Eventide

Eventide: Arlington, VA. Wilson Blvd at Washinton Blvd. This is a brand new restaurant in the Clarendon area and it shows a lot of promise. Let's start with the building. First floor is the lounge which was buzzing when we went on a Thursday night. Full bar, but no beer on tap (sigh). Beautiful, hip, but not snobby atmosphere. We were there for dinner so were led to the second floor. Another beautiful room and much quieter. The booths have arms, so your hostess opens it like a carnival ride and in you go! I was a little worried with our waiter as he seemed kinda nervous, but while he wasn't polished, there were no real flaws. We were also offered the services of a wine expert--I'm not sure of the term they used, but it was NOT "sommelier." We didn't end up using him except to ask him for the cocktail list. The cocktails were pretty amazing--not fruity and syrupy like most places. Big thumbs up to start! We also got some great grilled bread and an amuse bouche of tomato marmalade on a little toast.
For an appetizer, I ordered crispy sweetbreads with curry cauliflower, potatoes, capers and currants. I don't think I'd ever had sweetbreads before. I really enjoyed them.
For the main course, I had the pan-seared cobia (a firm white fish) which was served almost like a stew in a smoky tomato broth with shrimp, mussels and best of all, octopus. It was all done very well and was a nice dish, although not something I will be craving. My companion's dish, however, is a different story. He got the pork loin stuffed with sausage, plated over a bed of kale drenched in a cider and sage reduction with some preserved peaches on the side. This was a nearly perfect dish--just wanted a little more peach. The cider and sage reduction was really the genius element that drew everything together in yummy harmony.
For desert we went for the chocolate hazelnut gelato. It was great, but it was 3 scoops at $7. A desert portion would be much better at 2 scoops for $5.
I'll definitely be going back here. For one thing, I want to try out the lounge. They have a different menu and I am intrigued by the "Chicago Inspired Beef Sandwich." I'll also want to go when the weather turns nice as they have a rooftop patio. What a perfect layout in a perfect location! They say they are trying to make a restaurant where you can go for a nice meal without needing to dress for it. We went in jeans and didn't feel out of place, although I would also recommend it as a romantic spot good for a first date. This is definitely a place to check out. Hopefully it will keep on the right track.