Chicago Restaurant most like Chez Panisse?

Not that I've been everywhere, but Chez Panisse is still my favorite restaurant of any type any where. Is there anything remotely like it in Chicago? When I was last out in SF/Napa I had the good fortune to eat at The French Laundry (inspiration for TRU, Charlie Trotter and others of that genre?) and while I'm pleased to have tried it, I'd still pick Chez Panisse without question.

I don't know.. but, The French Laundry as Inspiration for Trotters? The French Laundry opened up in 1994, and Trotter's opened in 1987, back when Thomas Keller was just opening Rakel.

Tru opened in '99, but I don't think its inspiration was the french laundry, either.

Anyway... these won't be as California as CP, but how about North Pond? Vie and Blackbird, also, but I think North Pond may be the closest to your ideal.

I stand corrected with respect to The French Laundry, I thought it had been around quite a bit longer, but I am sure you're correct. Thanks for the possible Chez Panisse like suggestions...

There are lots of Chicago-area restaurants that I would easily pick over Chez Panisse. They include our high-end places like Alinea, Avenues, Everest, and Tru - but those are really more comparable to the French Laundry, and not to anyplace in the Bay Area. Compared with Chez Panisse, I think you'll find much better food at One Sixty Blue, Tallgrass, Blackbird, Aigre Doux, Spring, Custom House, Naha, North Pond, Oceanique, Vie, Michael, and Le Titi de Paris, just to name a few. You'll also find a lot more variety at any of these, but that's not surprising. (I find the limited menu at Chez Panisse to be highly constraining.)

The French Laundry cook book was consulted on a regular biases at Tru during it's opening fyi.

North Pond is easily the closest thing to Chez Panisse in Chicago. Bruce Sherman has the highest dedication to organics and sustainables. Black Bird tries to use organics put relies more heavily on sustainables.

But given that midpack DOES like Chez Panisse, something in that vein would be a good recommendation.

From limited experience, and a lot of second hand experience, Chez Panisse seems to concentrate on French preparations, some Italian influences, with a strong focus on local and seasonal vegetables.

So given that as a goal, North Pond is a good start. Many Chicago restaurants are a little more stylized/formal and less homey then Chez Panisse, both from a food preparation standpoint and the general atmosphere, but otherwise have similar food inspirations. If that's OK consider Naha or Blackbird - in fact Avec might appeal to you more than Blackbird - small, informal, long open communal tables, no reservations, limited menu of small dishes, but outstanding food. Once again, the look and feel will not be like Chez Panisse, but you might really enjoy the food.

In another vein, there are several very good Franch Bistros in Chicago that you might enjoy. Just traditional bistros, but in many ways they seem to be an inspiration for Chez Panisse, sans the California influence. I like La Sardine and Brasserie Jo. Earlier this week at Brasserie Jo I had an appetizer of asparagus wrapped in prosciutto and phyllo dough and cooked to a crisp, and a main course of lamb in parsley/mustard crust, with spring vegetable ratatouille and garlic mashed potatoes - sound kind of Chez Panisse-ish?

Not sure if you will find what you want in the above list, but if you visit all of them you are sure to have some excellent meals.

Good Luck.

I guess for me the thing is, part of what makes a restaurant like Chez Panisse what it is is that closeness to the farmers and suppliers, it's evolved as part of California farming culture (and strongly influenced certain aspects of that). So the restaurant most like Chez Panisse in a midwestern city, if it's most like it in terms of its principles and its relationships with vendors in this region and in basing its menu off what's grown here... might not LOOK very much like Chez Panisse.

So yeah, North Pond, Blackbird, Avec, Vie, these places are arguably the most like it in spirit and practices-- but not all that much like it in atmosphere, food and prices.

nsxtasy wrote:I find the limited menu at Chez Panisse to be highly constraining.

I presume you are referring to the downstairs at Chez Panisse, which is a fixed price menu. Is your view of Chez Panisse more that you don't like fixed price menus in general?

Or, are you referring to the upstairs at Chez Panisse (aka the cafe), which has a regular menu?

Midpack wrote:I stand corrected with respect to The French Laundry, I thought it had been around quite a bit longer, but I am sure you're correct. Thanks for the possible Chez Panisse like suggestions...

Technically it was around much longer than any of the spots mentioned. The issue is that Keller did not own the resturant untill 1994, as stated upthread. So, while the FL existed, it was mostly a French country affair that had a single menu option that changed daily rather than the high end cuisine it is known for since TK took over.

I agree that North Pond is probably the closest thing because of Sherman's adherence to seasonal and local foods. But if you're you're willing to travel, I'd suggest that the closest thing to Chez Panisse within a 3 hr radius of Chicago is l'Etoile in Madison, WI. Although Odessa Piper's no longer involved other than as an occasional consultant, the Millers (brother Tori is chef and sister Traci is manager) have continued her tradition of creating menus that rely on local and seasonal foods. In fact, a lot of the same dishes Odessa created--changed slightly--show up on the Millers menu (disclaimer: I worked at l'Etoile in 2002, although I haven't dined there since the Millers took over). And Odessa worships the ground that Alice Waters walks on (in the cafe, prominently displayed, is a signed Chez Panisse poster). With the Dane County Farmer's Market literally outside there door every Saturday, so much of the dishes they create are inspired by what they find there. The atmosphere is, I think, is also close to Chez Panisse: it's not stuff or overly upscale, but has a sort of rustic elegance to it. I'd check out their website - letoile-restaurant.com - and see from the menu if it's enough like Chez Panisse for your tastes. Doing the market in the morning and dinner there at night would make for a really nice weekend.

l'Etoile
25 N Pinckney St
Madison, WI 53703
(608) 251-0500

I've never been to Chez Panisse, but as I read their menu each week when it gets posted on Monday, I feel like I've eaten there many a-time ( ).

I agree with Mike, that a key attribute is the relationship between the Chez Panisse menu and the surrounding farmers, but just as important, perhaps more important, is that the menu is highly seasonable. So, to me, I'd be looking for places that have strong relationships with local farmers AND keep their menus in flux based on what's around.

To me, the problem with so many restaurants around Chicagoland that are kinda like Chez Paninsse is that they only dabble. Take Avec, a recent meal there found only one item that was sourced locally. It was not that much different at 312 Chicago, another place with a committment to local. I've never been to North Pond, but of the places I know, including the ones mentioned in this thread, only Vie combines the farmer-relationships with the ever changing menu.

I agree also that L'Etoile is as good a match as anything, if distance is no big deal.

In fact, last month Chicago magazine did a whole story looking at Chez Panisse and comparing it to Chicago restaurants North Pond and Blackbird:

http://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magaz ... ters-Mark/

I think North Pond comes closest to that Berkeley Treehouse/Local Ingredients vibe. Vie in LaGrange might be another very good choice in terms of its approach to ingredients.

I lived in the Bay Area for 8 years before moving to Chicago. I rarely miss it, but seeing a picture of Chez Panisse makes me nostalgic for Berkeley and its environs.

I didn't even notice this until now, but someone on the "Eating Outside of Chicagoland" posted a recent meal from l'Etoile. With photos to boot. Check it out.

http://lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=4402

cjk

As far as the connection to sources and dedication to small, local and sustainable, I'd definitely include Paul Virant's Vie, in Western Springs, on the list. Their country-French style of cuisine also happens to be a very good match.

I'd put NaHa in the category, too. I don't think that their style of cuisine is necessarily a good match for that of Chez Panisse but mindset and sensibility are fairly similar.

=R=

nsxtasy wrote:There are lots of Chicago-area restaurants that I would easily pick over Chez Panisse. They include our high-end places like Alinea, Avenues, Everest, and Tru - but those are really more comparable to the French Laundry, and not to anyplace in the Bay Area. Compared with Chez Panisse, I think you'll find much better food at One Sixty Blue, Tallgrass, Blackbird, Aigre Doux, Spring, Custom House, Naha, North Pond, Oceanique, Vie, Michael, and Le Titi de Paris, just to name a few. You'll also find a lot more variety at any of these, but that's not surprising. (I find the limited menu at Chez Panisse to be highly constraining.)

I have eaten at many of your "high-end places" and while I've enjoyed them mostly for special occasions, I find them longer on style than substance (more variable re: the latter). And as much as I like Tru, Charlie Trotter's, TFL, etc. - at times it almost seems that it's complexity for the sake of it. Maybe my tastes just aren't sophisticated enough - but I know what I like and the older I get the truer "less is more" seems to become. I was impressed with how much Chez Panisse could do just relying on very fresh, seasonal ingredients and excellent preparation - there were simply no excessive "layers" to hide anything. Again, personal tastes are just that, none better than any other.

Some very welcome suggestions from many of you - all that I hoped for. I will definitely try North Pond and some of the others - looking forward to it, thanks all.

Midpack wrote:I have eaten at many of your "high-end places" and while I've enjoyed them mostly for special occasions, I find them longer on style than substance (more variable re: the latter). And as much as I like Tru, Charlie Trotter's, TFL, etc. - at times it almost seems that it's complexity for the sake of it. Maybe my tastes just aren't sophisticated enough - but I know what I like and the older I get the truer "less is more" seems to become.

I feel very similar to what you describe. To me, it's all about taste. I care less about whether something is groundbreaking and new, than I do about whether it tastes great. While I enjoy the ubercreative high-end places, at many of them, some of their dishes work, but some of them don't. Whereas I can go to one sixtyblue, or Tallgrass, or Oceanique, or Michael, or the others I mentioned, and (with a companion) order two appetizers, two soups, two entrees, and two desserts, and all eight dishes will be "to die for", with each bite so delicious that you can't believe it. To me, that is the hallmark of excellence. Unfortunately, I keep trying the best places in the Bay Area on my fairly frequent visits, and I have yet to encounter such an experience there (unless you expand the definition of the Bay Area to TFL in Napa, which was indeed that good).

Hey everyone, thought I'd use this topic to make my first post, wife and I are relocating from New York City at the end of the summer.

I lived in the Bay Area for 7 years and have been to Chez Panisse 4 times (2 upstairs and 2 down). Unlike others here, I'd describe the food as more Italian influenced than French these days, both in the types of dishes/ingredients (prix fixe usually has one pasta or risotto dish) and the elemental, decptively simple quality of the dishes. The Italian influence I think goes back to the former executive chef Paul Bertolli, who went onto his own restaurant Oliveto in Oakland, and has spread to other restaurants in the Bay Area with former Chez Panissers such as Quince. But yes seasonal and with a rigorous attention to sourcing locally as many report in this thread.

Given all this, in my limited experience in Chicago, I have found no restaurants that are really similar. We're going to North Pond when we visit in July, so that may change my mind. Blackbird, great as it is, reminds me more of any number of excellent NYC restaurant (the old 71 Clinton for example) both in vibe and the careful, composed quality of its dishes. Locally sourced?, yes; seasonal? seems to be; Italian-influenced, or elemental and deceptively simple?, no not really. This in fact describes Avec better which I think has some similarities and acquits itself favorably in comparision with the downstairs at Chez Panisse.

I haven't been to enough other places in CHI yet so I am sure I will find examples closer to the spirit of CP. For those familiar with NY dining, the restaurants in my mind that capture that spirit include places like Blue Hill, Town, Craft, the Tasting Room and Savoy all in Manhattan, and Applewood in Brooklyn. Now these are different restaurants, at different price points, but each in my exprience channel some of the vibe, style and rigorous approach to local ingredients that makes Chez Panisse so distinctive and great. I look forward to seeing the other places y'all suggest in Chicago to see if I get that same feeling.

Hope this is not too belabored. Looking forward to our new adventures in Chicago and connecting with everyone here.

Locally sourced?, yes; seasonal? seems to be; Italian-influenced, or elemental and deceptively simple?

You might want to give Terragusto a try. Altho I don't want to compare it to CP ("Odious of old been all comparisouns." [c 1440 J. Lydgate Minor Poems (EETS) 561]), it certainly makes an attempt to adhere to all of the above requirements.

My experience this week was very similar to Santander's here:

http://lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=7200&start=30

. . . altho with an entirely different menu. We, too, took advantage of the "Italian Program" offer, and had a mixed antipasti platter, mezzaluna pasta stuffed with trout in a cherry-tomato/tarragon sauce, tortoloni/quattro-formaggio with a bit of fresh asparagus, and a very moist pork tenderloin as a secondo. At $80 ($100 tip/tax--it's a BYOB) for the two of us, it certainly was one of the more enjoyable meals we've had this year at that price point.

Again, not CP, but if you'd like a meal reminiscent of the Italian countryside (where seasonality and local ingredients are always the standards), give TG a try.

Thanks, I have heard good things about Terragusto and its near enough to where we are staying in July so we may give a try. BTW, my last post i meant to say that Avec compares favorably with the upstairs at CP, not the more formal prix fixe downstairs.

If the consideration is relationships with local farmers, handcrafted foods, and old school methods, then for me, it's Vie. There are no shortcuts at Vie in terms of technique...they cure a good deal of their own meats in house, make their own sausages, pickle their own vegetables, make their own vinegar, beer, etc...and they do it all with local ingredients.

I went on a ramp dig downstate earlier this year, and there were many local chefs at the event, but Paul Virant was hands down the one guy who encouraged and asked for product from every local farmer in attendance...while he's certainly a smart business man, I find from seeing him work that price is often a secondary consideration to taste and quality, which is not the case with many so called great chefs in the city.

I'd echo what people say of Bruce Sherman too, but I feel as if Bruce's food is much more complex elegant and refined than the offerings of Chez Panisse.

OK, Paul Virant's not perfect. Even though a meal last week was filled with local produce, excellent technique, graciously excellent service, fine wines, and a few comped dishes. This happened:

I attempted to get Chef Virant to update his online menu more often. He said he could, but "it's the second lowest priority each day." He would not offer up the lowest priority.

He gets to sample daily, I need the vicarious thrill of a daily menu! Shame!

okay I get it, we'll add Vie to the summer must go to list.

How far from the city is it? (we are staying in Lincoln Park, across from North Pond coincidentally)

mazman wrote:okay I get it, we'll add Vie to the summer must go to list.

How far from the city is it? (we are staying in Lincoln Park, across from North Pond coincidentally)

It's pretty far, but it is right close to the Metra station, so if you plan right, and don't mind a hellishly long train trip making every stop, it's do-able

leek wrote:

mazman wrote:okay I get it, we'll add Vie to the summer must go to list.

How far from the city is it? (we are staying in Lincoln Park, across from North Pond coincidentally)

It's pretty far, but it is right close to the Metra station, so if you plan right, and don't mind a hellishly long train trip making every stop, it's do-able

I live in the northern suburbs and the drive to Vie often takes less time than the drive downtown. It's probably less than 2 miles off the Ogden exit (eastbound) of the I-294.

=R=

mazman wrote:How far from the city is it?

It's not THAT bad. If you avoid rush hour, I bet you could get there in less than 45 minutes. I drive to Naperville quite frequently for work which is farther West, but not as far south, and I usually get out in less than 40 minutes (from River North) if I leave early.

But, if you get stuck in rush hour, it could easily be twice as long.

Maybe plan it for a day when you need to go out to the malls in Oakbrook (if you do that kind of thing) and you'll already be in the area.

In terms of channelling an earlier era of Chez Panisse, I would suggest Lula. Like many of the other restaurants mentioned, the chefs strongly support local producers and much of their menu is organic. Ignore the everyday menu and focus on the limited specials - not that other menu isn't good, it just isn't as refined as the other. Don't expect a refined environment, just atmosphere aplenty and much good people watching. One of my recent meals there, back in March, was one of the best that I've had in a restaurant this year.

MAG wrote:In terms of channelling an earlier era of Chez Panisse, I would suggest Lula. Like many of the other restaurants mentioned, the chefs strongly support local producers and much of their menu is organic. Ignore the everyday menu and focus on the limited specials - not that other menu isn't good, it just isn't as refined as the other. Don't expect a refined environment, just atmosphere aplenty and much good people watching. One of my recent meals there, back in March, was one of the best that I've had in a restaurant this year.

I agree - the special menu at Lula often seems to be a have a very pronounced Chez Panisse influence. I remember thinking when I first read the CP Menu cookbook "Oh, so this is where Lula got a lot of their ideas from". Not suggesting that Lula is derivative, by the way, just that the CP influence is definitely there.

The frontrunner seemed to be North Pond, and now that sailing season is over, my wife and I finally made it there last night. We did the tasting menu - and every course and every wine pairing was exceptional, we could not have been more pleased. And the service and even the decor was to our liking. So thanks to all of you who took the time to make the recommendations, we will definitely go back to NP. And we'll also try Blackbird and Lula's if not others.

MAG wrote:In terms of channelling an earlier era of Chez Panisse, I would suggest Lula. Like many of the other restaurants mentioned, the chefs strongly support local producers and much of their menu is organic. Ignore the everyday menu and focus on the limited specials - not that other menu isn't good, it just isn't as refined as the other. Don't expect a refined environment, just atmosphere aplenty and much good people watching. One of my recent meals there, back in March, was one of the best that I've had in a restaurant this year.

I will 2nd MAG's suggestion of Lula Cafe, especially their Monday night Farmer's Dinner. They do source local seasonal meats, cheeses, and produce which makes for a wonderful meal, whether it's dinner or Sunday brunch.

Having formerly lived 3 blocks from CP back when I was a Cal student, I can definitely relate that Lula has that "early CP vibe" with the casual ambience and friendly and laid-back service.

I also feel that Sepia's menu is truly in the CP style of artisan foods, local/seasonal ingredients, etc. Although the ambience is completely different, it's still warm and welcoming.

http://www.sepiachicago.com/