Creme Brulee

Does anybody know an upscale restuarant in the city that also has a great Creme Brulee for dessert? If not I'll just wander down to hot chocolate after dinner. Any suggestions would be much appreciated as I am taking out this girl who loves creme brulee and I want her to really like it.

Thanks!

Just about every single one has creme brulee in one flavor or another.

Not all creme brulees are created equal (sorry FoodSnob, my fave no longer exists )

For perfection:
1. Thick caramel-colored crust that must be broken with your spoon and then crunches between your teeth
2. Visible vanilla seeds at the bottom
3. Creamy rich custard
4. (optional) citrus or berry garnish, to cut the richness

Most places only achieve #3, and then add on all kinds of unneccesary flavorings like espresso, chocolate, pumpkin or raspberry - or worse, offer a "trio" of unsatisfactory brulees like the last I had I forget where. I wait with baited breath...

Well, when you get to the stage of taking her for a drive in the country, head for Seasons of Long Grove. For many years, this has been recognized as the place for the best creme brulee in the Midwest. It hits all the points noted by Mhays -- you have to break the crunchy, caramelized crust, there are vanilla seeds at the bottom, it is unbelievably creamy and rich, and there is always a strawberry or couple of blueberries to cut the richness. It's perfect.

However, they are only open for lunch and afternoon tea, except at holidays, when they have wonderful dinners.

I actually had an exceptional creme brulee when I dined at Saltaus about 6 months ago. Looks like it's still on the menu!

http://www.saltaus.com/

This is not all that current, and probably not upscale enough, but when I used to end up there with some frequency, Bistro 110 did a beautifully carmelized, crackly-topped version in a shallow but very wide dish offering lots of burnt sugar shards to break through.

Perhaps you could do a dry run at lunch or something to see if you think she'd approve. I've had other good ones, but just can't put a name to any right now.

But it's definitely not a date place. Too loud, crowded, touristy.

I also like the version at Le Bouchon...although some years since I have had it....for the reasons above, it came in a shallow dish, like a small tart pan.

pd