That Damn Cassoulet...

Hi there,

I'm in town for a few days and need some dining help.

Can anyone point me in the right direction for athentic, non-american chinese? I have no preference on the region as long as it is the real deal.

Also, I have a hankering for cassoulet. Any suggestions for that?

Thanks in advance for any help.

Diane

For cassoulet, several places make it. I like Le Bouchon or La Sardine

La Sardine
111 N. Carpenter St.
312-421-2800

Le Bouchon
1958 N. Damen Ave.
773-862-6600

Both get crowded, so reservations are recommended.

Mon Ami Gabi also makes cassoulet, but it may only be on certain days of the week. I suggest calling to confirm.

Being that it's winter in Chicago, I have had a longing for rich, comforting cassoulet, so last night we went to a bistro in River North to satisfy my craving....however, I knew I was in big trouble when I had to scrape the contents of the pan off the sides. There was not one drop of moisture in this dish. The beans were so dry they were crispy! I had to take a sip of wine or water with each bite. I finally gave up. The meat products were mush and I truly felt sorry for them. It's as if this dish was sitting in the kitchen for days before they decided to serve it. (I do believe the pyramids were built with some of the bean mixture)

So today's question is: where can I find GOOD cassoulet??

Bistro Jaunty in Napa has an excellent one...

Seriously, I'd like to know as well. I think it pops up at the usual French Bistro subjects as a special. Maybe call around?

Bistro Jaunty emailed me their recipe...if you want it, I'll try to find it.

HI,

If you do a search for cassoulet, then restrict it to the Eating in Chicagoland, there are about 29 references. The only other cassoulet thread doesn't offer the full breadth of recommendations.

Regards,

I found it and will post it in Shopping, Cooking

Screw it...there are too many rules...

DMChicago wrote:I found it and will post it in Shopping, Cooking

Screw it...there are too many rules...

Rules are really an issue of copyright, which are not created by LTH. Really it is quite simple:
1. ingredient lists can be written as-is because they are not copyrighted.
2. The instructions are copyrighted, however they can be edited or re-worded just enough to call them your own.
3. Credit is given to the original recipe by stating, "Adapted from <your>"

Next time you read the Chicago Tribune food section, you will find every recipe is 'adapted from.' Yes, even high powered media outlets don't have permission to print a recipe verbatim.

Regards,

The Lovely Donna wrote:So today's question is: where can I find GOOD cassoulet??

Not that I am an expert on the dish, but my favorite Cassoulet was always from Bistro Banlieue in Lombard. All the ingredients were made from scratch. I understand they even ground and smoked their own sausage. Each winter, I would make a trek out there just for that dish. Steve Byrne closed BB last summer and has re-opened it (with the same chef) as Sequel, but does not have Cassoulet on the menu. However, according to an e-mail I received, due to popular demand, Sequel will be serving Cassoulet from Jan 29 to Feb 2. It may be worth an excursion.

Sequel
44 Yorktown Convenience Center
Lombard, IL 60148
Phone: 630.629.6560
EMail: info@sequelb.com

Vie Restaurant in Western Springs has the best cassoulet I have ever eaten in Chicago. Everything in the dish is made in house...house made sausage is wood-grilled, braised pork belly, so on and so forth...It is on the menu right now but may not be on for long because they change their menu pretty often...Check it out!

I second the nomination of Bistro Banlieue, now Sequel, as having an excellent cassoulet. But I probably need to check out Vie's.

It warms my heart to see the Western burbs so well represented in the fine cassoulet area (he said provincially).

i was just about to post a thread asking for Chicago's best cassoulet when I came across this... i'm still longing for the day when i find a cassoulet as good as one I enjoyed in paris (can't remember the name of the place... one of those famed places where hemingway and everyone else hung out, somewhat near to the luxembourg gardens if that helps... not near st germain either)... i'm thinking I won't find that day soon, since even in paris at other restaurants i couldn't find one as good as the original

lovely donna, what place in river north were you where it was so bad?


i feel like i've had it at la sardine, and while good it wasn't "great" ...

I had an excellant cassoulet in December at Bistro 110, which is just off North Michigan Avenue. Nice pieces of lamb and sausage and very good flavor. During March, Froggy's French Cafe in Highwood has a special of Cassoulet Toulousain with soup or salad for $15.95. Chef Thierry's version is very good. Also, Le Titi de Paris has cassoulet on certain days. I suggest calling to confirm. I've also had good cassoulet at Mon Ami Gabi. But again, they don't serve it every day so check ahead.

Le Bouchon. Jean Claude's other restaurant in Bucktown, and its probably still on the menu.

I'll admit I wasn't ready for how cold Chicago winters are. This is some serious cold. Today's temperatures in the low-20s felt warm compared to this weekend. Biking in today's weather, however, was not a pleasant experience. But I digress, all this coldness has me craving cassoulet like whoa. I'm making an easy veg. version for some friends tomorrow, but this won't satisfy me. Pig and duck parts are needed.

Where can I find some delicious cassoulet in Chicago? I think I prefer a more traditional preparation, but I'm willing to try something fresh and new if it's also delicious. It also helps if said cassoulet is always on the menu in the winter. I don't know if my fragile, frozen soul could take the disappointment of showing up somewhere only to have it be not on offer.

Help thaw me, please. Thanks.

Hi,

Your query was merged into an existing cassoulet thread. If you were brave enough to do it yourself, there is an extensive thread over at Cooking and Shopping.

Regards,

Brasserie Jo has what I would consider a very traditional version, but - that said - I don't like it. I think I just might not be a cassoulet fan. The beans are always so overcooked, and it tastes like excessively rich, mushy, fatty spackle to me.

Although it's been a few years since I was there,
may I recommend Le Bouchon?
Cassoulet...yumdroolyum

A T, Jefferson was quite pleased with the "breakfast cassoulet" at North Center's Chalkboard about a month back.

It also bears mentioning that the newly-opened Balsan in the Elysian Hotel (which looks beautiful, by the way) has duck cassoulet available as an $8 side dish.

--------

Chalkboard
4343 North Lincoln Avenue, Chicago, IL‎
(773) 477-7144‎

Balsan
11 East Walton Street, Chicago, IL‎
(312) 646-1300‎

BryanZ wrote:I'll admit I wasn't ready for how cold Chicago winters are. This is some serious cold. Today's temperatures in the low-20s felt warm compared to this weekend.

Heh, heh, heh.

Kennyz wrote:The beans are always so overcooked, and it tastes like excessively rich, mushy, fatty spackle to me.

This reminds me, I need to get back to Brasserie Jo. Thanks for the bump. Your description makes the cassoulet sound great.

Haha, I thought the same thing when I read that.

Cool, I like Brasserie Jo. I'll be eating the frogs legs and enjoying what has become downtown's best draft beer selection.

La Sardine has a version that is very good, but a little too soupy for my tastes. It may please the anti-spackle crowd. It's been a couple years since I have had it there, so call ahead to check the menu.

La Sardine
111 N. Carpenter
Chicago, IL 60607

(312) 421-2800

I learned at dinner there yesterday that Mado has begun a from-scratch cassoulet process - acquiring the ducks to cure and the pig parts for Toulouse sausage, etc. I imagine it'll be a little while, but watch for cassoulet to appear on the Mado menu sometime this winter. I have no doubt that it will be an excellent version, though I'm unlikely to order it anyway.

Meanwhile, the pigs head stew makes a superb substitute: white beans with a spicy tomato broth, fantastically spiced cotecchino, pulled head, and some other ingredients I've forgotten. One of the best winter-warmer dishes in town.

i ate at the recently re-cheffed Branch 27 the other night. pretty good cassoulet with lamb meatballs and porkbelly and white beans and a nice crunch up top. if i can remember it's around $28 and def. big enough for two (though our server did try to pitch it for one of us, which seemed a bit weird.) the pork belly slabs were really big, too big for me. the meatballs were really delicious.

mado is completely overrated. i really don't get it. i had a pork meatball cassoulet there the other day, it was really small, fairly flavorless, and severely overpriced (don't even get me started on their saltless, lukewarm, brandade!)

also... it's balsaM, not balsan, i believe.

atb,
sailingfanblues

Oh man, I need to stop drinking. It totally slipped my mind that I had the cassoulet at Branch 27 before the holiday break. It's good, very large. I'm probably looking for something a bit smaller and cheaper. Branch 27 is really solid now, by the way, but that's a whole different thread.

sailingfanblues wrote:
also... it's balsaM, not balsan, i believe.

BalsaN. At least according to everything I can find on the 'net. I'm eating there tomorrow night. Cassoulet is highly likely.

basis wrote:

sailingfanblues wrote:
also... it's balsaM, not balsan, i believe.

BalsaN. At least according to everything I can find on the 'net.

You are correct sir.

Look forward to hearing about your experience!

Was at Lula Cafe last night and they had a Goose and pork belly cassoulet on the menu. Didn't try it, but I am sure it is good if not excellent. NOTE: if you go make sure to get the peach tart dessert. YUM!