All interesting data points, thanks! I think I prefer to see it on the menu, frankly. It's a bit more endearing, and allows for a spontaneous show of appreciation. Also, asking for beer is a bit more ... modest, especially at places where the price per person won't cover 10+ bottles of Very Old Barton!

But all's good. A bunch of us are thinking of going in on a couple of bottles of good stuff to share with the kitchen. Which we might have done, anyway, whether or not is was mentioned on the El site.

What time does the meal end? Would I be able to go to Second City aferwards and see the 11 pm show or is that cutting it too close?

dradeli wrote:What time does the meal end? Would I be able to go to Second City aferwards and see the 11 pm show or is that cutting it too close?

On Saturday, the meal starts at 6:30 and is done by 9:30-10:00. I would think you could get to the 11pm show.

We have an opening for two tonight (11/6) first one to call 312.226.8144 gets the seats...on the house, and you dont even need to bring booze

What I mean to say is you don't need to bring booze for the cooks, but we are BYO!

Holy hell how did i miss that, hope someone claimed those seats.

bhovsepian wrote:Holy hell how did i miss that, hope someone claimed those seats.

What's even sadder is that I saw this post right after it went up and just gave it a cursory glance. I totally missed the "on the house" phrase until I reread it this morning. Oh Well. I was looking for a place to take my nephew for his birthday too.

For all of you El ideas veterans, if you had a choice between the early or late Saturday night seating, what would you choose and why?

The GP wrote:For all of you El ideas veterans, if you had a choice between the early or late Saturday night seating, what would you choose and why?

Early, because I'm getting old. Also, it frees up the rest of the evening to do something else and you're not at the mercy of the early crowd for seating availability.

The GP wrote:For all of you El ideas veterans, if you had a choice between the early or late Saturday night seating, what would you choose and why?

Great question and would love to hear people's opinions.

For me, I would always do the late seating because there's no way I would do a great meal like that with great wines at 6pm on a Saturday. The meal is the evening event for me, and I don't want it over by 8:30. It's the same reason I always did the later seating at the Charlie Trotter kitchen table.

Depends on what you want to do. Early if you don't like eating a large meal late or are worried about being tired halfway through the meal. Late if you want to hang out after service. I prefer late but there have been times that I've wished I did the early shift (usually because of what I did with the time leading up to dinner ) I've never noticed any difference in the food, pacing or service. And they are pretty meticulous about the pacing (not that you'd ever feel it!)--I've almost always done the late seating (at least 4-5 times) and can never recall a night in which there was any overlap of seatings.

In all of my recent e-mails to you, I forgot to say Congratulations on your Michelin Star!!!
From all I've heard you more than deserve the recognition.
Can't wait for our first visit on Saturday!

- Skip

A group of us had dinner at El Ideas last Friday and had an outstanding meal. I had only dined at El Ideas once before, and while I really enjoyed that evening, I didn't recall being enamored with everything I ate (although the meal was no doubt very good). But my first meal was immediately after the departure of Andrew Brochu, and whether El Ideas would like to admit it or not, I cannot imagine a restaurant this small losing a chef and feeling no impact in the days immediately following that chef's departure. But that was a long time ago. And immediately after Friday night's dinner, I regretted not having been to El Ideas for so long.

Our menu for the evening:








Smoked scallop with trout roe, tosaka, sesame and quince

A fantastic start to the evening - a little fishy, a little smoky, a little savory and a little sweet, and just a really great balance of flavors.






Rib eye - black pepper, marrow, radish and nasturtium

The rib eye itself was just perfect, but then you add in the marrow and it just took the dish to a much higher level. And I loved the fresh and floral flavors from the radish and nasturtium as well as the spice from the black pepper. This was as good a raw beef dish as I could ever imagine.





Baquette - parsnip, napa cabbage, cilantro and smoke

I don't remember the fish here, but it was very nicely cooked. If there was one thing I didn't love about the dish it was the texture of the cabbage around the fish. But all of the flavors were really nice.




Bass - cranberry bean, chard, pepper and cauliflower

This was very good, but not one of my favorites - perhaps just a tad sweet for my tastes, but I heard others at the table raving about it.






The chefs plating the next dish, and readying the following dish too.




Squid - coconut, buddha's hand, basil, pork belly, curry

I pretty much loved everything about this dish. There was some sweetness, but it was so well balanced. And I'm a sucker for coconut. The rich pork flavor and hint of citrus really elevated this course.






This was not a listed menu item - really, how could it be!!! No, it's actually sugar . . . with lime and coconut I think? I can't recall precisely . . . but my nose knows.





Squab - snail, kohlrabi, black garlic, shiitake, togarashi

The squab was so tender, perfectly cooked and so delilcious. Add in a little spice, a little funky sweetness and the earthy flavors of shiitake and you've got a serious home run - just fantastic.





Buttermilk - quinine, blood orange and lemongrass

Tasty and refreshing for sure, but I got slightly bored after a few bites.





Ham and cheese - bellotta, truffle, fonduta and bread

Chef Foss described this as the chefs' favorite menu item. It was also my favorite. In fact, one of the best courses I've ever had, anywhere. Every element was perfect including the potato roll, which was slightly like a biscuit (and incorporated butter) which made it even more perfect. Chef Foss suggested that he was almost slightly embarrassed about serving this course because it didn't require as much cooking, but this dish showed off a combination of the right ingredients and the perfect ratios of those ingredients. And the fontina cheese was the perfect bridge for all of these flavors. El Ideas should never be able to take this dish off the menu. Words cannot express just how great this dish was.





Waldorf - Celeriac, walnut, pear, fourme d'ambert, raisin

Simply put, the best Waldorf salad you could imagine, thanks in no small part to the wonderful blue cheese.





Elk - blue oyster, potato, mustard, duck liver pate

Another absolutely stunning dish and fantastic flavors - rich, gamy, earthy, a little tart - just perfect. One small bit of my elk (which was just perfectly cooked) was over-salted, but a tiny blemish. This was my second favorite dish of the night.





Egg yolk - caramelized white chocolate, burnt orange, banana

Nice flavors - I enjoyed this dish, but overall I found the sweets on the menu didn't live up to the savories (I'll touch on this again).





Three of the chefs preparing the next dessert with liquid nitrogen.





Cheesecake - dulce de leche, chocolate, sunflower, graham

I enjoyed this dish, but got a bit bored after a while.






Salty balls to finish the evening.



Overall, a really outstanding meal and one of the best tasting menus I've enjoyed in the city. And I love the way the menu seems to change frequently - very impressive. They obviously take a lot of pride in the creative process and I really appreciate that as a diner. And the vibe of the place is just terrific - you just feel so welcomed and it's so relaxed, and I love the eclectic mix of music.

The only thing I find that holds El Ideas back slightly is in the sweets department -- I feel the same way about Elizabeth and I suspect the lack of someone dedicated exclusively to pastry is the issue. The savory elements of the menu were almost all outstanding but the sweets, while good to very good, just fell a little short of that excellence in terms of flavors and textures. I suspect most people won't mind this but I am a fan of sweets and love to see what some of the top pastry chefs in town put forth. Still, an absolutely fantastic meal and I'm excited to return soon, especially knowing that the menu will undoubtedly change.

So how did you eat the "cocaine"?

Color me unimpressed by the powder. Strikes me as poor form at best.

BR wrote:The only thing I find that holds El Ideas back slightly is in the sweets department -- I feel the same way about Elizabeth and I suspect the lack of someone dedicated exclusively to pastry is the issue. The savory elements of the menu were almost all outstanding but the sweets, while good to very good, just fell a little short of that excellence in terms of flavors and textures. I suspect most people won't mind this but I am a fan of sweets and love to see what some of the top pastry chefs in town put forth.

Great writeup BR. It definitely has me thinking about a return visit.

With respect to the dessert, I generally do not enjoy sweet courses as much as savory courses. Tasting menus typically serve desserts that are too delicate or too sweet for my personal taste, and more often than not the quantity of dessert can be overwhelming (for me, not for my dessert-loving wife). I have actually enjoyed the desserts at Elizabeth and El Ideas more than at other fine-dining restaurants precisely because they take a more savory approach. I had never really thought about it before and your comment made me realize that I prefer a more savory approach to dessert rather than more traditional pastry chef techniques.

I need to go back here. Last time I was there they let me take home a container of lardo. It was so damn good

rtb178 wrote:Color me unimpressed by the powder. Strikes me as poor form at best.

Seemed like in addition to our table of 10, most of whom had been multiple times, there were a lot of folks there who were also return guests. No idea if that was why they did something a bit on the risqué side but in the spirit of the evening, it was just a bit of fun. I haven't had the balls in a couple of years either so that was a surprise as well!

El was firing on all cylinders on Friday--I always leave wanting to book again for the next week (I can't, of course, but it's the thought that counts!!!) but this meal was even a step above what I've come to expect from them. If you are looking for a splurge night out, I can't recommend this place more highly. No pun intended.

Forever out of my budget but that ham and cheese is drool worthy.

boudreaulicious wrote:

rtb178 wrote:Color me unimpressed by the powder. Strikes me as poor form at best.

Seemed like in addition to our table of 10, most of whom had been multiple times, there were a lot of folks there who were also return guests. No idea if that was why they did something a bit on the risqué side but in the spirit of the evening, it was just a bit of fun. I haven't had the balls in a couple of years either so that was a surprise as well!

El was firing on all cylinders on Friday--I always leave wanting to book again for the next week (I can't, of course, but it's the thought that counts!!!) but this meal was even a step above what I've come to expect from them. If you are looking for a splurge night out, I can't recommend this place more highly. No pun intended.

Ahh--thanks for the clarification, that makes more sense. The food looks outstanding, so no knock on their quality. Maybe will get to try one day.

Thanks BR for the beautiful photos and write-up to memorialize my maiden voyage to El. I absolutely love their deliberately casual vibe - that delicate balancing act between structured fine dining and relaxed intimacy that appears effortless, but actually takes a lot of work and grace to master. Throughout the night, the entire staff from Chef Foss on down, were interested to know how we were enjoying our night, which dishes we liked, how we heard about El, and so on. This genuine interest and sincere interaction - not just lip service - enhanced the whole experience.

My favorites of the night were the ballyhooed ham and cheese, which used truffle in an even-handed way, not as an overpowering star of the show. I was also a fan of the ribeye. BR mentioned the marrow and radishes, but for me it was the delicate and slightly-bitter broth that brought the dish together. A table mate quipped to one of the chefs, "Is this your f- you to Next's steak menu?" to which he graciously replied that it hadn’t occurred to him, but he was not opposed to the thought.

As evidence of the range of tastes that were represented on the menu, my least favorite dishes were not the same as BR’s, nor do I think there was a consensus at our table that there were any losers among the mix. In fact, it is interesting to see our myriad perspectives concerning the same meal. For instance, I passed my stuffed squid to my husband, who was going bonkers over the dish. Though I could appreciate what the course was doing, it just wasn’t for me. Same with the waldorf salad. I love blue cheese, but there was some kind of sweet jam-like ingredient that detracted too much for me to fully enjoy it. On the other hand, I thought the bass with cranberry bean, chard, and cauliflower was just perfect and relished every bite, though BR found it unremarkable.

And the desserts - I practically licked the plate of my first dessert. If no one had put it in my mind that “desserts are not El’s strong point,” it would not have occurred to me, and I still disagree. The egg yolk-carmel-banana dessert hit all the right notes, and I usually don’t go for banana (though it has been growing on me). The second dessert tasted kind of like Reese’s Puffs cereal with weird flash-frozen stuff that stuck to your lips before it melted, like Dippin’ Dots. Not my favorite thing, but I ate it up anyway. Honestly, though, my memory of the dessert rounds is somewhat clouded.

Overall, this was an excellent dinner, and, like boudreaulicious, I find myself trying to devise an excuse to get back there soon. I only regret that for too long I expended my limited fine dining budget on other more fussy and less enjoyable options.

A couple of points: The sugar & mirror - these guys are playful, perhaps unorthodox, and I think most people know that going in. But I find them to be very real, very welcoming, and they truly make you feel welcome. And if their playfulness rubs someone the wrong way, I guess that just proves the point you can't please everybody. But I could tell by the reaction in the dining room that most, if not all, of the evening's diners were plenty amused by the course.

As for the desserts, don't get me wrong. They were all good, perhaps very good. But whereas the savory courses showed off many textures and flavors (herbal, sour, spicy, earthy, etc.), I found that missing somewhat in the desserts. It's not to say the desserts weren't good, but the savory courses were for the most part so fantastic . . . if the desserts had matched the savories, it just would have elevated a fantastic dinner even more. This will not keep me from returning - I loved the meal and would highly recommend a visit (or return visit).

Went to El Ideas last night for our anniversary dinner, and had a great time. Friendly folks, excellent wine (thanks Wine Discount/Vin and BYOB policy), and very, very good food. Love they accommodate vegetarians and pescetarians.

Highlights included uni w yuzu and coconut gel (plate licked, and immediately made me want to make a coconut milk/yuzu pannacotta), walu with caper berry, parsley, and cucumber, razor clam with brown butter and sorrel, quail roulade with spruce oil and bay leaf cream. Oh, and french fry + "frosty" was plain fun.

Some things didn't work for us, but were really interesting anyway. Ajo blanco with cuttlefish and green almonds was tasty, but difficult to get a perfect bite. The above mentioned quail roulade (dungeness crab for non-meat eaters) was great, but had a fermented citrus foam that cut too much of the spruce oil and quail. Spring lamb sat over a really pungent sesame sauce that nearly coated all the meat, thus making it hard to taste the actual lamb. Various jellies and gels--often of ginger--showed up on the plate, and I either missed them in my bites or inadvertently happened into too much of them.

These are minor, minor things, and we would recommend it to anyone. Really impressive, and it was just great fun. The food was excellent, no doubt. Personal preference for me goes to Goosefoot, but that takes nothing away from what they're doing over here.

PS: It wasn't served, but I would like to retract my complaint about the powder above in this thread. After visiting, the chef and everyone working there seem too genuinely friendly to be smug, which is how I interpreted that dish.

I finally made a long overdo return visit to El Ideas and am happy to report it is better than ever; the only thing that has kept me from being a frequent guest is the obscure location, but after an amazing dinner tonight I am pledging to come here quarterly. The portions tonight were a bit heartier than during my prior meals; while I never left El starving in the past, I definitely left feeling as though I wished there was a bit more food - but tonight the quantity was perfect; I was completely satisfied but certainly not uncomfortably stuffed. The pacing also was spot on; in addition to the three main chefs there were two others assisting in the kitchen and there was a nice few minute pause in between each course to socialize or wander into the kitchen area to view the chefs working their magic, but never a long wait for the next course. The fourteen courses took approximately three hours and was followed by French Press coffee and tea service.

Dish after dish amazed; the creativity, plating, luxurious and interesting ingredients, quality of the food, flavor combinations are all just amazing. While I enjoyed every course the highlight was the brand new version of the play on a Frosty & Fries. The first course was served without silverware and we were instructed to eat it right off the plate; this set the tone for the night and there were a few courses so incredible people were licking their plates clean. Such a wonderful menu tonight with grilled razor clams, Ossetra Caviar, uni, softshell crabs, swordfish, antelope, venison, spring lamb and so much more. Another impressive aspect of El Ideas is how rapidly the menu changes - not just tweaks but substantial changes occur frequently while maintaining a consistently top tier level of quality. Chef Foss, Bill Talbott and the rest of the El Ideas were as usual extremely friendly and personable and it was just such a wonderful dining experience.

Someday, when I'm not such a lazy bum, I'll post pictures, but for now let is suffice to say that I just had my favorite meal ever there on Tuesday night.

I don't say that lightly - I've had some incredible meals in my lifetime, but I was giggling and giddy throughout the night. My one complaint is that I wish they would hand out copies of the night's menu, because I can barely remember what went into each course.

That's odd--they always have in the past--I bet if you sent Philip a message on email or twitter, he'd email it to you.

Any recent reviews to share for the Fall menu would be much appreciated!

trotsky wrote:Any recent reviews to share for the Fall menu would be much appreciated!

We were there last month and had a great meal. Having said that I can't recall the dishes without a cheat sheet (the menu) which I have at home. I also can't tell you that it was the fall menu because there's only a slight overlap with the posted menu. My wife would have the french fries and ice cream every day, if we could afford it.

Unless something has changed, El doesn't really do "seasonal" menus--the courses tend to change at least weekly and sometimes daily. Some courses, like the French fries and ice cream, may be on more menus that others, but I've eaten there probably 7-8 times, several in the same "season" and have only repeated maybe 2 courses in all of those meals. For what it's worth.

An anniversary and a new job mean I finally get to attend El Ideas on Friday with my wife and Bro/Sis in law.

Any advice for a first timer?