www.elideas.com
As I planned my trip to one of America's top food cities, the overabundant list of renowned restaurants and accredited newcomers made my 1 night in Chicago one of the more difficult dining decisions to make. How could I settle on just one restaurant? What kind of meal would make the most of those precious few hours?
I decided to book a reservation at El Ideas. Although currently not one of the most wildly spoken-of restaurants amongst Chicago's star studded list, the micro-restaurant concept peaked my interest. A small and intimate setting outside the hustle of downtown, a curious inspiration from unique ingredients and techniques, and a multi-course smorgasbord of 14 courses was promised. Reservations are taken no more than 1 month in advance, but in my mind, I had waited over 4 months for this night and I was much in anticipation of what was to come.
Arriving by UBER on a rainy Thursday night for the 7pm seating, we found ourselves at the unmarked door of a small, brick walled building which led us into the El Ideas dining room. Small but spacious in an industrial type of way, minimalist to say the least. Over to my right: a line up of stainless steel prep tables, white steam from the kitchen, and bright lights that shined into my eyes. Over to the left: the maitre'd guided us to the contrasting dimly lit dining area to our table lined in basic white linen.
When dining at this micro-restaurant, you can tote your own libations-there is no corkage.There also happens to be no alcohol service, so if you don't come toting your own, you may find yourself making good friends with the table next to you. But with this BYOB rule, it does open up a world of self-made options in terms of wine pairings. Since the menu isn't posted, the recommended rule is to be safe: start with bubbles, bring a white, finish with red. A selection of craft beers would also be quite appropriate, if not craved, and perhaps could have been an even better pairing with the menu I had that evening.
The more substantial courses however didn't pack as meaningful of a punch as its predecessors. A dish such as the halibut with fresh uni and bitter greens showed only one note, one texture, and lacked the acidity necessary to bring it to life. A beautiful, perfectly cooked piece of bison was coupled tastefully with radish and roasted beets, although the beet gellee addition seemed irrelevant. By course 6, guests are well fed and well lubricated, making it nearly impossible to not walk into the kitchen for a glimpse, a question, or a photo opp.
The sweet courses were plentiful as well as interesting; showing off molecular techniques and combining savory with sweet, although none too memorable, and a top-off of french-pressed coffee sealed the evening off.
The food and the overall experience of the evening was eventful and the hours were well spent. Albeit, the menu conversation that one may have hoped for with Chef Foss or his team was rather lacking considering the open kitchen concept that they paint with their "question everything" motto. I wouldn't say questions were met with irritation, but they weren't the warm responses that one might expect when coming to an intimate dining experience with a chef who wants, and loves to share their craft. Perhaps those types of responses are only what food-inquisitive diners dream of, but it would have been a nice to have for my memory of that one Chicago night.
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