In collaboration with Rodrick Markus of Rare Tea Cellar, Chef/Owner Phillip Foss and Chef de Cuisine Matt DuBois of EL Ideas, are proud to introduce Chicago and the American community as a whole to the wonders of Cinco Jotas 5j Jamon - a 100% acorn fed and pure bred Iberian ham that has been cave aged for two years.

For this unique evening featuring 'The World's Most Expensive Ham', Chefs Foss and DuBois undertake the challenge of showing off the versatility and flavors of an ingredient which Chef Foss states, "Is more complex than a divorce."

Beverage pairings for the evening will be provided by Dave Thomas of H2Vino and will feature many Spanish oddities (inclusive of a rare 1975 Sherry), and cocktails featuring truffle bitters as crafted by Rodrick Markus and Adam Seger of Rare Botanical Bitters.

What
The World's Most Expensive Ham Dinner

Where
EL Ideas, Chicago
2419 W. 14th Street

When
Sunday, May 19th, 2013
7:30 pm

Who
Chefs Phillip Foss, Matt DuBois and the team of EL Ideas
Rodrick Markus of Rare Tea Cellar
Saul Sola of Cinco Jotas
Dave Thomas of H2Vino
Adam Seger of Rare Botanical Bitters

How
$250/person plus tax and gratuity
Reserve space by emailing reservations@elideas.com  

For one week only, Chef /Owner Phillip Foss and the team at EL Ideas will enter a time warp and recreate the ‘Me’ decade through the cuisine and culture of the 1980s. 80s Week dinners will feature righteous music, gnarly food, and other radical staples from the era. Costume is mandatory for diners and chefs alike, but comfort is key as the menu will last 3 hours and feature upwards of fifteen courses. 
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When: October 9 – 13, 2012
7:30 PM (6:00 PM Saturday)

Why: 
Well… why not?

Where:
EL Ideas
2419 W. 14th St, Chicago, IL, 60608

Other Facts:
$165/Person + Tax & Gratuity
BYOB
Menu TBD

Contact Allison at reservations@elideas.com (preferred), or call the restaurant at (312) 226-8144 to claim seats!

Chef Phillip Foss and his team are proud to welcome Brian Polcyn andMichael Ruhlman into EL Ideas for a one-day workshop and book signing promoting their recently released book, Salumi: The Craft of Italian Dry Curing. During the three hour session, attendees will be able to interact with the authors and observe the techniques and insights featured in the recently released book, and follow up to their widely acclaimed, Charcuterie.

About the authors:

Michael Ruhlman is the author of six prior nonfiction books, including The Soul of a Chef and The Making of a Chef. He also coauthored, with Thomas Keller, The French Laundry Cookbook. Brian Polcyn is chef and owner of Cinco Lagos in Milford, MI and the Forest Grill in Birmingham, MI, and teaches charcuterie at Schoolcraft College in Livonia, Michigan.

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Workshop details:

Where:
EL Ideas, 2419 W. 14th Street, Chicago, IL
When:
Sunday, October 21, 2012
11am-2pm
Cost:
$165/person – charged upon making the reservation

Sampling of preparations will be available to attendees.

It is with great pleasure to announce that EL Ideas and Chef Phillip Foss will be hosting the cutting edge Ideas in Food for 'pop up' workshops and a collaborative dinner at EL Ideas.

Widely considered pioneers in modern gastronomy on account of their refined and inquisitive nature towards cuisine, Chefs/Authors Alex Talbot and Aki Kamozawa are widely acclaimed for their published work and are models for how to share knowledge in the age of internet.
The three day schedule is available below and it is open to both industry and the public (think Mother's/Father's Day gift!).
Chef Talbot will be conducting the workshops and the cost for each is $125 per person. The collaborative dinner on Tuesday night will be $165.

Sunday, June 24th:
Ideas in Food, Workshop 1: 12 noon - 3pm
Topic: Sous Vide and Temperature Controlled Cooking

Ideas in Food, Workshop 2: 4 - 7pm
Topics: 1) Egg Cookery 2) Pressure Cooking

Monday, June 25th:
Ideas in Food, Workshop 1: 12 noon - 3pm
Topic: Hydrocolloids

Ideas in Food, Workshop 2: 4-7pm
Topic: Using Transglutaminase

Tuesday, June 26th:
Collaborative dinner at EL Ideas (2419 W. 14th Street, Chicago, 60608
Chef Alex Talbot of Ideas in Food and Chef Phillip Foss of EL Ideas
15 courses (menu tbd)
BYOB
7:30 m- 10:30 pm
$165/person

Space will be limited, so email your request for any or all of the itinerary to reservations@elideas.com.

Effective immediately, El Ideas is very excited to announce a new direction in the restaurant's website. In EL's never ending quest to create a more interactive and personable fine dining experience, the format of Chef Phillip Foss' lauded Pickled Tongue blog will now be taking over the url of www.elideas.com Though a redirect from the Pickled Tongue blog is in place (www.thepickledtongue,com), please set www.elideas.com for your RSS feeds and associated linkage.

Effective immediately, EL Ideas is thrilled to announce a new and direct reservation system. In a day and age when customer service is usually outsourced and anonymous, EL Ideas is very proud of the unique bond we develop with guests during the dining experience and believe it important to carry that over to the reservation process. As such, reservations can now be made by phone at 312-226-8144 or by email at reservations@elideas.com