Elaine's on Franklin - Chapel Hill

Having moved from the Bay Area, finding food in NC that isn't fried to death has been a challenge! Elaine's menu changes, so my biggest sadness about the place is that I can't always get the same dish I've fallen in love with. Otherwise, I really like thisplace. The staff is absolutely superb. The food is better than 99.8% of the places in the Raleigh area. The meat is flavorful,and tender. I have some dietary restrictions and they went out of their way to try their best to accommodate me, and did a greatjob whipping up something off menu and I really appreciated the effort. The atmosphere is casual, but neat. Most people arewearing casual wear; slacks and blazers. The wall art misses the mark, but it's not a museum and I don't go there for the art!It's a small place, but one of my new favorites.

Every single food item was extraordinary. They started with a free espresso cup of their chestnut soup. It was only about 3 swallows but it was rich and flavorful. The first appetizer was Oyster Rockefeller. A few months ago I had Oyster Rockefellerat Antoine 's in New Orleans ... Elaine 's was better. We almost ordered a second order. The second appetizer was the ceviche. It had coconut milk in it and was super fresh and flavorful. Only complaint of the night was that the tiny triangle shaped cornchips for scooping the ceviche and eating were cute but not functional. We ended up eating it with forks instead. The tunaentree came out medium rare with an exquisite broth and sauteed vegetables. It also came with yucin gold mashed potatoes.Yummy! The local trout entree had no potatoes but did have excellent sauteed vegetables as well including summer peas. Thebroth was sopped up with the bread ... no need to clean the plate. For drinks we had several of their Pimm Cups. I enjoy PimmsCups but had never had one made with ginger beer. The ginger beer added an interesting twist. We just stuck with that drink allnight. WARNING: The ginger beer was a strong ginger. I love ginger so I thought the drink was excellent but if you are not abig ginger fan avoid this drink. We will definitely return !!!

I?ve been coming to this place since it opened whenever I come back through the area. It?s a must try for anyone considering themself a foodie. Great chef, amazing wine list, and they?ve been sourcing locally sourced before it was cool. I?ve never had abad meal and it impresses everyone I?ve take here. Seriously take advantage of this local gem whenever you can

Great food and service matching the quality. Definitely one of the nicest restaurants in the area. On the expressive side, but you get what you pay for.

What an amazing dinner! We were looking for a different experience and we were blown away. My kids ate at home but they still ordered the hot chocolate cake with ice cream and boy that was awesome! I couldn't wait for the appetizers that I was alreadytrying the cake. Superb. We had the 3 cheese and huevos rancheros as appetizers and then we ordered the trout, the tuna and theduck. Each dish had it's own character of course, but in a way you would not expect. Incredible balanced and garnished and withthe right seasoning. We loved it. Since we started with the desert, to finish the job I ordered a Macchiato. Here's where mostrestaurants screw up. In my opinion, there's nothing worse than finishing a very nice dinner with a horrible coffee. Tonight wasnot the case. The coffee was excellent and the chocolate with mint mini brownies to pair it were astonishing. The staff and therestaurant were great. They even have a bar were individuals can have a drink or a meal without the need to get a full table. Ifyou want to impress your significant other or just have a fantastic dinner, this is an excellent place you should consider.