I had the Deer menu on October 20th and the Owl menu on October 25th. I'd wanted to wait to write until I'd also tried the Diamond menu, but, as these things happen, it doesn't look like we'll make it back to Elizabeth until the new year so am writing now.
Above reviews are much better than what I could manage, so here were some of the highlights for me:
1) If you are deciding between the Deer and Owl menus, go with the Deer menu. I loved the Owl and will be back for it. That said, the Deer, with its central foraging theme is where Iliana really shines. Her playfulness introducing overlooked, foraged ingredients in new ways is why you dine at Elizabeth.
2) Iliana is the funniest chef working in Chicago. Two examples, one from each menu:
Deer menu: "Crab Apples and Hazelnuts" was crab apples prepared three different ways. Typical Iliana - unusual, foraged ingredient, complex cooking techniques, thoughtful combination of flavors and textures. Also "typical Iliana" is that with the slightest grin and under her breath, as she left the table, she mumbled "and foraged frog legs". Turns out the dish included phenomenally cooked, very delicate, frogs legs. She got a kick out of the surprise, and so did we!
Owl menu: "Cauliflower Mushroom, Cauliflower, Sweetbreads, and Fresh Cheese" - yes, the cauliflower, mushroom and sweetbreads all have the same look. The best part about it is that you can tell she knows it's hilarious and wants to start laughing, but, in her very quiet way, she holds herself together. The woman is a culinary comic genius!!!
3) Unusual ingredients - Like everyone else who lurks around the pages of LTHForum, I love food and don't shy away from unusual ingredients or presentations. I agree with Tyler Cowen, An Economist Gets Lunch, that meals are a finite resource in our lives, that we owe it to ourselves not to waste them and that unusual ingredients don't show up on menus by accident (they signal a chef's passion for a particular dish). Iliana had won me over at One Sister, but she sealed the deal when a boom box was brought to my table at the Deer menu playing the Beatles' Rocky Raccoon and then she presented us with Raccoon Bolognese. When she said that we didn't need to worry about the safety of the meat because the trapper that sourced the raccoon was a trusted friend, I have to admit that it occurred to me that maybe I should be nervous. It wasn't an adventurous dish in terms of flavor or texture, but the musical presentation and its novelty are why I was there. Also, it was delicious.
4) Scott - Unfortunately, since I had the Deer menu on October 20th, Scott, the BRILLIANT sommelier, has left. His enthusiasm for the wine pairings was contagious. When presented with the option, I nearly always get wine pairings. The pairings I had at Elizabeth were the best wine pairings I've had and Scott was a gracious sommelier. His presence is missed.
5) Table shift - This should be up in the "Why the Deer menu" category, but a fun part of the Deer menu was that about 2/3 of the way through, they moved us from our original table to the recently-vacated Owl table. I love stuff like that.
6) Collaborations and service - I love the way Philip Foss has each course presented by the chef who developed it and the way Michael Carlson has the whole team work service. At Elizabeth, Iliana presents most of the courses, but over the meal, you do get to meet much of the rest of her team. No big deal is made about who did what, but it's fun for me as a diner to see how the different chefs explain the various dishes differently. Service is also relaxed and attentive. This isn't Next where John would bring over an iPad with a picture of the raccoon shortly before it was trapped and be able to tell you what it had eaten for breakfast, but the Elizabeth servers are quick to check with Iliana when they don't have an answer (and she most certainly knows whatever it might be that you're looking for).
Go!!! Elizabeth is an incredible dining experience and not to be missed!