Graham Elliot Bistro - Chicago

I absolutely loved everything about this restaurant. The service was impeccable - very friendly and attentive. I appreciated the fact that it was a fine dining experience in a relaxed atmosphere. The wait staff wore the restaurant's t-shirts paired with signature red Converse shoes, which I thought was a great touch. The meal itself was delicious, with gorgeous plating and unforgettable flavors. The brioche twinkie with the deconstructed Caesar salad was a standout dish. If I lived in the city, this would definitely be my go-to spot for a date night. Graham, the owner, was also present and took the time to chat with us. He was very gracious and down to earth. Overall, I had a fantastic experience and would highly recommend this restaurant.

It seems that Saturday night was not the best experience at this restaurant. It took us over an hour to receive our entrees, but the waitress apologized and removed the items from the check. Despite the confusion with the wait staff, the food was excellent and we would have been happy to pay full price. The waitress explained that it was the last night before switching to a new menu, which resulted in them being out of 5 entrees and 3 desserts. It would have made more sense to have those items available while still serving the old menu, and then use them for specials after the transition. Overall, the long wait and menu complications were disappointing.

The food was great but not signature. It was really good and was a good value but it just didn't elevate to a signature dining by a signature Chef. Some things came very close but just didn't get there. Also, about 1/2 the menu was out. So had some of the other signature items been available, that might have changed things. The hostess was amazing, helping out with the servers and coming by quite often to check on us. I was looking for something one of a kind...top notch...like going to a Gordon Ramsey or John Besh or Emeril restaurant and it fell just short. I will give it another try when we visit Chicago again. The prices are very competitive...so you get amazing value.

The overall experience was painful. Our server first advised us that the restaurant was out of lobster (for the lobster risotto), the sea bass and the rabbit. She then ignored us for 45 minutes. After making the hostess aware that we wanted to order, the server returned oblivious to her lack of attention. We ordered the carrots for an appetizer, and lamb. The carrots were fine, but the lamb was flavorless and overdone. Despite our complaints to the staff about the poor service and lack of choices, there was no effort to ease our dining experience. Graham Elliot himself was there. Bad food, and poor effort by the staff. On the way out, our friends mentioned the terrible experience to the hostess. She replied, well, next time you visit us, we will be attentive. There won't be a next time.

Reasonably priced. Great patio. Great service. Everything was perfectly cooked.