Raj Gupta, master of all he surveys, food and beverage-wise, at the Westin Nova Scotian, is no stranger to big ideas.
Last spring, he decreed that he would serve Mother’s Day brunch to 1,000 people and, lo, so it was. Next, he ruled that the Westin would smite all others in the competition to serve (virtually) nothing but local fare. And so, verily, Elements on Hollis was born.
On Saturday, we ventured forth to Elements to see if it could satisfy the appetites of three big teenage boys.
Most everything about the decor is a study in calm: banquettes with upholstered backs and leatherette seating surfaces, wooden tables with woven runners and soothing music. So a gigantic photo, taking up a whole wall, that appears to be a super closeup of a flower, is arresting, but in a good, conversation piece, way.
Our waiter, Chris, is probably the best server we’ve encountered so far this year: professional, knowledgeable, smooth. He started our meal by arriving at the table with three large, silver tin cans and telling the boys they contained beans. In fact, these are the pans in which brioche is baked and they lend the crust of the bread a wonderfully crunchy texture.
A sign outside the entrance lists the farms and suppliers the restaurant deals with, and several menu items provide similar information. For instance, the beef for the burger comes from Getaway Meat Mongers and the toppings include melted Fox Hill Gouda and ketchup from the Naked Pickle. It’s a remarkably good burger.
"The patty was amazing, the melted cheese was just right, the sauteed onions and mushrooms were nice and subtle and the brioche bun wrapped it together perfectly," BJ said. "Best burger I’ve had."
The pulled pork sandwich, tasty but just a tiny bit dry, is made with pork from Oulton’s and slow roasted with apple juice and rhubarb relish, while one of the accompaniments for the seared salmon is fingerling potatoes from the valley, sliced and fried. My cod cakes, made with salt cod from Lunenburg and potatoes from Noggins Corner farm, were wonderful, perfectly crisp on the outside and soft on the inside, brought to life by dollops of tomato chow and mustard aioli.
Kath’s lunch, the Chicken Before Egg sandwich, is Elements’ take on the club house, stacked with free range chicken, double smoked bacon, micro greens, gouda and a fried egg.
"I wouldn’t have thought to have chicken and egg together, but I’d come back just for this sandwich," she said.
One negative note: gouda fries with sun-dried tomatoes and buttermilk onion rings both arrived not hot enough, as did a cup of roasted squash soup.
I had already picked out three desserts from the restaurant’s website, but Chris insisted we try the blueberries and peach soup, so I added that to the list.
The soup starts with gelato and peach relish, and after it’s presented, the server pours blueberry "broth" from a teapot. Interesting and delicious.
Most of the desserts were big enough to share, including a Garrison nut brown beer brownie served in an extra-large Garrison mug. Milk and cookies includes a large glass of extremely rich Fox Hill four per cent milk, after which a nap is recommended.
Elements also has an offering of beverages that will gladden the heart of any locavore, with 17 N.S. wines from seven wineries, sold for just $5 over cost, as well as local beers and spirits.
Lunch for five, including soft drinks, extra side dishes, desserts all around, and tax and tip, was $173. And those three teenagers? They were full. A few days after our visit, someone sat down next to me at a game and asked for a recommendation for an excellent lunch. I told her I couldn’t think of a better place than Elements on Hollis.
Bill Spurr is a features writer for The Chronicle Herald.
ELEMENTS ON HOLLIS
•Westin Nova Scotian,
Halifax •496-7960 • www.elementsonhollis.ca
