Elaia

"I have the simplest tastes. Located in a renovated 1930s Standard Oil Filling Station, Olio opened in the fall of 2012. it is half of the story of chef/owner Ben Porembas ambitious culinary and urban renewal project. NEXT DOOR to Olio, and connected to it, is OLIO'S sister restaurant, ElaiA: A 30-seat fine dining chef-driven restaurant. Equally un... usual setting for a restaurant, Elaia is situated in a renovated 1890s house- the same house that was once occupied by the original owner/operator of the gas station, mr. kinsworhty. the sister restaurants are located in the Historical Botanical Heights neighborhood in South St. Louis. Just a couple blocks north of tower grove park and the missouri botanical gardens. TO READ MORE ABOUT how Ben cooked up a neighborhood, CHECK OUT Evan Benn's review of the restaurants in st. louis post-dispatch. The FOOD at olio is Rustic, bold, and comforting. or Tel-Avivi: a colorful melange of Mediterranean and middle-eastern, traditional & contemporary, with nods to southern Europe and north Africa. The menu offers revolving selections of MEZZE, salads, spreads, pickles, charcuterie, slow-roasted meats, and tagines. The motifs are bread and olive oil. STANDING TALL, OUTSIDE in olio's patio, is a beautiful, custom-made hearth oven. our bakers make bread the way it was made centuries ago: mixed, shaped, and crafted by hand, naturally leavened, and baked in the wood-burning hearth. we use freshly-milled Missouri-grown wheat. read more about missouri grain project here . OUR bar program focuses on classical cocktails, re-invented by our bar crew. over the years, we have amassed an impressive list of vermouths, aperitifs, amari, and anissettes. olio's list of wines-by-glass includes thoughtful selections of producers, varietals, and regions both familiar and esoteric.Read More