EolaAmazing Food, Amazing ChefI have eaten in all the best restaurants in DC, and this is outstanding. The wonderful,chef accommodated all the long list of dietary issues our table suffers from, cheerfully and deliciously. It was a truly memorable dinner.5/10/2013 12:00:00 AMOffal! Be BraveEasily one of the best restaurants in DC at the moment. Do you like amuse bouches, but don't need 21 of them! Eola has the answer - 5. Love tasting menus b/c it gives you the best/in season food - Eola wins again with 3 menus to choose. The best one is - hands down - Offal. You might be a bit nervous if you didn't grow up eating lesser known cuts of meats/muscles, but definitely try it - you won't be disappointed. The pork cheeks will keep us coming back. Honestly, there wasn't one dish that wasn't packed with flavor. Lastly, the staff and sommelier were extremely friendly and happy to describe some of the more unique dishes.5/3/2013 12:00:00 AMPerfect Date Night!What a great find. The service was absolutely outstanding. I loved the selection of amuse-bouches to start. It was a perfect way to try lots of things without getting too full. I had the vegetarian tasting menu and my husband had the offal menu. We were both really impressed by the food. The quinoa tart was amazing. Overall a wonderful place for a date night!4/27/2013 12:00:00 AMEola was a delightful surprise.Eola was a delightful surprise. We chose the menu with wine pairings. The chef's ideas were inventive and made an interesting use of spices and herbs. Everything was fresh and tasted wonderful. The sommelier was helpful and the wine pairings were superb. The space is small and one loud party was heard throughout until they succumbed to the food and quieted down. Even though I had read Tom Sietsema's review, which was very positive, before making the reservation, the experience was even better.4/26/2013 12:00:00 AMAn Adventure in Every Bite!What a wonderful meal - this is the type of restaurant where only foodies should ever go. It is completely wasted on anyone else. The food is so artfully prepared that even a small bite is an adventure to be had. By the end of our meal, we began to realize how food really is a chemical substance. Some of the flavors evoked such intense responses that they reverberated throughout the body. I agree with critics who note that the food is very salty. I do not consume much salt, and I felt it quite strongly in most dishes. Although too much salt often bothers me, here it did not, since salt seemed to act not as a substitute for flavor, as is often the case, but as yet another strong and bold seasoning that the chef is not afraid to use.4/20/2013 12:00:00 AMGood vegetarian/carnivore menuOne of the better restaurants I have visited lately. Could find no fault with the food. Would definitely go back! It is a small two floor restaurant, I think the second floor can be used as a party room4/18/2013 12:00:00 AMVery attentive, friendly service.Very attentive, friendly service. Kudos on the vegetarian tasting menu. Definitely a hidden gem.4/13/2013 12:00:00 AMSuperb, as always. In particular,Superb, as always. In particular, the quinua tart on the veg menu was spectacular. And, the ginger flan as smooth as it could possibly be. But all the dishes, small and big, were wonderful. Thank you once again, Eola.4/9/2013 12:00:00 AMIt's very good but so expensiveIt's very good but so expensive that it just isn't worth it. The wine list is so insane as the bottles start at $60. For high end restaurants, it doesn't offer the value that it's peers do. Overall it's great but for $300 for a couple to eat there, it has to be perfect which it isn't.4/5/2013 12:00:00 AMOVerall, absolute top notchOVerall, absolute top notch dining experience from beginning to end. Definitely go to Eola for any special, intimate occasion.4/2/2013 12:00:00 AMWe were visiting from CanadaWe were visiting from Canada and were so happy we had found Eola. Amazing and creative dishes. Wonderful service.4/2/2013 12:00:00 AMHappy first timersWonderful first time experience. I chose the 5 course tasting menu and my guest had the vegetarian option. She's not a vegetarian but the descriptions were so tempting, she decided to try. We both had very lovely meals, with reasonably priced and interesting wine pairings. Service was attentive, informative, and friendly. Food was interesting, but not overly complicated. We'll be back.3/30/2013 12:00:00 AMFoodie from CaliforniaFantastic food and wine pairings. The dining room is on the first floor of a brownstone style walkup and was warm and inviting. The risotto was cooked perfectly, and the rock fish with saffron broth was amazing. You have to try the warm lemon pudding dessert. The perfect balance of service, food, and ambience. A truly great dining experience.3/27/2013 12:00:00 AMBirthday Bash!This is probably in the top five of all the meals I've had in the last year, and since I'm a foodie that's saying much. Off the top of my head in order of preference: Fiola, this meal at Eola, my own Birthday dinner at Mintwood Place, Rasika West End, The Blue Duck Tavern. It was that good. Our party, one of which was celebrating his birthday, all did the Chef's tasting menu, and they also opted for the wine pairings while I abstained. The chef's display of culinary powers was merit's a Darth Vader 'impressive!'. And my dining companions were totally blown away! Compliments to the chef. He's doing great work. Also good attention by the waitstaff in explaining the daunting array of dishes coming at us. Looking forward to coming back!3/23/2013 12:00:00 AMWow, the chef at Eola reallyWow, the chef at Eola really loves his pig parts. I was impressed with how creative all the dishes were and how they can make every part of the animal delicious!3/22/2013 12:00:00 AMCreative menu, beautifullyCreative menu, beautifully plated & attentive service - bravissimo Eola!3/22/2013 12:00:00 AMEola Scores AgainEola continues to maintain its high standards for experimental American cuisine. The wild mushrooms over parsnip puree starter was mouthwateringly good; mushroom and walnut risotto, to die for. Meanwhile, on the offal menu, pig snout may not be everyone's idea of a primi but give it a try, for the pig jowl secondi simply melts in your mouth. Plus, sensible spacing between tables ensures that you can hear your dining partners' conversation. And attentive wait staff round out the outstanding experience. Highly recommended. Enjoy.3/21/2013 12:00:00 AMThe meal was perfectly paced.The meal was perfectly paced. Food selections were both interesting and tasty. The wine pairings also made it more fun.3/15/2013 12:00:00 AMMEMORABLE DINNER!I'd heard about the chef's tasting menu, and was pleasantly surprised to see there were two others as well: Vegetarian and Offal. I asked the chef to select the courses with a wine pairing. Each was artfully presented and delicious. The wine pairings were perfect and highlighted each course. The staff were very knowledgeable and attentive. All in all, this was a very memorable dinner and I look forward to my next visit.3/8/2013 12:00:00 AMHome run!!Wonderful food, wonderful wine, and wonderful service made for an excellent night out with a good friend. Pleasing combination of flavors, perfect portion sizes, and attentive staff. The wine list is cosmopolitan, and offers top notch wines, both by the bottle and the glass. The chef's attention to detail is evident from every dish served--nothing was overlooked (we had fish and pork as mains), and even the butter was the perfect temperature for spreading onto delicious bread from a wonderfully full bread basket. I am looking forward to my next visit in a few weeks for my birthday dinner!11/17/2012 12:00:00 AM