Aigre Doux Restaurant & Bakery Chicago

I'm not sure if it's proper to post pr type info on LTHForum, so if it isn't forgive me please. I responded to someone's questions elsewhere in LTHFORUM and there was some discussion about it not being appropriate for that area and it was recommended that I move the information to this area. I'm new at this so if this isn't a good thing, let me know and I'll remove the information.

I do the pr for Aigre Doux which opened last Wednesday. The bakery is scheduled to open February 1. Mohammad and Malika have a strong following and their was some early buzz about this restaurant. They started their careers in Chicago at the Ritz Carlton and then moved to New York and LA. They are thrilled to be back in Chicago and I'm thrilled to represent them. For those curious about the menu and their background, I'm including the press materials.

Restaurant Menu


Appetizers

BRAISED ARTICHOKE SOUP
elberberry flower, seared bay scallop
.11.

SEARED AHI TUNA
jicama, cumin infused citrus salad
.12.

ROASTED BEET SALAD
hazelnut kumquat vinaigrette, ricotta salata
.11.

CRISPY RISOTTO AL SALTO
prosciutto di parma, aïoli
.9.

WHITE ASPARAGUS
truffle poached egg, banon, herb vinaigrette
.11.

HAMACHI AND AVOCADO SALAD
brûléed yuzu, yuzu vinaigrette
.12.

OXTAIL RAVIOLI
chestnut & wild mushroom compote, roasted tomato vinaigrette
.14.

FRIED CALAMARI
roasted tomato sauce, garlic aïoli
.9.

TAGLIATELLE BOLOGNESE
parmigiano-reggiano
.12.


Pizza

tomato mozzarella
.9.
greek pizza with pulled lamb, olives, french feta
.10.
tuna wasabi
.12.


Entrées

PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND MUSSELS
noodle galette, butternut squash, coconut curry sauce
.24.

PAN SEARED WILD TURBOT
cranberry bean ragoût, hearts of palm, pomelo, saffron sauce
.32.

SLOW BAKED SALMON
curried parsnip purée, braised endive, citrus emulsion
.28.

COLORADO RACK OF LAMB
truffled grits, fennel, apple, fava bean salad
.34.

NIMAN RANCH BURGER
brioche bun, fries
.14.

MAPLE GLAZED DUCK BREAST
duck sausage, six grain wild rice, rhubarb chutney, spiced jus
.28.

TRUFFLE ROASTED CHICKEN
pomme de terre, broccolini, lemon confit
.26.

Chicago (January 2007) – Husband and wife culinary team, Mohammad Islam and Malika Ameen, who met while cooking at Chicago’s superlative Ritz-Carlton Hotel and have become rising star culinary wizards ever since. On January 17, the restaurateurs launch their first Chicago venue, Aigre Doux Restaurant & Bakery at 230 W. Kinzie in Chicago’s River North neighborhood. Aigre-doux is the French term for the combined flavors of sour (aigre) and sweet (doux)—in fact, Islam will serve as owner/executive chef and head of the food and wine program, while Ameen, as owner/executive pastry chef, will design the restaurant’s dessert menu and head the adjacent bakery. The couple brings a passion for food and a stellar Chicago, New York and Los Angeles culinary background to the new venture.

Aigre Doux will be a contemporary, comfortably calm upscale restaurant, yet the couple’s commitment to quality is anything but calm. “We feel so strongly about the importance of serving excellent food,” said Ameen. “We don’t believe people should have to go to a fine dining restaurant to eat well. Aigre Doux will be a relaxed restaurant and bakery and we will serve food that’s as fresh as can be. We sincerely hope that people will fall in love with Aigre Doux and will come see us daily and be involved in our daily ritual of eating well.”

“Aigre Doux will actually be two eating establishments,” said Islam. “The restaurant, which will be open for dinner followed by lunch a few weeks later, will have a stylish, unfussy atmosphere and serve contemporary cuisine with many influences. The bakery will open at 10 a.m. every day except Sunday and stay open throughout the afternoon. Featured will be Malika’s wonderful housemade pastries and baked goods, panini, housemade pizza and salads. “Our goal,” she said, “is to offer wonderful food that will appeal to the wide range of people who frequent the neighborhood—from busy businesspeople who want to talk shop to residents who want to relax and enjoy great food in a very hospitable, friendly environment.”

This husband and wife team return to Chicago with numerous accolades
The husband and wife team return to Chicago having earned their stripes as high quality restaurateurs: They transformed the famous but not necessarily highly regarded dining room at Hollywood’s Chateau Marmont into a much sought after dining destination. Their culinary résumés diverged in the years after they cooked together at the Dining Room at the Ritz-Carlton, but they share a common food philosophy and have become a culinary couple to watch.

Islam became a chef when he decided to turn his love for cheese and wine into a culinary career. He was taken under the wing of famed chef, Gabino Sotelino, who helped him land a position at the Dining Room at the Ritz-Carlton, working under two time James Beard Foundation award winner chef, Sarah Stegner. It was at the Ritz-Carlton that he met his wife to be.

Once in New York, Islam built his culinary reputation at Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s Mercer Kitchen (he also cooked at the flagship Jean Georges) in Soho’s luxurious Mercer Hotel, owned by André Balazs.
Ameen is a graduate of the French Culinary Institute and the Institute of Culinary Education in New York. She established her reputation early, working under three award-winning pastry chefs. She first performed her dessert-making magic at the Ritz-Carlton in Chicago, working under renowned pastry chef En Ming Hsu who has won numerous awards and served as captain of the U.S. pastry team that took the gold medal at the Coupe du Monde de la Patisserie in Lyon, France. When Ameen relocated to New York she continued her professional growth at the Cub Room, working under James Beard multi-year nominee Gina DePalma, then the award winning Craft, working under James Beard award-winning Karen DeMasco, and then she became one of two associate pastry chefs at the celebrated Balthazar in Soho.

In 2003 Balazs asked Islam and Ameen, now married, to head the kitchen at his Chateau Marmont Hotel in West Hollywood. This legendary hotel had once been considered the “home away from home” for many of Hollywood’s elite, and the two brought this illustrious venue to culinary life as it had never been before.


I hope that this was helpful to all those people who were interested. Bon Appetit.

Quick questions:
What will the hours be for the bakery?
Also, will the bakery sell coffee/drinks (are we talking about a one-stop place for the morning?)

I do the pr for Aigre Doux Restaurant & Bakery. The hours are:

Lunch: 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday - Saturday beginning January 29
Bakery Hours: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday - Saturday beginning Feb 12
Dinner Hours: 5 p.m. to midnight Monday - Thursday
5 p.m. to 1 a.m. Friday & Saturday
Closed on Sundays