BBE Editor's Pick

Elate

111 W. Huron St. , Chicago (River North)

By Jennifer Worrell

Michael Noll takes simple American food and yanks the carpet out from under it. You’ll have to blink a few times when your French toast arrives; the elegant port-poached pear, spiced walnuts, and orange cream and chocolate sauce render it leagues above the standard presentation. Nor are the brunch choices conformists; instead, a vegetarian black bean burger is punched up with whipped avocado and piquillo peppers, while details like housemade giardiniera and red onion marmalade add flavorful variation to other sandwiches. That all this can happen in the sunlit dining room of a hotel restaurant in River North proves that Elate is in the business of pleasant surprises.

menu musts*

Breakfast steak and eggs
Breakfast pizza
Felix burger
*menu changes seasonally
view full menu here

sweet seats

Comfortable leather banquettes face the windows onto Clark Street, but for those interested in a specialty cocktail with lunch, the zig-zag shaped bar offers the best access to the team mixing your drinks.

chew on this

Elate is located in the historic Hotel Felix, which, when revamped, became the first LEED Gold-certified hotel in the city. Eco-conscious diners can rest assured that all lighting is low-energy use, and that the kitchen recycles diligently.

hours

Breakfast: Mon–Fri 6:30 AM–11 AM; Sat–Sun 7:30 AM–11 AM
Lunch: Mon-Thu 11 AM –2:30 PM; Fri–Sat 11 AM–5 PM
Dinner: Mon–Thu 5 PM–10 PM; Fri–Sat 5 PM–11 PM;
Sun 5 PM–9 PM
Brunch: Sat–Sun 11 AM–2:30 PM

price range

$10 (organic house-made granola) to $29 (scallops)

111 W. Huron St. , Chicago, IL 60654 River North; 312-202-9900 elatechicago.com/ $$$$