We took our family to Elaine's Sunday for a family dinner. Very disappointing meal. Bret is an innovative and creative chef, his staff is competent, helpful and courteous. In the 2018 American television miniseries The Looming Tower, the main character John O'Neill, played by Jeff Daniels, is frequently seen at Elaine's. With menu changes almost every day, you can expect to find fresh, seasonal meats, cheeses and produce served up all year round in a style that's fun without being fussy. Very disappointed. I would not recommend showing up in jeans and sneakers/trainers. more, You seem to have JavaScript disabled. The lunch specials allow you to sample two different entrees along with rice and soup or salad. With Elaine it was different. Fresh Food. Casual dining at its best. Learn more about offering online ordering to your diners. Reviews (47) Dong boa meat was dry and hard as rock. Just ask! The food was fabulous and a tremendous value. French, German, Breakfast, Brunch, Sandwiches. Wednesday:Closed French, German, Breakfast, Brunch, Sandwiches, Honest restaurants are not affraid to post their prices online You don't have to be AT Elaine's in order to enjoy Elaine's eclectic tastes. This kind of clientele, of course, drew the unfamous but curious, who were invariably shunted off to another room you did not dare ask for autographs, either while there was always a table for Elaine's regulars and celebrities up front. Lunch: Monday - Friday: 11:30am - 2:30pm, Saturday - Sunday: 11:30pm - 4:00pm Dinner: Sunday - Thursday: 5:00pm-9:30pm, Friday-Saturday: 5:00pm - 10:30pm. Openings: Dinner Tues.-Sat. Like chicken for satay. Under new ownership, so they said. No Sunday brunch. Farm-to-table, Contemporary French / American, Global, International, Dinner: Tuesday - Thursday: 5:30pm - 9:30pm; Friday - Saturday: 5:30pm - 10:00pm, AMEX, Diners Club, Discover, MasterCard, Visa, 454 W. Franklin St, Chapel Hill, NC 27516. The "scene" picks up later at night, I would recommend arriving at 8pm or later for the full effect. Thank you for signing up for email updates. Noel Behn, Perhaps frozen then recooked? This will be on our list from now on every time we return to Chapel Hill. lukewarm appetizer. Additionally, two of the items that we intended to order and that were on the menu were no longer available because of the chef change. There have been some modern attempts at recreating the ambience and exclusivity of the old joints, but at places like the Monkey Bar and the Waverly Inn, the snobbery and mediocre food just don't seem worth being seated in Siberia. It's real, it has bad food, it is hard to get or get a decent table unless you are "someone.". C V Glass Company. Although the food was good, everything was coming out of the kitchen at the same time, consequently we felt rushed. (Ms. Becker said she had turned down the earlier offer.). Elaine's was referred to me by a neighbor who has been several times. Every product was carefully curated by an Esquire editor. To use our mobile site, please enable JavaScript. The waiters arent making any money. Seacumber, dong boa meat, pine nut fish, they all horrible. For the main entre, they must have looked in the fridge and realized they had run out of ingredients on a Tuesday and only had cilantro and duck. Becker later explained her reason for closing the restaurant: "The truth is, there is no Elaines without Elaine the business is just not there without Elaine. When bad times come we always think of small businesses and Elaine's always pops up as one of the first. Restaurants; More. Friday:Closed John's of Times Square. A southern boy at heart, Chef Jennings specializes in wild game and seafood along with traditional southern recipes that would make his granny proud. There were two families in the room we were in. Make sure you click Allow or Grant Permissions if your browser asks for your location. She was previously married to Henry Ball. The wait staff is very accommodating and the food is superb. Friendly service. We've been to Elaine's many times, and we'll be going again. . Great to see Pichet and NoLIta both featured as one of best 'Romantic Restaurants for a Date in Dublin' by The Taste. We tried complimentary duck rolls (1st time) which were pretty good. Book now at Tony & Elaine's in Boston, MA. We were embarrassed. 212 382 5679. Call us to reserve your seat and bring in the New Year with us, bring all your friends and make some new ones! And it is a small establishment. Nice weather? May 17, 2011 2:00 pm. We think this is one of the most valued restaurants in our area. My wife and I were having a celebratory dinner and made reservations but had to wait 15 minutes for a table even though the restaurant was half empty. Bring 6 quarts generously salted water to a boil. Will be back soon. I still like their food though. Excellent food in a cozy, casual environment. Step 2. Elaine's, for decades a fixture on New York City's Upper East Side, attracted crowds of celebrities from the entertainment industry as well as wannabes and people who simply craved proximity to the famous. 39 Prospect St Sinclairville, NY 14782. And even those truffle-'n'-ink-stained professional masticators intent on pooh-poohing the place will undoubtedly turn up on Second Avenue in the upper 80's for some linguine with clam sauce and friendly conversation.". That included the two five-story buildings that housed the restaurant, at 1703 Second Avenue, near 88th Street, and Ms. Kaufmans co-op apartment a few blocks away. But the spokeswoman, Cynthia Carway, said the revenue from the buildings that is, the rent from the apartments above the restaurant covered only the loan payment. Elaine Kaufman's eponymous restaurant became an unofficial member's club for New York's most happening hellraisers, but not one was a match for her spirited disposition. All in all we would return to reevaluate the restaurant's offerings. And the fact is, few people, even Elaine's most faithful clientele, ever had much to say about the same old Italian-American food served there. I love this place and we always go there for our birthdays - they have a specialized happy birthday menu! As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. I understand inf Food and service are good but one problem for me is the noise. +1 919 960 2770. It was my fiance & I 's first time there. Elaine's is casual dining at its best. Another wonderful dinner at Elaine's! The decision to shut down what was once a see-and-be-seen hangout for writers, editors and actors reflected financial reality, Ms. Becker said. Chef/owner Bret Jennings brings you authentic regional world cuisine made with only the finest local, organic ingredients, presented in an elegant, but not pretentious environment. Mr. Rugova said that there had been some resentment that Ms. Kaufman had left the restaurant to Ms. Becker, but that the workers who were upset had come to accept it. The decor, which used to be cool and interesting, is gone. The staff was friendly and professional, but service was a bit off pace. Elaine's Restaurant ($$) 5.0 Stars - 1 Vote Select a Rating! They got used to it, he said. An Italian food lover from Fort Lauderdale, FL tried it. Two entries were brought out and 10 minutes later the other 2 were brought out even when we told the waiter that we were not sharing. Since we cook to order, we can accommodate vegan or gluten-free requests. Some of those workers said, as Ms. Becker did, that business had been slow since Ms. Kaufmans death. Daniel Simone, Does anyone have info about this restaurant? Years ago, Elaine was always very proud that everyone who worked there made a good living. Elaine's was a world-famous New York restaurant that became home to writers and celebrities. [9], In 2003, New York City banned smoking in restaurants. Made with local ingredients. [3], The restaurant was noted for its Oscar night, where celebrities and visiting Hollywood stars congregated to watch the Academy Awards ceremony. The service was off from previous experiences and the flavor of the food has gone down. 212-477-0777. While the water heats, melt the butter in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. SPECIAL HOURS: Closed for vacation from July 3 to July 18, 2022. 6000 E. Camelback Rd. They'll host their official grand opening on March 18. Served Monday through Saturday until 3 pm. While we normally enjoy Elaine's, nothing went right. Elaine's on Franklin is rated 4.5 stars by 1187 OpenTable diners. We offer delivery and service to set up and serve your food on site. Call us at 860 257-4191 to order anything from our menu and we'll have it ready for pick up. Chicken itself had a spongy consistency, not great. Too many other restaurants in town including same block. Read reviews and book now. Try Elaine's to go! Enjoy! Elaine's was located on the Upper East Side, at 1703 2nd Avenue, near East 88th Street in Manhattan. I cant tell you what my wife and I discussed during our date night because all I could hear was the conversation of the neighboring tables. 11:00 am to 9:00 pm Friday and Saturday : 15% OFF all yearly plans. We all ordered different things from the menu, some people had only appetizers, two shared a main dish, someone else had the price fixed dinner. She died on 3 December 2010 in Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA. Characteristically an excellent culinary and experience with exceptional service, We were celebrating our 43rd wedding anniversary. It has a room for large parties. As some of those writers, including Gay Talese, David Halberstam, and Tom Wolfe, became successful, along with established authors such as Norman Mailer and George Plimpton, they continued to go to Elaine's for the comfort and the camaraderie. Write Review. French, German, Breakfast, Brunch, Sandwiches 8 Bond St, Great Neck, NY 11021-2448. Elaine's is casual dining at its best. Friendly attentive staff and manager/owners. It was a history of New York, and Elaine was ma%EEtre d' to that history." . American, Diner Excellent food as usual. This was not our first time at Elaine's. An Italian food lover from Cambridge, MA tried it, liked it, and rated it It's Time to Stop Asking: Still or Sparkling? Please try another date or time. Fresh food. Bakery, Coffee Shop Menu, still good food but has changed. Report Closed. Tuesday:Closed It's a lovely restaurant. Ms. Becker was reluctant to discuss whether she had considered selling or leasing Elaines, or whether she had received offers. Mike treated us like royalty even though we were just getting the early evening menu and he chose our wine pairings well. Waitress forgot table had to ask three times for main course which took over 40 minutes while others that came in much later were already served. They used old frozen fish for sushi and sashimi. Love Elaines. On Tuesday, less than six months later, the manager, Diane Becker, announced she was giving up because Elaines was not a viable business anymore. Share. Attentive service. Service lacking. This year's takeover already No. see review, great food, great ambience Food and service were fantastic! Too bad. New York, NY (April 7, 2004) - Dana Cowin, editor in chief of Food & Wine magazine, will announce Food & Wine 's 2004 Best New Chefs on April 7th at the . A young writer named Winston Groom ran up a bill of several thousand dollars, but finally settled after he hit it big with the novel Forrest Gump. It was a full-blooded clubhouse. We went with another couple of never ate there before. The restaurant lost its liquor license two days before. Peiking duck is superb as it's known for. Just ask! Well worth a visit. Bill Grenfield, the president of their union, Local 100 of Unite Here, said the contract with Elaines called for each union employee to receive two weeks of severance pay. Joseph Heller, Fried dumplings were very good. Elaine's literary cabal inevitably drew other celebrities from the arts, including Mikhail Baryshnikov, who once danced a pas de trios with Rudolf Nureyev and a chair in the dining room. The seating arrangement forces you to sit shoulder to shoulder with tables on both sides of you. The Elaines skillet crisped duck breast was 90% cilantro. They were apologetic and maybe they were short staffed that night. Alternatively, you may use, Crowne Plaza Times Square Manhattan, an IHG Hotel. Waiter service can be spotty, but the bartenders are excellent and friendly. This is one of Chapel Hills best restaurants; chef owned and operated, it has been around for at least 20 years since we moved here. [10], Elaine Kaufman died from Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and pulmonary hypertension on December 3, 2010, aged 81. A glowing review for Pichet's head Our service was amazing, all the staff was attentive and helpful. Enjoy outdoor patio dining! One family had 2 kids, not so quiet, but because of the decor and spacing of the tables it was ok. Self: Morning Glory. We had tuna and salmon. We finally got rsvp to return to this great place! Find a Table. Recently redid interior and changed menu. Both had children with them. The story of Elaine's is the stuff of New York legend, which many people fought to be a part of. Use year15 at checkout. it's a line from an old marx brothers film, but if you don't get it (the reference), at least get it (the made to order peking duck). Saturday:Closed Sesame chicken a little on the mushy side, not crispy. I was very happy with our dinner. Food was very good but that was the one highlight of the evening. Food was excellent, although they had run out of my first choice for appetizer and they said I got the last of my first choice for the main course. Call Elaine's at (860) 257-4191 to learn more about all the other amazing foods we have to offer. Elaines offers a distinct and vibrant atmosphere perfect for a night out with friends, dinner for two and large dinner parties.