Category Archives: French

Creperie Saint Germain

Posted on by

**** (4 stars)

This is a very authentic creperie. That is to say, it is French. So don’t expect to find American-style overstuffed crepes that resemble burritos. The crepes here are thin, light, and filled with mostly excellent savory or sweet items. The salad is also extremely authentic, with a Dijon vinaigrette you don’t see many places in the US. I was not particularly impressed with the onion soup, but I like mine with a touch of sweetness, so that’s just me. Cozy, cafe ambiance, and some outdoor sidewalk dining available as well. Owned by the same people as Bistro Bordeaux, a few blocks away.

Creperie Saint Germain
1512 Sherman Ave
Evanston, IL 60201
(847) 859-2647
http://www.yelp.com/biz/creperie-saint-germain-evanston

Chef’s Station

Posted on by

**** (4 stars)

I love the outdoor ambiance of this place on a nice evening, although inside is cozy and pleasant, too. Service is great: professional yet friendly. It’s a good sign when I see the same personnel year after year. The food is really top notch, and I feel under-appreciated, as this is a much better meal than at Oceanique, and it’s actually even more French than that place. One of the best upscale dining experiences in Evanston for sure.

Chef’s Station
915 Davis St
Evanston, IL 60201
(847) 570-9821
http://www.yelp.com/biz/chefs-station-evanston

Les Nomades

Posted on by

*** (3 stars)

Not one of my favorites in Chicago. Service is stuffy and controlling, the pacing of dinner is too fast, and there isn’t a knockout dish on the menu. The decor is nice, and I suppose it’s a good place to impress a date or business associate, but there is better French food to be had in the Chicago area. Restaurant Michael in Winnetka, for example, offers a better meal at half the price.

Les Nomades
222 E Ontario St
Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 649-9010
http://www.yelp.com/biz/les-nomades-chicago

Picasso

Posted on by

***** (5 stars)

I’d been to this restaurant before and wasn’t that impressed with the food, but this time it was a home run. Two of us had the Menu Degustation, while one had the Prix Fixe. That was problably the best best, as the snapper, in particular, was deliciously seasoned and perfectly cooked. The highlight of the five-course degustation was probably the foie gras, although it was all excellent.

Picasso
3600 S Las Vegas Blvd
Las Vegas, NV 89109
(702) 693-8105
http://www.yelp.com/biz/picasso-las-vegas

Michael

Posted on by

***** (5 stars)

A really top-notch French restaurant with extremely reasonable prices for what you get. The wine pairings, in particular, are extremely attractive.

The restaurant is the latest project of award-winning chef Michael Lachowicz. During our Thursday night visit the place was almost full. What we received was a delicious five-course French meal for two people with matching wine pairings. Each course was super, and the matching wines paired perfectly with the food. We had:

   goat cheese puff amuse bouche (we were actually served this twice, which was great!)
   corn soup (paired with an Italian white)
   zucchini with goat cheese in pastry
   seared salmon (paired with a white Burgundy)
   roast pork in pastry (paired with an Argentinian Cabernet Sauvignon)
   chocolate souffle with chocolate sauce and strawberries
   chocolate truffles

Service seemed well-intentioned, but not really at the caliber of the food. This was one of the dressier restaurants I’ve been to around Evanston, with many of the men in coats and ties. That was ironic, because the owner is extremely friendly and casual, working the front desk in jeans and a short sleeve shirt!

This place has definitely made it onto our regular dining list.

Michael
64 Green Bay Rd
Winnetka, IL 60093
(847) 441-3100
http://www.yelp.com/biz/michael-winnetka

Guy Savoy

Posted on by

** (2 stars)

This three star Michelin chef’s restaurant cemented my opinion of Michelin ratings: that they’re a good indicator of price, but not quality. This meal cost more than double the comparable meal at the best restaurant in the US, 11 Madison Park. Quality: variable. The first three courses (of 13) were solid 9s, but after that they all, categorically, devolved into less than 5 on a scale of 10. It’s not really worth reporting them here, because they change frequently. But why would you ruin a piece of nice salmon by freezing it on dry ice? The wine paring was top notch, though. This would be a distant last of all the fine dining experiences during our week in Vegas. It pales in comparison to l’Atelier.

Guy Savoy
3570 Las Vegas Boulevard South
Las Vegas, NV 89109
(702) 731-7286
http://www.yelp.com/biz/guy-savoy-las-vegas-2

L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon

Posted on by

***** (5 stars)

We’ve been to l’Atelier in New York, London and Las Vegas, and it’s one of our favorite restaurants. Designed a bit like a sushi bar, the best tables place you at a counter facing into the kitchen, where a half dozen chef’s efficiently and quietly prepare your meal as you watch. Across the counter from you, your dedicate server acts as a friendly and knowledgeable host. We had the tasting menu, ten or so small plates with a half dozen matching wines. Everything was superb, but the knockouts for me were: all the breads, the little pizza-like thing with a quail egg and bacon on it, and the partially smoked salmon. We loved the foie gras parfait amuse bouche. We’ve also been to the more formal Joel Robuchon next door, but it is stuffy and the food seems less interesting than at l’Atelier.

L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon
3799 Las Vegas Blvd S
Las Vegas, NV 89109
(702) 891-7358
http://www.yelp.com/biz/l-atelier-de-joel-robuchon-las-vegas-4

Jean Pierre’s Bistro

Posted on by

***** (5 stars)

For some time I’d been wanting to try Jean Pierre’s Bistro, a French bistro and bakery in Water Tower Place, the cute shopping village in front of Disney’s Celebration. Orlando doesn’t really have any true French bistros, with the possible exception of  Chefs de France at Epcot, which isn’t exactly convenient–or cheap.

I had some doubts when we arrived at Jean Pierre’s for dinner, because the place was deserted, and quite brightly lit, more like what you’d expect from a bakery or a sandwich shop–both of which it is, during the daytime. So it wasn’t exactly the ambiance I was hoping for from an evening bistro. But the food was everything I’d hoped for.

We started with the house made paté, a cheese plate, smoked salmon, and a salad with traditional French vinaigrette. All were excellent, especially the pate (really a terrine), which was fresh, flavorful, and had a wonderful mixture of spices on the outside. We could have used some soft, stinky cheeses, but I understand why American tastes run to firmer, less fragrant ones, and the half dozen choices were all very flavorful. The salmon was fresh and very smokey, with just the right accompaniments, and the salad was perfect, just like in Paris.

Our main courses were Beef Bourguignon and Chicken in a mushroom and madeira sauce. Both sauces were excellent, and each was accompanied by a rich, creamy dish of scalloped potatoes. A particular highlight was the fresh baked French baguette, which was plentiful and very authentic. As parting gifts the owner bestowed upon us glasses of Muscat and a fresh loaf of this wonderful bread to take with us.

I was impressed that the owner, with little assistance, could turn out such a diverse offering in so little time; and there were at least twenty other dishes we could have chosen. Prices are very reasonable, and the wine list has a couple of nice choices at good prices. It’s too bad his location isn’t higher profile, and that his website is fairly poor, because this is just the sort of French bistro Orlando needs.

Jean Pierre’s Bistro
17 Blake Blvd
Celebration, FL 34747
(321) 939-7588
http://www.yelp.com/biz/jean-pierres-bistro-celebration