Chef Daniel Singhofen

At 32 years old, this Orlando, Florida native has opened a cozy, yet refined eatery just off Dupont Circle. With a continuously changing menu that showcases the best of local and sustainable ingredients, Eola has garnered critical acclaim in the culinary community, including 2½ stars by restaurant critic Todd Kliman of Washingtonian magazine, citing Singhofen as “a young talent who can make good on his promises … producing imaginative, intensely flavored dishes that hint at big things to come.”

Despite being more than three-quarters of the way through a Bachelors degree in English from the University of Florida, Singhofen found himself constantly drawn back to the kitchen. Discovering his passion, Singhofen enrolled in The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in Hyde Park, New York, where he learned the fundamentals of the craft. While at the CIA, Singhofen worked in the kitchen of Gigi Trattoria, to which he accredits “really learning how to cook.” Under the tutelage of Chef Gianni Scappin and peer mentor Jessie Frederick, Singhofen gained his deep appreciation for local and seasonal ingredients as well as developing his own individual style. After graduating from CIA, Singhofen returned to Florida to continue honing his craft at The Ritz-Carlton in Naples and K Restaurant & Wine Bar in Orlando before moving to the Nation’s Capitol to open his own project: Eola.