The Dream Of The '90s Is Alive At El Ideas

By Melissa McEwen in Food on Mar 18, 2015 8:15PM

(Image courtesy El Ideas)

Next week Chef Philip Foss is teaming up with other chefs to bring the 1990s to El Ideas for a pop up dinner series called Tastes Like Teen Spirit. “We did an '80s week about a year and half ago and we had a great time”, so he decided to tackle the '90s next. “We wanted to do something fun and exciting to highlight the chefs and trends of the decade” Foss told us.

“It was a really important decade in the food movement, people realizing a dish could be more than just protein, starch and vegetable. More fish started to come in from Japan, particularly tuna. Lots of sun dried tomatoes.” Foss also points out it was the decade when Ferran Adria, Charlie Trotter, Thomas Keller, Jean-Georges Vongerichten and Daniel Boulud rose to ascendancy.

But it won’t be just about the food, they want to tie in other items from pop culture— OJ Simpson to Seinfeld to Forrest Gump. And of course there will be an amazing '90s playlist and they encourage diners come in their favorite '90s inspired outfits.

The collaborating chefs are:
Justin Carlisle, Milwaukee - Ardent
Homaro Cantu, Chicago - moto
Scott Manley, Chicago - Table, Donkey and Stick
Matthias Merges, Chicago, Las Vegas - Yusho, A10, Billy Sunday
Chris Pandel, Chicago - The Bristol, Balena, Formento
Andrew Zimmerman, Chicago - Sepia

The menu runs from March 24 to 29 for $145 per person. Call 312-226-8144 or email reservations@elideas.com if you want to grab a spot.

We did try to convince Chef Foss to do the 1890s but he opted for the 1990s instead.