mhill95149 wrote:

Katie wrote:Wines weren't as good as I thought they would be

Hard to do a nice meal AND wine for $78 a head at a place like lTdP
You may end up with some interesting pairing but you will not be
drinking any bottle that would retail for over $20.

Yeah. It's accessible, but not stunning. There is usually one really good one for the evening, and the rest are pleasant, and may introduce you to something you haven't had before -- both in wine and food. (I first had veal cheeks, sweetbreads, and myriad other delicacies at these wine dinners -- not things I would have ordered off the menu, but I was delighted to try them, and veal cheeks in particular have become a favorite food item.)

Also, in perspective, at Alinea, the wine paring alone, without food, costs more than the six-course meal with wine at Le Titi.

Cynthia wrote:

Jayz wrote: The unremarkable food that he's prepared over the year comes from his great patience and love for food. That's all, and I hope to eat at Le Titi soon.

Unremarkable? I'm guessing you meant "remarkable," right?

Right...pardon my bad speach. It seems most of the people on this site are very educated, and much better with writing than me.

Jayz wrote:Right...pardon my bad speach. It seems most of the people on this site are very educated, and much better with writing than me.

No need to apologize. We all make mistakes when typing. It's just that it made a difference this time -- and I felt certain you'd meant to praise Pierre.

Rip Van Winkle lives. It turns out I went to this restaurant 25 years ago and then took a nap. When I woke up 25 years later and looked at the menu, I saw Lobster Bisque, Cream of Mushroom Soup, Caesar Salad, dessert Souffles, and first thought nothing had changed, as should be the case with a short nap. Slowly, as other details emerged, I came to understand my nap had been something else, and much time had passed.

There is a lot to like at Le Titi, which serves what I think is best described as old school haute French. It sits frozen somewhere in the transition from Escoffier to Nouvelle

We had a dinner there last night. Best was a foie gras appetizer on toast points (toast points! think about it), with a quail egg, and a very reduced savory wine/fruit sauce with a bit more wine than fruit. The caesar salad was very successful, each perfect, crisp leaf of Romaine brushed with white anchovy dressing. Yes, there was much to like.

Lots of sweetbreads were in evidence. My main course was a special - a roasted rabbit loin, accompanied by a sweetbread-stuffed quail breast in a mushroom/butter sauce. Apparently the quail was bionic since the boneless breast was gigantic.

There were misses, too, including the quail whose flavor seemed to come entirely from the sweetbread stuffing, a pork dish the Bride had that can best be described as enh. One of the souffles had a chewy, almost rubbery texture.

The service was good, and the wine list revealed a gem - 1999 Ch. Montus for $52, which we enjoyed. With that bottle they also allowed us one free corkage, so it was a deal (corkage is otherwise $35).

It was a decent job of the classics. At the price, and given the limited amount of experimentation, I want better execution than I got. Nice place, mostly well executed classics, good wine list. When I go back it will probably be to see what has changed since the last time - this frozen in time thing has its fascination.

Fair enough. Perhaps the frozen in time thing is one of the aspects I enjoy about Le Titi. I miss real French food once in a while. I like being able to get foie gras on toast points. I like lobster bisque. And my venison dish was great - tender, juicy, and hugely flavorful.

But even at dinner I said, no, this is not the greatest restaurant in Chicago. It's really good, but if I want to spend vastly more money, I can get better food a couple of places. However, I can eat fabulously well at Le Titi 3 or 4 times for one visit to Alinea (which I also love) or 2 to 3 times for one visit to Carlos' (another favorite).

I will admit that the energy level was a little low in the restaurant. The chef and his wife (the owners) were not on hand, and they definitely add sparkle to the room. But they had to be at an emergency parent/teacher conference (mold issues at the school) -- which I know because I enjoyed the lovely Express lunch last Friday and, seeing Michael, said "I'll see you next week," so he phoned me Tuesday to ask what night I'd be there, since this conference had just come up, and he hoped he wouldn't miss me. And that's the other reason I love Le Titi. The owners really care. They are generous, enthusiastic, young, and eager to make Le Titi both really good and really friendly.

As for the menu being the same as 25 years ago (which is not entirely the case -- I doubt that they had seared elk carpaccio on their 25 years ago) -- I'm betting they had lots of old favorites back because this month they are celebrating their 35th anniversary. They even had many of the cooks who have worked there over the year in the previous weekend for a special dinner. Because there were lots of dishes that Michael has developed over the years that weren't on there -- stuffed squid, nut-crusted oysters, and more.

So while I enjoyed my meal perhaps more than dicksond did his, I do agree that Le Titi was not quite up to its full potential last night. But I'll be back, because it is my neighborhood restaurant-- and it's the place "where everyone knows your name" for an awful lot of folks in this area. (Which I actually know to be the reason Michael keeps caesar salad and dover sole on the menu -- because long-time regulars order it even when he takes it off the menu.)

Le Titi will remain my favorite neighborhood haunt. I can go with a book or a friend at lunch, and they'll happily refil my ice tea for two or three hours while I read or talk. It's all about being comfortable and having a good time. And I hope they don't ever get rid of the lobster bisque. It's the only place I know that still has it.

Cynthia wrote:I hope they don't ever get rid of the lobster bisque. It's the only place I know that still has it.

Most steakhouse restaurants (e.g. Morton's) and many seafood restaurants (e.g. Shaw's) have lobster bisque on the menu.

Cynthia wrote:As for the menu being the same as 25 years ago (which is not entirely the case -- I doubt that they had seared elk carpaccio on their 25 years ago) -- I'm betting they had lots of old favorites back because this month they are celebrating their 35th anniversary. They even had many of the cooks who have worked there over the year in the previous weekend for a special dinner. Because there were lots of dishes that Michael has developed over the years that weren't on there -- stuffed squid, nut-crusted oysters, and more.

I agree that the menu only looks like a menu from the 80's from the perspective of 2007 - in the 80's it would have been on the edge. Still I stand by my point that the style has not changed so much, based on my one meal. That can be charming or boring, and is mostly a matter of personal taste.

is there a connection between le titi and the barrington country bistro?
i recently had a very good meal at the barrington country bistro and would highly recommend it.

nsxtasy wrote:

Cynthia wrote:I hope they don't ever get rid of the lobster bisque. It's the only place I know that still has it.

Most steakhouse restaurants (e.g. Morton's) and many seafood restaurants (e.g. Shaw's) have lobster bisque on the menu.

Perhaps I should have specified "really rich lobster bisque" -- because, while I can't pretend to have tried everyone's lobster bisque, a lot of the places I've been of late that have it offer something of a "cuisine minceur" version where butter and cream are notable by their absence. Still tasty, but not what I'm looking for when I order lobster bisque. But knowing that there are more out there, I'll keep looking. (Though Morton's is more expensive than Le Titi, so I may not be checking there.)

dug wrote:is there a connection between le titi and the barrington country bistro?
i recently had a very good meal at the barrington country bistro and would highly recommend it.

If there is any connection at all, I would imagine it would only be friendship -- or possibly a cook who trained at Le Titi moving on.

However, if you found it delightful, we'd love to have you start a thread telling us about your find.

Unfortunately, I've got to echo Dickson's assessment of our meal at Le Titi du Paris. I thought the food was well prepared for the most part, though not earth shattering and there were a couple of missteps (overcooked duck breast and a soufflé that acted as if it were made of rubber).

More to the point, the atmosphere was a bit sterile, though some of that could be attributed to the fact that the owners were not there that night. Our service was a bit robotic, though adequate. Dinner was lots of fun, but that was due to the company at our table. The restaurant didn't give me that warm fuzzy feeling that I would expect from a GNR.

I'd say that LTdP is a great restaurant for a special night out if you lived in the neighborhood, but I'm very sorry to say not a Great Neighborhood Restaurant in the LTH Forum sense.

Well, as i noted above, having the owners gone did bring down the energy level. Plus going on a Tuesday night after a holiday weekend, the place was dead -- and not too many places sparkle when they're more than half empty. I'm sorry we couldn't have done this on a night when the place was jumping and Michael and Susan were on hand. But such is life.

I'm sorry that, ultimately, this place gets deep-sixed based on one dinner. Because of course my love for it is based on years (about 30) of enjoying the warmth and hospitality of the place, the personal touches for regular customers, the effort to both innovate (yes, they do it) and keep all the long-time regulars happy with traditional favorites, the accessibility -- and food that is darn good even when it's not perfect.

Fortunately, it can remain MY great neighborhood restaurant. It's only a three-minute drive, and lobster bisque is currently on the lunch menu.

Cynthia wrote:I'm sorry that, ultimately, this place gets deep-sixed based on one dinner. Because of course my love for it is based on years (about 30) of enjoying the warmth and hospitality of the place,

Cynthia,

Which is why a track record of posts on LTHForum is recommended for GNR nominations.

Enjoy,
Gary

There are a number of nominations that I've found quite interesting and challenging this time around. The Le Titi nomination is one of them.

Cynthia, I truly admire your passion and devotion for this restaurant, and it makes me wish I did indeed have a place in my neighborhood that I could hold so dearly.

You've certainly done everything you can to make your case and have left me thinking...if the passion runs this strong for a restaurant among a single, long-time, well-respected poster, is that enough for a GNR? Especially since, in this case, it truly is your neighborhood restaurant, and in a neighborhood where relatively few posters reside?

It's tough because, as you point out in another thread, it's held to a destination standard because it's a destination for most posters. Few can see it through the neighborhood lens you do.

As I go back through the content on the board, what I'm mostly left with is your (quite admirable) advocacy. A handful of passing comments, one or two accolades, and at least one bad experience.

As much as I believe Le Titi has a lot of great qualities, and is in fact a great restaurant to have in the neighborhood it's in, I don't see the kind of widespread LTHForum support that is the hallmark of a GNR. Which is not to say that you're "spreading the gospel" can't develop such a track record over time.

And during that time, as you said in that other thread, you've still got a great restaurant in your neighborhood.

Cynthia wrote:this place gets deep-sixed based on one dinner.

In terms of GNR status, that's certainly not the case. The whole body of posts and track record is the basis for voting.

One meal is just one meal, regardless of how many share it. Of course, one meal posted about among five will carry more weight than one meal among 50 or 100. I've posted some other thoughts about this nomination in the nominating thread.

Points well taken, Aaron. As you say, it's in a less populated area, from the standpoint of LTHForum, so it's hard to build the kind of support some of the city places have. And of course, just as none of those places will ever be my neighborhood place, even though I will certainly seek them out to try them, I appreciate the fact that Le Titi isn't going to be a neighborhood place for the urbanites who make up the bulk of LTHForum. The majority of GNRs are simply not going to be found in the far suburbs, regardless of how great they are or how passionate the advocacy.

I do hope that those who live out this way will at least begin considering it a neighborhood place -- pastry and coffee after the movies, lunch with a friend. (Heck, I had a small salad and fries at Fox & Obel last night, and it cost as much as a full express lunch at Le Titi, so lunch at Le Titi is definitely a great deal.) But if it must be loved by a large chunk of the group, then I'm afraid it won't ever make it. It was, however, worth a try.

Thanks.

I recently had the pleasure of visiting Le Titi with Cynthia. The main memories I left with are that Cynthia is a wonderful dining companion and I will remember the tale of George Washington's leadership through brute force for a long time.

I also came to understand what makes Le Titi a neighborhood restaurant - both the level of attention to its patrons, as well as its participation in numerous events, from cooking classes and wine dinners to a wonderful openness to participating in charitable events.

If being a neighborhood place was the sole measure, and it was a major concern for me going into my visit, Le Titi is very qualified. But on my visit the food was quite a bit less than great, and given its price point and aspirations, I think one should be able to expect a better meal than the one I had. So I cannot support this nomination. Makes me sad, and I hope I will still get to dine with Cynthia again soon and hear some more stories.

Other than the company, which was truly enjoyable (and thanks dicksond for sharing a bottle of your wine with us), I felt a bit let down by our dinner on Tuesday night. I'd never been to Le Titi before but I'd wanted to try it for a long time. On that basis, the end result was somewhat disappointing. I liked the food but generally didn't love it. I also agree with others who noted the flat atmosphere. I'm not sure we got a truly representative experience at Le Titi. Perhaps it was an off night.

My starter, the Canadian foie gras terrine, was decent but I didn't enjoy the canned truffle bits it contained. They had an "off" taste and I kind of wish they'd been omitted entirely. Once you are used to fresh truffles, it's hard to go back. Since I've had -- and made -- many delicious terrines that contained no truffles, I thought this was a misstep. The terrine would have been more successful sans truffles. Not that it matters to me, but the plating was pretty sloppy, too. I bring it up only as a point of comparison because it was so noticeable. Among other oddities, half a hard boiled quail egg was positioned in a portion of sauce that looked like the international "Don't" circle with a slash through it. Perhaps the kitchen was advising me not to eat it . . .


Terrine of Canadian Foie Gras

Some of the other plating was gorgeous . . .


Basil & Toasted Peanut Crusted Pork Tenderloin


My entree, the Trilogy of Veal, was also somewhat of a miss. The cheeks were phenomenal and the loin was tasty but a bit overcooked. I expected it would be cooked no further than medium-rare but this was medium-well. The third element, the sweetbreads, were pretty much a disaster. They had not been prepped properly and contained all sorts of sinewy, connective tissue which is generally removed. They were not cooked well either -- or "crispy," as described -- and were actually very soft/loose in texture with a medicinal flavor. For the first time I can remember, I left uneaten sweetbreads on my plate.

I loved my Grand Marnier souffle but as he posted above, Steve's chocolate rendition was way overcooked. It shrivelled up like a popped balloon when he forked into it. The mignardise were tasty and I enjoyed the lemon tart, although I think I was the only person at the table who did. I thought the Passionfruit napoleon, garnished with fresh berries, was outstanding . . .


Grand Marnier Souffle



Lemon Tart



Passionfruit Napoleon


I was also a bit perplexed by our server, who was friendly and largely competent, but always seemed to be in a hurry whenever she poured. She continually dripped wine on the stemware and the table throughout the evening. Since there were only a few tables occupied, I wondered why she applied such haste to the situation. In any case, I'd rather have a slow, dripless pour than a rapid, sloppy one. It just struck me as odd, especially given the overall tone of the restaurant.

I hate being negative but I have to be honest about the experience or posting about it is worthless. I'd definitely go back but after this meal, I'm not feeling any urgency about it. I live in the burbs -- a mere 10 miles from Le Titi -- and I'd love for it to have wowed me. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case. Based on all the adulation I've read and heard about Le Titi over the years, I'm fairly certain what we experienced was merely an off night. And we all know that it can happen anywhere.

=R=

Regarding the service, I will say that is one of the difficulties with high-end restaurants way out in the boonies. In the city, there are all kinds of food professionals or out-of-work actors available, and one can be pickier. Even in Highland Park, where you have wall-to-wall restaurants, you have more choices -- particularly because the train is so close at hand; workers can come from the city.

There are not as many choices out here. Most of the mid level restaurants are staffed with college students who'll leave as soon as they graduate. I've discovered that the majority of the career servers in this area are recent immigrants, such as our waitress at Le Titi, who are just learning the ropes -- and just learning English. Perhaps she had never had a table full of people who were photographing every course (I've actually never seen anyone take a picture at Le Titi before -- at least not of the food), and it may have made her nervous.

However, I do have to agree with you that the service at Le Titi, while always cordial, can be less than perfectly polished. I found this to be true recently up at Le Vichyssois, as well. We're just too far away from the talent pool.

(I've actually never seen anyone take a picture at Le Titi before -- at least not of the food)

THEN HOW COULD IT BE AN LTHFORUM GREAT NEIGHBORHOOD RESTAURANT?!?!?

dicksond wrote:I hope I will still get to dine with Cynthia again soon and hear some more stories.

Saturday soon enough?

I really meant it when I said that the company was a key element of enjoying the evening.

Mike G wrote:

(I've actually never seen anyone take a picture at Le Titi before -- at least not of the food)

THEN HOW COULD IT BE AN LTHFORUM GREAT NEIGHBORHOOD RESTAURANT?!?!?

That was the point -- the hardcore LTHers just haven't made it out this far. There are at least a few of us who have dined there regularly -- as noted in the original "build up to GNR" post, but all the heavy hitters had stayed away until now (and most still haven't made it out here). The lack of support and LTH history was the issue.

The lack of support and LTH history was the issue.

Yes, it is, and has to be.

One thing I hope will happen, now that we have our first-ever second-time nominee in Kuma's, is that some of the places that don't make it will continue to get written about, and come up again in a year or two or three. It doesn't have to be an outright rejection of the place-- just the recognition that the requisite level of support and history is still being built up. So keep us informed of what's happening there, of what you ate there, and maybe float another dinner six or eight months down the line. Who knows?

Let's please go easy on the all caps exasperation in this thread. Some of the back and forth might be better conducted on the events board as it's drifting from general restaurant relevance.

Santander wrote:Let's please go easy on the all caps exasperation in this thread. Some of the back and forth might be better conducted on the events board as it's drifting from general restaurant relevance.

Well put Santander.

Santander wrote:Let's please go easy on the all caps exasperation in this thread. Some of the back and forth might be better conducted on the events board as it's drifting from general restaurant relevance.

I think the all-caps post was tongue-in-cheek kidding around.

YES!

I get it, but future readers looking for reviews on this place (or the GNRs) might be scared off by what seems unfriendly, if you haven't been following the banter over on the GNR / Other Chat boards.

Cynthia wrote:Regarding the service, I will say that is one of the difficulties with high-end restaurants way out in the boonies. In the city, there are all kinds of food professionals or out-of-work actors available, and one can be pickier. Even in Highland Park, where you have wall-to-wall restaurants, you have more choices -- particularly because the train is so close at hand; workers can come from the city.

There are not as many choices out here. Most of the mid level restaurants are staffed with college students who'll leave as soon as they graduate. I've discovered that the majority of the career servers in this area are recent immigrants, such as our waitress at Le Titi, who are just learning the ropes -- and just learning English. Perhaps she had never had a table full of people who were photographing every course (I've actually never seen anyone take a picture at Le Titi before -- at least not of the food), and it may have made her nervous.

However, I do have to agree with you that the service at Le Titi, while always cordial, can be less than perfectly polished. I found this to be true recently up at Le Vichyssois, as well. We're just too far away from the talent pool.

My suburban restaurant-industry friends often lament the difficulties of FOH staffing. It is assuredly a tough area. When Osteria di Tramonto opened, for example, many north-suburban eateries experienced FOH defections en masse. Since then, many of those FOH'ers have returned to their former places of employment -- or at least added some shifts back. It's not a very deep pool and it's fairly transient, too.

=R=

Le Titi is our favorite for those special occasions and when we want to really treat ourselves. Special resturant, great food, great service. I always have found the evening is a stand out when it includes dinner here.

Now I can see I need to try lunch also.