Jacky Pluton's Fries: Haussmann Brasserie

Jacky Pluton's Fries: Haussmann Brasserie

Just about exactly the same day I was invited to a media dinner at Haussmann Brasserie, I read the Dish piece that dissed the place, saying Chef Jacky Pluton was just “going through the motions.” But a brasserie has rules, and if the chef plays by the rules, goes through the right motions, then maybe that’s how it should be judged.

So, how to judge a brasserie? Me, I check the fundamentals.

A platter of charcuterie seemed a good way to start; the server, he (and here, they seem all to be male) told me I’d need help finishing it; I didn’t, but I could have (I shared with The Wife just to be nice).



In the above photo are slices of a slightly tangy sausage, a very mild though deliciously rich country pate, and subtly seasoned rilletes. The Wife thought the rillets needed more punch; I thought they were just right; when I eat traditional continental cuisine, I have to keep reminding myself that we Chicagoans probably have our spice tolerance indexes set pretty high, perhaps unusually so .

The wife had a salad of frisee and lardons with a poached egg on top.



She loved it.

For dinner, The Wife went with a delicious bowl of mussels, the broth was highly herbal; I could have eaten it alone, perhaps with just a few sops of bread.

I had the classic steak frites, and the steak was good, but what really knocked us out were the fries, very crisp, and salty but not too salty, tasting of potato (which seems obvious; would that all fries were so), and about which, what could be more fundamental?



The Wife and I dove on the frites like ravenous chimps; noticing this our waiter asked – without condescension – if we’d perhaps like catsup with them; I actually turned down that condiment in favor of some of the pleasant mustard I had with the charcuterie platter. About the catsup comment from the waiter, I believe he was simply offering what many others ask for; when I ordered my steak, I said "I'll have it medium rare, like everyone else. That's probably the way most people order it, right?" The waiter smiled and told me I'd be surprised how many patrons ask for it well-done. So, with that in mind, catsup seems like a downright pedestrian suggestion, though I must admit I at first thought the waiter was kidding.

I’d be happy having a plate of frites and a glass of house Cotes du Rhone ($7; decent). That option is not on the menu, but I’m sure the kitchen would make it; they seemed very accommodating. For instance, not spotting cookies on the dessert list, and liking cookies for dessert more than anything, I asked the waiter if they had any. He thought he could find some; he did, and that’s a fine way to end a meal, though whether It’s a traditional brasserie style close, I’m not sure.



I think of a brasserie as a neighborhood place, and Haussmann Brasserie was very crowded on a Wednesday night, full of tanned, well-dressed North Shore folks, which explains why some of the photos here are a little grainy: I was shooting macro with no flash to avoid disturbing anyone and strangely, here, I got the feeling I might. “Brasserie” usually suggests beer and perhaps even sauerkraut, but this is not that kind of brasserie.

Haussmann Brasserie
305 Happ Road
Northfield, Illinois
847.446.1133

The most shocking thing I have read on LTH Forum lately is the fact that you turned down catsup.

This is in the former Brasserie T space and while the food was very good there, it definitely had that same sort of overly upscale vibe (it was also mk north and A-milano grill between Brasserie T and now). Based on what I'd read until now, I've been somewhat indifferent about trying this place out but I'm feeling a bit more compelled now.

Thanks, for the report.

=R=

The Hubs and I braved the rain last night and had a lovely dinner (sans camera) here, although I doubt I could improve on David's photos.

We celebrated an evening without our children (camp sleepovers-yea!)
by cracking a very nice bottle of Gruen sparkling wine (or maybe it's real champagne I forget, but the $ was right...LOL

We started with salads I had the frisee/lardons which was a real star how can you go wrong with that much warm bacon?
Hubs had the mesclun which was kind of undistinguished and came in a bowl so large it was like a sink and the poor little salad was lost in the bottom. He said he wished he had gotten my salad.

For dinner He had the steak frites which was wonderful, cooked perfect and delicious and the frites were quite likely the best I have ever had, even better than frites in Paris...
David descibed them really well upthread. For me they hit the PERFECT balance of salty, crisp, potato-ey, hot, YUM. (Although I doubt hubby will ever be cured of his ketchup addiction)
As a side note, we had this same dish at Bouchon in Vegas and it was awful the night we were there- all it tasted of was salt salt salt. And I LIKE salty food, so if I say something is salty, momma it's pretty darn salty.

I had the roasted wild salmon, and it was very good, moist with a nice crust, on a bed of "spring" veggies, with a buttery herby sauce. The veggies were mostly good, some yellow string beans were woody, and some peas were starchy- the fennel was good, asparagus were sweet and tender, roasted cherry tomatoes were done well.

It was also quite busy the night we were there (Thurs)
A lot of tables of over-tanned NS women out for ladies nights...
I guess it keeps the dermatologists in business...
(sorry meow)
The only thing off for us is that while we got our wine right away it took the waiter an awfully long time to take our order, and I noticed the same thing with the table next to us. Once my order is taken, I don't mind if it takes a while for food to come out , because hey, they have to cook it, but as a place fills up, I'd sure like the waiter to not leave us stranded for that long... It was a long time....


We skipped desserts because none of them were really calling our name, and it was after all an evening with no kids at home......

I would definitely go back, especially on a Weds when the special is listed as soft shell crab, for now....

irisarbor wrote:cracking a very nice bottle of Gruen sparkling wine (or maybe it's real champagne I forget

Could it have been Gruet? If so, I think it's safe to say the Gruet is the finest sparkling wine made in the entire state of New Mexico.

It could have been $30 a bottle sparkling wine that sounded a lot like that....

We woke up late this morning and having already eaten dinner last night at our favorite local haunt, we felt funny about returning there for a second consecutive meal. We realized that we still hadn't tried Haussmann Brasserie. So, we made the short drive down to Northfield to give the place a try.


Haussmann Brasserie is located in the former Gully's/Danny's Place/Brasserie T/mk North/A Milano Grill space at 305 Happ Road in Northfield.



The first thing I noticed after I sat down was the salt and pepper service, which encouraged me as being representative of a place that gives things some thought and takes them seriously. Based on our experience, I'd say that my hunch was accurate.



Another nice sign -- some excellent sourdough bread. The crumb was supple and uneven, the crust was dense and chewy and the flavor -- in the chew, not the bite -- was deep, with a pleasant tanginess.



Soup of the day was Corn Chowder, which was just ok. As you can see from the picture, it probably sat in the pass for a while before it made it to our table. But beyond that, there was nothing wrong with it. It just wasn't very memorable.



The Salmon Salad was nicely conceived and executed. The salmon was cooked to medium, so the center was moist and the exterior was crusted perfectly. Underneath it, atop the greens, was a thin potato pancake that was delicious. The greens were bouncy and dressed -- happily -- with refreshing restraint.



The Haussmann Salad was also satisfying. Here, you can see the ultra-thin discs of mushroom atop the greens. This salad was, again, dressed with a less-is-more philosophy that I really appreciated. The dressing contained some fresh tarragon, which was also applied judiciously. The aroma was there but it didn't dominate. The salad also contained some tender slits of blanched haricots verts and another type of long bean, that worked very well in combination with the other elements.



The Vegetarian Bayaldi Sandwich was rich and delicious. Here, the lack of meat was merely an afterthought. This sammy contained grilled summer squash and tomato, caramelized onion and herb-infused goat cheese. It was served open-face on a tasty piece of grilled flatbread. I'd order this again in a heartbeat.



Skirt steak is not the typical cut one uses for Steak Frites but it's a favorite of mine, so I didn't have a problem with the 'cheftistic' license taken here. It was juicy, perfectly cooked to medium-rare and had a very nice crust. The meat itself was a bit bland but I'll take that any day if the alternative is over-salted. The frites were light, crispy and generally outstanding. The only soggy ones were those that were trapped under the steak and had become soaked with meat juice. Those, in spite of their texture, were the best of the lot.



The Salmon entree was perfectly cooked, just as the salmon on the salad was. It was crispy on the outside and moist on the inside. It was served over a bounty of perfectly tender and flavorful seasonal veggies that were accented but not obscured by a lightly buttery sauce.

All in all, it was a very enojoyable meal and one that surprised me a bit, although I'm not exactly sure why it surprised me. Maybe it had something to do with my feeling that the last 2 restaurants which occupied this space -- mk North and A-Milano Grill -- were pretty lousy. I was so pleased with my meal today that I can confidently say I'll be back soon. I do have concerns that the local audience will reject this restaurant in its current form because it just isn't general enough. I've also heard that the rent here is very high and if that's true, it'll be interesting to see if it has an effect. Nonetheless, HB is a fairly distinctive spot that does what it does very well. Service was excellent and pricing was very much in line with my expectations. Our meal -- 2 firsts, 1 entree salad, 3 mains -- was $95 before tax and tip. I look forward to returning and checking out their dinner menu, which varies slightly from the lunch menu and seems quite promising.

=R=

Last night was my first ever visit to Haussmann Brasserie and I came away mildly impressed, but certainly not wowed.

The good:

If you like mussels, then HB's mussels are a must for you. It's nice that the portion is generous but more important is the fact that the broth is magnificent. One of the best orders of mussels I've ever had.

French onion soup - again, a very generous portion, and featuring a more complex broth than I typically see, probably aided by what I'm assuming was red wine-braised onions. Other than the flavorful broth, the oversized crock featured a very flavorful and nicely crusted gruyere.

Frites - Sure enough, these were as advertised by other LTHers -- not the best I've had, but excellent nonetheless.

Scallops - I only had a brief taste, and can't recall much other than the fact that the sea scallop I tasted was perfectly sauteed and very flavorful.

And the not so good:

My steak frites featured an overcooked steak (asked for medium rare, was given medium) and it was served barely warm. It was topped with sauteed onions, also barely warm. Too bad -- it could have been really good.

The Parisienne gnocchi (with truffle oil, parmesan and asparagus) were not the least bit light, but instead were very doughy and grainy -- about as bad as gnocchi can be. Also, while there was plenty of gnocchi (which I did not enjoy), there was too little of the accompaniments (which I liked).

If in the area, I'd probably return . . . but the couple of "not so goods" would probably keep me from making a special trip there.

There are so few good options in the Winnetka-Northfield area that I am grateful to have a new place to suggest to friends who cannot travel far from their homes for dinner. Moreover, it's always a challenge to come up with dining options that won't be rejected as too adventurous by those accustomed to club food. (I share Hammond's chagrin about theubiquity of bland chicken salad. The last time I ate at Convito Italiano they were selling it like it was going out of style. Wait - it has gone out of style. Don't tell the tanned ladies).

I think I would enjoy Pluton's classics and I am certainly not above eating a plate of good fries. It's just that it's unlikely Cathy2, helen, jygach, and I will ever feel the need to go there, since we tend to prefer Devon Ave. or Pilsen in the early morning hours.

A chacun son tour.

haussmann's closed. already. that was quick.

is that space cursed, or what?

bring back danny's.

haussmann's closed. already. that was quick.

is that space cursed, or what?

Nah. Everything Jacky Pluton touches turns to "closed," except, ironically, Jacky's Bistro in Evanston, which he sold to his chef several years ago. He's been involved with at least four now-defunct restos and two retail operations that I can name just off the top of my head. Where the heck does he keep coming up with backing for these ventures? Heck, the retail shop on Central in Evanston was open for way less than a year, IIRC, as was the store at Edens Plaza in Wilmette.

elakin wrote:haussmann's closed. already. that was quick.

is that space cursed, or what?

bring back danny's.

LOL! My dad was an investor in Danny's. Damn I loved those nachos, which were based on the kamoosh at La Choza.

Brasserie T was great in that space, too, before Gale and Rick left for Truer pastures. I don't think it's the space. From what I have heard, the rent is extremely high in that space and the owner doesn't need to be negotiable. That makes it very tough for anyone to succeed in that space. Most prospective owners I know of have balked because the rent is so prohibitive. Too bad for Northfield. In spite of the odd exit/on-ramp configuration at Willow Road and the Edens, that's not a bad location.

=R=

sundevilpeg wrote:

haussmann's closed. already. that was quick.

is that space cursed, or what?

Nah. Everything Jacky Pluton touches turns to "closed," except, ironically, Jacky's Bistro in Evanston, which he sold to his chef several years ago. He's been involved with at least four now-defunct restos and two retail operations that I can name just off the top of my head. Where the heck does he keep coming up with backing for these ventures? Heck, the retail shop on Central in Evanston was open for way less than a year, IIRC, as was the store at Edens Plaza in Wilmette.

I'm more persuaded by the conclusion that it is difficult to keep a dinner-centric, non kid-friendly, non-bar, non-club restaurant afloat in the West Evanston-Glenview-Winnetka- Northfield locations that Pluton has chosen. Look at the places that last: classic bars like Seul's, Meier's and the UBaa, or ladies' lunch spots like Convito or the Butt'ry or Three Tarts Bakery. Don't forget Indian Trail and the Willow Inn Club that lasted for decades with terrible food (geriatric club food genre).

An old pal had a fine dining place in Winnetka in the 80's. The place just could not make a go of it due to the fact that they only did business on Friday and Saturday nights. Families with little kids and a stay-at-home parent eat in most nights. And I have noticed that older residents may tend to stick with old familiar places. I don't think that's Jacky Pluton's doing.

Josephine wrote:

I'm more persuaded by the conclusion that it is difficult to keep a dinner-centric, non kid-friendly, non-bar, non-club restaurant afloat in the West Evanston-Glenview-Winnetka- Northfield locations that Pluton has chosen. Look at the places that last: classic bars like Seul's, Meier's and the UBaa, or ladies' lunch spots like Convito or the Butt'ry or Three Tarts Bakery. Don't forget Indian Trail and the Willow Inn Club that lasted for decades with terrible food (geriatric club food genre).

An old pal had a fine dining place in Winnetka in the 80's. The place just could not make a go of it due to the fact that they only did business on Friday and Saturday nights. Families with little kids and a stay-at-home parent eat in most nights. And I have noticed that older residents may tend to stick with old familiar places. I don't think that's Jacky Pluton's doing.

That doesn't explain the abrupt closing of Pluton, which was on Orleans in the city, nor the oddball here-today-gone-later-today shelf lives of the retail stores. Also, Pluton's other Evanston venture was in the Hotel Orrington, which surely isn't the west side of Evanston. His first place on the North Shore, Provence, was where Michael is now, and I don't see Chef Lechowicz hurting for business - GB Road in Winnetka isn't exactly off the beaten path, and it's a cinch to get to from the city, as it's just across the street from the Indian Hill Metra stop.

Look, I'm not really knocking Pluton, but he seems to be either a terribly unlucky or just plain godawful restaurateur, who repeatedly gets himself into financial situations that collapse like a house of cards. He probably should have just stayed with Jacky's Bistro, instead of trying to open multiple restos and high-end retail outlets, not to mention his PBS show, "The Fairway Gourmet."

ronnie_suburban wrote:Damn I loved those nachos, which were based on the kamoosh at La Choza.

Man...talk about a blast from the past! La Choza was one of the first places I ever ate Mexican food as a young lad.

sundevilpeg wrote:Also, Pluton's other Evanston venture was in the Hotel Orrington, which surely isn't the west side of Evanston.

I can't say anything about the other locations you mention, but the Blu sushi restaurant that took over after Narra closed is on a good day 1/4-full. I'd look for an announcement in the "Openings..." thread before too long.

I really enjoyed my ONE meal at Hausmann Brasserie and I have to say it was indeed one of the fastest opening/closings I've ever seen....

The real question with Pluton is -- and I don't mean to sound overly harsh -- who's still backing him? Given his recent track record, from an investor's perspective, it's hard to believe that there are still folks out there who are willing to bankroll him. I guess the lure of the potential homerun from a guy with known cooking talent is enough for some investors.

Fwiw, Haussmann will be reconcepted as JP Tavern, as reported in Dish last week.

=R=

mmmmmm... kamoosh.

I ate at both Jacky's steakhouse in the Orrington and at Pluton. Regret that I did either one! Food was nothing special, and expensive.

i agree with sundevilpeg. it appears that jacky is the quentissential "artiste" who must always have the best of everything, cost be damned.

that's my take on it, at least. i'm guessing he's playing with other people's money and has no incentive to do anything less than he wants to do, and therefore the restaurants go under.

reconcepting to a 'tavern' seems pretty silly. i mean, what is a brasserie, in essence? (but thanks for the link, ronnie). i don't get it. i'm wondering if "JP Tavern" will ever really see the light of day. remember when Pluton closed it was announced they were moving to a bigger, better location? never happened.

doesn't seem like reconcepting a brasserie to a tavern would take much besides a new sign. i don't buy it.

but, don't get me wrong. i hope they do re-open, since that location is right down the street from my parent's house and we go there fairly frequently, regardless of whose name's currently on the door.

(i still do miss danny's, though. i loved their french onion soup as a kid)

The real question with Pluton is -- and I don't mean to sound overly harsh -- who's still backing him? Given his recent track record, from an investor's perspective, it's hard to believe that there are still folks out there who are willing to bankroll him. I guess the lure of the potential homerun from a guy with known cooking talent is enough for some investors.

I think there's plenty of people that remember how good he was at one time. I had a fantastic lunch once at the original Jacky's around eight years ago. He worked the small room, was friendly, put out amazing, simple dishes. I remember it being a very simple, comfortable, homey place. I'm sure there's plenty of people on the north shore who have money and want to try and recreate that. The problem is you can never recreate a time for a chef when he is young, passionate, fighting to pay the bills and at the same time loving his eighteen hour days. He peaked eight years ago, everything since has been excessive and poorly executed, but Ronnie you are right, it's amazing there are people that don't recognize it.

Wow, folks are really dumping on Pluton. Talk about kicking a guy when one of his restaurants fails.

I have eaten Pluton's food on a number of occasions, at several of his places (not the fancy downton Pluton). All of my meals were excellent. I can't remember a bad experience. While it seems to be true that his concepts have recently been flawed from a business perspective, I have high regard for him as a chef.

Jonah

The man has carved out a position that enables him to travel around to luxurious places, play a few rounds of golf, and cook simple meals in fancy clubhouse kitchens. The only emotion I have toward him is jealousy.

johah, i completely agree. i've thoroughly enjoyed every pluton meal i've had. the problem is, all his places close too fast for me to return as many times as i'd like. (with the exception of jacky's, which isn't his anymore).

i respect him as a chef and very much enjoy his concepts and execution. problem is, he can't seem to run a restaurant that can stay in business. that's kind of important. can't eat the food if the place isn't open.

He treated us and our friends very poorly on a certain occasion at Jacky's when he owned it. I have no desire to dredge up the details again--I posted about it once in another thread, a good while ago, and in the unlikely event anyone is interested now I'm sure it wouldn't be hard to turn up in a search--but suffice it to say that I don't find it a deeply inexplicable mystery why his restaurants don't enjoy long-term success while he owns them.

I had a wonderful meal at Pluton's back in the day, among the half dozen best meals I have had in the last decade in Chicago. A seven course extravaganza (when seven courses was an extravaganza and not just the appetizers). While I can not recall the details of the meal, I do recall how much I wished to return, but before I did "whoosh!"

It must be noted that the spot at which Haussman's was located is not known for nurturing restaurants, and location may be as much as anything. Also with Prairie Grass not too far away, I wonder if they were competing for the same market.

GAF wrote:It must be noted that the spot at which Haussman's was located is not known for nurturing restaurants, and location may be as much as anything. Also with Prairie Grass not too far away, I wonder if they were competing for the same market.

I think location is extremely important but at least 2 restaurants that had success in that space failed for reasons unrelated to location. Danny's busted out when, against the will and advice of investors, Danny opened a 2nd location in the Loop. At the time, the economy was soft, the Loop was dead and the second location drew almost no dinner business. Months later, both locations were closed. Danny later opened Salsa Sam's in Evanston, which no longer exists either.

Brasserie T was going strong until Gand and Tramanto abandonned it for the green pastures of Tru. From conversations I've had with insiders, after year one, the place was doing extremely well. But decisions were made that sacrificed BT's success for certain aspirations of the principals. There are many details to both those stories that I will refrain from posting here because I cannot confirm their veracity 100%. But from everything I know, it wasn't the location that killed these places.

As I posted above, those in the know have told me that even though they like the location, the rent in the current Haussmann space is so high it's virtually unworkable. It's right off the expressway, has plenty of parking and is smack dab in the middle of a densely populated and relatively affluent area.

As for Prairie Grass Cafe, they themselves occupy a space on Skokie Blvd that was previously considered 'cursed,' too. Several restaurants languished in that location (Stefani's, Nick & Tony's, Somethingfish Grill) before PGC took it over. Now, 4 years later, the location is no longer 'cursed.'

=R=

good point, ronnie. in fact, i would argue that the PGC location has even far less going for it (hard to see from the street, kind of in an 'industrial/hotel' section of that area, restaurant's view is into the parking lot), and they've made a darn good go of it in a space where no one else could make it work.

(i think it was bonefish grill, which is affiliated with the outback steakhouse/roy's people)

I can't remember which "fish" it was, but it was definitely not Bonefish.