One part of Bluephies became Miko Poke, and the other part is now Everly, a California-inspired restaurant that leans heavy on vegetables and grains. Food Fight did a commendable job of making clever, unique restaurants that are worthy of regular visits.
The bright space of Everly includes a full bar, though there are currently no plans for happy hour or nightly drink specials, according to a bartender. I look forward to the summer, when a full-service outdoor eating area will open.
Everly’s menu is robust, so I did my best to try a cross-section of it, starting with the “Vegetables” section. The serving size of the yellow curry eggplant ($7) dish was much smaller than expected. The eggplant was perfectly tender, and the chiles added some welcomed heat, but the curry sauce itself was bland.
The best way to describe the Tuna Conserva Sandwich ($12) is fresh. Everything from the ample tuna to the cucumbers and roasted red peppers exuded freshness. The lemon caper aioli provided the flavor for this sandwich, which was held firmly together by toasted bread. You’ll also find a burger ($12) and a roasted chicken sandwich ($12) among the sandwiches.
“Things on Toast” is actually a section of the menu, and I ordered the seasonal mushroom toast ($11). It’s a minor point, but I liked that the semi-sour, (marrow) buttery toast had slits cut into it to make it easier to pull apart and eat. The abundance of mushrooms, which included shiitake and crimini, captured the flavors of the garlic and herbs with which they were sauteed.
Among the pastas, I chose the Buckwheat Bolognese ($16). The ground Heritage pork, which I look forward to eating at every restaurant in which it’s served, was dry and flavorless, and the buckwheat fettuccine was under-cooked (too al dente for this dish). Fortunately, they were saved by the deep, complex Bolognese sauce, which must’ve absorbed all of the flavor from the pork.
The only sections I missed were salads (I already had enough veggies here) and big/small plates. The latter includes buttermilk fried chicken ($9) and pork + white corn grits ($16). Brunch is served on the weekends.
Everly is open for lunch on weekdays, dinner every day and brunch on weekends.
Tags: American, near west, vegetarian
