EVOO is located in Kendall Square, near the former Google offices, next to Za.
The lighting is warm, the ambiance is quite quaint.
My friend snagged us a prime seat in a booth in front of the kitchen.
Our waiter was very helpful and offered his suggestions. He also checked in us frequently to ask how our meal was and filled our water glasses. I loved the combination of Parmesan cheese, extra virgin and balsamic vinegar as a dip for the crusty french bread.
Baby Swiss Stuffed Smoked Pig Skin Arancini with Mustard Laced Caramelized Onion Purée for $10 was also pretty amazing. The cheese and pig flavor was lovely and like a risotto encased in a nice crust. We sopped up the onion puree with the crusty fresh bread.
Although I considered the ABC Granny Smith Apple, Applewood Smoked Bacon and Vermont Cheddar with Apple Butter, Organic Lettuce and Honey Mustard on Raul’s Sliced Bread $11, but ultimately I went with the Polenta Lasagna with Lamb Bolognese, Stracciatella, Arugula, Fennel, Orange and Hazelnut Crunch $15.
The splash of citrus and arugula was a great cut into the bolognese and I loved the surprise crunch from the hazelnuts. This was so delicious, hearty because of the pasta and meat, but light at the same time because of the citrus and salad- I cleaned the plate.
My dining companion enjoyed the Braised Olive-Raisin Filled Sweet Potato Tamale with Black Beans, Cumin Scented Toasted Rice, Cilantro, Pete’s Sweet Pickled Jalapenos and Goat’s Milk Feta for $13. The cumin and cilantro gave a nice flavor to the dish and the jalapeno’s heat and the sweet potato was an interesting touch.
We split a Warm Chocolate Truffle Cake with Toasted Marshmallow for $8 per our waiter’s suggestion. We loved this so much, we considered taking it home. The freshly bruleed marshmallow creme surrounding the rich truffle chocolate mound made the dessert.
We have had many meals at the same price point that were not on par to EVOO’s creativity and execution. We would definitely return to EVOO again for lunch or dinner and highly recommend checking it out. I would also check out Za for their pizzas and salads.
