Elate

Nice waiter.
Crappy interior design in restaurant as compared to Hotel Felix.

I live down the street from Elate so this is one of my neighborhood restaurants I go to. I like it, It’s great– relaxed but nice enough. The menu is small but it’s all pretty good. I really enjoy their burger, short ribs and the scallops are okay. The small plates is satisfying enough for one but I usually order the frites on the side because I just like them. I heard the menu is going to change later this summer because their chef is leaving to go over to trenchermen in wicker park. So I’ll stop by to check out the new menu.
They also have a fantastic list of cocktails but I was really disappointed with the oysters. They are tiny! Coming from the Pacific Northwest, I love me some fresh on the half shell oysters. I’m use to some good sized plump oysters consistently. but these were puny, I had a mix of both west coast and east coast. What’s up with that I wonder because the same was the case over at Union sushi + barbeque! Do they shrivel up during shipment, giving up on life? Honestly, I’m trying to get accustomed to this trend in Chicago that my raw oysters will most likely be teeny tiny. Oh well I guess. … and there’s still $ 1 oysters on wednesdays.

While I’ve never ventured here for dinner, Elate is the place to go for a wonderful breakfast, brunch or lunch in CHI.
Being from Cleveland, I’m not used to spending over $ 30 on any meal before 5PM for just one person, so I think that would be my only negative here – it’s pricey! Even with the bottomless mimosa deal (which is frickin’ awesome), you’ll still spend at least $ 30 per person. Yikes… That’s enough to make any thrifty Cleveland gal lose her mind a little, and yet, I came back a second time in 2 days.
Why? Healthy, delicious options for one and can you say freshly squeezed orange juice? Mimosas just suck with OJ concentrate, and the ones I enjoyed here were the perfect, crisp mix of sweet, fresh juice and sparkling bubbly. Hells yes. I ordered the mixed green salad (twice) with chicken and it was the perfect lunch. The second time I asked for it without fennel, but the sherry vinaigrette was made for the light blend of heirloom tomatoes, sweet orange segments and pesto-​marinated grilled chicken. Pair that with a bowl of fresh berries or even a bowl of their daily soup and you’ve got yourself one helluva lunch! (Just FYI: the apple and onion soup was superb!)
Their brunch menu boasts lots of options, so if you’re not looking for a salad don’t be scared. I was seriously tempted by their breakfast pizza, the jazzed up steak ‘n eggs, the burger and even the vegetarian burger – I’ve heard awesome things. They even rock some b-​fast sweets, those just aren’t my thing.
Another plus is their service. The bartender/​server on both times I visited was talkative without being over-​bearing, funny without being intrusive and extremely attentive. He even topped off my mimosa with some bubbles a few times (shhh…don’t tell), which made me want to come back for more. And hey, when you pay that much for lunch, a little extra never hurt anyone.
I will absolutely be back when I’m in Chicago, again. Thanks for treating this out-​of-​towner well!

Working nights on the weekends means unwinding with brunch! We decided to give Elate a go with their bottomless mimosas. While the menu states «fresh squeezed» OJ, we wondered if they used the same grade of juice for their mimosas– doubtful.
Our server was extremely friendly and highly recommended the beignets. We obliged… and it was the highlight of our meal! Hot, moist, covered in caramelized sugar and berry sauce drizzlings. Mmmmm! If I wasn’t planning on catching some ZZzzzs, it would’ve been the perfect pairing with a big mug of coffee. Did I mention intelligentsia?
I got the pork benedict, which was underwhelming. The meat was a tad dry with potatoes that needed to be cooked longer. Maybe popped in the oven for a crispier exterior.
Was I completely «Elate”-d by brunch? It gets an A-​OK from me this round. There are other brunch places to explore, but I wouldn’t mind coming back just for the beignets and a cup of coffee.

The shared men and women’s restroom toilet was clogged, –1 star. The food took forever during a low point in the day, we’ll live. Sidewalk café is next to a terribly bad smelling sewer drain and manhole, –1 star.
We loved the rare burger; the fish and chips was sub-​par.
Protip: eat inside no matter how great the weather is!

They had a really good veggie burger but that was the only good thing about this place.
The service was very shrug your shoulders and I’ll do the bare minimum to keep my job. Ambiance was okay. Mimosas were terrible. My friend’s breakfast pizza was not made the way she likes it.
I wouldn’t return here unless someone was able to give me a good reason why, or if I couldn’t find a decently good veggie burger elsewhere.

Great spot for breakfast. Very classy/​chic joint with incredibly attentive staff. Prices are very reasonable too. They serve bottled water as the standard without additional charges.
I recommend the coffee (it’s Intelligentsia beans) and the cinnamon French toast. I’ve never had toast like the way they make it – port poached pear and spiced walnut crust.

So went here for restaurant week. Love the restaurant… looks so nice and sleek.
The service… FANTASTIC! Our server was personable, yet knowledgeable, yet not pushy… just right… like the three little pigs porridge.
The food… to be honest, I wasnt that impressed. I was expecting a little bit more. We did the whole restaurant menu because there was three of us so we just shared everything. Rankings of food
1. Short ribs… SOOOO GOOOOODDDDD
2. Ricotta Gnocchi-​rich and creamy
3. Spinach salad-​the egg made this dish… everything tastes better w egg in my opinion lately.
4. Carrot Cake-​THE BEST! It was perfect with the little bit of ice cream. YUMMY & unique
5. Risotto, Pork belly & cod kind of didnt really do it for me. Risotto didnt seem like there was enough flavor. The pork belly was a bunch of fat… sick. The cod was meh… nothing special
6. Lemon curd crisp-​this just isnt my kind of dessert & the nutter butter was really good but anyone could have made it. There was nothing special about it.
So would I go back… probably not. Was it a good try for restaurant week… sure.

Aw, Elate. You bring good memories of #Fijihunt (the wonderful social media scavenger hunt adventure of last summer). I remembered thinking that they had some amazing drink concoctions and snazzy décor, so I made a mental note to somehow make my way back there.
Enter Restaurant Week 2011.
App: Spinach salad with pork rind and egg. Interesting salad combination, but pretty tasty. The best part was the egg since it was still hot and the yolk basically melted onto the spinach leaves. It was a little strange that you basically had to scrape the side of the bowl to get the dressing, but whatevs. Win.
Main: Pork belly — with plantain and pineapple. This was fab, but, honestly, how do you mess up on pork belly? You can only eat so much before you know you’ve reached your pork belly limit.
Dessert: THIS was the highlight, for sure. Lemon curd tart in between pieces of delish philo dough… with raspberries thrown in there. Heaven, ya’ll. No shame if you wanted to lick the plate, really. I wouldn’t judge you because that thought crossed my mind.
Service was friendly and attentive. Our waitress did a great job explaining the items on the menu. The atmosphere is also really sophisticated, yet fun. Since the menu is pretty pricey, I think I would be more inclined to come here for dessert/​drinks than a full-​out meal. Thanks to Restaurant Week for offering great deals and reasons to try out these restaurants!
FYI — Street parking is pretty easy here on weekdays. Like, I parked waaaaay too far for my own good and found a billion spots right by the hotel. Oops.

This place was pretty disappointing but I guess looking at the reviews I shouldn’t be surprised. I made reservations here but they were unnecessary since the place doesn’t get busy. It’s overpriced and during the day the selection isn’t great for breakfast, brunch or lunch. Their drinks are ok but also prices are steep.
The service progressively gets worse as you sit there because its great upfront but then slowly your water goes empty and no one comes by, or you want to the bill but they’re nowhere to be found.
It wasn’t the best I’ve had and I didn’t like it much. It’s trendy looking inside though.

AMAZING.
Elate really outdid itself giving a great experience for sunday brunch!
We were greeted by our waiter who promptly served us water (which by the way came in fancy bottles) and offered us the brunch special –bottomless mimosas + entrée for $ 25. Why not?! Great start to a great time.
I had the ‘build your omelet’, which came with potatoes and toast –your choice of white, multi grain or sour dough. It was very good! Although I personally would have liked more options on things to add to your the omelet, but it was delicious nonetheless. The service was prompt and was always refilling out mimosa flutes. The environment was great, not too loud. Great place for conversation. Can’t wait to come back to Chicago and be back at Elate.

3.5* Salsiccia
4.5* Wagyu Strip loin

I usually write a five paragraph essay on a place that I think there is a lot
to be said. But I am going to keep this short.
I admired the ambiance of the restaurant itself being dimly lit, making our table a bit more personal and plenty of large comfy seating. There was a buzz about the place. Bustling with after work professionals in long pea coats, trophy wives on their arms and a fair amount of folks from the Hotel Felix (just a guess, maybe an educated guess).
The food was excellent. With plates ranging from 14 to 30 something you have to expect on point flavors, composed plating and smaller portions (two scallops for 24 dollars?). That’s just what we got. I enjoyed the braised short ribs with fried cheese curds (among some veggies) which was a new venture for my taste buds.
As for the service it was lacking. They were a bit busy but really that’s not my fault especially for our table of two. Everything took twice as long as it should have. We were pretty much forgotten.
To recap: great food, small portions and sloth like service (unless your popping bottles with your grey haired friends). I think I was a little out of my league on this one. If a trendy, on the expensive side, promoting local organic dining is what you’re looking for this might be for you… just not for me.

Sunday Funday started at Elate and it was the perfect to begin at. Came here w/​a big group of people, roughly like 20 for a good brunch and to divulge in as many mimosas as possible. :) I was really interested and almost hesistant to see how the food will be w/​a big group, basically I wasn’t setting my expectations high.
As mimosas started flowing which they offer 2 different kinds besides the typical OJ (Cran or Grapefruit), which is always nice to mix it up every now and then. Our table was the first to be served the beautifully plated food. I went w/​the Braised Pork and black bean tostada. There were multiple layers of tostadas stuffed w/​delicious pork and beans. It was topped w/​an egg sunny side up and advocado. There was also a salsa verde served around the dish that accented it quite honestly just perfect. I REALLY enjoyed this plate! Please dont think that the mimosas were doing the talking here, it was purely a well done job by the chef. All other food orders were out for my friends at other tables w/​in minutes as well. Def Kudos to the chefs yesterday!
As to the wait staff, I know doing these parties are sometimes overwhelming but the service kinda lacked in this area. Some were rude as we would ask to bring another round of mimosas as they just filled us up, since we learned by the time we finish one it took them forever to refill us leaving us w/​empty glasses for a while. Not very fun. :)
Everyone enjoyed there food on top of it… Service was a lil slow but we made it work! Looking to go back for dinner!

Every time I pass Elate, I think about how bright and airy it looks in there. So when my friends wanted to meet for brunch and I saw that Elate takes reservations, we were so there.
Unfortunately, it seems with reservations, things never go as planned. When I got there, I found out that one friend was probably bailing and the other was running late. Since I was just standing there, the hostess asked me if I’d prefer to wait at the table. And wait I did. I’m pretty sure my server thought I was being stood up because she didn’t come over to offer me anything to drink or even to check in. She probably just didn’t know what to say. I can see where she was coming from but it would have been nice to at least be acknowledged.
When my friends finally showed, everything was back to normal again. I decided on the braised pork and egg tostada. The presentation was beautiful and the dish was a great combination of spicy, crispy, savory (and kind of lemony?) goodness. I also decided to try a selection from the juice bar and I went with the Chicago Cleaner (apple, beet and lemon). I was thinking that I would be able to taste all the ingredients but it was pretty much lemon juice — super tangy. I finished off the meal with an espresso that also tasted like lemon. Hmmm…
I liked this place, though I am not a huge fan of lemon. Maybe that’s their signature? I don’t know. The atmosphere is nice, they take reservations, and they serve delicious brunch for a reasonable price. Now I’m anxious to try them out for lemon dinner.

To keep it short and sweet:
Service: sluggish
Portions: small
Pre-​dinner bread: there was none. :o (
Grilled ribeye: bland (surprisingly not salty for restaurant food)
Sweet potato pie: not overly sweet; choc covered pretzel gave a good textural contrast.
Atmosphere/​dynamic: quiet
Shout out to YouSwoop and OpenTable. The Chicago Chef week menu experience really outshined this one.

Back for the third time, and still a fan… the dinner menu was wonderful, and I would most definitely return.
—
First, let us speak of the Tuesday special… of which, I wasn’t really aware until I sat down.
$ 3 PBR pints and $ 3 thin-​crust pepperoni pizzas.
Sounds good, right? Well yeah! The only weird thing is, this is unlike the ENTIRE menu at Elate. It’s so… pedestrian. And while I enjoy a good PBR and pizza (and especially at those prices in River North) it’s just not representative of the great food and beverage options at Elate.
I suppose for a biz traveler or tourist in town and staying at Hotel Felix, it may be appealing for a quick bite and brew. However, I digress… we did indulge in two of the pepperoni pizzas as «starters» as we were «starvings» and they hit the spot. Very good. But it ain’t no ham and egg pizza, or fig and apple pear pizza… both of which populate the regular menu.
It was one of my fav gal pal’s birthdays, and Elate seemed like a lovely fit for a late Tuesday dinner after mani/​pedis (of course, of course… don’t you judge me!). We came in around 830pm, were seated quickly and attended to promptly. Water glasses filled, drink orders taken (fab cocktail menu… the Bourbon buck got rave reviews, as did the Dark ‘n Stormy) and my glass of pinot noir hit the spot on our first real bonafide chilly day.
Cocktails are $ 12/​pop, but very good indeed. Some thought has gone into them, and they are well presented and taste deceptively delicious, while packing a nice buzzy punch.
Dishes:
White Bean Soup: OK. Not great, but certainly above average.
Beet/​Goat Cheese salad: AWESOME
Mussels: savory and large portion.
Lamb Ragu with parpadelle: fantastic.
And the best for last?! Of course.
The peanut butter chocolate pot de crème was brilliant. Absolutely every last bit was scooped up by our party of 5, with «oooooooommmmmmms» heard audibly. I would go back JUST for this. The only disappointment was that they had no coffee left, and didn’t offer to brew any. Hello, I drink coffee with dinner and at a nice establishment like Elate (and a $ 200 bill) a cup of coffee seems like a trivial offering. Just a note…
Very nice birthday dinner, easy metered parking or valet, and success all around…
And, if you just want a higher end pepperoni pizza and a PBR on a Tuesday night… that’ll work too. :)

I had some friends out of town visiting and they wanted to go somewhere with good cocktails. I had never been to Elate or had drinks here, but they had an extensive cocktails menu online so I thought Elate would be a good choice.
Dinner was only okay for me. I had the short ribs which were not as tender as I would have liked. My friends had scallops and the steak which I think they both enjoyed. As an appetizer we ordered the mussels which were large in portion and the broth was pretty good, but a little on the salty side. We also got lamb sausage which wasnt too gamey. For dessert we got a peanut butter crème dish which was also pretty good.
Overall I was not blown away by the food at Elate but I definitely enjoyed my time here. Service was spot on and they offered coat check.

The 3 D’s: Delicious, Delightful and Different.
We arrived for dinner at 7:30 on a Saturday, sans reservation, and were seated immediately. Our waitress came over shortly thereafter to bring us water take our drink orders. Mmm, good iced tea. Nice start!
I went with the Citrus Gazpacho for my appetizer, and wow! I’ve never had anything quite like it before. It was really, really good. It’s basically a cold soup made out of fruits (primarily citrus) but with some other stuff, like avocados, tomatillos and macadamia nuts. Sweet yet tart, and very crisp and refreshing. I had to make myself eat it slowly rather than scarf it down like I hadn’t eaten in a week.
Next came the Jidori Chicken™ breast. You can use the googles to get the Jidori story (hey I made a rhyme! Anybody want a peanut?) so I won’t bore you with it here (dear). But it was good. Tender, juicy and flavorful. And the rest of the dish was no slouch either: curry sauce, peppers, cashews, potatoes and more.
The service was very good, the restaurant was very nice. The only imperfections were a couple flies and a spider. Why weren’t you eating the flies, Mr. Spider? It’s a bit pricey, so this is a more of an occasional treat place than a regular hangout. But I believe you’re getting what you pay for here.
Unfortunately I’m currently off desserts but they had some very unique sounding things I’d like to try on my next visit. ‘Cause I’ll most definitely be back!

I came to Elate with some friends on a friday night after making a reservation on opentable. While our reservation was only for 4, they were able to accomodate the 5 of us without a problem (It seemed almost painfully empty for a friday night as a matter of fact).
While the food was great, our server was unreliable and hard to track down. It took over 10 mins to get any alcoholic drink we ordered, be it a special conocotion or a standard vodka soda. She also told us that she usually ate 3 things off the menu as they were served as small plates. Ok, now this is where I have to call MAJOR BS. Girlfriend was the size of a toothpick and as a serious eater myself, there is NO WAY you could eat 3 of those dishes without having leftovers. I got the steak tartar which was fresh beyond belief, and the bite of the caper purée was just the perfect pairing and texture with the tartar (if only there had been more on my plate!) one of my other friends ordered the burger which was the size of a normal burger and ENORMOUS.
all in all, a really delicious and fresh menu and would love to go back.

Contemporary and sleek, is how I would describe Elate located in the Hotel Felix.
I was early for my reservation and took a seat at the bar to wait for my friends. The bartender was quick to place a specialty cocktail list in front of me and encouraged me to try a strawberry, jalapeño vodka concoction that was spicy and sweet at the same time. Yowza!
We were seated in the dining room and our server, Stacie, was great. She knew the menu well, offered up many suggestions and even though she had many tables, she handled them all with ease and grace. She mentioned to us that the culinary artistry that was happening in the kitchen was because of the «young guys» fresh out of school. Young or old– the food that they were producing was inventive and delicious.
I started with a Jamon Serrano which was like bruschetta with ham, peppers and greens on top. A perfect start to my meal. For my entrée, I had the Short Rib (so tender it just pulled apart) served with truffled fries.
If you go– you must save room for the chocolate cake dessert. Decadent chocolate cake topped with carmelized bananas and served with burnt caramel ice cream. Worth every calorie!
If you drive– valet parking is available for $ 10 in front of the hotel (nice valet too– who will run you to your car with an umbrella in case of inclement weather as was the case when I was there!) Or on a rare occasion– you may actually be able to find street parking in the area. Dinner with drinks and dessert ran about $ 60 a person.
It’s not often that a restaurant in a hotel strikes my fancy, but Elate did a nice job in pulling it all together with the right combination of tasty drinks, good food and service that was spot on.