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Luxury design defines Florida 'fine casual' restaurant

Described by owners Josh Bernstein and Steven Stolberg and Chef Jeremy Shelton as having a "fresh, upscale California vibe," Ovlo Eats in Plantation, Florida, features a luxury design that is just as important as its food.

July 30, 2019

Described by owners Josh Bernstein and Steven Stolberg and Chef Jeremy Shelton as having a "fresh, upscale California vibe," Ovlo Eats in Plantation, Florida, features a luxury design that is just as important as its food. 

"The 2,500 square-foot space is our take on a modern California farmhouse that is often edgy, light, visually calming with a minimal mix of materials," said Juan Diaz, project manager of Saladino Design Studios, the firm who created the space. "The food at Ovlo Eats has a light feel so we made sure to translate that in the materials we selected."

The restaurant, which opened in April, emphasizes green living, so the interior showcases a fresh design with green accents that compliment the fresh food, Diaz said in a company press release. The designers added a bold green onyx counter that gives the space a sense of sophistication while adding to the overall theme. White-washed brick walls surround booths wrapped in natural brown leathers, fluted glass panels and modern wood-inspired porcelain floors.
 
Saladino designers also created the booths and hand-painted white oak tables. To add depth and texture to the restaurant, they incorporated a large moss that hangs down from a skylight above one of the booths. An oversized booth also features a trendy neon light that reads "Food with Thought" — a nod to Ovlo's mission. 

That mission is easily seen by reading the menu, which includes "thoughtfully sourced and consciously chosen ingredients."
 
Salad options, for example, include an Ovlo Caesar; a farro, watermelon and feta, and a golden beets & baby arugula. Sandwich choices include the Ovlo Banh Mi on streccidoppio bread with kimchee mustard, lemongrass roasted carrots, pickled cucumbers, cilantro, eel sauce and a protein option; pork and broccoli rabe with pickled red onions and crispy shallots with lemon aioli or the chicken with black bean hummus with cucumber, alfalfa sprouts, heirloom tomato and Greek yogurt aioli. All sandwiches come with a choice of two side dishes — half-portions of salads and soups, curried lentils and Brussels sprouts.

Ovlo also offers entrees, including pork with mojo mustard sauce, grilled tempeh with golden beet tahini, sliced herb-grilled steak with red wine jus and sliced herb-grilled chicken breast with rosemary-lemon jus.

Bernstein, Stolberg and Shelton told FastCasual that they hoped to eventually open 10 Ovlo locations. 

Photos: https://kristamburello.com