Elm - New Canaan

It was so loud we had to move and even then it was deafeningly loud. The service was mediocre. Our waitress was very sweet but just came to the table with a pen and paper to take our order, not explain the menu or ask if we had any questions. When we first ordered our drinks they came out tasting so sweet we had to send them back. The kale salad was way over dressed. The branzino was excellent and we enjoyed the crab pasta.

I had the steel head salmon which was amazing. My husband had the branzino which was dry and tasteless unfortunately. All other dishes great. It was also very crowded and noisy. Hard to hear each other.

I enjoyed our dinner at Elm. The food was innovative and very well prepared. I especially liked the smoked trout dip as it was served with thinly sliced hot peppers and pickled onions. I also had the smoked chicken, which was perfectly prepared. It had a very strong smoky taste that you should be aware of before ordering (our waiter did tell us). The food tends toward spicy and it was a bit much for certain members of our party.

An innovative mix of outstanding food. Raw items, smoked, different cultures, in all a great choice for those with diverse tastes. A bit noisy, so prepare to lean in, but we will certainly be back.

Elms food is solid. I did feel like I was sitting in grand central station as the wait staff walked back and forth by our chairs the entire time we were there. Not sure if other places in the restaurant have less foot traffic but it was really distracting.