Mount Pleasant Newcomer Elle Is Now Serving Dinner

Bright and airy Mount Pleasant newcomer Ellē gave the neighborhood a new option for daytime pastries and java in January, and now a newly added dinner service brings inventive bites like kimchi toast and vegetarian bolognese into the mix.

The bakery, bar, and restaurant all in one (3221 Mt. Pleasant Street NW) comes from Nick Pimentel (Bad Saint/Room 11) and his wife Lizzy Evelyn (Paisley Fig), with a kitchen staff that all hails from Michelin-starred restaurants. Executive chef Brad Deboy tapped Chris Yates, his former colleague at Blue Duck Tavern (who also worked at The Dabney) as sous chef, along with Demetri Mechelis (Tail Up Goat).

Their inaugural dinner menu was all vegetarian at first, and some meat options like a hot duck and biscuit were recently added. A sprinkling of seafood items is coming soon.

Current offerings like kimchi toast use fresh-baked breads from Dan Fogg (Le Diplomate).

“We are working on a more extensive pasta program to coincide with the bakery element,” Deboy tells Eater.

There’s a mushroom and seaweed vegetarian bolognese with cavatelli, and the plan is to always have a vegan entree option for guests. He says inspiration for the menu comes from “old world cooking methods, family recipes, ideas, and stories from our entire team.”

Dinner service is projected for Wednesday to Monday, from 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m., with the bar staying open until 11:30 p.m. Beverage director Sean MacPherson (Room 11, Columbia Room) is in charge of the cocktail list, while wine is picked by sommelier Alaina Dyne (Komi).

Endings to the meal include sweets like Paisley Fig’s honey goat cheese cheese cake, as well as coffees and teas from a team led by Evan Colondres (Sally’s Middle Name, Little Serow).

Its daytime café hours were just extended to 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. every day, and come this spring, a new to-go window will serve up coffee drinks and bites.

The evolving neighborhood is prepping to welcome another eccentric addition some time in the next year: a tiny underground Mexican restaurant called Amparo.