by Adam L Stanley | May 28, 2016 | Food
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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L’Anima (London) Food Review | Grace Food Review | Other Food Reviews
by Adam L Stanley | Jul 30, 2013 | Food
**Update – This place is now closed. As it should be.
Summary: NOT Recommended / Needs overhaul or closure.
This review makes me a bit sad. I really want this place to succeed because Chicago needs more wine and cheese spots. Having just moved back here from London, I was excited to see this spot right across from high-end Oak Street shopping like Prada, Barney’s, and Tod’s. The street and area need more upscale coffee, wine, and “drop-in” dining spots for heavy shoppers (I am not one, but my partner is..). The first time I tried to go to TR, there seemed to be no one working there. I walked in and looked around and there was no one. Odd. The second time I went, we had decent glasses of wine and pitiful service, The third and my final attempt was last week. There was an incredibly friendly young man there who greeted me and brought me wine list and menu. I don’t remember his name but I do know that he was not the owner or sommelier and his knowledge of wine was fairly limited (kind of bad for a wine bar, but forgiven because he was very professional, courteous and friendly). While he tried his level best to make the experience pleasant, I remain hugely unimpressed by this place and suspect it will close.
TR Napa Valley
61 E. Oak St
Chicago, IL 60611
The Good. The Bad.Â
Good:
– Wine flights are generous pours and well worth it for the price of around $28 for three wines in a flight, about 125 ml each.
– Server guy was friendly if not overly knowledgable about either wine or cheese.
Bad:
– Individual glasses of wine are strangely RIDICULOUS. I mean like prices I saw in London at some of the private clubs like Annabel’s and Arts Club. The least expensive GLASS of wine was $24.
– Apparently only the owner really knows about the wine on offer and he does not seem to be there very often. Or at least, the three times I have tried he was nowhere to be found.
– they served Carr’s table water crackers with cheese, along with fig and other accompaniments that looked like they got them from Jewel’s or Dominick’s. Not to be a snob, but when I go for wine and cheese, I want something a bit more upscale than aisle 3 at the local grocer.
– hasn’t been there for long, but it is already looking dated. The flowers were dried out and looking sad. The paint was chipping.
Predicting this place will close soon unless the owner is independently wealthy and does this just for a hobby. I did hear there is a private club that is “invite only” with costs to rival the best clubs in New York and London. Good luck with that.
In relationship with #foodies,
Adam
Adam L. Stanley Connections Blog
Technology. Leadership. Food. Life.
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L’Anima (London) Food Review Grace Food Review | Other Food Reviews
by Adam L Stanley | Nov 20, 2012 | Food
Avenue London Review
Summary: Recommended
Because the food is pretty good, decor is nice, service is really good, and most importantly because it is a darn good value where one meal here will not break the bank for most people, I RECOMMEND Avenue Restaurant and would be more than happy to go there again, with friends or colleagues, if in the neighborhood. Would I go out of my way, likely not. Should you try it out? I think so. Go for it, and let me know what you think!
Avenue Restaurant
7-9 St James’s Street
Mayfair
London
SW1A 1EE
Above photo from Avenue website.
Long Version
FOOD: 3
Before starting our meal, we had a glass of champagne to excite the palate and, well, we had just watched “Skyfall”, the latest instalment of the James Bond 007 franchise. Champagne just seemed right! We enjoyed the champs with some amazing brown bread with nuts that threatened to fill us up before our first course arrived. yum!
For my starter, I chose a rather unique dish I actually may try for breakfast one Saturday morning. Wild mushrooms seasoned and sauteed in about a pound of butter were ladled over a heavy chunk of sourdough bread then covered with a slow cooked hen’s egg. While it was a tad salty for my taste, my stomach loved what my heart could later regret. My partner won this round with the venison carpaccio however, which was perfectly prepared, tender and juicy bits of perfection.
By this point, we had a bottle of the house white wine, acceptable yet completely unremarkable. I can’t for the life of me remember what it was.
My main was a simply grilled plaice with prawns and capers on a bed of greens. While the fish was good, I must say it certainly did not wow me. And the prawns were a bit tiny and dry. That said, it was an interesting presentation albeit with only ok execution. My partner again won the round with fish and chips which were devoured before my eyes. “It was ok” was all I was able to get from the other side of the table, but there was no sign food have ever actually been on the plate so I think it must have been better than ok.
For dessert, I had to continue in my search for the perfect sticky toffee pudding, having now sampled the treat at at least a half dozen restaurants. My favourite remains that of Fishworks on Marylebone High Street and the Avenue version did nothing to change that. In fact, recalling the pudding at Fishworks reminded me, alas, that I also could have gotten fish of the same quality there as well. I also tried my partner’s Bramley Apple Crumble, also pretty good but not memorable. “It was fine.”
Overall, I must say that the creativity in the meal declined as each course progressed. Appetiser was unique, main was fairly standard, while dessert was just common. That said, for the record I love basic desserts. so bring in the brownies, apple crumbles, and sticky toffee puddings. Just make them spectacular please. 😉
SERVICE: 4
The team here seemed happy to welcome us and the other guests. The place was not very crowded for a Saturday but busy enough to suggest they could handle the larger crowds as well. The host that greeted us was helpful, the server consistent. They were friendly and prompt and able to keep things on track and flowing smoothly. The courses were well timed and our glasses were always filled. Minor annoyance: server asked if we wanted our coffees with dessert and we said hello. Our coffee arrived as we were finishing dessert. Adam pet peeve!
DECOR/AMBIANCE: 4
This restaurant is apparently one of a few owned by the DandD team that I believe is affiliated with the Conran Group, but definitely includes Orrery, one of my favourites yet to be reviewed, and Coq d’Argent. I am a sucker for accent walls, especially when of a warm and vibrant colour. Avenue did not disappoint with a nice red wall with quirky yet subtle (and reasonably priced) artwork hanging. It was a bit loud yet still allowed us to have a decent conversation, get a decent amount of people watching in, and sit relatively comfortably. Privacy was fine and I didn’t feel as if they tried to cram every inch with seating as at Asia de Cuba. And despite the recent trend of restaurants with DJs and blaring lounge music, Avenue was reserved. No disco with dinner!
The restaurant was well suited for the quiet area of Mayfair that is St James and the crowd seemed there for food and service versus to be seen; a welcome change. One miss is that I could not see the chef or kitchen.
VALUE: 5
For reference to those who have not read my other reviews, I have dined at La Chappelle in London and Graham Elliott in Chicago, Le Bec Fin in Philadelphia and Le Bernadin in New York. Yet, my greatest joy comes not from proving world renowned restaurants deserve (or do not deserve) acclaim. Rather, it comes from finding fantastic value restaurants where food is great and value for money worth noting. London provides ample opportunities for this with toptable and other websites always offering discounts.
This meal was booked via toptable.co.uk and I signed up for the 3 courses with half-bottle of wine offer. I reviewed the full menu upon arrival and am confident in my review ratings for regular meals or for those taking on the offer.
I have been excited to spend this year finding contrasting restaurants that offer similar quality food and much better prices. I found one such restaurant in Vivat Bacchus, and now in Avenue. The meal was approximately £100 for two, compared to about 3 to 4 times that much at La Chapelle and it was a bit cheaper than the bill at Balleria, the last restaurant I reviewed. Vivat Bacchus remains the top value for service, food and decor for me thus far in London.
OVERALL: 4
I love great food and great service. Avenue had pretty good food and really good service. I want to know the place in which I dine is attractive and cozy enough for both business dinners or romantic nights out. I would take a date or colleague to Avenue. However, as I eat my way across London’s amazing options for dining, I find myself rarely repeating unless a place is really stellar. Alas, Avenue was good, no attitude, good service and a nice space. But it was not stellar.
Because the food is pretty good, decor is nice, service is really good, and most importantly because it is a darn good value where one meal here will not break the bank for most people, I RECOMMEND Avenue Restaurant and would be more than happy to go there again, with friends or colleagues, if in the neighborhood. Would I go out of my way, likely not. Should you try it out? I think so. Go for it, and let me know what you think!
In relationship with #foodies,
Adam
Adam L. Stanley Connections Blog
Technology. Leadership. Food. Life.
AdamLStanley.com
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by Adam L Stanley | Aug 12, 2012 | Food
Bellaria Restaurant and Wine Bar
71 Great Titchfield Street
Fitzrovia
London
W1W 6RB
Overall Verdict: Neutral – Not recommended, but I would not suggest you avoid it.
DECOR: 3
From the other reviews, I surmised that the basement was nice and quaint. I guess that depends on what you prefer. I did not sit down there but I did see the basement when I went to the Gents. overrated would be my conclusion, looking a bit like a dungeon and perhaps causing a mild claustrophic reaction. The upstairs was fine, albeit plain and boring, but the tables were WAY too small. We had to request a table sized for 4 guests to actually fit the starters, mains, and wine we ordered.
FOOD: 3
I had a calamari and zucchini starter that was quite well prepared and lightly floured. My partner had the crab and passion fruit starter that was bland and boring. And we think they may have forgotten to add the passionfruit. For our mains, we both had the sirloin steak with Parmesan shavings over rocket. The steak was prepared okay. They are a bit to the over side on temperature so if you want medium rare, order rare, as my medium rare was more medium and my partner’s medium looked kind of well done to me. Besides the temperature, I was not impressed by the thin steak nor the lack of flavour. If it were a thicker cut of meat, it likely could have held its own with little seasoning but the thin steak was rather flavourless. Dessert was fantastic for my partner (tiramisu) and acceptable for me (strawberry cheesecake).
SERVICE: 4
Perhaps I expected to be treated like a second class citizen after reading the reviews about discount diners, but I would say that service was pretty good. Very attentive staff, but not overly so. I don’t think they poured our wine after the first pour but our food came hot and things were timed fairy well.
VALUE: 3
Based in the average quality of the food, and considering the Neighborhood, I would say this place is about average. The discounts you can easily get via the reservation sites and dining clubs give you a bit of wiggle room for wine and extras. We spent £125 for two people including the automatic service charge of 10% plus another 3-5% service gratuity we added. This included the red wine of month, a nice Barbera d’Asti, plus two starters, two mains, two sides, and two desserts. Given I know that I could have had the same meal on Marylebone High Street for about the same price without the discount, I’m giving Balleria a 3 for value.
OVERALL: I would not recommend this restaurant but would not turn people away from it either. There are too many nice restaurants in London for me to tolerate average, but if I lived nearby and wanted a quick Italian dinner, I would certainly visit this place.
In relationship with #foodies,
Adam
Adam L. Stanley | ALSWharton Connections
Notes: Booked via toptable.co.uk and signed up for 50% off offer (why would I ever choose the “no thanks” offer?). Whenever I book these types of offers, I take the opportunity to try more of the menu and always have a bottle of wine or cocktails. The little card they put on your table when you sit down does make you feel a tad low class, especially if you happen to be on a date. Luckily, I was not! The card stipulates rules for the discount and the items on the menu that are not fully discounted like tuna, sirloin steak, and other specials. Not a big deal, actually, and I’m not sure there would be an easier way to make this clear without the waiter having to actually say it out loud.
In relationship with #foodies,
Adam
Adam L. Stanley Connections Blog
Technology. Leadership. Food. Life.
AdamLStanley.com
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L’Anima (London) Food Review | Grace Food Review | Other Food Reviews
by Adam L Stanley | May 8, 2012 | Food
Overall Verdict: Highly Limited Recommendation
This place does, in my opinion, deserve one Michelin star HOWEVER it does not merit a return visit by me. I would recommend it to tourists or acquaintances if they are fans of Latin American cuisine and want to say they went to a Rick Bayless restaurant. I would not recommend to friends, colleagues or clients.
Topolobampo
Mexican, Steakhouse
445 N Clark St
Chicago, IL 60654
LONG VERSION:
Continuing on my Michelin star restaurant quest and admitting up front that this review is biased based on comparison to the other Michelin star restaurants at which I have dined. See all reviews of the list here
bit.ly/nGR9Vc
Most relevant comparisons: Takashi (very casual restaurant, cramped space); L2O (unexplained spotty service), Spiaggia (REALLY dry and boring personality of the staff), Naha (decor), Sepia (good but not Michelin worthy food).
FOOD: 3.5
Quick note for vegans and vegetarians – stay home or go elsewhere. You will leave starving. There was an AWFUL salad that without the cheese and creamy dressing was tortuous to eat. But, since I only play vegan temporarily, I base my evaluation on all of the food that I and my guests consumed.
Food was rather flavorful and well prepared. A la carte portions are fairly small so don’t think you’ll be better off doing that instead of the tasting menu. Do the Tasting Menu! You’ll think you are ordering more than you think you should, but if you try a la carte with appetizer and entree, be ready for after dinner meal.
My biggest problem is that I felt like it should be a high-end tapas place. The timing was odd, sharing was not really encouraged despite the casual family-style atmosphere, and the portions were small. Again, maybe the Tasting Menus would have made the experience better.
Drinks were good.
SERVICE: 3
Timing is awful. Host guy told us to order everything at once to avoid long delays between courses. Didn’t work. There was a period of about 30 minutes where there was not a morsel of food on the table; no bread, salsa, chips, nada! It was odd.
Also, the servers are just not very enthusiastic. Quite a contrast from the ambiance of the restaurant, the staff is bored and dry. They are, however, friendly and do seem interested in customer service so this is not a knock on them.
DECOR: 2
Reminds me of Brazzaz; a colorful mess. And it’s loud and cramped. I think it is interesting that this place has a sister attached but don’t really understand why. Throughout the night I was thinking maybe we should have gone to the sister place instead. The website and opentable said “business casual” and most reviewers seem to say the place is kind of dressy but on our night, we saw shorts clad tourists.
In relationship with #foodies,
Adam
Adam L. Stanley Connections Blog
Technology. Leadership. Food. Life.
AdamLStanley.com
Follow me on Twitter | Connect with me on Linked In | “Like†me on Facebook
L’Anima (London) Food Review | Grace Food Review | Other Food Reviews
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.
VALUE: 4
