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Elaine's on Franklin 463 Franklin Streett (919) 960-2770
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Review by Lisa S. Lewis
January 5, 2002

If you are planning to go to Elaine's on Franklin in Chapel Hill, make reservations! This hip, New York style restaurant is packed with people most evenings, in spite of a generous seating capacity.

High ceilings with skylights, deep muted colors and faux brick on the walls, and a few carefully placed glass block dividers give a very urban feel to Elaine's, named after a friend of the owner. The noise level is high when the restaurant is full, but there is an intimate feeling accentuated by the table spacing and small candles at each place.

Wine offerings at Elaine's span a huge range in both price and quality, with numerous selections offered by the glass. My companion and I enjoyed a good quality, moderately priced Renwood Zinfandel, but could have chosen an Opus One Cabernet blend for over $200.00, towards the top end of the red wines. It's easy to see why Wine Spectator magazine awarded honors to this list in 2001.

The menu at Elaine's changes daily and is extensive, offering seafood, meat and at least one vegetarian entrée. The list of appetizers and salads is as varied as the entrees, with many unusual combinations. For starters, my companion enjoyed a buttermilk ranch iceberg lettuce with smoked bacon and grilled red onion - an update on a comfort food classic. My appetizer was an intriguing grilled scallops dish, crispy with attractive grill marks, served over a creamy parsnip-horseradish puree with baby beets and fried leeks. Presentation of the dishes is simple and understated, letting the food speak for itself.

Accompanying the meals is bread baked on the premises; this night the choices were a nice garlic-hinted focaccia and a crispy-crusted, light sourdough. Both breads had excellent texture and taste, though they may have been even better if they'd been served warm.

I tried the vegetarian entrée - a red pepper risotto with grilled Portobello mushroom. The risotto was more al dente than creamy, though the roasted red pepper flavor was noticeable and good. My companion had the whole Maine lobster served on Thai coconut rice with a delicious and spicy panang curry emulsion. He did feel that the lobster would have been more impressive and enjoyable served in the shell, though he said the dish was perhaps the best lobster he had ever tasted, and you can't beat out-of-the-shell for ease of eating. Other entrees that evening included a twist on fish and chips, an aioli crusted yellowfin tuna and fries; a strip steak au poivre; and a duck leg confit. Entrees were somewhat familiar combinations, in contrast with the appetizers, which were a more contemporary blend of ingredients (house smoked oysters with apple-sausage ring and pickled corn salad, for example).

Elaine's on Franklin serves modest sized portions, the better to allow you to enjoy several courses. I am often too full for dessert when eating out, but that was happily not the case at Elaine's. I say "happily" because the desserts, also made on premise, were excellent. I had a crisp, thinly crusted apple tart served with maple ice cream (which tasted home-made). My companion enjoyed pastry chef Michelle Polzine's chocolate extravaganza - chocolate cake with chocolate ice cream and chocolate sauce, which he dubbed "the ultimate brownie".

Chef-proprietor Bret Jennings, who honed his culinary skills in Mexico, France, D.C. and elsewhere, has created an enjoyable city-style dining experience in Elaine's on Franklin.



Winner of the Wine Spectator 2001 Award of Excellence!

The dining room at Elaines on Franklin is an intimate and inviting space; the walls are adorned with fine local art