Attended an event(pop-up restaurant) where Markus Ford(proprietor of Elever Chicago) was the head chef. I'm sorry to say that there is nothing good that came from that event. The price was $50 per person and it had to be paid up front for our large party of 18 ppl, which was fine. But this is how the night went: location changed from nice mansion venue to small meeting hall where we were seated in the hallway in makeshift tables. The service was so slow that the meal took 4hrs to complete. they ran out of wine and wine glasses, and to top off the night.....the waiter spilled sauce on 4 ppl including myself and my wife who had it spilled on her head. My shirt was ruined and all the chef could offer was to dry clean our clothes. the right thing to do was to comp the meals for the people that got food spilled on them. Now the food. How can you mess up a salad? We had a green salad with scallops and vinigrette dressing served in a waffle cone...ok concept, poor execution. Salad was salty and the scallops were the size of m&ms. main course was ok, had the short rib and mashed potatoes with bleu cheese. The short rib au jus was what spilled on us when the waiter was serving it. Would have given negative stars if i could, and will never attend an elever chicago or markus ford event/restuarant ever again. read more

Markus Ford turned our dinner party for 8 into an elegant feast! We began on the front porch with plate after plate of amazing bite-sized hors d'oeuvres, and a signature cocktail for the evening. Once we chatted and relaxed for a bit we all went inside to a completely transformed dining room. This once straightforward room, had been magically changed into an oasis. The table-scape Markus created used our own glassware, china, and silverware was just breathtaking. It's amazing what the addition of creative ideas (and some cool linens) can do. We were all so busy taking pictures of ourselves sitting at the lovely table, we almost forgot about the best part. The food. Ahhhh the food. We had left ourselves in his capable hands for the feast and were thrilled with course after course of yumminess. Markus and his server did a fantastic job. Plus, we had the added bonus of his being on hand to describe each dish for us. Markus used our kitchen to cook and finish each course. At the end of the night, when I wandered in to thank him and to see how things were going, the kitchen and everything he used was already spotless. To have a dinner party for 8 people, with 4 hors d'oeuvre options and 6 courses with no clean up!?!? Now that's a heavenly event! We were thrilled with his professionalism and will most certainly pass his name along to anyone who will listen. Thank you Markus! read more

I recently attended a Sip Shop Savor event created & hosted by Chef Markus Ford. Besides the fact that the event featured a part that gave back to a worthy cause this holiday season (One Hope United), I was sold on the event when I saw it featured local designers and great food! The food was more than what I imagined (taste and presentation) and I was able to purchase some great jewelry from a local business. As a Chicago native, I strive to support Chicago entrepreneurs, so I was happy to do so. It's been a few years since I attended a Chef Markus Ford event & I won't make that make mistake again - I look forward to the next one! read more

I attended an event hosted by Chef Markus and was blown away. The venue in downtown Chicago was very exquisite. The decor and presentation were regal and then there was the food...OMG! I could start backwards with the shortbread cookie desserts or the mini chocolate waffle ice cream cones with bacon garnish. The lobster bisque was killer, but my favorite tasting were the beef tenderloin skewers. The were seasoned and prepared to perfection. Not to mention the signature cocktails! The "Elevation" is still on my taste buds almost a week later. Chef, sign me up for the guest list to your next pop-up or event and every one after that! read more

I wanted to provide a quick review for Chef Markus Ford. He donated a dinner for 10 ppl to a March of Dimes event which we were the lucky enough to "win" in the live auction. The night exceeded our expectations in every way . .from the food/wine to the ambiance. The dinner was creative, unique and totally delicious. It was a night to remember! Thank you Chef Markus!!! read more