Make sure you get the salad isn’t often the first suggestion I make when asked what to order at a new restaurant. But in the case of Elena James, which opened in Chevy Chase Lake in November, it’s advice I could easily say twice. The wedge stack is a stunner—two thick disks of iceberg lettuce layered with house-smoked bacon bits, fried onion crunchies and cherry tomatoes, all slathered with creamy blue cheese dressing; a Laguiole steak knife in the center of the tower holds it together like a giant toothpick. The Gabagool—a chopped Italian salad of gem and romaine lettuce, capicola (“gabagool” is an American slang mutation of this cured meat), prosciutto, mortadella, provolone, cherry tomatoes, sliced green olives and avocadoes tossed in an oregano-spiked vinaigrette—brings to mind the antipasto salad I loved at Minutello’s, the go-to Italian restaurant of my Pittsburgh youth.
Bringing to mind is what chef and co-owner Colin McClimans is going for at Elena James, offering diners the kind of foods they may know from their childhoods, or riffs on them, a strategy that pays off, for the most part. “We’re trying to move away from the fine-dining expectations and price points that Nina May and Opal have,” says McClimans, referring to the two more upscale Washington, D.C., restaurants he owns with Danilo Simic. “They became special occasion places, and we want this one to be an every week place.”
When a broker mentioned the Chevy Chase Lake mixed-use development being built to the partners in 2019, McClimans, a born and raised Chevy Chase, D.C., resident, laughed at the idea. “There aren’t any lakes in Chevy Chase that I know of,” he remembers saying, and he didn’t see the potential for a restaurant to thrive there. But after the economic struggles he and Simic, who lives in Fairfax, Virginia, experienced during the COVID pandemic, he had a change of heart. “Opening a place with multiple revenue streams—breakfast, grab-and-go, coffee, a cafe, a restaurant—made sense. Also, the area between Chevy Chase and Kensington is underserved, and we are glad to be part of the retail revival here,” McClimans says. Like Nina May, Elena James’ name combines names of the owners’ children.
The 5,000-square-foot space, designed by D.C.-based Grupo-7, has two entrances, one for the quick service space, the other for the restaurant’s two dining rooms, which seat 106, including 13 at the bar, plus 20 seats outside. The furnishings are mid-century modern with a West Elm vibe—terrazzo flooring, curved harvest gold pleather banquettes, wallpaper with green and gold palm fronds and Calder-esque globe pendant chandeliers. An open kitchen outfitted in white subway tiles and stainless kitchen doors with porthole windows hint at diner decor. The counter-service cafe offers coffee drinks, salads, sandwiches, pizza and breakfast items from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays. Seating is available at a five-seat counter or in the adjacent dining room of the restaurant.
Starters at Elena James reflect McClimans’ strategy of referencing familiar American dishes. Ubiquitous Buffalo chicken wings are out; tender, tasty, finger-licking duck wings seasoned with Old Bay barbecue rub are in. McClimans braises the wings in duck fat and deep-fries them, then glazes with Mike’s Hot Honey and tops with chopped peanuts for crunch. Gochujang (Korean red pepper paste) aioli ups the heat.
Buffalo makes an appearance, but as Buffalo shrimp, four canape-size bites in which a shrimp tossed in hot sauce sits upon a small, deep-fried saltine and a dollop of ranch dressing. Thin slices of pickled celery and radishes serve as garnishes. The clever morsels remind me—in a good way—of something my mother might have served at a cocktail party in the 1970s. Chicken Caesar salad’s remake is an amusing nod to a classic dish. Gem lettuce leaves, each spread with shredded poached chicken bound with Caesar dressing, are served in stacks. The leaves, to be eaten like nachos, are topped with grated Parmesan and toasted breadcrumbs standing in for croutons. McClimans’ tender beef-and-pork meatballs in marinara sauce are more by-the-book, as are forgettable mozzarella sticks.
Entrees are less playful than the appetizers. Roasted lemon and thyme chicken with roasted fingerling potatoes and gravy is akin to what one might make at home. Pan-roasted rainbow trout, moist and delicate, is nicely boosted with brown butter and caper sauce. The fish fillet rests on a swath of creamy onion puree and is topped with fried capers and al dente Romanesco cauliflower sauteed with golden raisins for a touch of sweetness. The dish succeeds in its restraint. Hamburger fans will be happy with Elena James’ patty melt on Texas toast with Gruyere cheese, onions, mayo and pickles. I’m always drawn to pork schnitzel on a menu but prefer it pan-fried in oil and butter rather than deep-fried, like at Elena James. Mine is overcooked and dry, unredeemed by the mushroom Marsala wine sauce that accompanies it.
Elena James’ menu also features pizzas and pastas. It’s not the best pizza I’ve had and not the worst, so I don’t consider the restaurant a destination for that treat. Still, the white pizza with mushroom truffle cream sauce, sauteed enoki, shiitake and oyster mushrooms, and pecorino cheese is a good option to order as a snack for the table at the beginning of a meal, better than the two (not complimentary) bread offerings: lackluster, pale dinner rolls and fluffy breadsticks topped with grated Parm.
Pastas are made in-house. I’m a fan of the bucatini cacio e pepe, the strands dressed only in an emulsion of pasta water, olive oil, pecorino and Romano cheeses and cracked black pepper. Lasagna made with a meat sauce of braised short rib and layered with whipped ricotta cheese, pesto and Parmesan tastes fine, but the noodles are overcooked and therefore stodgy. But is this the place I’m heading to for great Italian food? Probably not.
There are three desserts on Elena James’ menu: a seasonal pie; a brownie and blondie combo with vanilla ice cream and two warm sauces (chocolate and caramel); and a terrific banana split with ice cream (vanilla, chocolate and strawberry) from The Charmery, the ice cream shop next door. The vodka-based Coffee Delight cocktail, flavored with espresso, cinnamon, coconut milk, orange and vanilla, is a lovely dessert stand-in.
I understand Elena James’ mission to appeal to a wide range of diners, especially families with small children, but I wish McClimans would rely on the talent and cooking refinements that attract us to Nina May and Opal rather than on gimmicks to dress up nostalgic food or offering dishes we easily find elsewhere. I get the wink, wink of Buffalo shrimp, but a punchline only works once, and a great wedge salad isn’t enough of a draw. Notwithstanding the desire to be all things to all people, I suspect diners would appreciate McClimans taking us down a new path; we’ve been down memory lane before.
Elena James
8551 Connecticut Ave., Chevy Chase, 240-723-7093, elenajamescc.com
FAVORITE DISHES: Wedge salad; Gabagool chopped Italian salad; pork meatballs with red sauce; fried duck wings with honey glaze; bucatini cacio e pepe; rainbow trout with caper brown butter; banana split; Coffee Delight cocktail
PRICES: Starters, $14 to $19; Entrees, including pizza and pasta: $18 to $33; Desserts: $11 to $12
LIBATIONS: Elena James’ beverage list includes 10 craft cocktails ($14 to $16), including a vodka spritz with mint, Aperol and grapefruit soda; an applewood-smoked Negroni; and a margarita made with orange habanero liqueur. The wine list’s 26 bottles are mostly from California, Oregon and France—three sparkling ($60 to $180), 10 white ($50 to $140) and 13 red ($35 to $123). Sixteen wines by the glass ($11 to $19) and eight beers ($5 to $8) are also available.
SERVICE: Attentive and friendly.
This appears in the March/April 2025 issue of Bethesda Magazine.
