We were keen to visit the Eventi knowing it was Kimpton’s newest property in New York. We are big fans of the Kimpton Hotel brand, of their wonderful properties, their business ethos and the great service they provide. The Eventi lived up to all our expectations – in fact it kind of surpassed them. We had a King Suite on the thirty-something-th floor (I stop counting after 29, both in terms of age and building elevations) with a great view over the Chelsea District of New York. Because they had only opened a few weeks previous, I expected some teething problems, but there simply were not any in our experience.
The understated, modern décor was absolutely beautiful and the staff were attentive and helpful. They were most apologetic about the fact that their permanent restaurant was not open, and in fact we pretty much decided that we would not eat there as it sounded as though things really were not finished at all. But our last night in New York we were tired, it was raining and we really did not want to go out, so we headed to the in-house restaurant called The Café at Eventi.
The Café is not a permanent installation, and is due to be replaced by a multi-level ‘Food Parc’ for casual dining and the multi-level Bar Basque Restaurant with a authentic Basque restaurant highlighting seasonal, sustainable ingredients. I’m so glad we went early enough to be able to experience this temporary café, because it was ever so much more than that.
We were alone in the café, and could see much of the building works that were going on outside – including a terrace featuring a huge screen several stories high to broadcast concerts and the like. The screen was not yet in place, but we could see the structure that would hold it. It was massive.The décor, although unfinished, was clearly going to be spectacular.
While the restaurant and menu might be temporary, it was the site of one of the finest meals of our holiday. My husband and I had the Crispy Fried Rock Shrimp Tempura served with a sweet chili dipping sauce to start. Beautifully presented in an edible basket, these juicy, lightly battered rock shrimp had a sauce with the perfect level of spiciness.
Our son enjoyed the BBC Chicken and Jack Cheese Dumplings, toasted corn bread and crispy Vidalia onions. I loved the presentation of these, and having tasted the dumplings can honestly say they had the potential to become quite addictive!
While our son enjoyed the Eventi burger which arrived perfectly cooked to order for his main course, my husband and I ordered Steak Frites. Now my husband and I are a chef’s nightmare as I like my steak done on the more done side of medium, and my husband likes his medium rare. This was one of the few times both our steaks arrived perfectly cooked and although steak frites may be a simple dish, the Café at Eventi took it to a whole other level. This was a grilled six ounce fillet mignon with a white truffle béarnaise sauce and herbed French fries. It was exquisite –just the comfort food we craved on that last evening of our holiday. The side of green beans we ordered was the perfect foil to this wonderful dish, and there were plenty of them for us to share. For dessert, a beautiful portion of crème brulee and a simple plate of cookies served the three of us – and were the perfect ending to a wonderful meal.
I must apologise for the quality of the photographs in this post, along with the fact that there are none of the main courses, but I had not thought that I would be writing about a dinner in a temporary Café! in fact I had to borrow a camera.
The menu we had said “The Café @ Eventi - The Best Kept Secret in Town” on the front. It sure was! I had no idea we would have such a wonderful meal, and I have great expectations for both the Food Parc and the Bar Basque which I hope to be able to visit very soon. In fact, I kind of wish there was some way for them to keep the Café too – it was just so damn good it seems a shame to lose it. However, from the quality of our experience I’m confident that all the good stuff we enjoyed at the Café will some how be rolled up in the two new venues at this great hotel.
I’m not sure of the opening dates for the Food Parc, although ‘September’ is mentioned on their website, and I believe the Bar Basque opens in October. But whenever it might be, whatever dining facilities they are offering, if you find yourself in New York City anywhere near the Avenue of the Americas (6th Avenue) and West 29th Street, do visit the Eventi and sample the delicious dining experience they offer. I'm sure you will be very glad you did.
The 21st Century Housewife was not paid or compensated in any way for this post.
Sounds delicious! The creme brulee at the end sounds the best! Thanks!
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