Treat Yourself to The Eleanor Room in Greendale

Come hungry to the downtown Greendale restaurant and be ready to be blown away by the food and service.

by

Let’s Eat!

It was that first day that felt like spring when the energy shifted, and there was hope in the air for warmer weather to come. My friend Francie and I don’t see each other nearly enough, and we had a dinner on the books that was rescheduled a few times. I suggested The Eleanor Room in Greendale, knowing she’d be down for whatever. She’s just like me in that while we love to eat and there’s not much we won’t try, we’re really in it for the overall experience and good conversation.

We also appreciate an early dinner so we can be home and in bed at a reasonable hour. I promise we were cool once! Anyway, we moved our reservation to 5:15 p.m. because we wanted to take advantage of the nice day. I’m chronically early, so I walked around the little downtown before heading in for the last 15 minutes of happy hour (which is from 2-5 p.m. every day). The bar was packed with people taking advantage of deals like $8 glasses of wine, $10 mini charcuterie boards, and $9 specialty cocktails. Fun fact: The Eleanor Room has perhaps the biggest collection of tequila options in the area! I had a glass of their Sauvignon Blanc and two $3 oysters on the half-shell as a little pre-dinner snack.

While technically the restaurant is in a strip mall, it sits in a corner spot with ample room for a good patio in summertime. You walk into a beautiful round bar area, with dining room tables towards the back on either side. It’s sleek, modern, dimly lit and cozy. The staff is incredibly welcoming and excited to have you in their space. Why is it called The Eleanor Room? Eleanor Roosevelt visited Greendale in 1936, praising the community design as “absolutely wonderful.” The neighborhood feels strongly connected to her and its founding.

Big Selection

We had a cozy corner table in the back where we were met by our waitress Bree, who was genuinely excited to serve us! Being a waitress can be super taxing, and I take note of the headlines about people being rude to the wait staff around town. I always make a point to be nice and tip well. She spoke to the owner, Jason Cyborowski, Executive Chef Alexander Manthey, and the pastry chef to send us a good taste of the menu. And, together, they knocked it out of the park!

To start, we had a petite amuse bouche made of chickpeas slathered in Middle Eastern spices. Then, they sent us two tequila cocktails to give us an idea of the breadth of their selection and the vast capabilities of the bartenders. Both were deliciously smokey and packed a punch. Then, the dishes started coming out! Our first course of small plates included Roasted Rainbow Carrots (sumac labneh, mujadara, pomegranate seeds, dukkah, lemon gastrique), Brussel Sprouts (muhammara, za’tar spice, scallion, lemon, aleppo), and Perogies (ground chuck, ground lamb, potato, goat cheese, kabocha squash puree, stewed kale, carrot, parsnip). Out of the three, I’d have to say the carrots stood out to me the most because I’m a sucker for some labneh. But I know people in this town love a good Brussels sprout dish!

Heartier Selections

Next was a series of heartier selection of dishes: BBQ Pork Ribs (polenta cakes, confit cherry tomato, pickled Hungarian pepper, Italian salsa verde, frico), Gee’s Fried Half Chicken (confit and fried half chicken, corn ribs, mashed potatoes), and that night’s special Moqueca Stew (a Brazilian fish stew made with cod, mussels, bell peppers, garlic, tomatoes, coconut milk). These were incredible and all very different from one another. The pork ribs literally fell off the bone as you picked them up. The fried half chicken was unlike any I’ve had before, perfectly fried but a confit texture. The Brazilian stew was light and flavorful, but the Brazilian cheese bread really stole the show. Absolutely everything was delicious! I know I always say this, but I wish I could have eaten more just to really soak up all the flavors.

We told Bree we had had enough, but she insisted on a dessert. Francie and I admittedly aren’t dessert people, but the Raspberry Posset with a chocolate cake bottom (served in a thrifted mushroom coffee mug) really rounded out all the savory we had just consumed. So many small details made this big meal such a success. This is why I love going into new places blindly and trusting the staff to lead me in the right direction. Whenever you make your way to The Eleanor Room, come hungry and ready to be blown out of the water.