Cafe Selmarie?

We literally live crawling distance from the always packed (it seems) Cafe Selmarie.....Now, we've never eaten there.... but upon reviewing the menu and...I don't know...just a general feel from look of the place and glancing at people's plates, I just get the feeling this is......well, bland and unextraordinary...especially for the price..

I'd love to be proven wrong..so please do so if possible...obviously, it has some major fans....

I was just there for brunch on Sunday and both myself & friend gave it a "C" at best, especially given the higher-than-average prices. My french toast was very dry as was the sticky bun, which wasn't very sticky. Not nearly as good as that at Ann Sather.

I had a fantastic croque mouiseur there, loved it! Service was just ok but overall a nice experience.

I've always kind of liked Selmarie, but have felt that it is a bit overrated. Never had a huge problem with the prices. I like to get desserts from there to go. I don't think you should avoid it by any means. It's definitely worth a try.

Cafe Selmarie has been a mainstay on my long list of Chicago bakeries whose baked goods look much better than they taste.

Best,
Michael

After a long string of disappointments, I stayed away for quite a long time -- a few years -- and returned last month because friends I hadn't seen in a while wanted to go there. Your instinct is exactly my reaction: dull, bland plates priced a couple of bucks too high.

this is one of those places i really don't want to like, but both times i went i had a wrap, and both wraps were the only memorable (in a positive sense) ones i've ever eaten. i'm not a dessert eater, but it seems most people i know were less than impressed with selmarie's goods.

eatchicago wrote:Cafe Selmarie has been a mainstay on my long list of Chicago bakeries whose baked goods look much better than they taste

Michael,

Count me among those who want to like Cafe S, but the time between each visit gets longer and longer*.

Enjoy,
Gary

*and longer

ParkLaBrea wrote:We literally live crawling distance from the always packed (it seems) Cafe Selmarie.....Now, we've never eaten there.... but upon reviewing the menu and...I don't know...just a general feel from look of the place and glancing at people's plates, I just get the feeling this is......well, bland and unextraordinary...especially for the price..

I'd love to be proven wrong..so please do so if possible...obviously, it has some major fans....

I also live nearby, so Cafe Selmarie is where I often meet friends for lunch. It's a matter of convenience for me - there's never anything that exciting on the menu, but I've had decent quiche and brie sandwiches there. I've never even considered going there for dinner - just not my type of dinner spot. I think you're right in suspecting that the food is nothing to rave about. Over twenty years ago, they started out as a little konditerei in the single space that is now its kitchen. Slowly they expanded, until they morphed into their present form as a full-service restaurant. The owners are bakers (at least one is), and I think that they have no particular feel for non-pastry type food. I do like many of their pastries and cookies - the Florentines (a cookie) are very good.

How do I say this? I think women like this place more than men. Every time I've been there, it's because a woman wanted to go there. I'd never choose it. And I'm certainly not saying that's because women care about food less than men. It's because women care about things in addition to food more than men. Selmarie has some kind of vibe that a lot of womenfolk like, and they enjoy the profusion of salads and "healthy option" entries, and the opportunity to be a little bit "sinful" with dessert after being "virtuous" with the main meal, and they like the lingering over coffee and conversation, and all that stuff, more than men do--and it really doesn't matter to them (or, put it this way, it's not a dealbreaker) if the actual execution of all these food items leaves a lot to be desired. They're getting something else out of the place that makes the execution of the food irrelevant, and whatever that is, it's something that many men are resistant or immune to. Our loss, I'm sure!

Rubbish, Riddlemay.

Are you saying that my analysis of the appeal of the restaurant is incorrect? Or are you saying that you believe Cafe Selmarie executes its culinary mission with excellence?

It's not possible to tell from your reply.

Riddlemay...you're going to take a lot of hits for that post....so I'll take some with you....there IS something to what you say...my wife and every one of her girlfriends positively swoon over the look of the place and the vibe (though they haven't gotten around to going yet for some reason).....it does seem a bit feminine (NOT THAT THIS IS BAD)

Now I'm not necessarily agreeing with everything you say about the actual reasons women seem to like this more than men (interesting thoughts though)....but it does seem that, judging by all the previous posts regaring food quality, this is a place I can easily skip

I was referring to the Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus, sociology-lite "analysis."

I happen to really like this place (the food though not extraordinary usually is quite good and not inordinately expensive; the atmosphere is nice (bright space with interesting rotating art, not to mention the great terrace)... and so I encourage you to try it... maybe just once.

Should you decide to pay Selmarie a visit, there are a few mainstays on the lunch menu that I would recommend, including:
the chicken pot pie (also on the dinner menu), the roasted portabello sandwich, and the salmon gravlax baguette. While not outstanding, I find that all three of these are tasty and good value.

While I am not crazy about some of the desserts, the raspberry chocolate tart is to die for, the bienenstuck is most satisfying, and the caramel walnut shortbread simply sinful.

JamPhil wrote:I was referring to the Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus, sociology-lite "analysis."

Oh, that. That wasn't based on "Men Mars/Women Venus," which I've never read. That was based on my observations of Cafe Selmarie, and my observations of women and men.

Skipping the gender debate because I value my own gender-specific parts and aim to keep them: I'm with the apparent majority in finding Selmarie less than it once was and thoroughly uncompelling, unless you live within crawling distance, in which case you're also within crawling distance of better places.

I liked it as a small bakery and as it got bigger it got worse. I do like the butter cookies and have a real thing for the gateau grandmere. As I recall, I also like their style of carrot cake.

I have had service of varying degrees of awfulness over the years, together with ktichen mishaps and miscommunications that compromised even the pleasures of the civilized "vibe." I've also had perfectly pleasant but unremarkable meals. But, really, so what?

Not all of their foods are great, but their banana eclairs are exemplary, with good custard, whipped cream, and bittersweet chocolate icing.

Stopped in while visiting my old neighborhood, happy to bring home some goodies. Got a small coffee cake---trad. crumb topping, with apple and cranberry baked in. Seemed like something nice for the weekend with tea/coffee. Man! Flavorless and dry as dust. Even the crumb topping is dry and tasteless, the cake even more so, and the promised fruit is scant and ineffectual. Even my local supermarket bakery can manage a decently moist basic crumb coffee cake. Yikes. To quote my favorite line from "A History of Violence," Wm. Hurt: "How can you f*** that up!"
(The counter people were very friendly and helpful, however.)

I'm not sure if this thread really belongs in Shopping & Cooking or Eating Out in Chicagoland rather than here, but in any case, I'll add that we ordered a Yule Log from Selmarie this past Christmas to bring over to a neighbor's, and it was disappointing--sickeningly oversweet, dry. I confess that I never had a Yule Log before so I have no reference point for what one should taste like, so suffice it to say this one wasn't good.

Haven't been to Cafe Selmarie in a couple of years but I used to go from time to time when I would be in the neighborhood. This is going back close to ten years ago and I always thought their choclate cakes were pretty good. Never had any issues with dryness. Last time I went with my husband in 2010, the chocolate ones were still delectable.

Also, if memory serves correctly, the hot chocolate was good.

I've liked most of what I got from Sel Marie in the past, both bakery and kitchen. This was a surprise.
(And yes, it should be in "Shopping and Cooking," but i forgot which board I was looking at when I posted, and I wasn't sure about the best way to move it myself, if there even is a way.)

Has there been a change in ownership or management lately? Seems that the previous quality may have dwindled a bit.

Picked up some cookies and financier's yesterday and they were all very good. The winners were two different financiers (one being chocolate raspberry and can't recall the other) and the excellent lemon rosemary cookies.

I got a cup of Intellegencia coffee that was way too weak, needed two or three times the amount of coffee.

One of the pillars of the Lincoln Square dining scene is about to get an update. Cafe Selmarie (4729 N. Lincoln Ave.), which has been open since 1983, plans to close April 1 for renovations.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/dining/ct ... story.html

Dave148 wrote:

One of the pillars of the Lincoln Square dining scene is about to get an update. Cafe Selmarie (4729 N. Lincoln Ave.), which has been open since 1983, plans to close April 1 for renovations.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/dining/ct ... story.html

eep. I hope that really means renovations and not "renovations"

Pie Lady wrote:

Dave148 wrote:

One of the pillars of the Lincoln Square dining scene is about to get an update. Cafe Selmarie (4729 N. Lincoln Ave.), which has been open since 1983, plans to close April 1 for renovations.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/dining/ct ... story.html

eep. I hope that really means renovations and not "renovations"

I don't see why they wouldn't mean what they said. They gave a pretty short window for being closed. It's a VERY popular spot in the neighborhood. I had breakfast there 2 weeks ago Saturday and had to wait for a table. Swung by last Saturday to pick up some things, but the bakery was packed and I didn't have a lot of time.