Ella's American Bistro in Devon

I visited Ella's in December, three days after its opening debut, and on the first day of lunch service. Ella's is tucked away in Devon Square, behind Braxton's. I wrote up a review three weeks ago, but accidentally deleted everything while I was editing.
So let's try this again.

Ella's American Bistro is focused on using locally farmed ingredients, and strives to provide sustainable, naturally raised, organically grown and chemical free food. I think it's so great that so many new places are cropping up like this, I can't contain my excitement!

Ella's was fairly busy for its first lunch service.
The bar area is particularly appealing with bright green dining stools and a gorgeous sycamore wood bar. The inside is really quite beautiful. The dining room has large expansive windows that let in natural light, and it's open and airy. I loved the black and white checked tablecloths peeking out from underneath the crisp white linens and the vases of fresh flowers. Dozens of framed black and white equestrian photos adorned the wall behind our table.

Cheddar Chive Biscuits

Organic Bean Chili

While we browsed the menu, our server brought over some Cheddar Chive biscuits, which were fantastic. I had a tough time deciding between the Organic Bean Chili: Tequila Cilantro Sour Cream, Grilled Cheese Wedge and the Mac and Cheese: Blend of Fontina, Sharp Cheddar and Muenster Cheese blended in Bechamel, Stewed Okra, and Tomatoes. The okra part sounded really, good but when I asked the waitress said the okra mixture was not mixed into the mac and cheese but on the side. That didn't sound as good, so I went with the Organic Bean Chili. The taste was okay, but it was a little strong on the Cumin. However, The triangle of grilled cheese neatly tucked within was excellent. Crispy (white) toast, and sharp cheddar cheese.

Carmelized Onion and Apple Pizza

For my meal, I opted for the Caramelized Onion and Apple Pizza: Rosemary and Farmhouse Cheddar.  I really enjoyed this pizza, though it could have been a little crispier. The cheddar cheese paired well with the apple chunks, which probably would have been better had they been shaved down a bit.

 Of course I could not pass up the dessert menu. A gentleman came over with a case of fresh loose leaf teas and I chose a nice Green Tea while I perused the desserts.

Chocolate Mousse

A die-hard Chocoholic, I had to go for the Chocolate Mousse. It was very rich and chocolatey (perfect!) and had little chunks of chocolate blended in. Topped with fresh whipped cream, fresh blackberries and a mint leaf, this dessert was to die for! To finish, the waitress brought over some

Lemon Coconut Cookies

Lemon Coconut Cookies, fresh from the kitchen. Small, iced delicacies, that started strong with a taste of lemon with a kick of coconut at the end. I certainly felt like one of the "ladies who lunch" by the end of my meal! The atmosphere, the little touches, it was all very nice. The Chef himself stopped by our table to see how we were enjoying our meal. For its first week in operation, I was impressed with Ella's. I liked that the Chili was meat-free and easily modified to be Vegan by getting rid of the grilled cheese and the sour cream. There were some nice salads on the menu--Mixed greens, roasted Red and Golden Beets. A few of the Vegetarian things were able to be modified, but there were no items that were strictly Vegan on the menu. Eight of the nine Sandwiches had meat, and none were Vegan. I'd love to see a Portobella Mushroom or a Veggie Wrap, Panini of some sort on the menu. Overall, it's a good beginning, and this restaurant has a lot of potential. I think the folks at Ella's are on the right track!