EL Ideas

Great food, great experience.Chef made an exception for my wife and I on her birthday and we had one of the best dinners of our lives.Recommended for anyone who wants a unique dining experience. Unlike anything I've tried before and definitely something I'd like to try again.

About a 1-1.5: Making online reservations is seamless, but you do have to be quick in snagging one.This New American restaurant has been talked about often, and even more so, as it's also a 1-star Michelin.Our tasting included:+Venison tartare - with tobiko, cherry blossom, eggs, kombu, tomatoes, chive, and katsuobushi+Hamachi - with peas, wasabi, rice, shoyu, ginger, and radish+Scallop - with plantains, yuca, guava, madras curry, and pistachio+Foie gras - with green strawberries, rhubarb, yogurt, olive, carbonated verjus, and pink peppercorn+Crab cannelini - with asparagus, saffron, pine nuts, and sage+Falafel - with braised goat, hummus, tahini, preserved lemon, and parsley+Beef - with porcini, piquillo peppers, zucchini, manchego cheese, sherry vinegar, and smoked paprika+French fries & frosty - crunchy potatoes in a hot potato leek soup with nitro-poached vanilla ice cream+Raspberries - chocolate, Nilla wafers, hazelnuts, milk ice cream, and roseUnfortunately, we just weren't fans of the flavors - the ingredients just didn't seem to have worked together, and we felt that with the combination of the hype and the price versus what we tasted just didn't work.Service was a little stand-offish and could have been more pleasant.Street parking can be found in the area.+reservations required+street parking available

We were celebrating my husband's birthday last night at EL ideas and it was an incredible night out!The atmosphere is very warm and welcoming; when they state they want you to walk around and talk to the chef and other guests; they mean it!Both chefs Philip Foss and Alejandro Cuevas were great at answering questions while plating up the dishes and not spoiling the surprise of what they will be serving exactly.It was such a fun night out and the food was incredible as well!We started with a small plate for which we were asked to "dive in" without utensils. My favorite dishes were the scallop and crab cannellini. The scallop dish was a surprisingly good mix with madras flavors and plantains; just delicious!My third favorite was probably the beef with porcini and manchego cheese. The deserts were delicious as well.Loved the service! We brought our own wines (including a dessert wine) and the host recommended we pair that with 1 of the upcoming dishes (the foie gras dish). It turned out to work really well!At the end of the dinner service we received the menu and we received 1 in English and 1 in Dutch which is our 1st language so that was a really nice touch.Overall 1 of the most memorable Michelin star restaurants we have visited. Would love to come back!

I quite enjoy these off the beaten path, relaxed & inventive one Michelin star restaurants. Of course there's faults but I can count on one hand how many flawless restaurants I've been to. One fault is the price. Tbh the price is two or rarely 3 Michelin star territory. secondly they literally kick you out to prepare for the next seating. Parking can be tricky but doable. Loved the fact that twas byob & they offered to change glassware as well as produce aerators for wine or ice buckets for champagne. Biggest compliments go to inventive dishes such as the French fry frosty, pasta dish & the fact that you're able to literally go into the kitchen & converse with the chefs during service

Way off the beaten path, genuinely warm service, casually comfortable special evening ambiance and food that is playful and elegant ...all while you think it tastes like things you've had before, but realize you haven't had anything like this. We loved our special evening here. It started with a shot shared with the other diners and staff poured straight out of the bottle without chasers.The ability to BYOB made for the perfect occasion to crack open a hoarded bottle. All of the food was excellent, but our favorites were the soup, tartare and bread with liver mousse. My descriptions do not do any course justice, but instead of reading this review, get yourself to this restaurant!Chef and team are to be applauded for keeping it about the food and hospitality and not about glitter and hand waving. Thank you! An evening to remember.

This was a unique Michelin restaurant. Parking can be limited if you decide to drive. When you walk in, it's not luxurious or sumptuous looking, this makes you feel like you're at a friend's house. You're just hanging out, letting your friends cook for you. They took my coat and hanged it up for me. Seating is limited. Food was very creative, innovative, and tasty. The menu changes so it'll never be the same as the past year's except for the shake and fries course. That one will always stay on. Dress code is casual/dressy but at least make yourself look presentable. Definitely do better than a t shirt. The staff was very friendly and service was great.

Came here for me and my partner's anniversary and had a really wonderful time. We were able to sit in the kitchen area, which was particularly fun being close to the action and within our own little nook of the space. The food was phenomenal across the board and the staff was lovely. What's unique here is that they encourage a sort of "dinner party" vibe and to explore the space. Very fun! Try and find the humorous surprises/"Easter eggs" throughout the space. Overall a wonderful experience.

Outstanding food and service. My third visit actually, and oh what an incredible train ride of flavors, taste and atmospheric greatness. Chef Philip is a powerhouse creative and makes this culinary experience at El Ideas, a great one. Each course is perfectly timed, delivered hot and fresh from the open kitchen. Along with his team, he delivers what I consider to be...one of the best dining experiences ever! BYOB proved to be the perfect addition to this experience, as it allowed myself and dining guest to bring a piece of us and not what the establishment deals as good wine or champagne. Two thumbs up and five GOLD stars from this diner. A definite must experience.

One of my favorite meals ever. The atmosphere is cozy and casual. The food creative and delicious. And the format a refreshing delight, with the chef introducing each meal to the whole group. In the welcome speech, the chef invites everyone to walk around and chat with the chefs. And they really are happy to chat when you walk over! With only a single 20 person seating each night, it truly feels like the chef has prioritized delivering a fun, creative, welcoming experience over optimizing revenue.There were 9 dishes served and 6 were 5/5 perfection for me. The other 3 were solid or strong, so no misses. The one I'll never forget is the ice cream with potato soup, which will dazzle you. The booking format is quite unique as well. There's no online reservation system. You email, they send you a booking link, and you prepay for dinner and 20% tip. At the restaurant, there's nothing else you can buy. You BYOB drinks, there are no upsell dishes and they offer complimentary tea and coffee after the meal.

My wife and I have never been to a Michelin star restaurant and now that we live in Chicago, we had plenty of options. For our second baby moon we decided to treat ourselves to an experience at El Ideas. The whole experience was amazing! The location is really unassuming and not in some pretentious building or area. It was such a laid back yet exquisite experience. Guests were allowed to wonder the space and take in the food preparation. You could ask questions of the chefs. It was really neat and nothing like I've ever experienced. Since there are a limited number of reservations the entire staff is really attune to guests needs. I have no complaints about any of the dishes. Some of the standout dishes were the shrimp dish which was an ode to the history of Chicago fried shrimp. The Swedish style meatball cooked in smoked beef tallow with gnocchi was so well balanced. The smoked duck bahn mi and smoke duck pho was amazing . The Lamb dish was out of this world! I'm still in awe of the vanilla shake and fries dessert. It was truly a work of art. The vanilla with the crunchy potato bits and potato and leak soup just worked. I could take one of those every day.This experience is definitely worth it! I hope to be back in the future!