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Fine Dining, Hold the Snob
By bukkhead | August 8, 2007
RESTAURANT REVIEW: ‘EVA’
Address: 2227 N 56th
Cuisine: Inspired Mediterranean
If you’re looking for a very Seattle experience, head to Eva, the sort of place locals go to when they feel like putting on a collared shirt, but not socks. A place that’s nice, trending towards upscale, but doesn’t set unrealistic expectations of “wow” and “are you kidding me?”
I was going to say that Eva is tucked away in the heart of Tangletown, but then again, you can say that for anything that’s located in Tangletown. It’s that kind of neighborhood, named for the way the streets surrounding it are all twisted up, and the easiest way to get there is to get in the general area, then allow yourself to get lost. This is the neighborhood’s charm, and if you decided to then have a donut or a cup of coffee, it would be a rather well-spent Saturday morning. But if you’ve got reservations at a nice restaurant, getting lost might not be an option: try Mapquest, and give yourself extra time.
We’ve been to Eva once before, the fiancée and I, along with friends, for Seattle’s twice yearly “25 for 25” restaurant celebration. I don’t recall what I had then, only that I liked the ambience: soft lighting, warm colors, the very epitome of cozy. I think that was last fall, however, appropriate to cozy. This time we sat closer to the windows, and while it was still soft and comfortable, it was a cooler experience; my memory this time is of grays and greens.
Eva is also called a wine bar, and it’s too bad we are not better wine connoisseurs. But we do know what we like, and one thing we like is Riesling. So my fiancée ordered a glass, and since we are not wine snobs, she wasn’t sure if what she got was, in fact, a Riesling. Actually, it tasted a bit flat, and I am happy to report, our server very cheerfully replaced it with another glass, and lo, we were right. This will have to suffice for the wine list portion of the review: the server was eager to make sure we enjoyed the wine.
The menu at Eva is described as Mediterranean, and since it’s not extensive, you expect the chef to get everything right. From their list of “first” and “seconds,” I chose the rabbit, which tasted like chicken. I have no idea if rabbit is supposed to taste like chicken, which is probably why I shouldn’t write restaurant reviews. But if you have no idea either, then we are birds of a feather, so let me share this: I enjoyed it quite a bit.
Everyone else seemed to enjoy their dishes as well, though there was no oohing and aaahing and “you have to try this, oh my god”-ing. I think that maybe we get too spoiled, looking for incredible experiences, when what we should be happy with is an expectation of pretty darn good. In this way, though Eva is not cheap, the place isn’t overpriced either.
Topics: Dining | No Comments »