This weekend David and I went to Eno Restaurant with our friends Jim and Jen who were in town for the weekend.  I must admit, the main reason I chose Eno was because all of us love the Bravo show, Top Chef.  Eli, from the current season of Top Chef Las Vegas, is the chef at Eno.  Did you know there are three Atlanta chefs that were on the current season of Top Chef?  (Kevin from Woodfire and Hector from Pura Vida are the other two Atlanta contestants.)  I hope to try all three of their restaurants this year, to complete my Top Chef trilogy.  While we did not get to see Eli at Eno, because he was in California for the weekend, we still enjoyed a delicious meal, great wine, and quality service.

The atmosphere at Eno is great.  It has a wine and cheese shop attached to the restaurant and the bar has lots of space so you don’t feel crowded. We sat at the bar before dinner and enjoyed a glass of wine.  They have a great wine by the glass selection and you can get ‘tastes’ of wine for a smaller price, if you want to sample a multiple wines.

The menu had a large variety which was helpful since we had a vegetarian and a celiac in the group.  Lots of seafood to choose from and plenty of gluten-free options.  Eno’s menu changes every day and has a seasonal focus so there are always new items to sample.  They offer small plates and large plates.  I contemplated getting two small plates, the sunchoke soup grabbed my eye, but ultimately I went with an entrée. We all shared the octopus appetizer that was served on top of a pear grown in  one of Eno’s window boxes.  Pretty cool.  It was the first time I’d ever eaten octopus and it tasted quite nice.  I asked our patient waiter about a couple of options and she was very helpful and clear about what I could order and what would be gluten-free.  She checked with the chef (not Eli) to make sure she was correct.  I always appreciate a waiter that’s willing to double check with the chef and doesn’t assume to have all of the answers.

For my entrée, I ordered the pork with polenta, homemade charcuterie and greens.  So good and naturally gluten-free!  Definitely a hearty southern dish with all kinds of good flavor combinations that mixed well together.  The sausage charcuterie added a great spice and some heat to the sweeter pork and polenta.

Our waiter was great and nice to put up with us.  We had a great meal and did not feel rushed.  I will definitely return to Eno and hopefully next time I’ll get to meet Eli!

Eno Restaurant & Wine Bar

800 Peachtree Street, Atlanta, Georgia 30308
404-685-3191