Restaurant Ellē has an all-star cast starting with co-owners Nick Pimentel of Bad Saint and his wife Lizzy Evelyn of Paisley Fig. They conceived of the all-day hang where Heller’s Bakery once operated in Mount Pleasant.

Until recently, the restaurant only served pastries, bread, and coffee but now the kitchen team is in full blast, with Executive Chef Brad Deboy of Blue Duck Tavern at the helm.

Deboy is backed by sous chefs with experience at Tail Up Goat and The Dabney, not to mention former Le Diplomate bread man Dan Fogg and Pastry Chef Alison O’Brien. O’Brien’s resume includes a stop at the shuttered fine dining restaurant CityZen.

Take a look at the opening dinner menu (subject to change). It’s focused on different ways of preserving food spanning from fermenting and aging to curing and smoking. Prices range from $9 to $22.

Spicy farm apples with toasted pumpkin seeds, honey, and lime

Charred broccoli and fennel salad with mustard green pesto, Parmesan, and anchovy crouton

House-made charcuterie with capacolla, mortadella, and pickled green tomato

BBQ brisket with kimchi salsa, house crème fraîche, and Manos de Maiz masa

Grilled kimchi toast on country loaf with labneh and XO sauce

Grilled beet steak tartine with fermented rice “Béarnaise” sauce, fried onions, and salsa verde

Baked “bag & cheese” with baguette, roasted mushrooms, and a cheese cracker crust

Hot duck & biscuits with duck confit, buttermilk dressing, and fermented squash slaw

Grilled mojo pork with Castle Valley grits, sweet & spicy mustard, and shrimp sofrito

Pair dinner with cocktails from Sean MacPherson who has shaken and stirred at Room 11 and Columbia Room or wine from sommelier Alaina Dyne who worked at two restaurants known for their creative wine pairings—Komi and Little Serrow. 

Dinner is served Wednesdays through Mondays from 5:30 to 11:30 p.m. Reservations will soon be available on Resy.

Restaurant Ellē. 3221 Mt Pleasant St. NW; (202) 652.0040; eatatelle.com