eGullet Outing At Restaurant Eve

[mnebergall]

I am organizing an eGullet event at Restaurant Eve (110 S. Pitt St., Old Town) for the 16th of November at 7:30. The plan is to partake of Chef Cathal's 5-course tasting menu with the "wine pairing." The freight, with wine, tax, gratuity and PayPal service fee should be around $135. Space is limited. PM me if you are interested.

For those of you not familiar with Eve's tasting menu, click here for a sample. The menue changes frequently based on availability and will be completely different from that currenlty posted on the website. Chef Cathal only uses the freshest ingredients available.

[mnebergall]

I will keep a running list of those who are "in" for this event:

mnebergall

Busboy

Mrs. Busboy

Tweaked

iamthestretch

SanFran88

edemuth

Chef Shogun

mdt

Tripewriter

Walrus

Possible: Eunny Jang

Edited November 6, 2004 by mnebergall (log)

[mnebergall]

I guess the ability to edit a message expires after a while. Here is a revised, udated list of attendees for the Restaurant Eve event next week. Those who have not responded to the PayPal invoice are reminded to do so.

mnebergall

Busboy

Mrs. Busboy

iamthestretch

SanFran88

edemuth

Chef Shogun

mdt

Tripewriter

Walrus

Gary Tanigawa

Possible: Eunny Jang

Edited November 8, 2004 by mnebergall (log)

[mnebergall]

We still have a space or two available if anyone else is interested.

[rvanrens]

I am organizing an eGullet event at Restaurant Eve (110 S. Pitt St., Old Town) for the 16th of November at 7:30. The plan is to partake of Chef Cathal's 5-course tasting menu with the "wine pairing." The freight, with wine, tax, gratuity and PayPal service fee should be around $135. Space is limited. PM me if you are interested.

<sigh>

This would be really really cool, but alas alack alay, it's too steep for me.

Rob

[mnebergall]

I promises to be an interesting evening next Tuesday. The Chef has asked if we would like for him to create a menu for our dinner.

[Gary Tanigawa]

I promises to be an interesting evening next Tuesday.  The Chef has asked if we would like for him to create a menu for our dinner.

←

I hope that Cathal keeps the deviled quail eggs as one of the amuse !

[Suzanne F]

Having just been to a pastry demo atthe Intl Hotel/Motel/Restaurant Show for which Restaurant Eve's sommelier, Todd Thrasher, chose complimentary wines, all I have to say is: DRINK! DRINK! DRINK! He picked some truly fabulous stuff.

Oh lucky you who go there!

[Chef Shogun]

Meet up at Firefly?

[mnebergall]

The Eve Bar at 7:00. CiderCars.

Edited to add: There still is space for one more.

Edited November 16, 2004 by mnebergall (log)

[mnebergall]

Here is the final attendance list for this evening's event. Those attending are encouraged to bring a digital camera in order to provide physical evidence for the crime scene investigators.

mnebergall

Busboy

Mrs. Busboy

iamthestretch

SanFran88

edemuth

Chef Shogun

mdt

Tripewriter

Walrus

Gary Tanigawa

BilRus

Edited November 16, 2004 by mnebergall (log)

[mnebergall]

One other thing I forgot to mention. For those of you who are driving to Eve this evening, there is a public parking garage directly across the street from the restaurant. It only costs $1 or $2 to park there. It's owned by the city.

And when you get to the restaurant, you will more fully understand my "crime scene" reference above.

[iamthestretch]

A couple of crappy pictures of some really good food. Eve rules.

Amuses -- deviled quail eggs, house cured salmon, duck mousse, special empanadas.

Lobster creme brulee. Oh yeah.

Oyster soup with oyster root and oyster crackers. Mmm. Oysters.

Marlin. Badly overexposed here. In real life, nicely done with a meaty, earthy mushroom cake.

Rabbit fricassee. As good as it looks.

Lamb three ways. Bad picture. Great dish.

Passion fruit bombe.

Birthday cake. Even though it's not your birthday.

Cathal Armstrong: "You know, you guys were way less trouble than I expected. I may not have to call the police after all."

mnebergall: "Yeah. Sure. Decorum. That's our middle name. Hey, Thrasher, is there any more wine?"

mdt: "Mmm. Birthday cake. That's really what it's about for me. Birthday cake. I wonder how they get the icing so pink? I like that. Blue is good, too. But on balance I probably prefer pink. It's so fluffy. Birthday cake. Just a couple more bites then..."

[razzar]

Stretch,

Thanks for the write-up. I really wanted to go to this, but I could not convince the "+1" to come. The food, as you say, looked delicious.

Any notes on the wine pairings?

Do you think any of these dishes will make their way onto the "regular" tasting menu?

[SanFran88]

This was an amazing night. The food was incredible. Of the initial canapes, the salmon with lemon cream and the quail egg were my personal favorites, but all were delicious. The jerusalem artichoke soup we had as an amuse was spectacular. Though the lobster creme brulee is one of the best things I've ever eaten, I skipped it this time in favor of trying the Oyster, Oyster, Oyster, which comes off like a creamy hit of the sea. The marlin with black trumpet mushroom flan was a wonderful mix of meaty fish and earthy, creamy mushroom that Todd paired with, I think, a Pinot Noir. I had the rabbit stew for the main course. When they presented it at the table the top of the squash was removed and the aroma was just wonderful. As was the dish. I skipped the lamb three ways during this course in favor of the rabbit, since I had had the lamb dish before -- I thought. But as Mark noted later, it seemed to be done three different ways from the way we'd each had it before. I loved the rabbit, but I was casting covetous glances. (I do have to admit our servers dissertation on the eco-friendly, humanely-ended lamb kept making me smile and think of the Monty Python sketch where the crunchy frogs are described as being "lightly killed"....)

The cheese course seems greatly expanded from the last time I was in the Tasting Room and more in line with a restaurant of this high caliber. The vacherin was particularly good. I think the cheeses may be coming from Cheesetique in Del Ray, but I'm not sure. And I finished with the trio of pears.

Several of the wines were knockouts. In some ways, I thought the wine service was the most unexpected (and probably difficult) part of the night for the restaurant to attempt. We were all ordering different things and Todd was doing a sensational job of matching wines with dishes. I believe Walrus has pictures of some of the truly outstanding labels...my mind was blurring. One smelled for all the world like passion fruit, and the Hungarian dessert wine was like a glass of honey with lemon.

All in all, a wonderful night full of multiple foodasms made more special by getting to meet so many warm and interesting people for the first time. (And match faces names.) Thanks to Mark for setting this up and to Cathal, Nate, Todd, Meshe, Tami, Tyffany, and all the rest of the Eve family for putting on such a spectacular show.

[Busboy]

It would be wonderful if Todd had a moment to remind us what wines he was pouring -- a true worldbeat wine service with stops in South Africa, California, Virginia, Hungary and France, if I recall. I confess to being unpersuaded by the Virginia sparkler, but have very fond memories of the ridiculously young Cabernet that was served with the lamb chop, and what seemed to be another young wine, the Tokai that was poured with the three pear desserts.

[bilrus]

Count me as a convert. I very much wanted to give Eve a chance and this meal showed what they can do.

Highlights for me were the tiny lamb chop, the lobster creme brulee and the flavors of the gnocchi dish (no pictures, but it involved pumpkin and a chestnut cream sauce). The gnocchi wasn't the lightest I've ever had but one half of a miss out of the string of dishes put before us is a pretty damn good average.

And the other hightlight for me (no wine expert here) was the chance to sample wines that I never would have (an Australian port-style wine?) unless someone like Todd was putting them in front of me and telling me to drink.

Thanks to everyone who put this together.

[Suzanne F]

:jealous: Oh. My. God. That all looks incredible.

[morela]

Blue is good, too. But on balance I probably prefer pink.

←

Looks like yellow lives cathal armstrong. Nice tour.

[mnebergall]

Do you think any of these dishes will make their way onto the "regular" tasting menu?

All of the dishes we ordered, with the exception of the lamb trio, which was special that night, but seems to be a frequent guest, came off of the 5-course tasting menu.

As to the dinner, the food was spectacular, the service impeccable, the wine pairing amazing, and the company warm. Bravo to Chef Cathal and his staff for a memory that I will take to the grave.

Those who opt for the Eve "tasting room" are well advised to put themselves in Todd Thrashers capable hand and choose the wine pairing.