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View Winners → Archive Oct 31, 2013
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We couldn’t find the restaurant at first since there’s no sign out front, and we still are unsure if “Everly” is even the correct pronunciation, but as we walked through the nice courtyard dining area, we were already looking forward to our next meal here. The Eveleigh with its dimly lit fancy-but-rustic-looking dining area buzzing with in-the-know urbanites, we worried we would encounter a pretentiously creative menu with unique items that may or may not actually taste good.
Thankfully, our concerns were unwarranted and we found most of the dishes on the evening’s tasting menu very enjoyable. Head chef Jordan Toft warmly welcomed us by serving up slices of a freshly opened prosciutto, aged 16 months in The Eveleigh’s own wine cellar. The sommelier – an enthusiastic wine geek with a penchant for natural wines – started us off with a nice rosé that paired well with the buttery salty goodness of the prosciutto. It was off to a good a start.
Our tasting menu for the evening
The first standout for us was the chicken skin with smoked trout roe, which was like taking the best part of normal fried chicken and making it not only fancier, but better. Then, the rainbow carrots with goat cheese ranch, a simple yet fresh take on the vegetable trays one may be more accustomed too, was up their on a list of favorites, even if it was just your typical veggies and dip.
From the next course, the ricotta served with black mission figs, sprouted almonds, and almond honey, was stellar. We also enjoyed the beef heart tartar made with fish sauce and smoked garlic oil – a refined version of the primitive act of eating another’s heart, only this time it wasn’t meant as a metaphorical act. But, as we were warned, the only thing off about this course was it being paired with “Munjebel” from Sicily – a selection that is known to not be well-liked.
Yet as much as the Munjebel was a disappointment, the Sébastien Riffault Sancerre Rouge poured next was one of the best pinot noirs we have ever had. We kept asking the sommelier questions about it in the hopes that he would keep refilling our glass, and the mostly-unnecessary scheme worked. The Sancerre was great on its own and it paired very well with our favorite dish of the night, the Pasternak’s quail served with roasted figs, yogurt, and morita chili dust.
The main course was Walla Walla lamb, paired with a Broc Cellars grenache. There was nothing too crazy here (but the name), just good lamb and delicious grenache. And finally, we indulged in dessert consisting of anzac cookie crumb, green apple sorbet, and clove meringue, paired with a rosé port. It was a pleasant conclusion to an elaborate, detailed, and (possibly bougie) menu we had the pleasure of trying out.
