Having only a couple nights in Chicago, I did plenty of research on where to eat some good food. The night before Graham Elliot, my girlfriend and I ate at Avec, which was a fantastic experience--great food, laid-back atmosphere, and surprisingly reasonable prices. Graham Elliot, however, proved to be very disappointing.
I had read about the chef's credentials and philosophy, and the menu options looked wonderful on their website. But in the end, the food was just okay.
Maybe it was heightened expectations, or the fact that it was a Sunday night, but the whole experience just didn't seem to be what it could've been. I was very interested in the spicy buffalo chicken, which seemed to be the epitome of Graham Elliot's "haute-meets-low cuisine". While the chicken was well prepared and tasty, it really just tasted like good buffalo chicken, not unlike what I could get at any decent bar and grill. I was expecting "haute," but got stuck with "low." I also had the short rib stroganoff, which sounds like the absolute perfect food in my mind, and I was excited to see what this hot Chicago chef could do with the dish. But the meat was charred on the outside and mushy in the middle, and the mushroom sauce was bland. The dish just didn't come together at all (although the mushrooms were delicious).
My girlfriend's fish was decent, and our gnocchi was probably the best dish of the night. But all in all, I can't help but feel let down by what I hoped would be a unique and tasty dinner.
I should also point out that we never received the table popcorn basket, which our waiter was so proud to offer us, and that every other table received. And while we were informed that the dress standard was "casual," I couldn't help but feel out-of-place in my polo shirt and tennis shoes (despite the fact that the wait staff all wore Converse All Stars). I guess I got my "haute" and "low" mixed up.
Pros: Great menu potential, nice space
Cons: Poor food execution, slightly pompous waiters
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