Early Friday evening, the Jazz Den Mother and I had just about an hour to grab a bite before going to see “My Name is Albert Ayler” at the Film Archives. After a quick phone call to her son the DJ for a recommendation, we headed for Elephant, where the host greeted us like old friends, though we’d never been there before.
The Thai-influenced menu had many appealing choices, with plenty of vegetarian options. After some discussion we chose three small plates (Thai cucumber salad, sautéed garlic broccoli and cold noodles with veg) and a vegetarian entrée (Bamboo Chili "Chicken" in Red Curry Base with Lime Leaves & Basil, served with jasmine rice).
The food came out fast. The entrée was good. The small plates were outstanding. The first bite of broccoli, with luscious caramelized garlic and a touch of sesame oil, was sublime. The crisp cucumber was cut in wedges, seasoned with a slightly spicy dressing, a nice contrast in flavors and textures. The servings were generous, prices were reasonable.
The welcoming atmosphere deserves special mention. The Jazz Den Mother’s son the DJ dropped in with three of his friends, got a beer from the bar, sat down to chat, wandered outside to eat some food they’d picked up on the way over, wandered back in again, nibbled off our dishes, it was a nice, casual hang. We left them there, finishing up our leftovers.
As we hurried off to see the movie, we discussed our ordering strategy for next time: we’re going to skip the entrée and choose more small plates, including a yummy sounding crab cake.
The movie was pretty amazing.
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