EVOO
350 3rd Street (Kendall Square)
Cambridge, MA
617-661-3866
www.evoorestaurant.com

What I ate:
Organic Boston Bibb Salad
Seared Arctic Char with Mushroom Risotto
Chocolate-Banana Bread Pudding

I love eating at restaurants where I know the food is fresh and travels a short distance to get to my plate. EVOO is one of those restaurants that cares about knowing the farmers that harvest and raise their food. This was my second time to EVOO, coming in with high expectations that were surely met if not exceeded. Monthly, my coworkers and I meet for dinner club where we rotate choosing restaurants. It’s a nice way of getting to explore Boston cuisine. EVOO was chosen for our June dinner club. My anticipation was heightened knowing I would be indulging in local summer produce.

EVOO, an acronym for Extra Virgin Olive Oil, serves eclectic New American cuisine. Their homegrown menu changes daily with what ingredients they have on hand. They offer a pre-fixe menu option where you can choose an appetizer, an entrée, and a dessert for a pre-fixe price. Since this is one of my favorite restaurants in the area, I knew I wanted to indulge in a three-course meal. To start I ordered the Organic Boston Bibb Salad with onion, tart cherries, Great Hill blue cheese, with a Great Hill blue cheese dressing. I loved the pairing of blue cheese with port-soaked cherries. The dressing was used sparingly and did not overpower the salad. The dish was light, delicious, and a great start to the meal. For my entrée, I ordered the Seared Arctic Char Fillet, which was served over Crazy Ben’s locally foraged mushroom risotto, sweet peas, and a green onion nage. Crazy Ben is no stranger to me; I had heard previously that he is the mushroom forager to seek out in this area. The mushroom risotto was extremely flavorful with a wild mushroom taste. Arctic char is similar in flavor and texture to salmon. This piece of fish was seared beautifully; it was very tender without being over or undercooked. The green onion broth brought all the flavors together nicely. I left a small portion of my entrée knowing that dessert was on its way. I definitely have a sweet tooth and love indulging in dessert in moderation. Bread pudding is one of my favorite treats, especially chocolate-banana bread pudding! The warm bread pudding sat in a warm buttermilk caramel sauce. I savored about half of the dessert before feeling pleasantly full. I don’t always order a three-course meal when going out to eat. But I don’t feel guilty about eating a three-course meal when I know I’m eating fresh, unprocessed, whole foods. I’m sure a third time’s a charm to EVOO is in my future.