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Elate
Rating Details »
Categories: American (New), Breakfast & Brunch [Edit]
Neighborhoods: Near North Side, River North111 W Huron
Chicago, IL 60654
(312) 202-9900
- Nearest Transit:
-
Chicago (Red)
Chicago (Purple Express, Brown)
- Hours:
Mon-Sun. 7:00 a.m. - 11:00 p.m.
- Parking:
- Valet
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Good for:
- Late Night
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
20 reviews for Elate
This business is a Yelp Sponsor
10/2/2009
1 photo
11/25/2009
11/20/2009
10/11/2009
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10/16/2009
10/21/2009
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10/15/2009
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11/7/2009
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9/20/2009
One of the Business' Favorite Reviews What's This?
No hate for Elate...none at all.
An indie restaurant inside the newly sprung Hotel Felix (River North), Elate is a diamond in the rough for lunching in RINO. I must say, I was a tid bit skeptical when this location was proposed. However, I stand much corrected. Despite my curmudgeonly, downtown-begrudgin' self...I LIKED THIS place. Oh, an old yelper can learn new tricks, eh?
The menu is...refreshing. Simple, yet sweet. Thoughtful, balanced, and something for everyone....even your Republican grandpa from Ohio could enjoy a beefy burger with hand-cut fries while your veggiefied cousin from San Francisco downs the black bean burger with avocado whip (my choice, YUM) and a side salad. Something for all, and all will likely be happy.
Service was on point, the chef visited our table to check on us and explain some of the thought behind their mission (sustainable, compost champions, working to be eco-concious and ethical). I dig.
TIP: Checked out the menus for dinner and brunch...my words to the brunching wise: Get here at the brekkie hour before it catches on. Trust me. (til 230pm on weekends). Next time that wait at Yolk (eh) is 2 hours, skip over to Elate...
*valet: $10. Street parking possible, occasionally.
Yeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh. This place is pretty swell. I'm just gonna start rambling and hope it turns into something pleasant to read.
Gorgeous. V pretty inside. I sort of wanted to move in. High end, pretty swank, but they had a few fall (autumn?) decorations that warmed the place. It didn't feel stuffy. The staff was great, super cool, super chill. Usually I feel underdressed, too poor, too notintothehighendscene at those places. But never did I feel that at Elate.
Great drink list. Cool, unique stuff. Only two (minor-ish) things wrong with the cocktail situation. It took entirely too long for our drinks too arrive. It was a Thursday, but we were in pretty early (not even 7:00) and there was only one or two other tables at that point. Our appetizer arrived before the drinks. Granted, the app came flying out of the kitchen, but I think it may have been 10 or 15 minutes for the drinks. And they were out of some sort of liquor for the first cocktail ordered, so my friend had to switch to something else. Not a big deal, but worth noting. On a Thursday night, you should have that bitched stocked.
Menu- lots of "plates." Small and large. We ended up sharing a ton of stuff. The ruffles and truffles were forgettable. Chips and dip, basically. Not bad, but I wouldn't order them again. We had something with mushrooms and brussel sprouts that BLEW MY MIND. I'm now in love with mushrooms, if I wasn't before. That was my favorite out of everything, the mushrooms. Try 'em and you'll hear what I'm screamin'. Also had the skirt steak (excellent, my fave of the two entrees) and the smoked chicken. Both were delicious. My date preferred the chicken, commented on the smoked flavor. By that point I was a little drunk- great bottle of wine, but I have no idea what it was (duh)- so anything smoky or otherwise was lost on me. I think we had another appetizer but I can't remember which. Which doesn't mean it didn't make an impression, it only means that this was a few weeks back and I got sort of drunk.
Dessert. It was kind of a tough choice. Basically everything looked/sounded incredible. We went with the Old Fashioned ice cream, being bourbon and/or brandy drinkers. It was good, but pretty sweet (what did I expect?)
I will hopefully be back here. The service was excellent, the food delish- the only really set back was the wait for drinks initially. Worst things have happened.
Somewhat unrelated, but I want to say that I think it is stupid for anywhere to charge for valet. I get it, the economy, it's how you make money, blah blah blah. But really? I'm eating here. Park my car for free. It just bugs me to see any restaurant/bar charge for valet. I am again realizing what a stupid complaint that is, but whatever, it's mine.
Go to Elate. Take a pretty girl there for an impressive but not over the top date.
Chef Randal does not disappoint with the one page menu at Elate. I have dined her half a dozen times since their recent opening.
Grab a group of friends or family and dine at the communal table. Brunch is a must have, the short ribs, potato pancakes, and over easy egg hit my soft spot. Short ribs for breakfast! Oh can you resist? The creme brulee pancakes are a must have table share.
For dinner, grab a slice of the beet pizza, the fried dough and the chicken wings. All heaven! Get the burger for your entree.....so flippin good! The octopus too.
The wine list is surprisingly extensive and the glass pours are very reasonable. Yay for having Cosentino on the list.
I haven't made it to desserts, but I am sure they are heavenly.
As I sat in their uncomfortable chairs served by an unenthused waitress I wasn't feeling quite elated. Then I tried their incredible food and understood why eating here will supposedly fill you with joy and pride..
I met 2 of my friends here for dinner. It's the type of place where you order a bunch of small plates and share. I'm pretty much a pescatarian, one friend is a carnivore, and friend #3 is pretty much a vegetarian. So trying to find small plates that suited us all was a tough one, but somehow we did it (with no help from unethused watiress).
We ended up devouring the following:
* Ahi Tuna
* Watermelon Beet Salad
* Fried Dough with Pesto Sauce (when they teach you in weightwatchers to think "nothing tastes as good as being thin feels" they hadn't tried Elate's Fried Dough)
* Halibut in bacon broth (worth noting that I was the only one who enjoyed this at the table)
* Corn on the cobb with feta cheese
* Heirloom tomatoes (yummy green tomatoes included)
* And some pot of veggies in some sort of broth for our vegetarian
All of it was SO good! We had been warned that the portions were small, but we actually thought they were all rather large for being considered "small plates." For 3 of us we probably could have ordered 1-2 less plates, but had no problem finishing everything we had at our table.
They've got me sold on dinner and I look forward to going back for lunch- rumor has it they make a mean veggie burger for lunch. Now they just need to spread some of the joy to my waitress. Perhaps she needs a taste of their fried dough?
I liked it. I didn't know what to expect. I am not the world's biggest fan of anything that's perceived to be trendy. Usually, I find it lacking soul and substance. This is not the case for Elate. It makes its point clearly, succinctly and without artifice. Real lions don't have to roar and Elate proudly roams the plains - daring someone to mess with it.
Before I had any idea that it was a green restaurant, I noticed the floors. And the tables. They are reclaimed wood (and a little concrete; the floor, that is) and and very visually appealing. The water...something was green about it. I forget. But, I appreciated it. [I'm old. My memory is shot. Sue me.] The service was helpful without being overbearing. All engines 'go.'
The food: was pretty good. I won't say it was the best I've ever had in my life, but it was pretty d@rn tasty. I got the pork sandwich topped with cheese and giardiniera. It was good. The bread was crispy and the cheese added nice flavor. The pork could have been seasoned a little more and the giardiniera could have used some kick. It wasn't a bad sandwich but it could have been fantastic. The idea was right. The fries stole the show. They were crispy, hand-cut, deliciously fried and addictive. You won't eat just one.
I plan on coming back here. I spied a pancake recipe that I need in my life. The chef has a great vision and I applaud him for making it come to life so well.
I met some friends for happies on a Wednesday evening. Got there around 6 and was pleasantly surprised by the atmosphere. A little dark and modern, but really cozy and pretty.
Started off at the bar before sitting down at a table for seven. The bartender was great, and so was our server once we sat. We went through three or so bottles of Veuve, and then moved on to some apps, which were fantastic!
I don't know if it was the number of glasses of bubbly I consumed, but I could not get enough of the Ruffles & Truffles. Good stuff.
For those of you with food allergies, you'll appreciate - as did I - that the kitchen happily accommodated my friend who has a gluten allergy.
My only complaint comes from the fact that I have a phobia of public bathrooms, and there is literally only one bathroom - with one toilet - for the whole place. Now I am obviously fine with sharing my bathroom at home with a male; however, I can't imagine how unsanitary it may get in Elate's washroom on a busy Saturday night...
But I'll be back. Really loved this place.
Nice industrial decor. Limited wine selection. Even more limited dinner menu? It's not a bad place if you want an "okay" bite to eat downtown. Service is absurd here.... On an empty Tuesday night, my waitress barely knew I existed. WTF.
I will say that the burger I had was quite good, but the service destroyed the experience.
I cannot say that I was Elated. This place was just okay in my book. The service was excellent. I did enjoy the ambiance. The food....well, let's just say I wasn't wowed nor was I disappointed.
Given that it was one of our recent cloudy and gray fall days, I made homemade chicken noodle soup, so when I met my friends I wasn't hungry. Small plates was the general consensus at the table. We ordered the Ruffles & Truffles, the warm olives, heirloom tomatoes and tuna tartare to share.
The ruffles & truffles, which is homemade chips with a truffle sour cream dip, would have been just as satisying if they truly had served ruffles with the dip. The heirloom tomatoes were fresh and delicious. The tuna tartare was good. Did I forget to mention the warm olives....exactly (and I love olives). My cousin ordered the salmon and raved about it but at this point I was disinterested in anything else that came to the table.
Maybe I will go back and try the larger plates. I doubt it because there are more places that I would rather try.
An ideal setting for a business lunch when you want familiar food presented with a little panache but nothing too avant guarde. At the moment it's easy to get a table mid day and linger as long as you want. They were playing some great tunes (at just the right volume, not drowning out conversation) while we were there. The menu is small but solid and portions are not skimpy, which is noteworthy considering they emphasize local, seasonable, and sustainable. I had the salmon with pesto sauce, very complimentary flavors. Tablemates had burgers, one had the beef and one the black bean, and both enjoyed. The hand cut fries looked and smelled delcious. I'd love to see some soups added to the menu, with the weather getting colder.
I was not elated with Elate. There were too many missteps and the food was marginal at best . I went for breakfast and in my book if you can't make a decent breakfast what chance do is there for dinner. When I sit down for breakfast I want coffee immediately if not sooner. We didn't get coffee until after our order was taken. Their spin on steak & eggs was short ribs with a potato cake and one lowly poached egg. There were two pieces of short rib, but one was about 90% fat. The server walked up right when I was saying something so she did bring more meat, but by that time I was full and really didn't want anymore. I said I would take it with me and she said, "Oh, we're out of carry out containers." My DCs order the omelet and the biscuits and gravy both of which weren't very good. I rarely go out for breakfast - one of my favorite meals - so I really dislike a bad experience.
Elate - I was waiting for you to open and I'm glad you are finally here.
I had dinner here last weekend and was impressed.
The menu is short & sweet and right down my alley - I get easily overwhelmed by too many options (I actually had a nightmare once about ordering at the Cheesecake Factory)
The restaurant is cozy and nicely laid out - plus it wasn't crowed at all, but I'd imagine this will change.
It's also great place to go if you like sharing food b/c of their small plates.
Here's what we ordered:
Fried dough with pesto: yummm this one you have to try!
Watermelon and Arugula salad of some sort: I liked this at the time, but now I can't remember why.
Deconstructed plum and goat cheese tart: this was very good and very pretty. I'm a sucker for presentation.
Halibut with shitake mushrooms, bacon, and lima beans: Outstanding! One of the best fish dishes I've had in a long time.
Slightly dirty martini: Perfect.
Watermelon and jalapeno cocktail: I think this is supposed to be their signature drink. It's interesting, but needed more booze and less ice. Oh and we were served these w/o the watermelon and lime on the side or with the floating jalapeno (I get really annoyed when garnish is left off of my drink, especially when you see others around you and their drinks have all of the bells and whistles. Grrr)
I'll give them another try sometime, but I have to say I'm underwhelmed. I'm giving it three stars relative to the area competition. If it were in Rockford, it might get five stars from me there.
There are so many good places to eat in River North, and Elate is ok, but there is room for improvement.
But I'll start with the positives:
1) Great heirloom tomato dish. I love heirloom tomatoes, and it was a nice dish, with tomatoes, grilled slices of baguette, and some rarebit (cheese) sauce (they didn't call it rarebit, but it was).
2) Perfectly balanced dirty martini.
3) Wine pairing was nice.
Things I didn't like:
1) Didn't offer blue cheese (or similar) olives for the dirty martini
2) Pea shoots on one dish were prepared like spinach, so much so that if I hadn't looked closely at them I would have thought they were spinach. I don't think anyone who orders pea shoots expects them to taste like spinach (because they have naturally mild, sweet flavor which is completely wasted if you add a bunch of salt and garlic and high heat).
3) One dish had a corn panna cotta listed as part of it, which was part of the reason I ordered the dish. Unfortunately, the "panna cotta" was actually just a corn sauce. It was nice, but it wasn't panna cotta. There's really no reason to have misleading menu descriptions in any restaurant, but especially not in one that strives to be fine dining.
4) The server was wearing a thong, and it showed because her pants were worn so low. It didn't seem like that sort of place, and I'm not sure why it would be considered ok. I'm no prude, but there's a place for everything.
5) They have a special local foods menu, but you have to order the entire thing - you're not allowed to order individual components. Which is unfortunate, because the three items don't really seem to go together, but the opening course, the trio of cold soups, sounds amazing. I just don't want to have to buy two other courses I'm not interested in just to try the soups. Tasting menus or prix fix menus are great, but I'd think a new restaurant wouldn't want to constrain diners from trying different dishes - after all, when you've only been open a month, people are still getting used to the menu.
So, like I said, I will try it again some other time, but I'm not in any hurry to go back. Which is disappointing, since I only live a block away and was hoping for another local favorite.
So far I have not been disappointed.. 3 visits and each time I, and people with me have been very happy. The Burger & Veggie Burger is delicious.. is so good and I am a sucker for good fresh cut fries. The salads are very refreshing as well I can not wait to go try more of the dinner menu next week! I don't drink, but hear that the cocktails are to die for!
Was here recently for a girls night out and really loved our experience!! I ordered the skirt steak and pork pizza...both were very delicious and tasty. I plan on coming back and soon!!
I love, love, LOVE Elate. I've been four times, three for dinner, and one for brunch. As a vegetarian, I'm used to eating the same standard entree over and over again, but Elate has a great selection of interesting vegetable dishes (no portabello mushrooms here). The menu is always changing, so every time I go there is something different to try. My favorites have been the corn on the cob, the peach, arugula and feta pizza (without the pork), and the vegetable pot au feu. For dessert, the blueberry bread pudding from their late summer menu was ridiculously good. There have been a few misses (the parsnip custard was... interesting, but I don't know what I was expecting from a parsnip custard anyway), but the seasonal menu and unique dishes have made this an absolute favorite for me.
We went there for drinks and had the fried dough with pesto. Pretty good, but really, how can you screw that up. I don't want to say the service was terrible, but it was the next closest thing. Took about 20 minutes to get a bottle of wine, and everything in general was just off. Maybe our server was new or having a bad day, not sure.
Not Good.
I was at Elate for my friend's bday party this past weekend, and I don't have one good thing to say about the place.
1) I first got there. There were two hostesses and one was on the phone and the other was writing something down on her paper. I stood there in front of them waiting for one of them to help me out for a good minute before I just walked over to the bar because I saw couple of my friends waiting there. They never even acknowledged me.
2) The service was slow. It took forever to get our drinks, appetizers, food, and check. Although I will say our server was nice, she failed to even ask us if we wanted dessert.
3) The food menu has an extremely small selection.
4) Nothing I tried was even edible. I seriously could have eaten at McDonalds and had a better meal. Here's everything I tried:
- Fried Doh: Had no flavor. It was bleh.
- Boneless Chicken Wings: Flavor was actually decent, but the chicken was too fatty.
- French Fries: Not crispy and way too salty.
- NY Strip (Special of the Day): Meat was tough, and it was seasoned way too salty.
- Pizza (the one with sausage and peppers): Again, way too salty to even notice the flavors of anything else.
Overall, a horrendous experience. Don't even waste your time and money here, especially if it's for a special occasion.
My wife and I have eaten here numerous times. We have enjoyed several of Elate's dishes. My favorite lunch item is a toss-up between the burger and braised steak sandwich. Damn - they're both so good my mouth is actually watering right now...LOL Both so fresh, the braised steak is so tender and flavorful. If you're a fan of steak sandwiches you will not be disappointed, this is my new favorite spot for them.
Now for the Burger - talk about juicy. The meat was cooked exactly to my preference. All three times I have been there the staff has treated me as any patron wants to be treated. They know you are there as their guest and quite frankly they treat you with great hospitality. Back to the burger....this thing was juicy and exploding with favor. Both sandwiches came with fresh cut seasoned fries (not the frozen crap), and they were very reasonably priced.
I have only been here for lunches but look forward to hitting up their dinner menu and reporting back in. I have been there for cocktails on one occasion and like it was stated by another reviewer, the ambience and open air atmosphere is extremely refreshing. This is a place that is here to stay and I highly recommend it for both its food and great atmosphere to hang out with friends.
I'm so glad i discovered this spot because its easy to miss (its located in Hotel Felix). When i came it had just opened 3 days,the food was amazing, very flavorful with an elegant presentation.The entree was well portioned, I had the creme brulee pancakes for breakfast which was delicious, then i came back for lunch for the braised skirt steak baguette. One of my girlfirends had the granola..if u think granola is just granola...definitely not at elate...yum...The service was great, staff was very welcoming and friendly, most importantly attentive. I am a very healthy person, so it was an ultimate plus that the kitchen uses all organic fresh products. As for the interior, i find it very classy, sleek but not uptight. The floor to ceiling windows is great as well, I highly recommend this restaurant for people who appreciate food, also, if youre a wine drinker, they have a variety selection of wine.Loved the loungy seats.Altho...if it wasnt for the BUTTERFINGER POT DE CREME.....yum yum yum..please try it (even if youre not a butterfinger bar fan) u wil love it i promise..I am definitely excited to have dinner here soon!!
I have to say being a green enthusiast, I was quite excited about going to Elate, a LEED building, and even planned on throwing a birthday party there. To start off the service was very slow and we could not understand since the place was not packed. We ordered the Crispy Pork Pizza, which was amazing, the Hibachi chicken wings, not worth the money, and the Heirloom Tomatoes, yummy. The drinks were also totally over priced. But I still decided to throw my event there and give them another chance. I tried to make plans with them a month and a half before the day. To make a long story short, the Hostess totally changed my plans. She never returned my calls and when she did she didn't even answer my questions correctly. I requested a couple of times a dinner menu with set prices to be sent over and eventually received a menu that didn't even make sense. The one time I complained to her coworker how she never returns my calls is when she decided to take an active role in the event. I understand its a new restaurant and all but why wouldn't you make more of an effort to get my business. Overall she could have been more professional and prompt. I am glad this all happened because now I have a better venue. Thanks!!