Element Kitchen Expands Menu, Adds Beer and Wine

When Element Kitchen and Bakery first opened two years ago, people primarily knew them for serving tasty, gluten-free baked goods, breads and pastries. Later, they expanded into gourmet grab-and-go meals. Now, the café not only serves take-out, but also a sit-down lunch and dinner every weekday and brunch on the weekends, along with an all-organic beer and wine menu. (Find the full menus HERE.)

On the new wine menu, selections include vino from California, Spain and France, and they plan to add locally blended wines from Old Town Cellars soon. Beers and cider include some local drafts from Uinta Brewing and Salt Flats Brewing Co.

East North Carolina BBQ

Since Element Kitchen doesn’t have a liquor license (just beer and wine), they had to get creative when it came to the bloody mary that’s available with brunch or lunch. (After all, what even is brunch without a bloody mary?!) So they came up with the idea for the Element Bloody Mary: house-made bloody mary mix and sake, garnished with a berbere spice rim, blistered shishito, wagyu brisket and lemon. It’s an interesting and delicious take on the traditional brunch drink.

Element Kitchen is not only totally gluten-free, but it’s also completely organic! “We say ‘more than organic,’ because if a certain producer or farmer isn’t ‘certified’ organic, we ensure their products are still antibiotic free and grass-fed meat,” owner Lucy Block explained to me. Just as the entire menu is organic, so are the wines and beers. They are all made without chemicals that are often found in drinks, which may even help you avoid that next-day headache.

Smoked Steelhead Trout and Quinoa Salad

Smoked steelhead trout and quinoa salad

Not gluten-free? Don’t worry, you won’t find any of that stale-tasting bread here: They make all bread and rolls fresh and in-house, along with their delicious desserts. In addition to these in-house breads, a few notable additions to the lunch and dinner menus include:

  • Black tea smoked steelhead trout and quinoa salad: smoked steelhead, seasonal greens, berries, cumin orange vinaigrette
  • Notch Peak wagyu brisket sandwich: hickory-smoked brisket, apple fennel slaw, caramelized aioli, house-made bun
  • Homemade gnocchi (that’s vegan and gluten-free!): with pepita pesto, kale, zucchini and tomato
  • East North Carolina BBQ pork: 14-hour hickory-smoked pork, vinegar BBQ sauce, plus two sides. (Block notes that customers from this region of the country say this is some of the best BBQ they’ve ever had! She also suggests pairing it with the Alabama slaw.)
  • Sujuk platter (sujuk is a type of vegan sausage) with grilled zucchini, lemon hummus, quinoa, petite kale salad and orange cumin vinaigrette

As for brunch, the avocado toast is one of the most popular menu items: A slice of gluten-free bread is served with smashed avocado, grilled lemon, greens, orange-infused olive oil, sel gris and an optional poached egg. (Can’t get enough of avocado toast? Check out five of favorite versions around town HERE.)

Element Kitchen's Huevos Rancheros

Element Kitchen’s Huevos Rancheros

Also for brunch, the Niman Ranch pastrami is paired with Yukon gold potatos, roasted peppers, onion, butter, Worcestershire sauce, poached egg and gluten-free toast or cornbread. Or go for the classic Huevos Rancheros with black beans, tortilla, salsa rojo, manchego cheese, poached egg, avocado and cilantro lime crema.

Finally, you can’t leave Element without trying of their tasty, gluten-free desserts. Current offerings include a Mexican chocolate pot de creme, peanut butter chocolate chip Blondie and a strawberry shortcake.

Locke Hughes

Locke Hughes is a freelance journalist currently based in Park City, who used to live in NYC until the mountains called. She believes long hikes and hot yoga — as well as wine and delicious food — play an important role in a happy life. Follow her outdoors and eating adventures on Instagram @lockehughes.