I came here w/ one of my favorites this past Thursday night; after walking out I can declare Eleven as one of my favorite restaurants in Pittsburgh. We made reservations for 7 PM and were promptly seated; most of the crowd seemed to be of an older demographic, the average age in the restaurant was easily at least 20 years older than me.
I walked in with the intention of ordering their four course tasting menu with the wine pairing, but changed my mind the last second because I really wanted to try their Wagyu Beef Carpaccio. I ended up ordering their Elysian Fields Farm Lamb and she ordered their Heritage Farms Pork (all of the Big Burrito restaurants push the fact that they use sustainable ingredients, as is evident from the fact that the locations where all proteins are sourced are included in the dish names).
The Carpaccio was as good as expected; would I order it again? Depends on my mood, and who I'm with. I've realized I have a larger than average-for-an-Asian hankering for raw and cured meats.
I knew if I didn't get their tasting menu I'd be deciding between their lamb and duck dish (my two favorite land-based proteins), but our server told me the lamb was his favorite dish hands down, so I took his word for it and had it medium rare. I know some people complain about lamb having a "lamb-y" taste, but this lamb was well sourced and well cooked with maximum tenderness and flavor without the off-putting flavor of cheaper cuts of meat. The roasted root vegetables had just the perfect bite; not too soft which would result in mushiness and not too hard from being undercooked. The polenta was absolutely delicious and paired perfectly with both the protein and the vegetable.
The pork was a giant chop served on the bone, cooked to a suggested medium rare. The taste of well sourced ingredients is especially evident when it comes to protein as animals raised outside the typical inhumane dark and cramped living conditions have a richer flavor with a better mouthfeel. The sliced sweet potatoes were cooked well but their texture didn't resonate with me as a perfect match with the crunchiness of the apple strips and the meatiness of the pork. Everything else was spot on though.
For dessert we split their banana cream pie. The deconstructed pie came with house-made banana graham crackers topped with dulce de leche mousse with a banana brulee on the side. The graham crackers were a bit crunchier than expected but were perfect to cut the sweetness and creaminess of the mousse. The banana brulee itself of course was a wonderful textural experience with the caramelized exterior of the banana cutting into the sweetness of the soft fruit.
When you do go to Eleven, make sure you are in the mindset and mood to eating simple yet elegantly prepared quality food. Food doesn't taste as good when you're distracted and the dishes Eleven serves up are worthy of your full attention.