I Can't Stay Away!

It's like driving by the house you grew up in, or your first apartment or...well, you get the picture. All your memories are still alive there, waiting to be relived.

The same is true of restaurants, where your favorites stay on the menu but, even better, there are always new dishes to be tried and new memories to be made. Evoe, the tiny spot next to Peter DeGarmo's Pastaworks, is like that for me. All Chef Kevin Gibson has to do is walk through the archway connecting the two and grab the best ingredients from one of the city's best selection of meats, fresh produce and imported items.

The magic happens on the broad wooden table in front of you, where he conjures a wide-ranging and oft-changing menu of salads, meat and cheese boards and small plates. On the day I was in he made a salad of zucchini with ricotta salata and glazed nuts that he sliced and mixed it, talking about the importance of the right balsamic vinegar and oil as he mixed the dressing.

The meat board that day was a selection of cured products made even better by the addition of his hand-pickled condiments, another great benefit of having Mr. Gibson in charge. Plus his obvious delight in having a whole leg (including hoof) of serrano ham sitting on the front counter for passersby to admire.

Evoe...I can't get enough!

Details: Evoe, 3731 SE Hawthorne Blvd. Phone 503-232-1010.