JoLe

If JoLe’s demographic region was based somewhere random sub-​urban throughout US, this restaurant would have shine for me.
By comparison to a flock of Michilin 1 – 3 stars restaurants in this region, JoLe didn’t work out for me and my family.
Duck breast was undercooked and fish was overcooked. Perhaps the chef had a bad day.

We came here for our 1 year anniversary dinner and it was very good. Both my husband and I had the 4 course meal and we only got 1 dessert. The dishes we had are the following:
1. Steak Tartar/​Spicy Prawn Sambal: Steak Tartar was great. My only complaint was I thought it was a little odd to have it already on hot bread. Spicy prawn dish was a little too spicy. Both my husband and I like spicy food, but this lingered for a long time and the sambal was all we tasted.
2. Potato Gnocchi/​Duck Confit: Gnocchi was my favorite dish. These were perfect. Duck dish was also very good with the mushrooms and the apple sauce was a great accompaniment.
3. Grilled Spanish Octopus/​Grilled NY Steak: Octopus was great and so was the NY Steak. The steak was my husband’s favorite dish. Cooked perfect. This was also a huge amount of food.
4. Quail/​Meyer Lemon Dessert: The quail dish was our least favorite. The skin was not crispy and just came off the bird kind of rubbery. The avocado didn’t add anything to the dish and all I tasted was the sauce. The meyer lemon dessert was a great ending because it tasted very fresh and light.
I had the wine pairing and everything was perfect. Learning about the wine was actually my favorite thing of the whole night. I would recommend this place.

Wonderful «Just Married» Dinner!
My husband and I ate here the night after we got married, on a brief mini-​moon to Calistoga. We were treated like royalty from start to finish, complete with some complimentary bubbly. We both did the 4-​item tasting menu, which was the perfect amount of food to compliment the bottle of wine we brought. I am a vegetarian, and the expansive menu and a la carte tasting style was perfect for my needs, while my new husband had plenty of meat choices as well. We both particularly loved the gnocchi, which was cooked to perfection in a beautiful butter sauce. Dessert was to die for as well — the peanut butter cup was phenomenal.

This will be our only choice from now on when we visit downtown Calistoga. A seasonal rotating menu with an excellent cocktail and wine selection, this will be a place we recommend for years to come.
We decided on the 5 course tasting menu just because we literally wanted everything on the menu and didn’t want to just pick one. Trust me if you want more than one thing on the menu, opt for the tasting because you will not leave hungry and it’s the perfect way to try everything.
Our highlights were the Grilled Spanish Octopus, Seared Scallop and Grilled Venison. The octopus was perfectly crisp on the outside and tender on the inside. The scallop wasn’t really «seared» but it was cooked perfect and the flavors of the dish was delicious. The venison was just perfect, the huckleberry sauce with parsnip paired with a perfect temp venison was a showstopper.
My only complaint is that it was a little slow going, we waited for almost 30 minutes before we got served our drinks. Our reservation was at 5:15 and we didn’t get our first course until almost 6 and our whole meal lasted until 7:30. So be prepared that it takes time.
The whole staff was incredibly attentive though and very friendly. It felt like an upscale experience but with a family vibe that can only be explained if you’re having a dinner party in the comfort of your own home.
We absolutely adored our JoLe evening and will definitely be coming back very soon.

Excellent drinks, nice selection of tasting menu options.
The service was superb initially until 2^nd course of tasting menu (we selected 5 course tasting). Some type of bottleneck in the kitchen caused a long delay for food to be prepared and served.
Any well-​established restaurant would inform patrons of delays but our server provided absolutely no explanation on why our dishes were taking over 45 mins to be served. By the time dessert was brought out, we were frustrated and no longer had appetite to enjoy the last dish.
Our dinner reservation was at 7:30 but we did not get the bill until 10:30. For a 9 course tasting, 3 hours sounds appropriate. 5 course tasting, not so much.

Went here last night by recommendation of a relative who lives in the area that said, «it’s the nicest restaurant in town!» Since we were celebrating our wedding anniversary we decided to give it a try. We made a reservation for 6:15 online a few days prior. When we arrived were greeted by the host and promptly seated at a table near the front windows.
At first glance their menu is a bit overwhelming. Especially, the wine menu, which spans multiple pages. Hubby and I decided to do the tasting menu. He did 6 courses and I did 5.
1^st Course: Snow Peas with Tofu, Heirloom tomato salad (husband) — both of these dishes were outstanding
2^nd course: Gnocchi — excellent, my only complaint was the my husband’s gnocchi had zucchini and mine was accompanied by yellow squash, which I just thought it was a little strange they weren’t the same. Nonetheless they were very tasty!
3^rd course: catch of the day (salmon), chicken thigh (husband) — I love salmon and was expecting this dish to blow me away, but sadly it did not. Chicken thighs got two thumbs up from hubby
4^th course: NY Steak, Pork Belly (husband) — NY steak was excellent! Paired with the sauce and radicchio. Very good. Hubs said pork belly was okay.
5^th course: Flourless chocolate Decadence, with banana. EXCELLENT!, NY Steak (husband)
6^th course: Red Plum Brown Butter Tart (husband), also OUTSTANDING!
My husband also ordered two cocktails, which he really enjoyed. One was a Bisongrass Martini and the other I forgot the whole name, but it was something Cordial. I had a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon, which was very good as well.
Service here was amazing! Lonnie did an excellent job taking care of us. He timed our meal perfectly and was very friendly and patient in answering questions! Would definitely return here. It’s a great place for a special night out!

We experienced the four course tasting menu with wine paring and received excellent food from the kitchen, and had great service from our bartender Brian. I particularly liked the grilled octopus and the gnocchi. The veal sweetbreads were good too, but the lobster that accompanied it was a bit dry.
Our pepper haired Sommelier, who’s name I can’t recall, gave us a great wine pairing, and poured some alternate wines as well. He also poured a sample of an amazing barrel aged gin from Barr Hill Distillery called Tom Cat Reserve. We had been sitting at the bar, next to a couple of distribution folks for the distillery, and I guess they all had a snoot, so we joined in (great gin!).
Brian was kind enough to remind us that we were biking home, and smartly did not let us overindulge. Someone who shall remain nameless did wind up falling in some bushes on the way home, but it wasn’t me!
JoLe, thanks for a great meal!

This is my first time to come this restaurant. I tried the 5 samples meal. Although I really thought that they have a good customer service, the food was too spicy and salty… It was almost overwhelmed by the strong flavor. I could tell they used the fresh veggies. The good veggies flavor and taste were killed by the spice. So I have to tell the waiter not to use too much salt and spice for next dishes. I could tell the chefs were trying hard and get lost the point where they should stop adding it. I really liked the atmosphere and hopefully they can do better next time when I try once again!