Elisabetta Fine Italian & Wine
7300 N. Western Ave.
elisabettaokc.com
(405) 849-9281
What works:The risotto Milanese is perfect.
What needs work:The pasta was slightly too al dente.
Tip: Order the ice cream; it’s more intricate than the menu makes it seem.
Publisher Kimberly Walker and I received the invitation to attend the soft opening of a new fine Italian-American concept Elisabetta on a quiet Thursday morning and couldn’t pass up the chance to see 84 Hospitality Group’s newest creation. (I never say no to Italian food.)
84 Hospitality partnered with Austin, Texas, group Excelsior Hospitality for Elisabetta, and the inspiration for this restaurant is less a single Italian region or chef’s vision and more an ode to finding what’s possible in Italian American cooking.
Elisabetta is located in the former Chae Cafe space in Nichols Hills at NW 72nd Street and N. Western Avenue. My husband and I ate brunch at Chae Cafe regularly and spent many hours there, relaxing and talking with friends. Walking into the completely transformed space with mood lighting and stunning clean wood finishes was a bit surreal. The restaurant’s vibe has completely changed from bright and relaxing to upscale, warm and cozy, which is not a bad thing. Instead of lazy Sunday afternoons, Elisabetta offers an intimate atmosphere perfect for intimate conversations lingering over wine and rich comfort food.
Lemon theme
We started the evening with the recommended drinks: Rum Lemon-Berry Milk Punch and Amici Chardonnay. The rum lemon-berry milk punch was beautifully fruity and lemony, and Kimberly said the Amici Chardonnay was fruity and dry.
Elisabetta’s menu is large and broken out into five sections: starters, pasta, entrées, sides and dessert. The waiter recommended we order an appetizer and pasta to share and then have separate entrées and sides. While we were deciding, we snacked on crunchy breadsticks that also served as an artful table centerpiece. The breadsticks were herby, but the Parmesan cheese gave them the perfect amount of nuttiness. The only downside to the breadsticks is that they’re very long and crunchy, so when I tried to snap one in two, pieces of breadstick flew through the air.
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For our appetizer, we ordered beef tartare, which came with some delicious peppery crackers that I could have snacked on all night. I’m not a huge fan of beef, but it was mixed with cilantro and was a fresh, light introduction to the menu. There was also an accompanying spicy sauce which had a nice flavor that wasn’t too strong, but definitely steer clear if spice is not your jam. One taste had me reaching for my drink with tears in my eyes. It just kept getting spicier even though I hadn’t had any more.
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We shared the Mezzaluna pasta stuffed with whipped ricotta, beech mushrooms, hazelnuts and barre noisette. Despite the edges of the pasta being a little too al dente for my taste, it had a fresh, lemony flavor and a creamy texture, and I couldn’t get enough of the delicious mushrooms.
For my entrée and side, I ordered pan-seared sea bass and risotto Milanese. The sea bass was one of the best fish dishes I’ve ever ordered in a restaurant, flaky but still moist and flavorful. It was served with marinated artichokes and salsa verde. I love artichokes and don’t get to eat them very often at home, as my husband is not a fan. These contraband artichokes were tender with a slightly lemony flavor. I’m a big fan of the bright freshness lemon adds to a dish, and it was a subtle thread running through each course. I’m not sure if it’s a purposeful theme or if I just gravitated to all the dishes that included it, but it’s there for the taking if you’re into it. Though less of a lemon lover, Kimberly said it felt classy and refined, not heavy handed.
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Photo 84 Hospitality
Pan seared sea bass.
Risotto Milanese is a saffron-infused risotto cooked in beef stock with onions, shallots, butter, white wine and Parmesan cheese. Elisabetta’s version was perfectly cheesy and with a hint of lemon and had a nice amount of garlic, and I was relieved that it was not overly mushy. I could eat that risotto multiple times a week.
Kimberly ordered the grilled half chicken with capers, lemon and herb butter and olive oil crushed potatoes. The chicken was super moist, with the perfect amount of crispiness and flavor. Chicken is probably one of America’s most cooked entrées, but it’s surprisingly easy to mess up. I steer clear from it on its own in restaurants most of the time, but I was happy to try it and find that it wasn’t dry at all. The most surprising standout of the main course were the crushed potatoes, which were super crispy on the outside but still soft on the inside and had the perfect amount of seasoning.
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By this point in the evening, we had definitely eaten too much, but the dessert menu was too enticing to pass up. We decided to order two and share. The chocolate budino tart — crème fraîche caramel, brown sugar chocolate budino (milk and egg custard thickened with cornstarch) and torched meringue — was so popular that they were already sold out, but we were intrigued by the zeppole, a funnel cake crossed with a cheesecake with a sweet lemon curd that seemed like the perfect tart, zesty ending to my lemon-themed meal. They were nice — sugary and chewy — but a little lackluster in comparison to everything else. They were a bit too big to eat much of after we had just eaten three full courses. In lieu of the budino tart, we ordered the sweet cream soft serve with Sicilian pistachios and pistachio oil. It was a beautiful, creamy ice cream with the perfect amount of vanilla topped with crunchy pistachios that seemed a lot like caramel praline. We did not want to stop eating it and kept going back for bites even after we said we were finished.
Overall, I think Elisabetta is a cozy, upscale Italian restaurant perfect for special occasions. I’ll definitely be back for more.
Elisabetta is reservation-only at the moment and is closed on Sundays. Visit elisabettaokc.com.