Confessions of a wine slut, or Wednesday at Cafe le Coq

There are times when a restaurant is hitting on all cylinders, and times when it is missing on just about everything, but the one thing it gets right makes it all worth it. The last time I remember this happening for me was at Mon Ami Gabi, where the food is just okay, the service can be spotty, but if you want fresh oysters served in the French style with a vinegary brine, and a crisp Loire white, well it is a little bit of heaven. Just stop there, because it will only go downhill. Perhaps this is a characteristic of bistros in Chicago?

It happened again at Cafe le Coq.

The reviews of this place had been uniformly pretty good, and it was geographically well located to meet GWIV and the enchanting Ellen for dinner, so away we went.

The evening started with some miscues. Wednesday is 1/2 price wine night, but the staff started by arguing about whether this meant 1/2 bottles were 1/2 price, or whole bottles were 1/2 price. Finally it was settled that whole bottles were 1/2 price, which suited us fine and agreed with what I had been told, as well as what the menu said (truth be told, it sort of said both or either) and a pleasing bottle of Nicolas Feuillatte NV was secured. We waded in.

The service confusion continued when our appetizers were brought to table, then whisked away and quickly replaced with the amuse - a tangy little cup of gazpacho which I enjoyed.

Appetizers then returned, and my beet and goat cheese salad was okay. slivers of beet wrapped around a good round of fresh goat. Lightly dressed greens on top. Slightly out of scale for me, as the salad really came off as a large chunk of cheese dressed with beets and greens, where I would have preferred beets and greens with bits of cheese, rather than an early cheese course.

A bottle of 2000 Vosne Romanee Le Perdrix was ordered and appeared as a bottle of 1998 Vosne Romanee Le Perdrix. A fine substitution, and a pleasing wine which unwound nicely in the glass over time.

My main course was the Gigot et Agneau, as recommended by the waiter. A lovely-looking braised lamb shank on a generous bed of lentils. Sadly, the view was the best it got - salt was the dominant, if not the sole, flavor, and the glazed and crisped lamb shank turned out to be chewy and salty, not at all tender.

Ann F's recommended vanilla sweetbreads were not on offer that evening, so my companions ordered the halibut in corn and baby tomatos (nice garlicky flavor, but the halibut was a tad overcooked) and the roast duck with vegies, which like the lamb, looked crispy and golden, but was a bit dry though better than my lamb.

A second bottle of wine was secured which improved the food considerably.

Service missteps continued. Our waiter was sorely challenged to name half the cheeses on the cheese tray. The cheese course came with dessert (no, we were not asked). My leftover lamb which I though might benefit from a visit to the microwave and some herbs, left to be packed up and never returned (enjoying the wine, I forgot). Coffee was delivered with the cup protected from the diner by a Maginot line of coffee pot, sugar and cream, which had to be relocated to approach the cup.

The cheese was pretty good. The desserts were not.

When the dining room had thinned to two tables, loud music was sudeenly turned on, which we took as a sign, paid up, and left.

The bride declared herself very satisfied with her simple meal of onion soup and boeuf bourguignon. And did I say the wine, which ultimately was 75% off as they charged us for just one of the two bottles at 1/2 off, was a deal. Funny how this last service gaffe pretty much made it all good for me.

Of course, I would go back any Wednesday. Give me a simple meal such as the bride ordered, a good bottle of Burgundy at a bargain price, and a plate of cheese, and I will be well satisfied. But, for that night at least, anything that required precision in preparation or delivery was totally out of whack.

Cafe le Coq
734 W Lake
Oak Park

Next time an Oak Park bistro near the corner of Lake and Oak Park Avenue makes sense as a meeting place--and the food is a priority--go to Hemmingways.

I agree, while we had a pretty good experience at Le Coq, I enjoyed Hemingway's more and felt they had a more interesting menu. We also really like Bistro Marbuzet in Forest Park. They also have good midweek specials in the form of coupons, Prix Fixe specials and buy one get one free entree.
LO

dicksond wrote:There are times when a restaurant is hitting on all cylinders, and times when it is missing on just about everything, but the one thing it gets right makes it all worth it.

David,

The thing that made our dinner at Cafe le Coq worthwhile for both Ellen and I was your and Marie's company. The 1/2-price wine didn't hurt, but the company/conversation was grand.

The half bottle, half price controversy between the bartender and host was actually comical, someone should inform the staff at le Coq it's not polite to argue in front of the customers.

My 1/2 roasted duck entree, while edible, was slightly dried out and oddly reminiscent of Noodle's on Higgin's road, a family restaurant that specializes in $8.95 specials of the day, roast duck.

The salad lyonnaise, a perennial favorite of mine, was a (huge) mound of frisee, topped with the traditional croutons, lardons and poached egg. In theory this sounds wonderful, problem was the frisee was tough, actually difficult to chew. Thoughts of horses and hay crossed my mind right around the third bite.

Cafe le Coq is a comfortable restaurant, aside from the oddly blaring music at the end of our meal, pleasant interior with a rooster theme, as befits it's name, but not one I will be back soon. Unless, as David said, it's Wednesday.

Enjoy,
Gary

I agree on the observations. I love the maple vanilla sweetbreads, but the service at times has been horrible, and the food spotty.

The problem is except for the aforementioned Hemmingway's and Marbuzet, Oak Park is kind of a captive market.