Fifth Group Restaurants has opened Ela, a Mediterranean restaurant in The Original El Taco’s former space at 1186 North Highland Avenue NE. Ela’s menu focuses on mezze and communal entrees, incorporating ingredients and techniques found throughout the Mediterranean and Middle East.
Ela’s name is a combination of “elia,” the Greek word for olive, and “ela,” a common Greek salutation that means “to come.” For example, it’s often used to answer phone calls. It’s a change from The Original El Taco, a longtime hub for neighborhood families. The restaurant’s interior lends itself more to romantic dinners or casual evenings without the kids than its predecessor, dotted with globed lighting and wicker pendants.
After 13 years of El Taco, the restaurant group felt it was time to do something new and exciting, Fifth Group culinary VP Mark Jeffers says. Most importantly, they wanted to create a restaurant that the neighborhood would love.
“We wanted to do a place that’s a bit more lively. Someplace you’d wanna go hang out for brunch, someplace you’d’ wanna get not just dinner, but drinks, and then share some small plates,” he says. “I love Middle Eastern [and] Mediterranean food, and there’s not one [cuisine] that I’ve got my heart set on… We started toying with this idea of coming up with this concept that drew a little bit of inspiration from that whole area.”
The beverage menu consists of a small selection of natural wines from around the Mediterranean region. While there’s a focus on Greek and Italian wines, you’ll…
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