Élevé Restaurant in Walnut Creek brings Handcrafted, Pre-Prohibition Style Cocktails to the East Bay

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Free-Press-Release.com) April 27, 2011 -- Walnut Creek, CA – Élevé Restaurant in Walnut Creek introduces the art of pre-prohibition style cocktail crafting east of the Caldecott Tunnel. With an extensive cocktail menu designed by Thad Vogler, the bar at Élevé offers handcrafted, ingredients-based updates on classic concoctions.

Thad Vogler has become something of a cocktail celeb in the Bay Area food world – he’s tended bar at Jardinière and Bourbon and Branch, and designed the bar menus at Camino, Slanted Door, his own Bar Agricole and now Élevé Restaurant. With the addition of Élevé, Contra-Costa-based cocktail enthusiasts need no longer venture to San Francisco or even Oakland for amazing mixed drinks.

The menu at Élevé Restaurant is based around updated interpretations of classic Vietnamese cuisine and the use of ingredients that are seasonal, organic, and local wherever possible – the menu at the bar follows suit. Vogler’s style is to take an old-school cocktail and update it using fresh, artisanal, organic ingredients. This sensibility blends beautifully with Élevé’s own – updated classics, old-school elevated.

One bar favorite is the incredibly smooth Brooklyn Cocktail (a twist on a classic Manhattan) made with artisan rye, vermouth, amaro and bitters, a refreshing twist of fresh, organic orange peel, and slab of hand-cut ice. The Elder Sour, made with elderflower, vodka, fresh lemon and lime offers an exquisite balance of sweet and tangy, and the Airmail, made with barbancourt rum, lime, house-made honey syrup and a champagne float is the perfect example of a classic 1920’s cocktail brought back to life.

The bar itself channels an urban, elegant, pre-prohibition era ambiance. The striking light fixtures, quartzite bar and soft chocolate colored walls are wonderfully inviting; Executive Chef and owner Michele Nguyen designed the space herself after sitting at countless restaurant bars. The bar is staffed with friendly, knowledgeable bartenders who are always excited to offer a suggestion, and able to expertly execute the menus handcrafted creations.

The menu is ingredients-based and changes based on the season and available ingredients. All of the mixers and syrups are house-made, and the ice is specifically cut to fit each glass in one slab to reduce melting. The bar also offers a full, international wine list.

Pre-prohibition style handcrafted cocktails have made a resurgence in recent years, and restaurants like Élevé lead the way. Vogler’s menu of updated classics fits in perfect harmony with Élevés atmosphere and aesthetic. Élevé Restaurant truly sets the bar for the best cocktail list in Walnut Creek, if not the entire East Bay.

In addition to wide recognition for its bar menu, Élevé Restaurant was recently honored with a People’s Choice Award for Best Chocolate Dessert in the East Bay. These accolades follow a Diablo Magazine Food Award and an Open Table Diner's Choice Award in 2010, as well as a prestigious Michelin Guide recommendation in 2011.
About Élevé Restaurant:

Élevé Restaurant offers a twist on classic Vietnamese-style cuisine. The menu is inspired by fresh, seasonal ingredients, and bold, unforgettable flavor. Diners will encounter familiar flavors in Classic Imperial Rolls and Cubed Filet Mignon as well as unique, signature dishes like the Beef Carpaccio and Chicken “Xao Lan” Coconut Yellow Curry. The full bar offers a gamut of 100+ small-batch spirits.

Élevé Restaurant opened in 2010 and is a unique and elegant addition to the downtown Walnut Creek restaurant scene. Élevé, derived from the French “élever” (to raise, or to elevate), offers restaurant goers an experience that is just that – an ambiance that is at once comfortable and sophisticated, casual yet elevated.

Élevé is open for Lunch, Dinner, Cocktails, Carry Out and Catering, and can hold Private Events for 150+ guests. The restaurant is housed in a striking 6000 square foot two-story space, conveniently located across from Walnut Creek City Hall and one block from Lesher Center for the Arts. Visit Élevé Restaurant at 1677 North Main St., Walnut Creek, CA 94596, or make your reservation today at www.eleverestaurant.com or by calling 925-979-1677.

Menus, directions, reservations and more please visit www.eleverestaurant.com.

Additional restaurant or event information contact Élevé Restaurant at 925-979-1677 or e-mail info@eleverestaurant.com

Élevé Restaurant press inquiries please contact Caitlin Appert at Piedmont Avenue Consulting at Create@PiedmontAve.com or 510-761-5895.

bar     cocktails     East Bay Area     restaurant     san francisco bay area     Thad Vogler     Vietnamese     Walnut Creek