Visited on 06/19/2022
An Honest Review:
Spirit Elephant... do you ever have a spiritual experience while eating really good food? It is rare, but it happens. It happened here for me. New thoughts, new realizations, new revelations about life while eating the amazing food I was served here. Sound over the top? Well, you may never know how you feel about it until you go and try it yourself. The menu is absolutely exquisite and boiling over with flavor, taste, freshness, creativity, and boldness. The environment was fresh, clean, and bursting with live plants. Everything about this place was just so lovely and well-planned, I can't help but admire the owner and the team of the restaurant. Such a beautiful, elevated experience in every way.
For our first visit, we tried the Calamari Fritti, Chicken Caesar Salad, Meatless Loaf Bourguignon, Portobello Marsala, two Lemon Ginger Boosts, and to top it off, a Mammoth Cinnamon Roll. Every single item we sampled was tantalizing and perfect- whoever was in the back cooking, knows what they are doing- 100%. The flavors, aromas, textures, sauces, and vegetables were perfect. The Calamari Fritti was creating using my favorite method for vegan calamari- Trumpet Oyster mushrooms! It was absolutely fantastic. Another noteworthy dish was the Meatless Loaf, which was so tasty, herby, and swimming in thick vegan gravy. My boyfriend was particularly happy with this dish. I enjoyed the Chicken Caesar Salad in particular, because it brought me back to my childhood a bit. The dressing on the Casear was just so rich, creamy, tangy, and cheesy- a true A+! Even the Portobello Marsala was fantastic- the mushroom was cooked to perfection, like a strip steak, and the pasta was sweet, savory, and full of umami. To top it off, we split the Mammoth Cinnamon Roll. It might not be surprising to say, that Mammoth Cinnamon Roll was amazing. The drink we had throughout the night was fabulously light, lemony, sweet, tangy, spicy, and delicious- the Lemon Ginger Boost. They topped the drink off with a mint leaf and a piece of candied ginger- so precious. I am so looking forward to returning and trying more!
What we tried:
Lemon Ginger Boost
Calamari Fritti
Chicken Caesar Salad
Meatless Loaf Bourguignon
Portobello Marsala
Mammoth Cinnamon Roll
What we plan on trying in the future:
Cauliwings
Watermelon Poke
Pesto Flatbread
Santa Fe Flatbread
Carne Asada Tacos
Southwest Salad
Watermelon Kale Salad
Brussels Salad
Breakfast Tacos
Pancakes
Baked French Toast
BBQ Burger
Tofu Banh Mi Sandwich
BBQ Pulled Mushroom Sandwich
Buffalo Southwest Wrap
Tuna Salad Sandwich
Forbidden Bowl
Green Curry Bowl
Spring Risotto
Pad Thai
Vedgeplant Parm
Crabless Cakes
Cauliflower Steak
Cheesecake
Carmel Apple Crisp
Carrot Cake
Warm Brownie Bliss
Banana Bread Brûlée
Spirit Margarita
Ele Fizzgerald
Wakey Wakey
Liquid Sorbet
Raspberry 75
Mangonada
The Beauregarde
Spicy Pineapple Fizz
Elephant Palmer
Definitely check it out!
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Visited on 07/09/2022
Second Visit:
We travelled from Zion, Illinois to Winnetka, Illinois, right after spending the entire day at the beach. After soaking up the sun all day and feeling the cold rush of waves on our bodies, we needed food to refuel. Spirit Elephant is an easy choice- it is downright phenomenally delicious and well-executed, and the environment is comfortable, warm, and lively. The menu is so diverse and full of unique, yet complimenting flavors, that not only is the food amazing, but there comes so much interest from the possibilities of new items to try, menu combos to make, and the whole experience of the restaurant in general. We loved our Carne Asada Tacos- the mushroom meat was tender and flavorful, and the tortillas tasted home-made and authentic, along with the toppings- they were fresh and picked at the perfect time. The freshness and crispness of the produce here is impressive, in particular. I tried something new for an entrée this time around- the BBQ Burger, and I decided on Garlic French Fries for the side. Two words: mind-blowing. Wow! SO good. This burger tasted straight out of a southern BBQ joint on the side of a highway (the good kind). The Garlic Fries hit a place in my brain that no fries ever have- the garlic was perfectly hot-flashed, the fries were crispy, soft, oily, salty, garlicky- everything I have been looking for in my food life. My partner got the same plate as he did last time- the Meatless Loaf Bourguignon, and we loved it just as much as our first visit. It was really just as phenomenal. For dessert, we went with the brownie, and it was a great choice. If you love chocolate, cherries, and vanilla ice cream- you will be set! The richness of the chocolate brownie was perfectly complimented by the poached cherry compote and vanilla gelato. My drink of choice was the Spicy Pineapple Fizz. It was sweet, uplifting, spicy, and everything else good in this world. We were more than pleased with our trip- a totally divine way to end our day. We will absolutely be back soon.
What we tried:
Carne Asada Tacos
BBQ Burger
Warm Brownie Bliss
Spicy Pineapple Fizz
What we plan on trying in the future:
Cauliwings
Watermelon Poke
Pesto Flatbread
Santa Fe Flatbread
Southwest Salad
Watermelon Kale Salad
Brussels Salad
Breakfast Tacos
Pancakes
Baked French Toast
Tofu Banh Mi Sandwich
BBQ Pulled Mushroom Sandwich
Buffalo Southwest Wrap
Tuna Salad Sandwich
Forbidden Bowl
Green Curry Bowl
Spring Risotto
Pad Thai
Vedgeplant Parm
Crabless Cakes
Cauliflower Steak
Truffle Fries
Cheesecake
Carmel Apple Crisp
Carrot Cake
Banana Bread Brûlée
Spirit Margarita
Ele Fizzgerald
Wakey Wakey
Liquid Sorbet
Raspberry 75
Mangonada
The Beauregarde
Elephant Palmer
Absolutely beautiful place to eat plants!
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Visited on 07/24/2022
Third Visit:
We stopped here to try the brunch menu before a day at the beach and, wow- we were just blown away again by the incredible food at Spirit Elephant. This place is so elegant, and calm- I love being surrounded in a beautiful, peaceful, yet lively environment while I devour my plant food. Mmm, what a perfect spot. For drinks we started with an Elephant Palmer and a fresh squeezed orange juice. My Elephant Palmer was smooth- the tea was herby and sweet, the lemonade also with an herby essence, sweet, lemony, light and elevating. We deeply enjoyed the Pesto Flatbread for a starter- it was absolutely heavenly, especially for two Mediterranean foodies (my partner and I). We split the Tofu Banh Mi Sandwich and the BBQ Pulled Mushroom Sandwich after the flatbread- total knockouts. The portobello mushrooms on the BBQ sandwich were particularly outstanding- grilled to perfection and melted in your mouth, like a healthy, lean brisket meat. The Banh Mi had such a unique flavor, I relished every bite. I ended using the sauce they gave us for our fries (pictured above with BBQ Sandwich) on the Banh Mi and it really complimented the flavor of the other toppings. The deep fried potatoes that came with the Banh Mi were the best potatoes I have ever had- light, crispy, a little oily, just the right amount of salt. Mmmmm! So good. For desert, we ordered the Baked French Toast. Wow, just wow. Incredible *chefs kiss*. The vegan whipped cream on the side of the toast was so similar to regular heavy cream products- tasting it transported me to a simpler time in my life when I used to indulge in animal products. No longer! Places like Spirit Elephant make being plant-based and vegan so easy. We leave feeling amazing every single time. Without a doubt, we will return for more food soon!
As a side note, their bathrooms are very cute and clean (pictured above).
What we tried:
Elephant Palmer
Orange Juice
Pesto Flatbread
Tofu Banh Mi Sandwich
BBQ Pulled Mushroom Sandwich
Baked French Toast
What we plan on trying in the future:
Cauliwings
Watermelon Poke
Santa Fe Flatbread
Southwest Salad
Watermelon Kale Salad
Brussels Salad
Breakfast Tacos
Pancakes
Buffalo Southwest Wrap
Tuna Salad Sandwich
Forbidden Bowl
Green Curry Bowl
Spring Risotto
Pad Thai
Vedgeplant Parm
Crabless Cakes
Cauliflower Steak
Truffle Fries
Cheesecake
Carmel Apple Crisp
Carrot Cake
Banana Bread Brûlée
Spirit Margarita
Ele Fizzgerald
Wakey Wakey
Liquid Sorbet
Raspberry 75
Mangonada
The Beauregarde
Divine food for divine souls.
More photos from other visits to Spirit Elephant:
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