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| - Location: On Notre-Dame east of Atwater. It's about a 10-minute walk from Lionel-Groulx metro.
Service: Excellent - the wait staff was super friendly! Our waitress took the time to explain every single dish, including how each drink was made. Our water glasses were always full, and she came by frequently to see how we were doing. This was my first time at EVOO and I was really impressed with the stellar service.
Vibe/Decor: Judging by their music, I could swear they raided my personal collection - so... great music with a pretty chill vibe. Personally, I found the decor to be a little outdated and lacking in energy. It was pretty dim but I think they're currently going with lavender walls with some purple striping here and there.
Food: Pics are forthcoming, along with the full menu. We started with a delightfully warm dinner roll that was made with tomatoes and... onions? I don't remember but the bread was freshly made and delicious, served with olive oil. Our waitress then unexpectedly brought over an amuse-bouche - a sliver of beet with some other stuff on top. I love beets so this was a hit for me. Before I continue, I should mention that there seems to be a LOT involved with their ingredients (i.e. there are a LOT of them), making it hard to keep up with every little detail.
Drinks: Tanqueray, raspberry, basil, lemon and sparkling water. AMAZING!
Starter: Homemade Ricotta with anchovy sauce and croutons. While I liked the texture and consistency of the ricotta (it was obvious that it was fresh, too), it left me feeling underwhelmed from a flavor perspective. There just wasn't enough of it.
In-between the starter and main, our waitress brought over sorbet to cleanse our palate. The flavor was super unique and interesting - Quebec tomatoes. I really enjoyed this - it felt fresh and you could really taste the tomato.
Main: Cabbage rolls stuffed with rabbit and served in a lemongrass broth, with carrots, potatoes and radish as sides. Again, it was obvious to me that each dish was freshly prepared. But, like the ricotta, the flavor of this dish was lacking, overall. The rabbit had a pleasant and distinct taste that I enjoyed but I couldn't really taste the lemongrass in the broth. The veggies were delicious but undercooked. The dish was served with two cabbage rolls and they were huge. I think one would have been enough for me - so no complaints about portion sizes! I think I would have preferred it if the rolls weren't so packed with rabbit - it sort of felt like I was eating big fat sausages and I think that 'looser' meat would've felt less filling. I liked this dish, but it was in need of seasoning. My friend ordered the Francobolli - ravioli stuffed witih ricotta and topped with a roasted sesame crust. I had a taste and again, zero flavor.
Dessert: I don't know that I would call this dessert - basically, I had a piece of goat cheese (cheddar) with some jam, caramelized pecans and lavosh (like a flat bread). The menu indicated that the jam was strawberry but that wasn't the case, as when the dish was served to me, the waitress said it was wild cherries (cerises de terre). I loved the lavosh, but when I think dessert, I think something decadent and sweet. The other option was bananas with caramel and creme fraiche, but that whole combo just doesn't work for me and that's why I opted for the cheese.
Verdict: I had really high hopes for this place, but left feeling underwhelmed. While I did enjoy the meal, and appreciated the great service, I'm not sure if I would go back or not. You should check it out for yourself and see what you think - it does have good potential.
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