ie - Italian Eatery by Travail

First time coming here. Tough to find good reservation time on Friday. . Overall I find the food here overly seasoned compared to Vagabondo in Excelsior. I guess it's down to individual preferences. The grill salmon has lots of burned taste from grill mark. Nice for presentation but not for taste. However, their cappuccino is excellently executed. I am a very fussy coffee drinker. Tiramisu tasted good as well.

I can never say enough about the amazing new flavors you'll find here! The price is a little high, but the flavors are extraordinary and definitely worth it. The menu changes, so I'm delighted to be surprised each time I visit. Absolutely one of my all-time favorites. Don't miss the wonderful dessert menu — each bite feels like a glimpse of heaven!

We had dinner at IE Italian Eatery by Travail and overall the food was delicious. We ordered the arancini, mushroom cappelleti, pappardelle, short ribs, and seared halibut. Everything was cooked perfectly and full of flavor. The chocolate olive oil torte for dessert was rich and decadent, topped with whipped cream and pistachios. The atmosphere was warm and welcoming, and the service had some thoughtful touches. I made a reservation and included a note asking them to wish my mom a happy birthday when we arrived, and they did. It was a small but meaningful gesture. They also added a candle to the dessert, which made the moment feel even more special. Our server explained that family style dining was recommended and suggested we order two appetizers, two pastas, three mains, and three sides. Since there were four of us, we decided to start with one appetizer, two pastas, and two mains and planned to order more if needed. She described the portions as large, so I expected something more shareable. Instead, each dish was really only enough for one person. In hindsight, I think her recommendations made sense if each person gets their own plate instead of sharing. Most other tables around us seemed to order that way, with one dish per person rather than family style. So while the food was delicious, the portion sizes felt a little misleading based on how they were described. Sharing was also a bit awkward since we were only given two serving spoons for all the dishes, rather than one per item. Another small detail was the bread and butter. It came out with our meal instead of beforehand, even though I noticed other tables receiving it earlier. Our server was kind and gave us plenty of refills when we asked, but the timing and inconsistency stood out.

Very pleased with the entire dining experience. Great service, timing of dishes were perfect and wine paring on point. Definitely going back to try other menu items and good idea to share family style so everyone can enjoy.

We dined tonight for the first time since Travail took ownership. We had previously been here before with not so great an experience before the new ownership. We have been to travail so we were ready to give another shot to IE and everything tonight was wonderful. There wasn't a single dish we didn't enjoy. My oysters were perfect and meaty. The burrata and mussel appetizers, several different pastas and the olive oil cake were delicious. Our server Aida was wonderful and made the perfect wine suggestion for me after my like descriptions. Thank you so much for bringing the life to IE. We will be back

Great neighborhood spot with fresh pasta both traditional and some adventurous and spirited choices. The menu is big enough that everyone will find something to love. Standouts were the Lamb Sugo and the Mushroom Ravoli (not pictured.) The patio offers a great spot to enjoy summer evenings!

IE is incredible, with stunning dishes at every course, a wonderful and accommodating staff, in a casual yet elegant setting. Visiting the area from NY our friend got us a reservation (which you will definitely need) and hyped up IE and it's delectable dishes. We were truly wowed by every item we ate, with 2 appetizers, the arancini and meatballs and 4 pasta dishes to share. Which we did family style and they don't technically do it that way but made it possible for us. I won't tell you what to get because taste buds will vary but every dish was cooked to perfection, with vibrant looks and flavors. All I can tell you is to make your reservation now, and I hope you are swept away as much as we were. Enjoy!!