A two-story, 10,000-square-foot former meeting hall across from the Clarendon Metro station—and built in 1925 for the fraternal order of Odd Fellows—opened on February 12 with a new life as Eventide restaurant. Designed by owners Dave Pressley and Peter Pflug, with assistance from Washington-based interior designer Mary Sanders Ferriss, the venue has an industrial edge (walls of exposed terra-cotta block) and more sophisticated touches (crystal chandeliers).
The first-floor, 60-seat bar and lounge has an earth-tone color scheme emphasized by columns of reclaimed wood and exposed ceiling joists. A wide hallway lined with assorted new and antique mirrors leads to a stairway (or elevator) to the second level. In the dramatic, 78-seat dining room, the rough, terra-cotta walls soar to 18 feet, and feature softening accents of royal-blue ultra-suede drapes as well as massive, original windows with views onto the treetops of Clarendon. There are eight, custom-made booths, each seating four, that have extra-wide, granite-topped tables, swinging arms for easy entry and relaxation, and lumbar-supported seat backs. For groups of 12 to 38, a central, private space can be partitioned with drapery.
In both food and drink, the menu is contemporary American with leanings toward South American. A third-level roof deck with seating for 72 is slated to open in May.
