El Ideas

Hiya all, chef Phillip here... I know it’s been more than a hot second since I’ve connected, but I’m reaching out today to give you a head’s up that I’ll be appearing on tonight’s episode of Top Chef as a guest chef (streaming tomorrow). I am humbled and honored for the opportunity and want to express gratitude to the entire team for the invite!
As an aside, we’ll be rooting for Top chef contestant, Soo Ahn (), who’s the chef of Adalina and an EL ideas alum… go Soo!!!
Hope you can tune in and to see you in El soon! 🧑‍🍳

We just opened a second seating at 9:00pm for Valentine’s Day. 4-tops are still available at 6:00pm.

Warm autumn concoction featuring a chicken dumpling nestled in spaghetti squash with poached egg yolk, chanterelles, tarragon and pine nuts
🍁🍂 photo by

For the first time in almost 3 years, EL ideas is looking for a chef-collaborator. This is an outstanding opportunity for a culinarian ready to begin developing their own style of cooking. We offer a 9 course menu and (once the comfort level is there) you will get the opportunity to feature 2-3 courses of your own dishes on our menu. We are the only culinarians in the kitchen, so every morsel eaten by our guests will be prepared by one of the two of us.

We are an 18 seat, Michelin starred dinner party where all of our guests eat the same course at the same time. We're a fully (er... mostly) functional team of 4 in the kitchen/dining room, and we're open 4 nights/week (Friday's and Saturday's we do 2 services). Working with people is key to any position, but that's especially true with us as we are front and center with our guests as they are welcome to come back to the kitchen to mingle with us during dinner.

Though the pay and benefits are top tier, what I feel separates us the most is our new-age approach to the broken, old-school restaurant model; along with balancing the commitment of Michelin starred cooking without being all consumed by the pursuit.

Previous collaborating chefs have gone on to run and operate many of the best kitchens in Chicago and beyond, appear on Top Chef, and earn Michelin stars on their own. EL Ideas doesn't graduate cooks... we graduate chefs.

So... if you interested in staging or applying for our opening, please email us at [email protected].

Thanks,
Chef Phillip

Eastern Europe is the backdrop for this ruby red trout course that's pan roasted and served atop lentils with pickled carrots and beets and chilled carrot juice that's been steeped with toasted caraway and dill. Adding unctuousness from under is corned beef tongue and cornichons gelled in a rich consomme (pic2)

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Summer peaches in EL - Baby green Japanese peaches, white peach sorbet, fresh peach, peach jam & freeze dried peach are paired with black tea, crumbled scone and caramelized white chocolate. Inspired by former chef .goody's creation from 2017 (pic 2) Photos by

It's Sunday brunch somewhere...

Bloody Mary shaved ice and pearls accompany a poached pink prawn, Worcestershire charred pineapple, tomato pulp, celery, beef jerky, olive, pickles & horseradish

One bite explosion inspired by the lunch classic of taking a grilled cheese and dipping it into a tomato soup. We've inverted the idea so the hot tomato soup - on the inside of the grilled cheese - blows up when your mouth closes around it!

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Dip your cold into my hot? Fries & frosty forever. Only in EL :)

Thinking about bringing this miso profiterole with matcha ice cream, plum sauce, white chocolate and black sesame back. Thoughts?

Blast from the past - Foie gras mousse with ghost pepper caviar, rhubarb and oaxalis

We're still on fire... time to get the El in here 🔥

Summer service 2023 - Foie gras and spicy fried snail with black garlic, kimchi, Asian pear and scallion
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Dessert course inspired by the color red - Raspberries, strawberries, pomegranate, red velvet cake, cream cheese frosting, dark chocolate and a Twizzler ice cream - photo by
Book your space at elideas.com 🌹❤️💋

The final savory course on our current EL menu is a Provençal take on duck a l'orange -

The breast is lacquered with an orange & honey glaze with lavender and fines herbs and the leg is slow cooked and sandwiched between Swiss chard and fork crushed turnips.
A pissaladiere (regional pastry topped with caramelized onion, anchovy, and olive) is set on top and the offering is finished with an orange scented duck jus and crunchy duck fat powder!
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This surf & turf variation on venison tartare is the creation of 2.5 year EL ideas veteran and collaborating chef (shown in 2nd frame)
The venison tartare is garnished with Champagne mangoes, chives and red tobiko, and is accompanied by a yuzu fluid gel, royal trumpet crips, a soy cured quail egg, and a leaf shaped matcha tuile - photos by

Seafood composition inspired by flavors of southeast Asia featuring a miso-ginger charred scallop, squid, and salt cod accompanied by zucchini, peppers, coconut milk, and aromatics including saffron, turmeric, lemongrass, kaffir lime, galangal, Thai basil and fish sauce. Reservation link in bio and photo by

Back to basics with French cuisine serving as inspiration for this halibut & lobster mousseline in a puff pastry shell with morels, asparagus and lobster - photo by

Warm bone marrow flan with spring peas, salsify & black truffle

This recent entry to our EL menu features Korean inspiration around a quenelle of foie gras mousse, black garlic, kimchi and Asian pear. A spicy fried snail then serves as an ambitious means of bringing it all together and sending it somewhere else 🚀

Hi all!
Chef Phillip popping up to send huge props to , the only full time front of the house manager we've had since our first day in EL, now over 10 years ago. It's hard to overstate what you've meant to me, my family, and our entire EL experience, and we are all so happy and proud to see you get your due with a nomination... now let's take it home!!!

Let your colors shine and come see what's cooking in EL!! A few seats came available for tonight's 9pm service 👈
Visit elideas.com or email at [email protected] to claim your space!

Family, French fries and frosty. Limited space available this weekend and beyond at elideas.com