I'm not sure if I should start a new thread for Graham Elliot under Andrew Brochu. Moderators can feel free to separate this into its own thread if you feel the need.

Chef Brochu has completely revamped the menu. Not even the deconstructed caesar salad or foie gras lolilipop remain. I had the pleasure of dining at the restaurant this evening and we had the 10-course collection for $130, without wine pairings. Overall, I was very impressed with the progression of the meal, especially considering the short time frame Chef Brochu had to put together a brand new menu. Our server, Mitch, was excellent, and offered to show us the kitchen at the conclusion of our meal. Everyone was working incredibly hard in a pretty small space to put each dish together and seeing the preparation gave me even more of an appreciation for the food we enjoyed. There were a couple dishes that stood out, and those were the cauliflower with a cucumber yogurt soup, pork raviolo with guanciale, blood orange gelee intermezzo and the cheese course of sweet cheese ice cream with crushed honey roasted peanuts and grape jelly.


Chicken Skin Amuse / Graham Elliot by TrackBelle, on Flickr

This was a great bite to start with, really tasty amalgam of flavors.


Trout / Graham Elliot by TrackBelle, on Flickr

I also loved the "everything bagel" ice cream with the trout course - a really fun and successful riff on a lox sandwich.


Cauliflower / Graham Elliot by TrackBelle, on Flickr

This tasted every bit as good as it looks.


Swordfish / Graham Elliot by TrackBelle, on Flickr

Our swordfish course would ordinarily have been mackerel, but there was a fish substitution because Chef Brochu was not satisfied with the fish he received this evening. I like mackerel more than swordfish, and in this course, I enjoyed the scallop more than the fish.


Raviolo / Graham Elliot by TrackBelle, on Flickr

I don't even like pork very much, but this was awesome. The pork filling was perfect with the greens beneath and the guanciale really made this dish.


Blood Orange Intermezzo / Graham Elliot by TrackBelle, on Flickr

Enjoyed this blood orange gelee far more than the typical citrus sorbet intermezzo. And the "gatorade" foam it was served with was excellent.


Lobster / Graham Elliot by TrackBelle, on Flickr


Lamb / Graham Elliot by TrackBelle, on Flickr

The lamb was too chewy for me, although the lamb sausage was excellent. And the olive and raisin accents really worked.


Sweet Cheese Ice Cream / Graham Elliot by TrackBelle, on Flickr

I'm an ice cream fiend so I was so excited to see a cheese course prepared as ice cream. I'm forgetting the name of the cheese they used, but it was a sweet cheese that was perfect paired with peanuts and grape jelly.


Coconut Passion Fruit Chocolate / Graham Elliot by TrackBelle, on Flickr


Coconut Passion Fruit Chocolate / Graham Elliot by TrackBelle, on Flickr

Our final dessert, a coconut/passion fruit/chocolate medley was very yummy...except for the coconut tapioca bits that were tasteless and I don't think the texture added anything to the dish either. The white powder is actually brown butter powder, and our server was not sure why it was so white, but he thought it had something to do with maltodextrin and the chemistry behind creating the powder that removed the color.

I hadn't been to Graham Elliot before, so I can't really make comparisons. I really enjoyed my meal though and would go back in a heartbeat.

Thanks for posting the photos and review; I was very curious as to what changes Chef Brochu would make. I can see the influence of some of the dishes at El Ideas.

Hurdler4eva, thanks for posting your photos. Coincidentally, I was there last night for dinner, too, and had the 10 course menu as well. Since we didn't take any photos, I'm glad to have yours to refer to.
I also loved almost everything we ate.
Favorites:
the everything bagel ice cream with cured trout - it was delicious and even though the flavor was strange for ice cream, it made complete sense
the guanciale that came with the pork raviolo - i'm usually squeamish about tons of fat, but this was delicious
the lobster course - loved the sauces though i wish there had been a tiny bit more of what seemed to be maybe a chive to cut through the richness
the greens that came with the lamb - agreed that they went well with the combination of raisins and olives
both dessert courses - some of the best desserts i've ever had. so good!

Not as great: the pasta for the raviolo was thick and doughy and i agree that the lamb could have been juicier. those are the only two things i could really find fault with, though the fish course was also not my favorite. nothing was wrong in particular, it just wasn't as great as everything else

Since people were discussing upthread about how GEB isn't too involved in the restaurant anymore, I wanted to note that he was actually there last night. He walked around the dining room a bit, but mostly seemed to be in the back (hopefully in the kitchen).

You're welcome, I'm so happy to be able to contribute, since I'm usually just lurking

Laura - what time did you dine? I dined pretty early, at 6 pm, and we were one of the first tables of the night. By the time we were leaving a little after 8 pm, the place was hopping. I missed seeing GEB though.

Our reservation was at 7:30 and we left close to 10. The restaurant seemed a little empty even when we first got there, but by about 9 was even busier and getting on the loud side.

My wife and I had the Repertoire at Graham Elliot the other night and it was fantastic. Our menu was completely different from that posted by Hurdler4eva above - in fact, our menu was quite different from what's posted on line right now.

Here is my review from dinner last night at Graham Elliot:

My wife and I were joined by another couple at Graham Elliot and indulged in the 14 course repertoire menu. We arrived a bit early and took a seat at the bar while waiting for our friends. Walking in I noticed that Graham Elliot is considerably larger than most of the fine dining venues I have frequented in Chicago (referencing the restaurant, not the owner). The tables fortunately are spread out a bit, but the restaurant and bar area were a bit on the noisy side. There is a modern, funky vibe. I perused the cocktail list (which had some interesting combinations) and ordered a Port Royal consisting of whiskey, rum, allspice, and some citrus which was very pleasant. In addition to cocktails there are several craft beers and a nice wine list (cocktails run $13 and wines by the glass average $16).

We were seated on time and handed menus; there is an a la carte option, a nine course tasting menu and the fourteen course repertoire; I strongly would discourage anyone from ordering a la carte as you would have to spend far more than the cost of the tasting menu in order to have enough food to suffice as a meal. The entire table must opt for the same menu; the tasting menu is the size of a small to moderate meal in a more traditional restaurant and the repertoire adds up to the size of a moderate to large meal - make sure you are in for the long haul though as you should expect at least a three hour culinary journey with the repertoire. Dinner includes complimentary still or sparkling water and at the end of the meal French Press coffee is available for $6.

Our server got off to a bad start in that three in our party do not eat foie gras and this was one the only course on the repertoire we wanted substituted. Our waiter informed us that no substitutions were possible for this course. We were rather taken a back as most restaurants are more accommodating of what seemed such a reasonable request and the server came across as rather smug to not at least check with the chef. We informed him that we would opt for the tasting menu instead (as no foie was on the shorter tasting menu). He departed and the mood at the table was dampened. A few minutes later he came back and announced that the Chef had informed him that he would be willing to make a substitution for the foie. Fortunately for the rest of the evening service improved aside from a couple of minor gaffes (i.e. one course was delivered and explained while one member of our party was in the bathroom). On a positive note the service was very attentive and on one occasion when my wife accidentally spilled her nearly empty glass of sparkly our server replaced it with a full glass without charge (I was tempted to spill my glass of wine as I was down to the last couple of sips, but opted to not push my luck).

In general the food was quite interesting and had beautiful plating and some exotic flavor combinations. We learned that they had just rolled out several new courses tonight as part of their Fall menu. Chef Brochu took over the kitchen a few months back and his influence was pronounced; this was definitely a high caliber meal. At this price point ($145 for the repertoire) I had lofty expectations and while this was overall an excellent meal, I have had slightly better tasting menus in recent months at lower price points such as at Goosefoot, Boka and Next. For me there was definitely some courses I loved, some that were decent and a couple that were just OK. My favorites on the night were the broccoli course that had the most delicious cheddar cheese powder, the cheese course coated with ash and the dessert course with sassafras, root beer powder, almond cake and plum sorbet. The egg course with truffle and Parmesan and the pork belly course with chicory and huckleberry were quite good as well. The food (but not the experience) reminded me of Sprout and of El Ideas (which happens to be the venue Chef Brochu worked at just prior to transitioning to Graham).

Graham Elliot was nearly at capacity tonight and Chef Graham himself was in house. He is a larger than life figure and made rounds mingling with lots of the patrons. I was able to spend a few moments with him on the way out. I am glad to have finally experienced this venue and in most cities this would be among the very best, but Chicago has so many awesome restaurants that at this price point, as much I as enjoyed myself, I just do not see myself becoming a regular.

The Dining Room


Oyster Course


Foie Course (We Had Pea Substituted for Foie - but it Looks the Same


Tomato


Pork Belly


Broccoli


Lettuce


Egg


Intermezzo


Just for the Halibut


Beef


Cheese


Watermelon


Plum


Chocolate


Mignardises


Posing with Chef Graham Elliot

Thanks, for the detailed report, Gonzo. I have been meaning to get back to Graham Elliot ever since Brochu took over but just haven't been able to connect the dots. It sounds like you were not entirely thrilled with the experience but knowing Brochu's work, I have to say that I'm still really looking forward to checking it out soon. He's a natural.

=R=

I ate at GE about 6 weeks ago. I was invited last minute to join a party. We hade been celebrating a birthday and enjoying the fine afternoon weather and more than a handful of drinks. I will say I was not in shape to provide a proper review of the food, though I thought everything was great. I will say there were several minor service slip ups and issues throughout the meal, and I left feeling the dining room is unfortunately not up to par with the kitchen. I will definitely be back to check out the food (with a clearer head), but will be interested to see if the FOH has caught up with the BOH.

ronnie_suburban wrote:Thanks, for the detailed report, Gonzo. I have been meaning to get back to Graham Elliot ever since Brochu took over but just haven't been able to connect the dots. It sounds like you were not entirely thrilled with the experience but knowing Brochu's work, I have to say that I'm still really looking forward to checking it out soon. He's a natural.

=R=

Looks like you're too late.... Brochu is out as executive chef

Wow, did not expect that!

That's good to see. At Avenues, GEB was an outstanding chef.
However, in the past few years he seems to focused more on being famous than on being good.
The place itself seemed to change too.
The original concept, I thought, was to do high quality food with a much more relaxed vibe than at Avenues.
However, it turned into Avenues in casual clothes. Other than the music and the way servers were dressed, it was not too different that Avenues.
Hopefully the place will find a real direction because GEB sure can cook.

claypoolfan wrote:

ronnie_suburban wrote:Thanks, for the detailed report, Gonzo. I have been meaning to get back to Graham Elliot ever since Brochu took over but just haven't been able to connect the dots. It sounds like you were not entirely thrilled with the experience but knowing Brochu's work, I have to say that I'm still really looking forward to checking it out soon. He's a natural.

=R=

Looks like you're too late.... Brochu is out as executive chef

What did I learn from that article? There is someone in the world named Merlin.

And now, according to Eater.com, Bryce Caron's out, too . . .

Yeah, so that good day Graham Elliot was having that was supposed to make up for the not-so-great week he's been having so far? Looks like that went to the shitter because Bryce Caron, the River North restaurant's pastry chef, got in touch with Eater to say he just walked out.

Now Pastry Chef Bryce Caron Walks Out of Graham Elliot

=R=

Has anyone been lately? I'm thinking of going back and I'm curious about anyone's more recent experiences.

I'm watching the rebroadcast of last night's Chicago Tonight, on which Graham Elliot, Giuseppe Tentori and Curtis Duffy were interviewed about Charlie Trotter. GE said that he's closing Graham Elliot on New Year's Eve to reconcept, with plans to reopen in the spring of 2014.

watson wrote:I'm watching the rebroadcast of last night's Chicago Tonight, on which Graham Elliot, Giuseppe Tentori and Curtis Duffy were interviewed about Charlie Trotter. GE said that he's closing Graham Elliot on New Year's Eve to reconcept, with plans to reopen in the spring of 2014.

Very interesting; hopefully he will release more details soon. I am surprised this has not received more attention as of yet.

I have to say that I was mildly annoyed at GEB for hijacking the discussion of Chef Trotter's death to slip in his news. Granted, if he really wanted to be self-serving he probably wouldn't have picked Chicago Tonight to launch a PR campaign, but it still struck me as inappropriate under the circumstances. Harumph.

Bfolds, I couldn't agree with you more.

just watched the video this morning and while he did make the announcement I've got to disagree that he "hijacked" the discussion. For it to have been a discussion at all, someone else at the table would have had to comment on what he said or at least ask a follow up question. Neither of those things occurred.

I see bfolds' point, but he said it in the context of being inspired by Trotter to reinvent himself. It would seem strange not to give this example from his own life.

Hijacking was probably not the right word, but I think he could have given an example without making a very specific announcement (including timing) of his plans. No big deal -- my one experience at GE was stellar and this doesn't change my interest in the restaurant.

Graham Elliot to close after New Year's Eve

http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/ ... 2616.story