June 5th, 2009:
Elemental @ Gasworks
He said:Furnished with cheap Ikea furniture. Plain white walls and dark grey, well overused (especially in Seattle), exposed pipe industrial ceiling. Strictly no flash photography, seating for 13 people and a location that Google maps even struggles to find! Sounds
shite as my Scottish grandma used to say!
Elemental is definitely an experience. More like an event rather than a restaurant. A place to let go.
This week was Mandy’s choice for date night, and choose wisely she did. I’m going to throw it out there early, this was bloody fantastic!
[Dressed in our finest, ready for the experience!]
Elemental @ Gasworks in Fremont is actually part of an apartment building. Specifically designed to be found only by those who want to find it, you wouldn’t even know it was a restaurant until you walked inside.
No reservations, no menus, no choices, no worries mate. When owner Phred Westfall seated us he asked simply “Is there anything you don’t eat?” I quickly said no and Mandy noted her dislike of red meat. The experience begins.
Not for the faint hearted, Elemental decides what you get, when you get it and what to wash it down with. For us, it was eight courses of exceptional food and well matched wines.
[Asparagus Vichyssoise]
[Turkey Dolmas]
[Pork stuffed Chilies w/Corn, Cotija, Potatoes]
[Sesame Crusted Albacore w/White Salad]I’d have to write a novel to cover off all of the courses, and
the menu changes regularly anyways but this service was an explosion of flavors from around the world including various meats, pastas, cheeses, pastries and wraps. It almost felt like the judging part of one of our favorite TV shows Iron Chef. Heavily influenced by the sub continent, the whole encounter was over three hours long, so make sure you give yourself plenty of time to enjoy it all, and take a taxi! Small glasses aren’t in Phred’s repertoire.
Their website says “an eclectic culinary endeavor” and it really is. A truly unique experience in Seattle.
Ah, and a bit of fun if you’re a wannabe food wanker like me and Mandy. Try to guess what ingredients and flavors are used in the meals. You can make a good little drinking game out of it!
Cheers,
Brett
Ratings: Elemental @ Gasworks
Romance: 5
Cool Ambiance/Interior: 5
All Around Service: 5
Cost: $$$$
Would we recommend it? 5+: THIS PLACE IS AMAZING!
She said:I thought, instead of adding to Brett's fabulous review above, i would put together a
short list of things you should know about this place before heading out. Number one, though, is don't be intimidated by it. It's not that sort of place. It may seem mysterious, even pretentious to a degree, this secret Seattle sweet spot, but it's not. There are, however, some things i want you to know before going, so that you can have the amazing experience we were lucky enough to partake in!
Things to Know Before going to Elemental:1] Reservations? No. No reservations accepted. Really, you can only call ahead and ask if there will be a table opening up soon (206 547 2317). It's all about luck and timing. They also can't accept parties larger than 6 people. HOWEVER...
2] They recently opened up a small spot next door to the main restaurant, called
E.N.D. (
Elemental Next Door) which offers more seating, the same food and wines, but a less prolonged experience (you can pick and choose from the menu, instead of relinquishing control) so the turn around there is quicker. They also offer over 100 different wines for only $15 for a half bottle. All wines are the same price -- it evens out in the end. You can either choose to eat here, or hang tight and sip on some wine until a table opens up next door.
3] Parking: Park at the West side of the Gasworks Park parking lot. Free. HOWEVER, we highly recommend, after our night here, that you take a cab. We weren't expecting to be drinking as much as we did, but it wasn't our choice! Phred is a master Sommelier! And he loves to share with you massive amounts of wine (i counted 12 glasses each during out 8 course meal!)
4] Location: Located in an apartment complex behind gasworks park. So, after you've parked, walk north across the street and head UP the stairs amidst the brown apartment/condo complex. You will take about 2 flights and it will be there on your left. Hidden, simple, classic.
5] If you are the type of person who is an extremely picky eater, who likes to have control over what you order for both food and drink, and who wants to be in and out in an hour or so,
do not go here. Head next door to
E.N.D. where you can pick what you want. BUT, if you are wanting an amazing experience where you can sit back and relax, not have to think or worry about a thing, and are willing to be surprised by amazing dish after amazing dish, then this is the place for you.
6] Before you go, have a [small] snack. Do NOT come here starving. We waited about 20 minutes before we were helped. It's a slow process. But it's worth it. And trust me, when you leave, you will be stuffed! So. Much. Food!
7] If you are in a hurry to get to a movie, a show, a birthday party, a brisk, your great aunt June's Tupperware party, ANYTHING, do not go here. The entire meal (8 courses, remember!) took close to 4 hours. It was literally like a show... Act after act of amazing performances, constant surprises, oh, and tons of wine!
8] You don't get a menu. You don't get to order. You simply tell Phred if you have any food allergies, or if there is something you don't like. And he takes it from there. It helped me to look at
the online menu before coming, to see if there was anything (stomach, brains, liver) on there that i could NOT eat. Luckily, the food isn't anything too overly weird! The menu changes weekly, too, so be sure to take note of that.
9] There is no flash photography (which is why there are so few photos on this post) which i learnt the hard way. Sorry Phred!
10] When you are served wine, don't dilly dally with it. Drink it. Because Phred will come and replace it with a new glass of new and fabulous wine, even if you have not finished. Every wine he brought us worked like magic with the food it was paired with.
11] Just when you think that you have had enough food, they bring you more! And it's even better than the previous dish! Course after course after course. Finally Phred had to ask us, "Are we getting full"? as Brett and i are moaning and aggressively rubbing our bellies!
12] You are offered a cheese plate as well as dessert (Which, as full as we were, we of course still opted for... we love our cheeses!) which is NOT included in the fixed price... we didn't know this until we got the bill at the end. But fear not, it is so worth it. You HAVE to end with cheese and dessert, especially because Phred brings you both a red and a white glass of wine with the cheese plate, and with the dessert, he pairs it with the most delicately sweet white dessert wine, that i seriously could have drank an entire bottle of!
13] Expect to spend about $150. The 'fixed price' is $40 each person, and with 8 courses, it is a STEAL for what you get. The wine was $50 for both of us for the entire evening. i have no idea how, i felt like we drank the whole of Italy after leaving there. Add the cheese and dessert, and the entire meal cost us $154.
14] Oh, and they don't allow tipping! There isn't even a spot on the credit card slip for it. These two charge what they have to to get by. They love to showcase their amazing talents and amazing food, and your pure enjoyment is their reward. You gotta love that.
15] Lastly? Expect no other restaurant to ever live up to this place. Basically, it's all downhill from here!
For a GREAT article on this fine dining establishment, read this. And this. Oh, and this too.
Thanks Phred Westfall & Laurie Riedeman! We had an AMAZING time!
