I walked up the steps to the restaurant and was reminded of those charming old house/restaurant conversions. I’m not sure what this building was originally purposed as, but its current form is very welcoming. Being seated on the front patio as the last daylight hours elapsed had a calm you wouldn’t think possible with rush hour traffic passing by.

Our waiter was very knowledgeable and made plenty of suggestions, which was helpful with a menu where everything sounds appealing. I started the night off with a Happy Ending, a brisk blend of gin, ginger, Thai basil, cucumber and lemon juice. I have to tip my hat to a bartender who can make a drink both strong and refreshing. Our burrata ravioli arrived and promised to be as compelling to the taste as it was to the sight. The mere idea of putting a cream stuffed mozzarella inside homemade ravioli is heavenly, but to put the fork through that cheese filled pillow was to live in the afterlife. The sauce was a creamy mixture of onion, croutons, hint size bacon bits and roasted hazelnuts that disintegrate as I bit into them. This plate was spotless when it left the table. Once again, indecision is remedied by an informed opinion. The winner of the great debate was the potato soup, which was so good that now I cannot remember what I thought of having instead. The soup had such a wholesome feel to it. The body was creamy, but not as thick and heavy as its peers who go by the same name. Truffle, almond pieces and a touch of cheese gave this handsome soup distinct and distinguished. I think there is a tendency to equate the term poached with boring. The Eva poached beef has single-handedly set out to dispel that association. Accompanied with winter veggies, this cut of beef looked wonderful. I wondered if the bone marrow and salsa verde would overwhelm the meat as even a mild salsa is less subtle. This salsa really was just an accent and the taste of the beef was delightful. The boiled beef was seared slightly to provide a minor contrast in consistency, brilliant. On the side, I enjoyed an order of crushed potato, with shallot, chive and olive oil. The consistency of the potato was like that of mashed potatoes without the milk. The hearty starch was a well-chosen side car to the poached beef. Never has meat and potatoes made me feel so smart. I encourage readers to support this restaurant, if you go there once, you will want to champion their success as much as I do.

Eva 7458 Beverly Boulevard Los Angeles, CA 90036 Tel 323.634.0700