Douglas Trattner
Oliva, an Italian-themed steakhouse from Lola Jacaj, to open in the Warehouse District.
Lola Jacaj, formerly Sema, is days away from opening her third restaurant, Oliva. The new Warehouse District eatery joins its immediate neighbor Acqua di Dea (formerly Acqua di Luca) and Casa La Luna (formerly Luca Italian Cuisine). Following a split with chef-partner Luca Sema, the names of the restaurants were changed.
Oliva (408 W. St. Clair Ave.), an Italian-themed steakhouse, is tucked into the subterranean space that was long home to Osteria. It’s a return, of sorts, for Jacaj, who worked at this very address.
A year-long renovation project has transformed the room from a close-quartered trattoria to an elegant Tuscan-style ristorante . A blend of materials, textures, colors and artwork combine to create a fresh, contemporary dining room that feels much larger than its predecessor.
“This is my style,” Jacaj says. “I like to mix modern and rustic and classic all together. I’m always thinking it’s going to be a mess, but it works out in the end.”
The previously enclosed kitchen and private dining room in the rear of the space has been reconfigured into a dazzling open kitchen with 20-seat chef’s counter. Overall, the seating in the restaurant has nearly doubled from 50 to 100, including the 14-seat quartzite-topped bar.
Oliva is a steakhouse as seen through the eyes of an Italian chef. Yes, there will be steaks and chops, but also creative appetizers, salads, pastas and seafood dishes.
“My vision is to do a nose-to-tail restaurant, where we use every part of the cow, not just steaks,” Jacaj explains.
Diners will see items like beef cheek meatballs, oxtail soup, and beef shoulder salad. Other choices might include porcini risotto, veal and ricotta ravioli, penne with rabbit ragu, and tagliatelle topped with sausage and morels. In between the antipasti and the steaks are salads like panzanella, a bright fennel, celery and olive medley, and one starring prosciutto, parmesan and radicchio.
In addition to a lobster tail with white truffle butter sauce, there are strip steaks, rib-eyes, chateaubriand and bistecca alla Fiorentina.
Jacaj hopes to encourage diners to make their way through every category on the menu, she says.
“The way we’re trying to steer our guests to dine is the Italian-style of dining, which is to have appetizers, small salads, small pastas, and then mains.”
Oliva will serve lunch and dinner.
Because Jacaj is always moving forward, work already has begun on restaurant number four. Juliet, located in the former Hanabi Japanese Restaurant space (1313 W. 6th St.), will be a French restaurant. The trio of Warehouse District restaurants will offer guests a range of dining options that includes steaks, seafood and vegetable-forward bistro fare.
“I’m hoping it will be like a nice European corner to go to,” she says.
Douglas Trattner
Oliva, an Italian-themed steakhouse from Lola Jacaj, to open in the Warehouse District.
Douglas Trattner
Oliva, an Italian-themed steakhouse from Lola Jacaj, to open in the Warehouse District.
Douglas Trattner
Oliva, an Italian-themed steakhouse from Lola Jacaj, to open in the Warehouse District.
Douglas Trattner
Oliva, an Italian-themed steakhouse from Lola Jacaj, to open in the Warehouse District.
Douglas Trattner
Oliva, an Italian-themed steakhouse from Lola Jacaj, to open in the Warehouse District.
Douglas Trattner
Oliva, an Italian-themed steakhouse from Lola Jacaj, to open in the Warehouse District.
Douglas Trattner
Oliva, an Italian-themed steakhouse from Lola Jacaj, to open in the Warehouse District.
Douglas Trattner
Oliva, an Italian-themed steakhouse from Lola Jacaj, to open in the Warehouse District.
Douglas Trattner
Oliva, an Italian-themed steakhouse from Lola Jacaj, to open in the Warehouse District.
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Douglas Trattner
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