Chef Amaury

Chef Amaury in a strip mall just north of Fox Valley Mall. A hidden gem in Naperville (actually Aurora). When it's on, it has no peer in the west suburbs. And even when it's off, it's still a good value. The concept of the restaurant lends itself to some consistency issues (not problems, only issues), so keep this in mind when going there.

Interesting web site Mark. The pros are the concept (fixed menu, only open two days a week, etc.), and the regular wine list. I could nitpick on some cons, like the need to specify that the wine for the Zinfandel wine dinner is [i]Red[/i] Zinfandel, which makes me worry about their target audience, and the Fess Parker wine dinner since I have never, ever, ever heard anyone say anything good about Fess' wines. And the whole thing about saying you are the best restaurant in the western suburbs and guaranteeing an unforgettable experience - seems like a pretty hard sell.

Anyway, since this is the first mention I can find of this place here, can you share any more information on style, food, your experience, and the specific inconsistencies you found. I rather think I will try to go there soon, but would like any added info you care to share.

^ , I agree with Dickson's observation that Chef Amaury looks interesting, and, candidly, I had not heard of it. Sorry for essentially hijacking the OP's thread about Salbute, but I'd certainly like to hear a bit more about it.

The consistency issues stem from the concept and the clientele.

By only being open two days a week, having a limited fixed menu, and trying to only use the freshest ingredients, the place is at the mercy of the ingredients. On more than one occasion, I felt it would have been better for them to change their menu, or leave off a course, instead of offering something which was less than superb. Note that the course was still good, just not at the level of the other courses.

And from what I've seen, most of their clientele are NOT the <0.1% of the Chicago area that are food geeks who would post at a site like this. Rather, they are the <5% of the Chicago area who have the disposable income required to dine there on a regular basis, appreciate food and wine, but don't take either seriously enough to care about intricate plating, which bay the oysters were from, and/or which ridge in the Sta. Rita Hills the pinot noir grapes were grown. Unfortunately, this means it's probably best to state upfront that a zinfandel dinner is with red zinfandel -- but educate the clientele who attend the dinner.

The restaurant offers BYO with a $10-$15 corkage, the price varying, I suppose, on their mood...it's not something I've questioned.

As for the food itself, while the website presents the menus as being completely different each weekend, that has not been the case. The salad has always been some creation from arugula, and they seem to rotate through the same five or so desserts. And IMO they rely too heavily on beef for the meat course. But those issues only arise if one dines there on a regular basis.

This all sounds a bit negative, but I wanted to play devil's advocate. My feelings about the place are summed up in my previous post.

I hope this helps.

Perhaps the moderators here can use the phpBB Split function to split the Chef Amaury posts into a new thread...and if they do, please feel free to delete this post.

Thanks, Mark, for the candid report. Can't say that any of your comments surprise me or have put me off. There is the real issue of playing to your audience and the moneyed N'ville set likes beef for their money.

If the skill and the palate are good, I will enjoy it. And I probably will bring my own bottle or two just in case.

As to hijacking threads - happens all the time, but I think this will get split.

This restaurant started out much more conventionally, but Chef Amaury had high hopes from day one. In the beginning, the restaurant was open every day, serving sandwiches, soups, etc., at lunch and dinner. They made a really good Cuban sandwich, among others.

The chef is extremely approachable. His initial idea was to make the place sort of a foodie hang out, offering demonstrations and a cookbook lending library. I ran into him at the Naperville Farmers Market, and he gave me a 10 minute dissertation on morels, and I had only met him once.

Sadly, the full-time concept didn't go over as well as it needed to. First, its in Aurora, and for many that's a deal breaker (even though it's near Fox Valley. Or may because it's near Fox Valley ). And it's in the middle of a chain restaurant desert.

So I'm glad to hear he's still going with his dinners. Hope he succeeds. He's a nice guy.

Yes I know Chef Amaury's well and it is a Gem as well as a bargain and would encourage anyone looking for a well definded experience in a relaxed atmosphere. The Chef's creativeness and orignality has never ceased to amaze me and if you order a flight the parings are superb.
Simply a bargain for the money

I drove by this place for weeks and never actually stopped by. Thank you for the notice, I'll look into it!

JLS wrote:Yes I know Chef Amaury's well and it is a Gem as well as a bargain and would encourage anyone looking for a well definded experience in a relaxed atmosphere. The Chef's creativeness and orignality has never ceased to amaze me and if you order a flight the parings are superb.
Simply a bargain for the money

I enjoyed dinner at Chef Amaury's, but I sure wouldn't call it a bargain. Our meal (counting an optional, add-on course, a moderately priced wine and tip) was $100+ per person. I can think of a lot of places where I can eat very well for that price -- with more elegant surroundings and more professional service, to boot.

I actually went to the Fess Parker wine dinner with a friend. First surprise was that there was no Fess Parker wine served. Second was that the menu changed. I think he's a guy with a great love of food and does a nice job with what he does. I don't know, however, how he survives. There were eight of us there that night. I wish him well.

Okay, so it took me a long time to get to Amaury's and the place has been well discovered and publicized by now so most of what I have to say will echo what others have said here and elsewhere, but this is a good place that will deliver a very nice meal, if personal and a bit idiosyncratic - and that is meant as a compliment.

I have a good friend who is an excellent cook. He can make a duck breast to die for, but when one dines at his house the meal will be one that he enjoys, and he is not afraid to combine the highest of haute with the lowest of populaire. One meal was a perfect cassoulet, followed by a dessert that was some sort of a custard pie with Cool Whip on top. Not that there was any Cool Whip at Amaury as his ingredients are much better than that (thank God), but they do dare to be different and do things the way they want to.

For those who like to categorize places, and I am one of them, I think this place fits into a category that includes Bonsoiree and Sweets and Savories - shall we call it a personal place, a labor of love even, to deliver gourmet food at a good price? And I would place it squarely between Sweets and Savories, which is great and Bonsoiree (not so great) in that class. These are places one adopts, is encouraged to develop a personal relationship with, and hopes will have a long, evolving and very successful run. I imagine Yoshi's and Erwin's both started out as similar types of places, too.

So, Amaury when you read this, and I know you will since you knew who I was and have read LTHForum, please understand that the criticisms are meant to be constructive, to help you improve and be more successful. It was a pleasure to be welcomed to your place and to enjoy your food.

The room is warm, simple and welcoming, with a view across a parking lot, some trees, a little grass and a regional mail center. This is an Aurora strip mall. Service was provided that night by Amaury, his wife and sister-in-law. For better and worse, the ladies are not professional servers, and it shows at times. I found it charming, but some might find it less so. They will gladly answer any questions and they pretty much know everything about the operation and the food. Amaury himself is a gregarious and pleasant fellow who will explain the menu, take your order and visit with you as the meal proceeds. The place was less than half full for the 6pm Friday seating, though it seemed to be filling up as we were leaving and I was given to understand that it was full most Saturdays these days. They also serve lunch on Fridays now, in addition to dinner on Friday and Saturday. They were packing up a large catering job as I arrived, so I wonder if a lot of the business is catering given the limited hours of operation, and I will consider them for some of our corporate events.

As always, it is a set menu with one or two choices. The Bride began with the spring greens with Elderberry Vinaigrette, dried cherries, hazelnuts and cheese (St. Pete's). The theme was set from the start - this would be excellent ingredients, put together well by a good palate. Not terribly adventurous perhaps, but interesting and flavorful.

I went with the upcharge item - seared foie gras with brioche toast, Pierre Robert cheese and quince jelly. Also very good, though I can pick a couple of nits here. First, the sear was not as crisp as I think it should have been, and the quince jelly was a bit of a solid, cold, glob that had clearly just come from a refrigerated jar. This made it hard to break up and enjoy in small bits with each bite of the foie. Quite good, but I must admit that I thought to myself - "I could make this at home if I went out and found these ingredients. And I would be sure to warm and break up the jelly"



The next course was more ambitious - Chilled cantaloupe and tomato soup with crab meat, lemon and basil and olive oils. Somehow this succeeded in giving a rich, full melon flavor, but without the cloying sweetness one might expect - probably the lemon cut that sweetness? Overall it was just okay for me, but it was an interesting and subtle dish. Sorry for the lousy picture - bad even by my low standards.



As I have noted elsewhere, I have recently concluded that the most interesting and best dishes are appetizers, and have even been considering restricting myself to just ordering appetizers. Ever since I drew this conclusion, it seems like every place I visit shows me how wrong that is, and that continued here. The mains were the best dishes.

The fish course was an elegantly composed pan roasted bass with poached tomato vinaigrette, and stewed wild boar linguica white beans. I really enjoy the trend to heartier fish dishes, they strike me as burgundian, very wine-friendly for both rich whites and most reds (say pinots and chardonnays), and this worked very well indeed. Good crust on the bass. The only nits I can pick here, and they are tiny, are that the greens were a touch stringy (as I think the picture shows - seemed to be the way they were, or perhaps were not, cut) and the bass was cooked the tiniest whisper past perfection. Still very good, and all things being equal I will take the crust and the degree of doneness versus a slightly less cooked fish without the crust. Plus, I wonder if the local clientele might desire a slightly more cooked fish? Very good.



I must admit that I have a bias against two things in fine dining establishments - chocolate and beef dishes. I view them both as pandering to the lowest common denominator, required offerings to satisfy the least adventurous and interested diners. As with all such biases, I am often wrong (though since I usually do not order the beef or chocolate offerings, I avoid having to acknowledge that - such is the self-fulfilling nature of most biases, isn't it?). Wagyu Flap Sirloin - sounds like a great cut, doesn't it? Grilled and served with a truffle wine butter and roast potatoes. A simple bravo will suffice Perfectly cooked, nicely seasoned and completely satisfying.



Desserts again came with a choice - no surprise that the Bride took the chocolate, strawberry, banana parfait and I did not. She deemed it good and a fitting finish.



My banana split was less satisfying - the banana was frozen, the ice creams just okay. Bit of a disappointing end to a good meal, even though it did have a pretty appearance.



This is a place with real character, that uses excellent ingredients, is guided by a chef with a good palate and technique, and aspires to deliver fine cuisine at a reasonable price, making good on that promise. If you find a personal, idiosyncratic atmosphere charming, and are prepared to let the chef take you on a tour of what he finds good and interesting that day, this will work for you.

I could perceive some shortcuts and flaws in technique and execution, but they did not detract from my appreciation of the meal or the value and quality it offered. We are planning a lunch outing one Friday soon.

Amaury is expanding, sort of, from Dish:

On April 16th, Amaury Rosado, the chef and owner of Chef Amaury’s Epicurean Affair (481 N. Commons Dr., Aurora; 630-375-0426 630-375-0426), plans to open 33 West Trattoria (33 W. New York St., Aurora; 630-340-3095 630-340-3095) with a view of the Fox River in downtown Aurora. 33 West will be a regional Italian–inspired spot with an average entrée price of about $15. “I don’t want to say that I’m going to be authentic Italian,” Rosado says, because he won’t be sourcing exclusively from Italy. “My focus will be local, on local ingredients, [such as] prosciutto from Iowa, from La Quercia.” As sample dishes, Rosado cites wild mushroom ravioli using seasonal mushrooms and an herbed roast chicken with rosemary, garlic, olive oil, and lemon. This kind of cuisine needs a new name, punchier and more emphatic than the limp regional Italian–inspired. How about Italic?

Given the dismal success rate of restaurants in downtown Aurora, I wish him well but doubt it will work. The sad truth is that most evening and weekend traffic is for the casino, and most people only emerge from the casino to sleep or drive home.

But I probably will go try out the restaurant, having looked at the meal above again.

Downtown Aurora is problematic, no question. BUT it's finally changing. Maybe?

Ballydoyle opened last year and has been a huge success. Across the street from Ballydoyle will be a Billy Goat Tavern (supposed to open in May) and a bbq restaurant that's already open. The developer is going for a restaurant row vibe, which, let's face it, is Aurora's only hope. They need to leverage off the entertainment venues they have, add some good restaurants and fun bars, and see what happens. It can't be worse than it is now.

I think Chef Amaury is going into the old Elks Club building, which has pretty interesting architecture.

Another person has a vision for a coffee/wine bar, but it isn't open yet.

I am a little biased on the other direction as I have known Amaury for many years BUT Dicksond had a good subjective review of the dining experience. I have dined there a few times and his palate and food knowledge is excellent and personality is charming when you get to know him. Absolutely a great value for the price for a 35 seat restaurant! Additionally, many do not hear about him in the city as he is a real localvore in Aurora/Naperville area doing many outreach community events for good causes.

I do wish him well in downtown Aurora as I know it has been his dream for many years to expand full service and contribute to Aurora as the city and riverwalk has so much potential.

tcdup wrote:
I think Chef Amaury is going into the old Elks Club building, which has pretty interesting architecture.

He is open at 33 West New York Street in what Aurora is promoting as "restaurant row" This is across from Ballydoyle. The Elks Club would have been cool but he wouldn't have the same visibility as he would on New York. Parking is the biggest problem for anything downtown.

LikestoEatout wrote: Parking is the biggest problem for anything downtown.

Agreed.

Although the proprieters are not helping themselves much.

I called the Comfort Zone BBq place a couple weeks ago to ask for any "suggestions" they might have as to where is best to park on a Saturday around 2pm, as I was planning a BBQ lunch for people from all different suburbs.

Response: Who knows, call the City of Aurora.

??? I wasn't asking for free parking, I was just asking for any suggestions on parking. Person on the phone could care less about whether we found parking or not.

So we ended up going elsewehere.

On a side note, the City and the Casino are knocking down a building 1 block or so to the north (for some reason I think YMCA building, but I know that is incorrect) to provide additional parking. No doubt it is additional Casino parking, but maybe that might open up some of the other surface lots.

We just use the West Suburban lot when going downtown, but we know we are chancing it. Those lots down there have crazy permit restrictions. Once Wuabonsie College opens, it will be a disaster parking anywhere in the area.

Willkat98 wrote:

LikestoEatout wrote: Parking is the biggest problem for anything downtown.

On a side note, the City and the Casino are knocking down a building 1 block or so to the north (for some reason I think YMCA building, but I know that is incorrect) to provide additional parking. No doubt it is additional Casino parking, but maybe that might open up some of the other surface lots.

We just use the West Suburban lot when going downtown, but we know we are chancing it. Those lots down there have crazy permit restrictions. Once Wuabonsie College opens, it will be a disaster parking anywhere in the area.

The YWCA is being torn down for a new parking deck, Waubonsee College is contributing to the project to be used for student parking in 2011 when their new building opens. WCC presently uses the Stolp Island garage. I'm pretty sure it's a City -WCC project and not the casino.