Graham Elliot is a judge on Masterchef and Masterchef Junior, he’s published Cooking Like a Master Chef and he’s the culinary director for Lollapalooza.
So because he himself is such a big deal, it’s pretty obvious that his restaurant is a big deal too. Graham Elliot Bistro sits amid Michelin starred recommended restaurants and it is absolutely worthy of its place. The best part? These fancy meals are actually somewhat affordable, even for the broke college kid like myself.
Photo courtesy of Lindsey Becker
Yes, it’s a little more expensive than Panera or Burger King. It’s not your everyday sort of dining establishment. You go there because it’s not the everyday (I mean seriously, look at that guy lighting that cocktail on fire. That is fancy).
Photo courtesy of Lindsey Becker
With Graham Elliot’s Bistro, it’s all about the atmosphere. The waiter explained every single dish he brought out to make sure we knew what we were eating. Silverware was changed every course. Sometimes Graham Elliot came out to say hi to patrons. You feel comfortable; you’re not worried about using the wrong fork or talking too loudly.
The food there is familiar but just taken to the next level. A Grahamburger (great name A+ pun) is only $16, the sides – which are unbelievably amazing – range from $5-$9. The side of brussels sprouts changed my life. The truffle popcorn made me want to cry because I would never be able to recreate it. And the bacon mayo that came with the fries? Unreal. Absolutely unreal.
You can’t go anywhere without getting dessert, obvi. And their dessert menu is not super expensive either. It runs from about $6-$11, and they all sounded so good. We decided on the banana split.
Photo courtesy of Lindsey Becker
And guys, such a good choice. Seriously, ugh look at that. I usually hate cherries in my sundaes, but this cherry. I would eat just these cherries as dessert.
So go celebrate a new job. Take your boyfriend, your girlfriend, your best friend out because you love them. Treat yoself because you wanna feel fancy. Eat your little heart out.