Eventide (Clarendon)

The Occasion: Darryl's birthday week. I owe a lot to this guy. When I was a wee pup, he introduced me to a different level of sophistication and quality in such things as music, clothes, travel, conversation and dining. So on the occasion of his birthday, I sought a new, trendy and upscale location for dinner. At one time I would have called this genre of restaurant "infused and encrusted," but that's so two years ago. In my search, I found Eventide -- a four month old restaurant on the same block in Clarendon as another new staple of mine, The Liberty Tavern. Formerly the burnt down building of a secret society (hence the tall windows high from the ground level so people couldn't see in), the restoration is a magnificent space. Most of the outer walls are exposed masonry firewalls, leaving a rough outer shell embracing the softer luxury of the wood and textiles elsewhere in the decor. With such sophisticated decor though, more attention should have been paid to the bathrooms, which were plain and loudly painted. The first floor is like any other sidewalk restaurant with seating near a bar -- but the bar has popouts making conversation with your peers a bit more palatable. This room was filled with the type of folks you'd expect at a neighborhood bar. Baseball hats and after work clothes enjoying a cocktail. Nobody sheik and everybody very "Arlington." Dining on this level is first come first served. The second floor is the experience, with reservations required. The space is expansive, and the perception of it is embellished by the incredibly high ceiling and heavy blue drapes breaking up the space. The tables are set far enough apart where your dining neighbors can still have a private conversation without putting up booths or partitions between the tables. There is a grand staircase leading to the roof, unfortunately the flow of people from the rooftop bar prevents it from being accessible. The menu was split evenly between appetizers and entrees. Simple items with some kind of twist each. We began with the seared diver scallops. The twist on this dish was the red pepper and bacon puree. Who doesn't love bacon?  Darryl had the Lobster Tagliatelle which was poached lobster tail, lobster meatballs, fennel, brandied butter and arugula. I had the grilled tasmanian salmon with cornmeal gnocchi, spring pea ragout, and sorrel pesto. My salmon was grilled medium and was a very thick piece of fish, so I'm impressed it was so perfect. The portions were manageable and flavors playful. We popped a bottle of California Viognier that was much stronger than the Virginia Viognier I am used to, but once let to sit out of the chiller and after the taste of my pre-dinner cocktail died, it was quite good. The service was adequate. I was never quite sure who our server was. Two guys in suits attended to us. I assume one was the sommelier, but he told us more about the building than the wine. The other could have been the manager, but he acted like a jester busboy. Our actual waitress was fairly non-existent and forgettable. The actual busboy was more talkative than she when he brought a tasting of gazpacho shots with mint to begin our meal. And I just now realized we forgot to eat dessert! We were so focused on bringing out wine to the rooftop deck. I would have loved a strawberry rhubarb tart. Oh well, next time. We took the remainder of the bottle with us up to the third floor which is divided into two spaces. On one side is an outdoor seating area I would have liked to go to, but 1) it is first come first served and 2) It has a menu that isn't as appetizing (at least upon first look) because everything up there is meant to be served "not hot." I've had many cooked dishes outside, so this alternate menu confuses me to the point of stupidity. Do they think the chicken isn't going to survive on the patio? Executive Chef Miles Vaden of Eventide purports an interest in technological advances in cooking. Sorry bud, I think you missed the mark on a "cold food only" menu for the summer crowd in your outside space.  Keep that sort of thing for the vegan lesbian niche market in San Francisco. The other side of the roof top deck is a too-small bar with a stunning view of the sunset with a backdrop of the buildings of Balston. There was a mix between Arlingtoners in their brown flip flops and sexy summer sophisticates out for the evening -- drawn to this rooftop bar partly because of their eclectic drinks. I mean, who serves a Pimm's cup outside of England? What a great summer drink though.  One more thing that deserves mentioning is upon reaching the second floor where the formal dining room is, both sides of the elevator opens, revealing a baby changing room. The restaurant's web site purports understanding of being a parent. I question the rationale. This is a seriously upscale, trendy and posh place. Whoever in their right mind brings a child, let alone a baby in diapers, to such a place should be tarred and feathered. With the exception of the diaper room, I give the restaurant an A for effort and execution, but only a B+ for the rooftop. That space should have been so much more than it was.

http://www.eventiderestaurant.com/