Bistro at Restaurant Eve

I think I'm in love.

And, much to my mother's chagrin, it's not with a nice young man.

But I think she'll understand, because she was with me the night I was swept off of my feet by the atmosphere, food, and service that combine to make up the Bistro at Restaurant Eve. (And I think she may have fallen a little bit in love as well. I won't tell Dad.)

We weren't celebrating anything other than being together, but from the moment we walked through the door we felt as if we were being welcomed into Meshelle and Cathal Armstrong's home for a special occasion dinner. Warmly greeted at the door, we were escorted past the bustling kitchen, peeked into the gorgeous Tasting Room, and were delivered to our table in the cozy and comforting Bistro.

And that was merely the beginning of the exquisite care we were shown throughout the night. From General Manager and Sommelier Todd Thrasher's recommendation of a bottle of 2002 Catena Alta malbec, to his identification of the greens we were curious about that accompanied Dad's escolar, to his provision of a bowl for the shells from Mom's prawn dish (and his replacement of that bowl midway through the meal, when it was full); from the care he took in ironing the tablecloth at an empty table nearby, to his enthusiastic dessert recommendation (that we didn't take) -- it was clear that he loves this place, and shares the Armstrongs' commitment to creating a welcoming and comfortable place for people to enjoy a delightful evening.

But as nice as that is, the Bistro would not have stolen my heart, were it not for the amazing food coming out of Chef Armstrong's kitchen. And oh, was it amazing. To start, we enjoyed a variety of tomatoes (including sungolds, my new absolute favorite, they scream SUMMER!, bursting with sweet juicy tomatoey flavor in our mouths) with mozzarella, and basil fresh from the garden. We also tried the crabcakes, a dish my mom makes a point of sampling during her summer visits to DC (as they are far better here than in the locales further south where she spends most of her time). We were all duly impressed with the meaty version offered here, served with a slightly spicy remoulade sauce.

And those tastes were a mere hint of the delights that were to come. Mom's prawn risotto had a depth of flavor I didn't expect, and was so good that when I leaned across the table for a second bite, I was shooed away with the words "you've already had your taste." (Huh? Who ever heard of a mother withholding food from her daughter?!) This dish is not for the squeamish, as the prawns are served head-on, but this didn't faze us one bit. (The three of us have a combined seventy years of living in Louisiana under our belts -- it'll take more than a few shrimp heads to raise our eyebrows...)

I had Chef Armstrong's take on my favorite summer combination -- duck and peaches. But the version at the Bistro was unlike any I had sampled before, because it introduced me to what I've now decided is the best kind of peach for this dish. A Muscovy duck breast was served with slightly sweet pearl onions, slightly bitter chard, and the piece de resistance, a sweeter-than-sweet, peachier-than-peachy donut peach. My only complaint? That there weren't more of these delicious peaches on the plate for me to enjoy. (The serving was perfect for normal folks, it's just that I'm a bit of a glutton for peaches.)

But the dish that really showcased Chef Armstrong's talents, and made it clear to me why he was featured as one of Food and Wine's Best New Chefs, was Dad's escolar served with beets and a lemon vinaigrette, over a bounty of greens. Although the fish was cooked perfectly and melted in our mouths, it was the greens that made the dish -- each bite was different, and delicious. In one forkful, you noticed the mint; in another, the baby cilantro; in a third the pea tendrils. The flavors not only complemented each other, but also worked well individually, so every bite was divine, a bouquet of fresh verdant flavor in our mouths. (Yes, Dad let me have more than one bite.)

By the time dessert rolled around, Mom was back in a sharing mood, and we enjoyed a warm blueberry cake with a possibly-too-precious dollop of coffee foam, and the kitchen's interpretation of a s'more -- oh-so-rich chocolate ganache, house-made chocolate ice cream, and a house-made marshmallow. Delicious, but when I return I'm trying Todd's recommended crema fritta, or the pink-iced birthday cake I saw heading to a nearby table.

Perhaps someday I'll make Mom happy by falling in love with a nice young man again. But for now, I'm delightedly looking forward to my next date with the Bistro at Restaurant Eve.

Restaurant Eve
110 South Pitt Street
Alexandria, VA
703-706-0450