This new Lettuce Entertain You offering isn’t just a restaurant—it’s a full-fledged happening.
Walking in at 6 p.m. on a recent Friday night, we had to fight our way to the hostess stand to check in. The large bar area was already packed, with an endless stream of scenesters ready to belly up to the bar and order their wine (pinot gris and pinot noir are on tap, $7/8), or perhaps the Gin Gin ($10), a refreshing blend of Hendrick’s, ginger liqueur and grapefruit juice.
Hard to believe that this space was once Brasserie Jo; now it’s filled with huge café mirrors, tiled walls, dark wood accents, and industrial touches like the huge fire door at the entrance and exposed vents.
The food isn’t exactly authentic, but it is fun, great for sharing and terrific with wine. It’s also quite reasonable, unless, like us, you order a ridiculous amount of it.
Among the “Small Plates,” you’ll love the French Onion Fondue ($6.95), an ooze of melted Gruyere cheese in a pool of thick onion broth, toasted slices of baguette on the side for dipping. All the best parts of French Onion Soup with none of the sogginess.
The Macaroni Gratinée ($6.95), larded with bits of French ham and sprinkled with fresh parsley, is the Anti-Kraft, full of honest cheese flavor and sinfully caloric. You might want to apply it directly to your thighs. We also liked the Lamb Meatballs ($7.95), served in their own sizzling dish, dotted with black olives and smothered in a harissa-spiked tomato sauce (that could have been spicier).
On the cold side, The Tuna Tartare Française ($10.95) was apparently frenchified by the presence of crispy gaufrette potato chips. Good thing, too, as the tuna was under seasoned and needed their saltiness to give it a boost.
We had better luck with the Smoked Salmon and Avocado ($9.95), served with brioche toast points. The menu didn’t mention the raw salmon, but the combination of silky salmon with creamy, citrusy avocado puree (French guacamole, I guess?) strewn with radish threads and dotted with crème fraiche hit its mark.
The Roasted Beet and Goat Cheese Terrine ($5.95) was a near miss for me; if only there had been some acid to counterbalance the ingredients; a lemony vinaigrette, perhaps? The small jar of Chicken Liver Mousse ($5.95) topped with a cassis gelée got mixed reviews, but we all loved the presentation.
The whole time I kept wondering, where are the baguettes? At first I thought they had forgotten to bring bread to our table, but I realized that the tables around us were all baguette-free. If you’re selling a place as a bistro, you’ve gotta have ‘em, not to mention a crock of sweet, unsalted butter. Come on!
Entrees were almost beside the point, but we split a few: Coq au Vin Two Ways ($19.95), moist chicken, both leg and breast, cooked separately from the crisp-tender vegetables; melt-in-your-mouth Short Rib Bourguignonne ($19.95), napped with a pool of the same sauce as the coq au vin, so dark it’s nearly caramelized and dolloped with a horseradish cream; and the Pacific King Salmon ($14.95), nicely roasted and resting atop a bed of tiny French lentils and a mustard seed sauce. Yes, there are more interesting fish iterations out there, but if you can’t make a decent salmon, you have no business running a restaurant. Always good for a benchmark.
Sides like Wild Mushrooms and Sweet Peas ($7.95), with pea tendrils scattered over them, and the Sweet Frites ($4.95), a cone of perfectly crispy, matchstick-thin sweet potato fries with Bearnaise sauce for dipping, round out your meal.
Desserts are solid. The dark Chocolate Mousse ($4.95) in another of those cute little French jam jars was almost too intense; the Coconut Island ($5.95), more mousse than meringue, was light and fluffy. The Raspberry-Almond Tart ($5.95) was okay, but definitely get the Strudel Ends ($4.95) if they’re available. Is there anything better than the crusty end bits of any carbohydrate?
The Melmans have another hit with Paris Club. Service was surprisingly good, and we were actually able to have a conversation in the dining room, so you don’t have to be a twenty-something hipster to enjoy it.
Paris Club
Chicago
