Rave reviews from the media  

"...if you're a foodie and a lover of life, The Eclectic Wine Bar & Grille is absolutely Mecca."
NoHo Arts District.com

"The food is fabulous, the service sensational, and the ambiance and attitude is a plus ten..."
The Tolucan Times

"The Eclectic Wine Bar and Grille is a beacon of fine art and fine dining in the heart of the NoHo Arts District."
Boulevard Magazine

"The pastas...are generous
and well executed."
Westways Magazine

"The Eclectic Café would be a standout in any town - no matter what the competition."
L.A. Beat

"What's best...the fresh fish
and pastas!"
Larry Lipton, L.A. Life

"A must stop...delicious cuisine!"
The Tolucan

"Pick of the Week - affordable feasts...Three stars!"
Merrill Schindler, Daily News

"The pasta dishes are ones any Italian restaurant in L.A. would be glad to claim as its own!"
Los Angeles Valley Beat

"The light California eclectic cuisine is superb."
Wine & Dine Gourmet Magazine

Bohemia Comfort in the Heart of the NoHo Arts District
By Barbara Trenn
Boulevard Magazine

The NoHo Arts District, recognized as an official entity since the early 1990s, has come into its own. The next time you're going to see a show in the neighborhood, ignore the neon of the fast-food joints in the area, and enjoy more leisurely fare at the Eclectic Wine Bar and Grille, a central focal point of the District since its infancy. Owner/executive chef Brian Sheehan, Jim Maffit (President of the NoHo Chamber of Commerce) and David Cox from the Renegade Theater Company coined the term "NoHo Arts District" and were instrumental in turning the area around.

Brian greeted us with a variey of appetizers. We sampled stuffed mushrooms, and crabcakes with a special Eclectic aioli sauce which one of my dinner companions insisted on keeping for other things after the crab cakes were gone. As the evening went on, it became all about the sauces for us. The Indonesian peanut-ginger sauce alongside the chicken satay was also a delight - neither heavy nor oily. The seared ahi tuna was served with an intriguing wasabi vinaigrette, but unfortunately was tough and fatty. However, we all agreed the calamari steaks were absolutely melt-in-your-mouth perfect. Brian runs lots of rotating specials that there's not room for on the menu, and the calamari is a bestseller. It is pan-seared in clarified butter, and then sliced into incredibly tender filets that are neither tough nor dry, always risks with calamari. It was accompanied by a spicy arrabiata sauce we loved. Again, the sauce!

The Eclectic Wine Bar and Grille offers a variety of risottos, which they are proud of and rightly so. We had the Eclectic shrimp risotto, with tiger shrimp and shitake mushrooms, beautifully creamy and irresistible. Among the entrees we sampled were New Zealand lamb, presented wiht a slightly tangy brandy-mustard-tarragon sauce, and sublimely textured mashed potatoes. We also had the Chicken Madeira pasta - penne with chicken and mushrooms sauteed in a Madeira wine cream sauce. The Madeira flavor was just strong enough to delight without overpowering, and we found ourselves reaching for seconds...thirds...fourths...

The Greek Salad Pizza is aptly named. It manages to taste like both a salad and a pizza, at the same time. Its thin crust is topped with chopped spinach, Roma tomatoes, tangy Kalamata olives and feta cheese. The toppings are not cooked down into it until they dry out, but are left as - well, a salad! Although it was unique, it would not have been our first choice.

For dessert, we had a creme brulee that was sheer heaven, its top still warm from the flame and sugary-sweet. Also good was a huge square of tiramisu.

The presentation was georgous through the meal. Fresh orchids adorn the tables and many of the dishes. Brian plans to redo the modest outdoor patio in front, and add a waterfall. There is an extensive list of wines and micro-brew beers. The Eclectic Wine Bar and Grille's "Wine Flight" events offer customers sample pours of three different wines. Now through October, they are featuring wines from the Treana Winery. The Eclectic Wine Bar and Grille is a beacon of fine art and fine dining in the heart of the NoHo Arts District.

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