Restaurant Review: Evviva

Restaurant:

Address: 1236 Montgomery Ave., Narberth, PA 19072
Rating: (out of 5 stars): ★★★★★
Style: Upscale bistro
Food: Refined contemporary American cuisine
Atmosphere: Elegant
Parking: Lot
Service: Professional and polished
Price Range: Expensive
Unique Features: Restaurant is only open Wednesday through Saturday, menu changes seasonally.

Growing up on the Main Line I had driven by hundreds, maybe even thousands of times. While I could comment on the beautiful exterior and well maintained grounds, I couldn’t begin to tell you about the food served inside. Though it is a special event hot spot (weddings, bat mitzvahs, engagement parties, etc.) the BYOB bistro is only open Wednesday-Saturday. However, be warned that even with the limited hours there is still a chance the bistro will be closed due to an event. My advice is to call ahead to make a reservation and make sure they are open for dinner.

Armed with a reservation, two ready and willing dining companions and a bottle of Carneros Pinot Noir we set out for dinner and pulled into a half full parking lot. Surprisingly, all the cars were for a catered event and we were the lone group in the elegant dining room. We were literally the only people in the bistro that night. Our friendly server quipped that it was an extra special VIP dining room and brought us warm and toasty rolls with olive oil as we read over our menus.

We began with the butternut squash soup, house salad and goat cheese salad. The popular autumnal soup arrived in a mini soup tureen and had the diner overjoyed at her choice-- oh my goodness, this is the best soup I’ve had, you need to try it, it’s delicious! The rich and creamy butternut squash soup was on the sweeter side but very satisfying.

The house salad featured mixed green tossed in a subtle creamy mustard vinaigrette. The salad was fresh, well composed and well executed.

The goat cheese salad had a lovely, warmed and breaded goat cheese round with diced marinated red beets and greens. Each element of the salad provided a distinctive flavor and texture which all combined well. The creamy goat cheese and toasted breadcrumbs melded well with the sweet beets, slightly acidic vinaigrette and crisp greens. I also enjoyed the cool and warm nature of the salad.

For our entrees we had the roasted duck with lingonberry sauce, pasta special and salmon tartare. The tartare was well balanced—the salmon cubes were flavorful, the vinaigrette not too tart and the red quinoa cooked well and wonderfully nutty. I’m a big fan of quinoa (gluten-free super food with tons of calcium) but had never thought to pair it with raw fish but it worked very well. The crostini were a bit unnecessary in my opinion as there was already starch in the dish but they were toasted nicely.

The pasta special was quite generous in every way imaginable. There was a ton of well cooked al dente penne, plenty of crab meat and shrimp and the entire plate was slathered in tomato sauce. I think it would have defeated even the heartiest eater. That being said the pasta was well seasoned and tasty. We all took big bites of this dish that begged to be shared.

The roasted duck with lingonberry could have fed a small village. Quite possibly the largest entrée portion of duck I have seen in my life, the meat was succulent with crisp skin. The tender duck married well with the sweet and tangy lingonberry sauce and sauteed red cabbage. The potatoes and green vegetables on the side were perfectly cooked and seasoned. 

The service at Evviva is stellar. From the warm rolls to the friendly and funny banter and educated answers about menu choices we were all equally delighted by the experience. When one of us needed to use the restroom our server lead her there. Wine was poured neatly and expertly and we never felt any sort of lag between courses. I admit that much of this may be due to the fact that we were the only people dining that night but I would imagine that service on a packed night is similar. I hope that you head to dinner at Evviva one night and have a similar experience, just be sure to call first!