Elo's Italian To Remain Permanent Concept In Del Ray

ALEXANDRIA, VA — When the COVID-19 pandemic prompted restaurants to shift how they offer service, Live Oak Restaurant owners Chef Justus Frank and Jeremy Barber decided to adapt with a new pop-up concept. Now the concept will stick around permanently to replace Live Oak at 1603 Commonwealth Avenue in Alexandria's Del Ray neighborhood.

After Live Oak was temporarily closed in March 2020 due to the pandemic, Elo's Italian was introduced as a pop-up in spring 2021. Frank told Patch the shift from Live Oak's Southern-style food to Italian responded to a need for more carryout and family-style meals during the pandemic. While the pandemic was the initial motivator for the pop-up, the owners decided in 2022 to permanently replace Live Oak with Elo's Italian based on customer feedback and the menu fitting neighborhood needs.

Elo's Italian is named for one of Frank's daughters, the 5-year-old Eloise. The restaurant's logo also features a silhouette of his daughter. The decision to name the restaurant after his daughter reflects Frank and Barber each having several daughters and other girls in the family.

"She was more than elated to have a restaurant named after her," said Frank of his daughter.

The transition to Elo's Italian allowed Frank to return to his background in cooking Italian cuisine. Among his previous positions were culinary intern for former Vermilion Chef Tony Chittumand executive chef at Fabio Trabocchi's Fiola for four years. After several gigs at DC area restaurants, Frank partnered with Barber to open Live Oak Restaurant in 2016.

Elo's Italian specializes in fresh pasta, focaccia flatbreads, meat and seafood entrées, charcuterie and other Italian specialties. Frank says the pastas are best sellers on the menu, and diners will come in just for the Seafood Tagliatelle with squid ink pasta, shrimp, clams and mussels. A few other popular offerings are the focaccia flatbreads and meatballs, the latter of which Frank based on recipes from his grandmother and other chefs.

Drawing inspiration from the chefs he's worked for, Frank sought to incorporate lighter Italian cuisine with elements like seafood and olive oil. One notable menu item is the charred baby octopus appetizer with fingerling potatoes, pickled chilies, celery and parsley Leaves, lemon confit, radish, pistachios and espelette pepper. Among the seafood entrées are seared sea scallops and seared golden tilefish.

While weekdays are reserved for dinner, brunch is offered on weekends. Diners can expect regular menu items like the focaccia flatbreads along with brunch specialties like bread pudding French toast, steak and eggs, breakfast polenta and olive oil pancakes.

As people started to get more comfortable with dining in 2021, Elo's Italian started by offering QR code ordering from its outdoor patio, according to Frank. Since then, full-service dining has returned along with bar service while carryout and delivery options remain. Frank said the return to restaurant dining brings back the element of hospitality that was missing during the pandemic.

"It's now become more of a brick-and-mortar restaurant as opposed to a ghost kitchen when we started," said Frank.

The owners' other restaurant, The Garden at 1503 Mount Vernon Ave., had an easier transition during the pandemic. QR code ordering was already the norm at The Garden before the pandemic hit, and guests have been appreciative of the ordering option.

"During the pandemic, we were fortunate to have an all-outdoor restaurant at The Garden," said Frank.

While COVID-19 has presented challenges for the hospitality industry, Frank credits the Del Ray community for supporting businesses during hard times. He describes Del Ray as a community that is "extremely close," values families and has businesses owned and patronized by good people.

"I feel like it's closer than many small-town communities are," Frank said. "It's just a different type of small town."

Elo's Italian is open Tuesdays through Fridays from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m., Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Brunch is held from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays, while happy hour runs Tuesdays through Fridays from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. On July 12, the restaurant will bring back Tuesday trivia nights. The restaurant has a 60-seat outdoor patio as well as indoor seating, online ordering, and delivery through UberEats.

For more information, visit www.elositalian.com.