Eolo

• Cuisine(s): Italian
  Price: $$$
• Serving: Brunch, Dinner, Lunch
  Parking: No Parking

Description

Chef and owner Melissa Muller-Daka puts a twist on the food of her native Sicily at this hip Chelsea trattoria. While the restaurant's inspiration may be in Italy, a lot of the produce comes from a much closer destination: the rooftop garden. If you've actually been to Sicily, don't expect perfectly authentic cuisine. Muller-Daka puts plenty of innovative touches on her seasonal menus. Combinations like poached lobster with seared sweet potato gnocchi, pinenut-crusted sardines seasoned with basil, candied orange peel and chili oil, and cured beef tongue with pickled winter melon probably aren't being served by anyone's Sicilian grandmother, but the designer-clad neighborhood crowd certainly seems to like it. Choose from around 70 wines by the bottle, all from Italy and most from Sicily, the majority priced between $30-$90. The look falls somewhere between sleek and rustic with its teak floorboards, leather chairs and banquettes, and glowing Edison bulbs.—Keith Wagstaff