thrillist

From a couple who’ve seen their share of mens jockeys done well racing horses, and a chef pulling from his German-Italian-Southern roots to scheme up a menu of comfy farm-to-table heartiness, comes Ella's American Bistro, a spacious spot with a live-edged bar offering copper-topped tables and a dining room rimmed in plush leather banquettes and framed pictures of equines covering every spare inch of wall.

Bites start with a run of sammies like super-thick grilled cheese mashing American, Muenster, and Fontina between slices of French loaf, then move on to dinnertime apps like potato & leek soup w/ chive-infused creme fraiche, pint-sized crab cakes w/ green onion slaw, and a shrimp cocktail w/ shore-caught crustaceans and BuxCo-sourced sauce that's basically a horsey cocktail, which shouldn't be confused with a Neigh-groni.

To get you big and strong for your upcoming Tae-Bo promotion test, protein-heavy mains include a beautifully gristly pork, beef, veal, and maple-smoked-bacon meatloaf coated in a veal demi-glace; Atlantic-hauled salmon w/ tzatziki and new potatoes, as old ones are gross; and Lancaster-grown buttermilk fried chicken served alongside either a waffle at lunch, or mac & cheese/braised collards at dinner.

They’re pushing a pair of Ella-exclusive red & whites from Cali-based friends of the owners, local brews, and classics like their Bombay/ mint/ cucumber Gin Fizz and all sorts of martinis, which many a powerful man has downed at lunch before heading back to work, and getting down to business with his Secretariat.

Add this to My Thrillist

Take a gander at the laundry list of noms & booze here, then hit EllasAmericanBistro.com