavorful, was overcooked, and the chimichurri sauce had an overpowering acidity which all but ruined the dish. Let's hope that was a one-time issue.
-- Do not get … the gnocchi -flavorless and mushy; the red wine braised pork - wow, this was disappointing. There was no telling that the pork was braised, there wasn't a remote hint of red wine, and the flavor was just flat. If they don't burn the scallops, they're ok.
-- Torta Palla - WOW … this dessert is worth the trip on its own! Chocolate and caramel covered chocolate balls - they are amazingly decadent! The texture is akin to a room temp stiff brownie batter and just melts in your mouth. These have been fairly consistent except for the first time where the chef did not cook the caramel correctly - it was hard, chewy, and could have taken out some fillings. They fixed that, though.
-- We've had some of the other dishes, but they were non-descript and just overall forgettable.
Well?
I'm sure we'll go back, but if we have to wait more than 30 minutes, we will certainly go elsewhere. Why not take call-ahead, since you have nowhere for people to sit and wait?
Here's the site … check it out and let us know what you think!
Website: http://thewinekitchen.com
In general ...
Boy, you really have to want to eat here … each time we've been at the Wine Kitchen since it opened a couple of months ago, we have had to wait at least 1.5 hours before we were seated. Yes, 1.5!!! The first time, the owner (Michael) was kind enough to give us a cheese plate for our troubles. To make matters worse, it was so crowded that we had to STAND the entire time. There are only 7-8 tables and not much else that's good in Leesburg, so come on WK, figure it out!
The décor is cute, the place is small, cozy, and once you're seated you don't feel crowded or cramped. Hopefully, the wine list will evolve over time, but there are a couple of decent reds and a good champagne.
What did we have and how was it?
We've had several dishes during the course of our visits, but the items that have kept us coming back to this point are:
-- Chicken & Waffles - this is a new addition to their menu. Mmmm! The first time we had it, it was sublime! Moist, fried quail atop a cornmeal, herb waffle with a bacon caramel syrup. Quail was slightly crispy which complimented the waffle's soft, airy texture. The savory and sweet combination was executed flawlessly, resulting in a perfect balance of flavor. This was so good that we immediately ordered a second helping. The next visit, we again ordered the chicken and waffles. Not nearly as good as the previous visit. The inconsistency was surprising - the quail was overcooked and dry and there was only a sparing amount of the bacon caramel syrup. This made the entire dish very dry and the sweet/savory balance was gone.
-- Steak w/ Chimichurri Sauce - we've had this one a few times. The 1st and last times, it was excellent - cooked medium rare, nicely seasoned, and the chimichurri sauce was perfectly acidic and garlicky. The second time we had it, the steak was not nearly as flavorful, was overcooked, and the chimichurri sauce had an overpowering acidity which all but ruined the dish. Let's hope that was a one-time issue.
-- Do not get … the gnocchi -flavorless and mushy; the red wine braised pork - wow, this was disappointing. There was no telling that the pork was braised, there wasn't a remote hint of red wine, and the flavor was just flat. If they don't burn the scallops, they're ok.
-- Torta Palla - WOW … this dessert is worth the trip on its own! Chocolate and caramel covered chocolate balls - they are amazingly decadent! The texture is akin to a room temp stiff brownie batter and just melts in your mouth. These have been fairly consistent except for the first time where the chef did not cook the caramel correctly - it was hard, chewy, and could have taken out some fillings. They fixed that, though.
-- We've had some of the other dishes, but they were non-descript and just overall forgettable.
Well?
I'm sure we'll go back, but if we have to wait more than 30 minutes, we will certainly go elsewhere. Why not take call-ahead, since you have nowhere for people to sit and wait?
Here's the site … check it out and let us know what you think!
Website: http://thewinekitchen.com
Hamburg Doner, Leesburg, VA
Summary - Not so good, but we might need to go back
Well, we decided to kick off our February with some good ol' German food. This much anticipated visit left a bit to be desired. One caveat, we did decide to take the food carry-out style, which we knew would not be quite as good as eating in; however ...
Getting there and getting food …
The Hamburg Doner is in Leesburg, VA, where the old "Mighty Midget Kitchen" was (ah, MMK, we do miss those ribs!). The new owners have carved out a nice little nook in the building next to the old airplane fuselage. Brightly decorated and slightly rustic, although small (only a handful of tables), the inside is quite inviting and when it's not super cold, you can also eat outside if you desire. Behind the counter was the owner (we presumed due to his great German accent) who promptly took our carryout order. Then we waited in the biergarten, watching football ("soccer" for us Americans) while our order was being prepared.
Argh … we said "carryout" … our meal came unpacked and ready to eat in the bier garten, so we kindly reminded the waiter (er, food delivery guy, they don't really have "waiters" per se) that we were taking our lunch to go. They quickly packaged everything up for us and away we went.
What did we have and how was it?
Doner (Beef)
Wow, unhand the saltshaker! The Doner was a magnificently-stuffed sandwich which should certainly appeal to the American affinity for super-sized everything. The sandwich was chock full of shaved/pulled (plucked?) tiny pieces of dried beef with shredded lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, and a few onion pieces (during the week the Doner is made of chicken). Atop the sandwich sat a smattering of the house-made yogurt sauce, which provided some much needed moisture to the super-stuffed handful. The meat was flavorful (although, one reviewer mentioned "not in a good way"), but any potentially flavorful spiciness was thoroughly consumed by the overpowering saltiness. The yogurt sauce provided some relief and balance to the over salted beef. The shining star of this composition was without question the flatbread. Nicely crisp on the outside and moist and fluffy on the inside, the bread was a nice receptacle for the sandwich ingredients.
Falafel Sandwich
Having had more than a few falafel in our times, we could not resist ordering the falafel sandwich. This was the most disappointing of our take home picnic. Aside from the falafel balls, the bread and accompanying makings were exactly as they were in the Doner. The falafel itself was mushy and tasteless (where were the spices??). After one bite from each reviewer, the falafel sandwich did not again move until the trashcan was brought to the table.
Currywurst
Ah ha … we found something, here! The Currywurst was the most memorable dish in this trio. There were slices of a tasty beef sausage (think a heartier kielbasa) with what they term as a "curryketchup" and a few dashes of yellow curry to finish. The sausage was perfectly cooked, with a slight crispiness to the skin. The curryketchup was flavorful and slightly sweet - exactly what you might imagine, given the name (with a bit of a sweeter ketchup - more like European-style ketchup). This was good, but I'm not sure any of us would have to go back specifically to have it again.
Fries
The fries were one of the most tasteful parts of the lunch. Well spiced (but not overdone) with seasoning akin to Old Bay. The fries, of course, were a bit soggy by the time we reached home, but that was expected when we decided to carryout. We can't truly review the fries due to this, but the flavor was great and they were excellent when dipped in the "curryketchup," so get a side of that with your fries … and, of course, in true Euro style, pass the mayo, please!
Well?
We have decided that it would be worthwhile to take a trip back to Hamburg Doner. What would we do differently? Eat in, order some beer from their list of German beers on tap, try the schnitzel and the bratwurst.
Here's the site … check it out and let us know what you think!
Website: http://www.doener-usa.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)