If you're not prepared to drop $95 to $145 for a lavish tasting menu at Graham Elliot, you can still get a taste of the celeb chef's cuisine. Last week, Elliot launched his third restaurant, G.E.B. (which stands for Graham Elliot Bistro) in the West Loop. Elliot also operates Grahamwich, a gourmet sandwich shop in River North.
Graham Elliot veteran Jacob Staben is working as the executive chef at G.E.B., but there's an unmistakable Elliott stamp on the place. The space is decorated simply with black concrete floors, white brick walls and a bright red banquette. Lining the walls are mock religious pillar candles poking fun at or paying homage to music legends and celebrity chefs. The menus are printed on old-school records and the wine list is typed on loose-leaf paper (just like the kind you used in elementary school). The ambiance is decidedly masculine and irreverent. Between a glass garage door that opens onto the back patio and the blaring rock music, you might think for a moment that you've stumbled into a biker bar — until you look at the menu and see offerings like gremolata and oxtail.
G.E.B. has a fine selection of wines. I sipped a sparkling Chenin Blanc that paired nicely with each of my courses. The beer menu is equally (if not more) robust, with plenty of craft and local selections. The food is versatile and relaxed enough to go down just as easily with a glass of red or a cold beer — so order what you like best.
The menu is refreshingly simple and even more refreshingly reasonably priced. Each dish is made of three ingredients and they are listed right in the description. Instead of made-up entree names, you'll find options like "linguine + clam + fennel" and "steak + potato + bearnaise." Basically, what you see is what you get. That is not to say the dishes aren't carefully crafted and artfully presented (although, they aren't too fussy). The most expensive entree is $20, but many dishes ring in between $8 and $15.
The beet + burrata + arugula is a tasty salad starter. The slightly sweet red and yellow beets play nicely with the bitter arugula, and the burrata cheese is a nice upgrade where buffalo mozzarella may have done the job. For a hot appetizer, the risotto + artichoke + lemon is a nice way to go. The risotto is perfectly creamy and the high lemon notes lend lightness to a sometimes heavy dish.
I also enjoyed the chicken + buttermilk + tarragon. The chicken is marinated to juicy perfection in buttermilk. The generous helping of tender chicken is delicious, but as advertised, all you really get is chicken, which left me wanting some sort of carbohydrate companion. The trout + spaetzle + sorrel was, quite unexpectedly, the best thing I ate at G.E.B. The trout is seasoned simply, but is full of flavor. The pungent sorrel provides a nice contrast to the mild fish, which sits on top of a bed of soft, doughy spaetzle. Wild mushrooms serve as the surprise fourth ingredient.
Dessert is as simple and straightforward as dinner. Most people will have a hard time not ordering the cookie + and + milk. A stack of warm chocolate chip cookies is served on a platter with an ice-cold glass of milk. There's no debating the cookies are good, but I couldn't decipher whether I enjoyed them more because they were truly above average or because of the simple novelty of eating cookies and milk at a restaurant as an adult. The poundcake + strawberry + rhubarb is another excellent dessert option. The poundcake is almost like a moistened shortbread cookie and the sweet strawberry and tart rhubarb complement one another perfectly, as those two summery fruits are inclined to do. What makes the dish special is the basil whipped cream sandwiched between the two pieces of poundcake. It's fluffy, slightly sweet and tastes ever-so-subtly of basil, creating the perfect ending to an early summer meal.
G.E.B. is located right next door to one of my favorite new restaurants, Nellcote ( www.windycitymediagroup.com/lgbt/Sugar-Spice-Nellcote/37332.html ), and rumor has it the two restaurants are teaming up to open an elegant champagne salon in the cobblestone courtyard that sits between them. It seems the Chicago restaurant gods have heard my prayers and answered them. Look for news of the champagne bar opening later this summer.
G.E.B. is located at 841 W. Randolph St.; call 312-888-2258 or visit www.gebistro.com .
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