678 Partners treated to a 7 course meal at the new Chef Phillip Foss restaurant, EL

Good day to you all!

When I first got a phone call from my partner Idea Chef from 678 partners, informing me that we have been invited to an exclusive 7 course tasting meal by the amazing Chef Phillip Foss, I was very thrilled to bits. The news first got announced through Chicago Tribune by Kevin Pang and I had also heard a few things here and there on Twitter but nothing in person. So ready for a great food journey?

Lets start with the future Course 2 at EL, otherwise known as Arrancini. Why I missed course one is a long story (which we can get into some other time).

The 2nd course brings together the blend of raisins, caperberries, yogurt, beet, cucumber and saffron in this amazing dish. Talk about flavors coming together. Wow! Delightful to say the least. The beet, cucumber and yogurt alone was like "love it", let alone all the other components.

And here is what it looked like in person:

We then head to Course 3, which is the phenomenal (ok, you pick your own words) black sea bass.


Being a sea food lover myself, you have to understand the importance of fresh fish, let alone great tasting fish. Using salt crust, with some asparagus and an awesome mouth watering hollandaise sauce, this 3rd course really can take you to heaven and back in no time.

I knew you would ask. You are saying to yourself, show me what you are talking about, so here we go. Watch the magician Chef Foss, at work:

We then turned to course 4, being the Consomme, which turned things around towards more deliciousness (as if the previous 3 courses were not delicious already):

The quail egg mixing with the taste of ham gave your tummy a warm and fuzzy feeling. As always presentation is key and it was great eye candy watching this happen live.

Course 5 (the Chicken Wing) continued to build on flavors from the first four dishes. As you hear Chef Foss explain the magic behind this amazing dish shortly, I have to tell you it was really wow, wow, wow with a little side dish of more wow.

Imagine you sitting in a Ferrari doing 55 miles an hour and just about to step your foot on the accelerator (I suppose you have to be a fast car fanatic to know what I am talking about). The Chicken wing was so good and the rhubarb, celery and the blue cheese gave it a totally different edge! Wow, tasty and yummy were all happening at the same time.

If you are a meat lover, Course 6 (the lamb) is really for you.

Its not fair trying to explain this dish (you had to be there). Words or video don't do it any justice. The wild strawberries with the lamb, liver and ribeye combination was great for a meat lover like me (seriously you had to be there). The mustard, garlic, and onion gave the whole dish a complete new set of flavors (and not to mention that it took the dish to a completely new height). Bravo! I wanted another plate as soon as I finished my own. Can we go for round two please?

Course 7 was the Cherry Clafoutis to put a nice closure on everything so far.

You have to finish every great meal with a great desert. So what better way to do this then getting some chocolate with a touch of fennel and some sweet violets in a superb dish called cherry clafoutis? Such an amazing way to satisfy your sweet tooth. If I wanted a second round for course 6, I wanted several rounds for course 7. Trust me!

So lets summarize.

Hopefully you have seen the previous 7 beautiful courses that Chef Phillip Foss provided for us during this amazing evening. Delightful, wonderful and amazing. Try it for yourself and find out. A great thank you to Phillip for his great talents and hospitality. Lets listen to Chef Phillip Foss talking about the restaurant opening himself:

Things you need to know (so listen carefully as this was taken straight from the Chef's blog):

• To enter our reservation lottery to be conducted in about a week’s time, please send your request to reservations@elideas.com and please include a telephone number, desired table size, preferred dates to join us, and read below.
• We are taking requests for tables seating anywhere from 1-8 guests.
• We will be serving ELeven course for one hundred and ELeven dollars.
• We will be opening with one seating at 6:00 PM Thursday – Saturday.
• Be prompt. Those arriving late will receive the current dish in the menu’s progression and may not be able to enjoy dishes served prior to their arrival.
• EL Ideas is BYOB and we do not charge a corkage fee.
• Food allergies will be observed when possible, but dietary preferences will not.
• A 50% deposit of the total reservation will be taken at the point the reservation is confirmed.
• If you cancel and the table goes unused, the deposit will not be refunded.
• If you cancel and find a replacement, the deposit will be refunded.
• If you cancel and we fill the table, the deposit will be refunded.
• Our address is at 2419 W. 14th Street in Chicago and we have parking available. Phone number will be forthcoming, but in the meantime, I can be reached at 312-315-6127
• We are NOT a ‘pop up’ or ‘underground’ restaurant. We have already popped and are very much above the ground… ‘Back Alley ELegance’, would describe us better than anything else.

Enjoy your journey and make sure you check out this dinning experience!

Till next time.

Network Sommelier