Foodie Review

El Ideas

2419 W 14th St
Chicago, IL 60608

Summary: Highly Recommended

Approaching the restaurant you may think that you’ve gone the wrong way. If you drove, you would likely struggle to find parking and if there is snow, you will probably have difficulty walking to the restaurant. When you walk into the restaurant itself you will wonder how you could possibly have paid so much for a meal in what looks like an old workroom for a mobile phone company. However, from the first bite that you taste, the first song you hear, you feel at home, comfortable, well fed, and very much satisfied with your decision to dine at El ideas.

I have now been here three times and this review is based on a combination of the visits. To establish my “street cred”, I have dined at the following restaurants that I think are in the same genre: Elizabeth, Goosefoot. Also, I have dined at the more formal versions: Grace, Acadia, Alinia, Everest, and Tru. I would recommend El Ideas over most of these places.

DECOR: 5

The concept of the restaurant is very unique. Come into our kitchen and watch us cook the food. Enjoy each others company and pretend as if you were in your own home with good friends you have known for quite a while. While there are some that sit in their chairs and remain at their table the entire meal, many of the guests wander around and share stories while watching the food as it being prepared. I thoroughly enjoy the overall experience.

The kitchen is easy to access and you can see all the action. Yet, unlike places like Girl and the Goat or other such spots, being near the kitchen does not mean smokey overkill and the need for dry cleaning. I also love that the kitchen staff plays awesome music throughout the night, turning it down each time they announce a course. You’re listening to “Bubble Butt Funk” while eating.

SERVICE: 5

It would be so easy for this place to have all kinds of attitude. The food is incredible, the prices are high, and the reviews consistently good. but there is absolutely no attitude. The team seems to truly enjoy their work and their art. The service is stellar, with each course served with an explanation and a buzz of excitement. Chef Phillip Foss is friendly and welcoming, not the prima donna style chef I have seen elsewhere.  Stepping into his kitchen, you feel welcomed and they genuinely enjoy showing you their spices and maybe occasionally sharing a shot with you.

Bill, the front of house manager, is a no nonsense get it done kind of guy. He keeps things flowing smoothly and makes sure everyone has a great experience. I don’t recall seeing him smile but he made sure service was stellar.

FOOD: 5

In talking with some of the guests it was clear that they were a lot of frequent diners to fine food establishments. People like myself who have had tasting menus at Tru, Everest, the now defunct L20, and even Alinea. To some extent the menu here is similar. Smaller portions of flavorful creative cuisine. But the food here is much more like Elizabeth than those other places, with each course beautifully presented in a very creative manner.  The food is playful, complex, and delicious.

My favorites include the one item that has been on every menu since the place opened, a play on french fries and ice cream that is pretty much impossible to describe so you just have to take my word for it. According to Eater, Foss “pours liquid nitrogen-chilled vanilla ice cream over a classic potato-leek soup, turning the vichyssoise into a creamy slush for a split second, before the heat of thrice-fried yukon gold nuggets at the bottom of the bowl melts everything back to liquid.” I’m not entirely sure what all that means, but it is a very interesting dish.

An amazing deconstruct of shrimp and grits would certainly be on my list, and the Uni was delivered with the lick your plate requirement. One of the few times you can lick the plate in fine dining without being given nasty looks, this was a fun part of the meal and certainly an equalizer.

Added plus: the restaurant is BYOB.

VALUE: 4

The fact that this restaurant is BYOB is fantastic and allows you to have excellent wine without paying 3x markups. That is fantastic. However, when I think about the fact that you still pay about $150+ per person I must say that this is pretty high end for a meal without alcohol. It’s fine dining so I would not expect it to be cheap, but would knock it down a peg simply because one could have an amazing meal at Momotaro or Brindille with wine for less per person. I would consider El Ideas about the same value for money as Grace, however, which is of course more of a true peer comparison.

OVERALL: 5

Overall, I would give El Ideas top marks and consider it amongst my favorite restaurants in Chicago. I would recommend it for friends, family, business colleagues, and potential romances. Frankly, it could be a very disarming first date as you two watch each other lick a clear glass plate. For food, the environment, great service, and the uniqueness of the experience, it is well worth trying to get a ticket for a special occasion or to splurge.

In relationship with #foodies,

Adam

Adam L. Stanley Connections Blog

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