Elizabeth - Brunch

I last talked about the restaurant that was my favorite of the year.  Humorously, I actually had my favorite brunch in the same week that I went to my favorite restaurant of the year.  I had been to Elizabeth several times for different themed dinners, so the restaurant was "dressed" differently.  It's a small space with an open kitchen in the back corner and a very nice tin ceiling (painted).  From the outside, unless you knew where to look, you would probably never find it.  Located in the middle of a retail strip in Lincoln Square, it has a glass front with curtains covering the interior and a glass door.  There is a small logo on the door, but unless you're looking for it, it would be easy to miss.  Inside, there is a small entryway also obscured by curtains, before you enter the small dining room which seats about 30.  When we entered, we were seated near the front of the restaurant and were served by the wife of the chef, which was very nice.  While the more elaborate decorations were absent, there was still a lot of pottery with natural greenery on the shelves to the sides of the dining room.  There were also owl figures decorating the space if you knew where to look.  All of the table ware, though served mismatched, was very colorful and nice, many pieces having images of wildlife or flowers.  Tickets for brunch did come with an option for a wine pairing, but we decided to pass on that, and just stuck with coffee.  Which was a medium roast from a local roaster and was very good and served in a delicate looking cup and saucer.

Our food started out with what was essentially cereal.We were served Toasted Rye Crumbs, which really reminded me of Grape Nuts, though the nutty flavor also came from the fresh and juicy Blackberries that had been soaked in Pistachio Oil, and the Cashew Milk, which the rye crumbs and blackberries were soaking in.  While this was already Grape Nuts with a fine dining spin, the Edible Flowers that garnished the dish brought it there emphatically.  It was crunchy and nutty with the fresh and juicy blackberries and creamy and nutty cashew milk.

 

The first dish was served individually.  The rest of the dishes were served family style.  While we were sharing dishes, there was still almost too much food to eat.  Our next course was a course in two parts.  It started with a Kale Salad with Green Goddess Dressing.  It also had edible flowers, but I think that it also had julienned carrots for color if for nothing else.  The Kale was very crisp and there was enough Green Goddess Dressing to add both moisture and flavor (Green Goddess Dressing is made with mayo and various herbs, but also anchovies).  While I will generally not get excited about salad, the flavor and color of this was very good.  Part 2 of the second course was a spin on Chicken and Waffles, which would have been a win even as such.  This had the Waffles, which were very good, but it was also served with Grilled Peaches, Quail Terrine, and lightly topped with Maple Syrup.  Everything about this was good, though it was best if you could get a piece of everything at once.  The Waffles were fluffy and buttery, the Grilled Peaches were caramelized on the outside, but were still juicy inside, and the Quail Terrine had a nice exterior crunch with a soft interior and was very flavorful.

 

The next course, another course in two parts, was the star of the show.  both parts were good enough to stand on their own and I would have been happy with just either dish.  On the first plate, we were served Michelin Star Hash Browns topped with a Sunny Side Up Eggs (Elizabeth is a One Michelin Star Restaurant) along with the best veggie sausages that I have ever had.  The second part of the course was Poached Lobster and Grits topped with Arugula.  I have said in the past that I am very picky about my Shrimp and Grits, which I am.  This blew the best Shrimp and Grits that I have had out of the water.  The grits were very smooth and had a lot of butter which seems to have been what the lobster was poached in.  The lobster was also very buttery, sweet, and tender, and very flavorful.  The arugula added a little fresh crispness and peppery bitterness which complemented the lobster.

Our last course was a dessert.  We were served Brioche Apple Fritters, which were round enough that they looked like batter fried apples, served with Housemade Vanilla Ice Cream topped with Whiskey Caramel.  The fritters were iced and contained a lot of apples.  While the ice cream and fritters did go together well, they were both good enough to each enjoy on their own, though the whiskey caramel did add to the ice cream.

Everything about this brunch was good.  The food was fantastic, the place was cute, Our diningware was very nice, and the staff was very friendly and attentive.  We even got a vision from the chef!  While Elizabeth isn't a place I can visit with regularity, I really do like it and will continue coming here when I can.