Getting Elate-d

One of the things I enjoy about this column is letting readers know about places they should try. Elate, 111 W. Huron St., definitely falls in that category. (Note: Although it’s next to the Hotel Felix, the restaurant is a separate entity.)

At a media event, co-proprietor Luke Johnson talked about the restaurant’s decor, emphasizing how environmentally friendly it is. “All the tables are reclaimed oak from a church in Atlanta,” he said. “All the paneling is recycled. A lot of the furniture is reclaimed. [There is a] cutting block [that] is over a hundred years old; it’s from 1909.”

He added with a laugh, “All the paint is low-viscosity, so it’s a green paint—but we had to put on about five coats.”

Elate is one of the very few restaurants in the city with a weekday brunch (served Monday through Friday 6:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.)—and, boy, is it incredible. My favorite item from Executive Chef Michael Noll (who’s all of 27) was the breakfast pizza, adorned with smoked ham, truffle potato, gouda, caramelized onions and a sunny egg. There are also banana crusted French toast (with peanut streusel and malt crème anglaise), a vegetarian black bean burger and the signature Elate burger (topped with creamed leeks and applewood smoked bacon, with a side of hand-cut fries) are among the other savory items. Plus, you really can’t go wrong with a bottomless mimosa.

However, Elate also serves lunch, dinner (everything from Amish chicken to cobia to Maya prawns) and weekend brunch.

Also, Elate has an industry night on Mondays with substantial discounts on some drinks. Wednesday is Dollar Oyster Night, with jazz being featured on Thursday (“Steampunk Thursday”).