Elena James, an all-day service American restaurant, is set to officially open for dinner Friday in Chevy Chase, the restaurant said Monday in press release.
The restaurant at 8551 Connecticut Ave. is housed in the Ritz Carlton Residences in the Chevy Chase Lake residential and retail development. Starting Friday, the restaurant is expected to be open at 5 p.m. for dinner Tuesday through Sunday.
In mid-December, “The Café” portion of the restaurant is expected to open, according to the release. The Café will offer coffee, specialty espresso drinks, pastries, soups, salads and sandwiches for breakfast and lunch.
The 5,000-square-foot Elena James is the vision of owners Colin McClimans, the chef, and Danilo Simic, who first talked about opening a restaurant together five years ago, according to the release. The restaurant has a “playful and hip vibe,” offering a sleek bar and a combination of table and booth seating with a view into the open kitchen.
“Their aim was to create a fun spirited restaurant that focused on casual neighborhood dining, high-quality food and great service,” and also serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, the release said.
According to the release, the menu at Elena James is inspired by popular American dishes and is subject to change due to the seasonality and availability of ingredients.
Among the dishes on the menu are fried honey Old Bay duck wings ($18), “Gabagool” chopped Italian salad ($16), a variety of pasta dishes and pizza, and main dishes such as pork schnitzel ($27) and pan-roasted rainbow trout ($28). A kids menu will be available with all dishes priced at $9.
For drinks, the restaurant will offer a variety of wine, beer and cocktails, including classic mojitos and margaritas starting at $14. Dessert offerings are expected to include a seasonal pie, a banana split and a black and white brownie.
Though the official opening is set for Friday, the restaurant is serving dinner this week, with a limited number of reservations available, according to Resy.com. The restaurant posted on social media Friday that it would be in soft opening mode this week.
