Lili — Chicago Pop-Up Dinner at Elina’s 🍽️

Just wrote about Elina’s, and last week I tried a new pop-up hosted there! The chef, Dan Weiland, is planning to open a restaurant in Chicago next year — so this was a sneak peek. 🍽 Potato cake with beet and caviar — the earthy beet flavor overshadowed the caviar, but it did wake up the palate. 🍽 Crispy kale salad with walnuts, brown sugar, and Parmesan — sweet, crunchy, and savory all at once.💕😊 🍽 Japanese pumpkin soup with curry and finger lime — tangy, spicy, and unexpected.🙌👍 🍽 Beef tartare — the cuts were a bit too large for my taste, and even with Wagyu and black truffle, it didn’t quite shine compared to Porto’s version. 🍽 Salmon — slightly overcooked but well-seasoned. With the chef’s Southern background, this felt like smoky BBQ meets comfort food — served with grits and braised collard greens. 🍽 Caramel apple pie with vanilla ice cream — warm, spiced, and perfectly autumnal. Overall, a solid preview — though the chef’s strengths seem to lie more in Southern comfort fare than fine dining. Still, a tasty experience worth trying! Follow @liliofchicago on IG for future pop-up details. #ChicagoEats #PopUpDinner #LiliChicago #ElinaHosted #SouthernComfort #PreviewMenu