Elements Tapas Bar and Lounge

Flat iron steak, tomato butter glaze and potatoes. It's the way to go. Best steak I've ever had! Or at least number 2... real good.

Great food and good cocktails, a little pricey.

The food was very good and very creative. The service was a little spotty but I happened to be there at a time that they were participating in a street fair, handing out wine tastings and hors d'oeuvres right in front of the restaurant. I got there a little early intentionally to avoid any possible wait. That worked well but I did not have the benefit of seeing plates on tables. Their tapas are really quite large. I'm a big guy and I eat more than I should but one cold plate, one hot veggie plate and one seafood plate was too much even for me.

The cold plate was whole, fresh, seedless grapes completely but thinly coated in a relatively mild, local blue cheese and then rolled in finely chopped nuts. Fabulous! The hot veggie plate was Brussels sprouts sautéed with their house smoked bacon and served with a mustard sauce. The sprouts maintained a little more of their bitterness than I wold prefer but that, I think, is a matter of personal taste. I have some of each of those left for lunch tomorrow.

The seafood dish was really extraordinary. It consists of fresh sardines wrapped in the house bacon and grilled. Those are served over a green olive tapenade and dressed with a lemon aioli. I was intrigued by the fresh sardines and wanted to try it despite some reservations. I thought the taste of the fish might be overshadowed by the olives. It was not. I thought it might be too heavy. After all, it consists of all rich ingredients: sardines, bacon, olives and mayonnaise. Somehow the chef has achieved well balanced and strangely refreshing dish despite having fat wrapped in fat and served over and under fat. (As fats go the are mostly healthy fats.)

I'm impressed.