Schaumburg

Hubby and I are going to be in Chicago in July for one night before we go to the PGA Cog Hill golf tournament. I'm researching a good bistro to try in the area that's within twenty minutes or so of Schaumburg. I've read about Jacky's Bistro in Evanston and Barrington Country Bistro, both look like good possibilities. (Barrington is closer to our hotel.) Thought I'd check on this board to see if anyone could recommend either of those or anything else close to Schaumburg? Thanks for any help!
P.S. Last year we tried D&J Bistro, loved it but want to try a different restaurant this year.

Just about anything in Arlington Heights is within 20 minutes of you, I think. Wheeling maybe also. Evanston, probably not. If I were you, I would do a site search for Arlington Heights, pick the type of food you want and go by that. (There are a couple of other suburbs about equally close but AH and Wheeling will get you a good number.) Or alternatively, specify the type of food you want and people will come up with names.

I'm looking for bistros near Schaumburg.

The only other bistro that comes to mind is Le Titi de Paris in Arlington Heights - just slightly east of 53 on the Dundee exit. Not much posted here on LTH forum except for this. Please report back if you go.

Le Titi de Paris is great but more formal than a regular bistro. I have heard very good reviews from people I trust about the following:

Retro Bistro
1746 W Golf Rd
Mount Prospect, IL 60056-4071
Phone: (847) 439-2424

http://www.retrobistro.com/menu.html

Le Titi's menu sounds great but the entrees are priced quite a bit higher than Barrington's Country Bistro. I hope I can try it some time though! (In particular, I'd love to try their Wild Mushroom, Garlic & Thyme
Lobster Bisque!) Thanks --

P.S. I just remembered we also went to Jo's Brasserie several years ago - really good. So looking for bistros or brasseries near Schaumburg.

Not sure if you are looking for a Saturday night dinner, but Le Titi de Paris is listed on Restaurant.com. $10 for a $25 gift certificate valid for dinner only except on Saturday. If you check the posting for restaurant.com under useful stuff, people often post discount codes. Right now there is one for 50% off using code 85792. That results in a $25 g/c for only $5!

Oh my - Retro Bistro is going on my list! Menu lists many yummy things. It's only ten minutes from our hotel. These sound heavenly: Gratin of Sea Scallops and Crayfish w/ Asiago Cheese Sauce, Ravioli of Rock Shrimp & Grilled Dry-Packed Sea Scallops w/ Asian Vegetable Ragout & Tomato Fumet. Thank you. --

Oh, sorry. I missed the part about bistros. Yes, Retro Bistro is good and a good value or at least it was last time I was there.

Retro Bistro is very good, but I prefer the atmosphere at D&J - they are owned by the same people.

Bistro Banlieue in Lombard is just off I355, a fairly straight shot south from Schaumburg (and about midway between Schaumburg and Cog Hill). It is probably a 25-30 minute drive from Schaumburg (depending on traffic). Although it is in a strip mall next to a shopping center, it is (in my very unqualified opinion) one of the better bistros in suburban Chicago. The food is excellent, and the room is pleasant. They usually have some interesting offerings on the specials menu. The wine list is fairly small, but covers all the bases and often features some unusual bottles. I also like the fact that they offer small versions of all their entrees.

Bistro Banlieue Website

Just so happens that we dined at Jacky's Bistro last weekend. When we arrived for our 6:00 reservation, the place was about half full and serene. When we left at 8:00, Jacky's was cooking on full boil, with many people in the foyer/bar area, and the owner trying to give us somewhat of the bum's rush by offering us drinks at the bar if we'd vacate the table, which we declined. A Bozo no-no, IMHO. We had paid the check already & were going to vamoose in short order anyway.

In between? The food was good, solid, but fairly uninspired. My wife's French onion soup was tasty, but contained more onions than that magical wine-based broth that would have set it apart. My escargot appetizer arrived in a copper terrine; the snails were done correctly, but in an overpowering pesto garlic chutney. Again, where was the wine? An endive & pear salad was decent, but lacking the sweetness of the pear that complements the goat cheese.

Entrees were better. My 'Seven Spice Short Ribs In Reduced Red Wine' with garlic mashed potatoes was certainly filling & quite satisfying, but my mind (unfairly?) compares the dish to Wednesday lunches at Manny's Coffee Shop on Jefferson St. in the city, where the tender short ribs cooked in prunes and carrots rule. But back to Jacky's--herb-crusted salmon was done nicely, but the herb crust was more of a herb 'paste' & decidedly too much. What I tasted of the sea scallops entree, however, was really good--wonderfully seared on either side, and just right in the middle.

The rest of the rest---the 4 flavored creme brulee was interesting, in four little tasting dishes, but only the hazelnut was above the ordinary. Quite a few wines by the glass, all in the $9-$11 range. My 2002 Bordeaux was only fair (my fault for hoping) but an Oregon Pinot Noir was stellar and made the night overall for me.

I think I'd give Jacky's another try, though. The ambience was great, the noise, even at 8PM, was not above a normal din. (When did people start screaming in restaurants anyway?)

I grew up in Arlington Heights and have been going to Retro Bistro for years. It's always yummy (I recommend the prix fixe deal) but the dining room can be very noisy when it gets busy. I don't love the ambiance there. The owner is very friendly and often makes sure that you are happy even while waiting without a reservation, but the service quality varies greatly -- some servers are great, while some are unremarkable.

Le Titi is delicious, but like previous posts state, not a bistro.

My favorite bistro in the suburbs is Bistro Banlieue. Great food, great service and the ambiance is really nice, especially considering the strip mall location. I think the wine options are better at Bistro Banlieue.

asami wrote:My favorite bistro in the suburbs is Bistro Banlieue. Great food, great service and the ambiance is really nice, especially considering the strip mall location.

I was checking out Bistro Banlieue's website, when I dicovered, according to their April Newsletter, that every Tuesday and Wednesday night from now on, they are offering 3-courses for $28. That is for any starter, full entree and desert off either the regular or chef's specials menus (steak and venison are $33). What a deal! I guess I will be making a trip out to Lombard next week.

Thank you so much - Bistro Banlieue's menus (specials especially) have me won over but they are much further from our hotel. Not sure which place will win out but I will post our experience in July! Thanks for all the recommendations.

No question in my book. The best bistro in the Schaumburg area would be D & J Bistro in Lake Zurich. It's owned by the same people who own Retro, but I think the atmosphere is much nicer. The husband and I are regulars at D & J and have never had a bad meal there after years of patronage. We've had nice quiet dinners with just the two of us, as well as taking my Mom there for her birthday each year with the entire family since it's her fav as well. The food and service are always first rate. You don't say where you are staying, but D & J can't be more than a 10-15 minute drive from any hotel in Schaumburg. Just check out the map on their web site. You can also use LTH's search function for other posts about it.

Another place that we love is Barrington Country Bistro on Northwest Highway in the Foundry Shopping Center. It's the same sort of casual atmosphere with attentive service and excellent food.

http://www.dj-bistro.com/main.asp?section=home

http://www.barringtoncountrybistro.com/

I posted above that we tried D&J Bistro last year - loved it but we only get to Chicago once or twice a year so we like to try a new restaurant every time. I posted above that Barrington Country Bistro is high on our list because it's close to our hotel (Wyndham in Schaumburg where we are able to get an incredible $48 e-rate!) and seems to get good reviews. Thanks! --