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Parents’ Night Out: Elize Restaurant Dine like the Dutch at this Downtown Orlando gastro bar.
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Words by Maddy Zollo Rusbosin | Photos by Jessica Friend
f you’ve ever traveled to Europe, you know that eating out there is an entirely different experience than it is here. There’s no rush to get the check, no multi-page menu offering everything under the sun and no chef who shies away from embracing local ingredients or their cultural heritage. That’s why it’s so refreshing to welcome Elize into Orlando’s dining scene. It’s a Euro-style restaurant that melds together Dutch influences with a creative take on comfort food. Started by owner Michelle Lagerweij and her sister Anne, Elize is ideal for a date, girls’ night out, birthday dinner or any other celebratory evening. With a spacious bar serving up craft cocktails, a chic yet cozy dining room and a chef’s table with a bird’s eye view of the kitchen, it’s an eatery that exudes warmth while also serving up a scratch-made menu that’s built upon the ethos of “complexity through simplicity.” It includes everything from tuna “upside down” pizza to a 12 Floridian vegetable salad to roasted white shrimp with mashed potato mousseline, brown butter and buttermilk. The inspiration for Elize came from the sisters’ memories of their childhood home — a place where friends and family were always gathering to enjoy the inviting ambiance and the good food that their mother (the restaurant’s namesake) created. “We want guests to experience that same welcoming feeling of never feeling rushed and at the same time enjoying high-quality food and drinks at an accessible price,” explains Lagerweij. At Elize, customers are encouraged to sit back and stay awhile — a feeling that can be summed up by the Dutch word gezelligheid.
Elize’s feel-good approach to dining is something that the founders hope guests will take to heart and share with their kids at home. “It’s amazing how much of children’s interest in food and their willingness to try new things seems to be determined by how much they’ve been exposed to it at an early age,” says Lagerweij, which is why she encourages parents to broaden their kids’ taste bud horizons by incorporating more unexpected ingredients into the mix. Even though it can be a challenge to convince little ones to try globally inspired cuisine due to picky eating habits, hesitancy of the unknown or a palette that prefers chicken fingers above all else, a good way to expose children to more international flavors is by serving up classic European dishes disguised as comfort food. Just take inspiration from Elize’s recipe for glazed veal cheeks, mashed potatoes, roasted cabbage and sunflower seeds below. “This dish is the ultimate slow and comfort food,” explains Leon Mazairac, Elize’s executive chef. “It feels like home and it’s something with lots of flavors, but also requires less ingredients.” Another way to keep your children engaged in their meal is to cook with them and allow them play chef. “Give them an apron and decide together what to make,” he continues. “Let them be in charge of the menu.” You can have them perform simple tasks like washing veggies or helping mash potatoes. An added bonus is that the act of cooking together provides children with a greater appreciation for the work that goes into making dinner each night. “And if it’s made with love, what more do you need?” says Mazairac.
12 PLAYGROUND Jun / Jul 2020
