Background:
It’s spring, so that means it must be time for a new tasting menu at Evoke! Scallionpancake feels so lucky to be invited back to Evoke again (see our previous reviews here and here)--this time to test out the delicious stylings of new chef Rodrigo Velazco.
Chef Rodrigo is originally from Caracas, Venezuela, and he worked for many years on the Miami food scene. After getting a few years in fine dining under his belt, he wanted to gain training in “old school” cooking techniques, so he traveled Europe extensively so he could learn from classically trained chefs. In the kitchen at Evoke, Rodrigo sees himself as a “bridge” between classical techniques and the modern leanings of his young staff--he is close to their age, so he understands their new school mentality, but he has the background of the “old guard” way of cooking. Rodrigo blends these two mindsets seamlessly on the menu at Evoke--classical preparations with unexpected twists are his specialty. Rodrigo takes the input of his team of chefs seriously-- “the biggest mistake a chef can make” he says “is to only trust his own taste.” So, Rodrigo says, he is notorious for chasing his staff down with a little spoon, asking them to taste this and that in order to ensure that everything tastes just right.
Evoke is located in the recently updated Le Meridien hotel, which is a lovely space to grab coffee, a drink, a meal, or a popsicle dunked in prosecco on their rooftop bar (City Lights--which opens for the season on April 1st). Rodrigo says that Evoke must do double duty as a hotel restaurant and an upscale destination restaurant for locals. Rodrigo wants Evoke to function as a “deep breath” kind of place for his customers--he hopes that when you come in, you get a drink, feel relaxed, and really settle in for an evening of fine dining surrounded by your friends and family.
Eat This:
We started with a light tuna ceviche course which was bursting with bright spring flavors. My favorite here was the crispy onion.
Yellowfin Tuna
Sea beans, saffron pickled fennel, arugula, crispy onion, lemon oil
Ain't no spring chicken (because it's fish)
What are sea beans? So glad you asked! They are a type of succulent that grows in marshes--Chef Rodrigo likened them to tiny asparagus. Delicious! This course was one of my favorites.
Burrata Salad
Heirloom tomato, brioche, black olive vinaigrette, basil
I say tomato, you say burrata; tomato/burrata, tomato/burrata--let's call the whole thing off
You can never go wrong with a little caprese salad, and this dish took that simple and beloved dish to a new level--the sweet, crispy brioche and the tart sweetness of the tomatoes paired perfectly. This course was my absolute favorite of the night. It was light yet satisfying, and I loved the richness of the burrata rather than the usual mozzarella.
Lobster & Sweetbreads
Peas, mint, lemon, tarragon jus vinaigrette
Book title: Sweetbreads are made from bread, and other lies your French chef told you
Like the last dish, this one threw some of my dining companions off (burrata is cheese and sweetbreads are the glands of animals...glad we've got that out of the way!) Not bread, to be sure, but a little sweet, actually! After some fun table googling and everyone deciding to be adventurous, all of my dining companions agreed we loved this dish. Although combined from heavier elements (lobster and, well...glands) this dish was bursting with the pleasant earthiness of spring, and it was not at all overbearing. Chef Rodrigo treats these ingredients gently, and the flavors are bright and the dish is satisfyingly filling. And yay! We tried new things.
If you can get over what you are eating (which is never hard for me, I guess I am a monster/vampire hybrid) then this is a great dish to cut your gland teeth on, and a good foray into the exciting world of the thymus!
Pimenton Rigatoni
Braised rabbit, fava beans, morels, mint gremolata
Little bunny foo foo/hoppin' through the forrest/pickin' up the field mice/and boppin' 'em on the head
Wascally wabbit! This dish was also bursting with spring deliciousness. I especially loved the morel mushrooms--they just soak up all of the goodness of any dish, and I love their chewy texture. My dining neighbor and I agreed that sometimes we think it's sad to eat rabbit, just because they are so darn cute. However, suffice to say, we ate it anyway and loved it. This dish put me over the edge of fullness--it was so satisfying with the rabbit and the pasta. Evoke makes all of their pastas in house, and it had phenomenal texture and smokey flavor from the pimenton (AKA paprika).
Sturgeon
White aspargus, fennel, pearl onion, grapes, Di Vitello jus
Fun fact: Sturgeon is low in mercury!
I cannot recall ever having Sturgeon before, but my table neighbor and I decided it reminded us of Catfish, which, to be honest, was a comparison neither of us were crazy about. I find that Catfish is a very divisive fish, and while some people love its distinctive flavor, I am in the other camp. Therefore, this dish was not my favorite due to the flavor profile of the fish itself, but I did love the sauce, grapes, and asparagus.
Dessert: Evoke has a new Pastry Chef, Chelsea Ecdao. Chef Rodrigo had nothing but awesome things to say about her and her delicious concoctions. I did not try this dish, as longtime readers will know about my fake and made up (and yet very, very real in my mind) corn allergy/fear, but everyone at the table was dying over this corn cheesecake:
Corn Cheesecake
Bourbon mousse, rosemary, blueberry
"There's corn in this, and that seems very bad indeed" - my brain
Look at how gorgeous it is! I struggled not to eat this lovely. I did go home and eat Trader Joe's chocolate covered coconut almonds as a consolation prize. And don't worry--my portion was happily eaten by my new blog friends at the table.
Drink:
Evoke has a lovely wine and cocktail list, though I stuck to mezcal on the rocks. What kind? I'm not sure--I didn't specify or check, but it was fab. I am not picky about my drinks on Thursday night after a long week. My dining companions enjoyed wine and cocktails, and everyone seemed pleased with their selection. L'chaim!
Atmosphere:
Evoke is simply lovely--soft lighting, candles, and a very upscale vibe. Like Stoke, this is a hotel where I would be delighted to stay if I were traveling in Charlotte. I cannot wait to check out the rooftop bar, City Lights. Last year was its first year open, but I never got a chance to check it out. They open for the season on April 1st, and Jason and I will definitely be making a post-tax season stop here as soon as April 18th rolls around.
Photo courtesy of the always fab Charlotte Agenda
Hospitality:
Chef Rodrigo and his staff could not have been more gracious and kind. Chef came out to ask us our opinions on the dishes, and the entire service experience was very attentive, which has been my experience even on previous visits that were not blog events.
Frankie’s Notes:
Evoke has the unique distinction of having a triple Scallionpancake review! Hats off to you, Evoke; Many have tried, few have succeeded in getting us to return a whopping three times to their establishment; Just kidding--we have been to Seoul Food Meat Company 17 times without ever being asked, not even one time; When I have to go to blog events without Jason I get nervous and start shouting at strangers that burrata is cheese; But for real, it's cheese and you should know that; Frankie likes tomatoes and he doesn't like Catfish; Just kidding--tomatoes are toxic to dogs and do not say we told you to feed your dogs tomato products; I made new friends at this dinner! Yay, friends! Shout out to Jess at Slice of Jess. She is super cool and is going to teach me her mom's recipe for ricotta! Go read her awesome blog.
Disclaimer: This meal was provided free of charge in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.