REB wrote:We went on a Friday night at 8:30 p.m. a few weeks back and were surprised to find a barely half full restaurant. Given how wonderful the restaurant is and how reasonable it is when compared to so many downtown spots, I was sad to see it so empty on a Friday.

Friday night is a difficult night on which to base a judgment about how busy a restaurant is. Some restaurants (such as those in areas with large workforces, e.g. the Loop) are very busy and do very well with an after-work crowd, while others aren't/don't. I've been surprised when checking availability on Fridays that many very popular places don't seem to be full on Fridays. A place like Vie, which is what I would consider a "destination restaurant", meaning that many people drive long distances to dine there, maybe doesn't do well on Fridays because Friday evening is the worst commuter traffic of the entire week. And the holiday season isn't always good for restaurants, either. I'm hoping they were empty for those reasons, and that they're not hurting because of the economy, although that probably plays a role almost everywhere right now.

REB wrote:Because the apps looked more appetizing than the entrees, we decided to order a bunch of appetizers and only one entree. This would hopefully mean that we'd have room for dessert. We also decided to split the dishes up so that a bunch of dishes didn't arrive at the same time. (We'd recently had a negative experience at a pretty nice restaurant where three large hot appetizers were served simultaneously, leading to lukewarm second and third dishes).

A couple comments here. One - I sometimes find that several starters appeal to me more than any entree. Just about everywhere I've been is happy to serve a double portion size of a starter as an entree. (I often do this when I see sweetbreads listed as a starter.) Two - The last time I ate at Vie, I thought that the starters were superb; just about every single one gave me that feeling of "WOW! This is DELICIOUS!!!". So did just about every dessert. The mains, not so much. They were reasonably good, but didn't knock me out the way the starters and desserts did.

REB wrote:We're already making plans to go back, now knowing that Western Springs really isn't that far.

Don't forget, it's also easy to get there via Metra. (We should have a listing of suburban restaurants located right near commuter train stations, so that city folks could know how easy it is to take the train and eat at Vie in Western Springs, Michael in Winnetka, Chef's Station and Oceanique in Evanston, etc.)

REB wrote:We'd had a tough time deciding among the cassoulet, the beef tasting, and the lamb pot pie.

The lamb pot pie was astonishingly good when I had it, a week ago. My wife had the beef tasting, and it was good, but the lamb was killer. The pastry (made with really good buttermilk) was crispy and light, there were three preparations of lamb meat (some smoked, some braised, some I'm not remembering). It was very filling, very good. I'm drooling just remembering it. Wish I could affored to eat Vie more often. Though you do get your money's worth there. I was so full at the end of the meal that it was slightly uncomfortable. That was abetted by the various little free tidbits that came out of the kitchen (it was the night after xmas and business was very slow) between courses, and the bread, which I always overeat because it's good and the butter's good.
Now they're closed for a week of vacation. We'll be going in for burgers when they reopen.
And did anyone get the newsletter saying they're exploring opening a family restaurant in addition to Vie? Hope it's close by. My 3 year old loved her one trip to Vie (she still talks about all the things she tried), so I'm sure she'd like more chances to eat Vie-style.
Olaf

Took the family to Vie -- and met up with Stevez and the Chow Poodle -- for an early dinner on NYE, where a luxurious set menu was served for $100 per person. Wine pairings, which were nearly as oustanding as the food, were priced at $40 per person. Here's what we ate . . .


Alba white truffles with Parmigianno-Reggiano fonduta and toasted breadcrumbs
NV Dampierre Grande Cuvee, Brut, Champagne
A great opening bite. Intensely flavorful and pungent.



Warm lobster with Werp Farm baby lettuces, Paternoster Farm mandarins and lobster vinaigrette
2007 Tablas Creek, Cote de Tablas Blanc, Paso Robles, CA
This was the most tender restaurant lobster I've had in recent memory. I appreciated the way the mandarins and the vinaigrette accentuated the lobster's flavor.



Carnaroli rice arancini with Wisconsin celery root & black truffle puree
2006 Cartineto, Vernaccia, Italy
This was probably my favorite dish of the night. While the flavors are a fairly traditional combination, the execution was perfect. The rice ball was crispy and tender, the puree was as supple as velvet and you could smell the aromatic truffles from across the dining room.



Seared ocean trout with thyme butter, wilted local greens and warm guanciale vinaigrette
2007 Au Bon Climat, Pinot Noir, Santa Barbara, CA
I'm not a huge fan of ocean trout but this piece of it was cooked perfectly. It had a textbook sear on the outside and was moist and tender on the inside. The highlight of the dish for me, was the (house-made) guanciale vinaigrette which, as you can see, was strewn with delectable pieces of jowl bacon.



Wood-grilled Painted Hills strip loin with yukon gold potato puree, mushrooms and bearnaise
2005 Chateau Fonbadet, Bordeaux
I loved this dish because the beef was very flavorful and cooked exactly how I like it. No slouch was the bearnaise, which was fantastic. It was fun and not surprising to see Vie serve up a sauce like bearnaise, which is not in their everyday wheelhouse, and do it better than just about any other restaurant in which I've ever had it.



Prairie Fruits Farm smoked Moonglow with membrillo, peasant bread, marcona almonds, wood-grilled onions and red wine syrup
2004 Mas Igneus, Priorat, Spain
This was a genuine sleeper. I generally like cheese courses but this took me to another, unanticipated level with the wood-grilled onions and the membrillo, which was made from quince that was grown very nearby, by folks who are regular diners at Vie. I really loved this combination, which was far more than the sum of its parts.



Cava sorbet
A refreshing, very intense, frozen intermezzo, complete with an edible cactus flower.



Peaches 'n Cream Cake: Tahitian vanilla mousse, local-honey-brandied peach mousse, almond cake, peach sauce and almond nougantine
2004 Chateau Bel Air, Vielles Vignes, Semillon, Bordeaux
I really appreciated and enjoyed this dessert plate. I am a big fan of the desserts at Vie and this one was delicious. The cominbation of flavors was excellent and the nougatine was nutty and buttery. The only problem with the plate was that it was served very cold, which muted the subtle flavors of the mousses a little. I let it warm up a bit by waiting to finish it, which definitely helped.



Dark Chocolate with orange mignardise
Even though I'm not a fan of dark chocolate or chocolate and fruit together, I really enjoyed this final bite. The texture of the chocolate was great and the balance of it and the fruit was nice. It finished smooth, without any bitter citrus note, which I really appreciated.

All in all, it was a great, comforting meal -- up to Vie's typical standard -- with a little non-local, NYE flair added in -- like truffles, lobster and ocean trout. Service, provided by David, was outstanding, informed and friendly.

It was great to see how full Vie was on New Year's Eve, too. We had the first seating and as we were leaving, folks waiting for their second-seating tables were 3-deep at the bar. In 2008, not only did I eat a few 'regular menu' dinners at Vie, but I also enjoyed this special meal, plus their pork sliders at the Green City Market BBQ Festival and thier crepinette that was served The Mulefoot Whole Hog Dinner, which took place at Blackbird. Vie continues to be one of my very favorite restaurants in Chicagoland. It's one of a few places where I'm already thinking about returning as soon as I finish my meal.

=R=

ronnie-

Wow! Great pictures per usual. Whenever you or someone else (usually you) post pictures of their meal at Vie, it is almost always the desserts that leap out at me. And I say this even though I'm really not a big dessert person. That peach dessert and the mignardises are making my mouth water. (By the way, I think the arancini would have been my favorite course as well. I love those!)

I'll have to try to get out there again soon and think up some semi-special occasion to justify it.

I'll agree with Ronnie. This was a great New Year's Eve meal! The arancini and trout were my favorite dishes of the night as well as the chocolate/orange mignardise. I won't bore you with more or less the same pictures that Ronnie posted, but here are a couple worth seeing.

Carnaroli Rice Arancini with Wisconsin Celery Root & Black Truffle Puree - Interior View


Dark Chocolate with Orange Mignardise

I wanted to report a fantastic dinning experience my girlfriend and I had at Vie last weekend. Based on the great photos and reviews on LTH we were hoping the drive out of the city would be worth it and it certainly was. As aspiring foodies we go to a wide variety of restaurants (almost all found on LTH) and both agreed from start to finish this was the best meal we had ever had.

To begin we had the seared diver sea scallops, heritage prairie spinach, house made lardo,pickled asparagus and dill butter. The scallops were beautifully sweet and the rich lardo seemed to almost melt into the entire dish. Individually, each ingredient was fantastic, but together, elevated the dish into something really special. By far our favorite dish of the night.

Next, the potato gnocchi, dietzler farm beef shortribs, city farm turnip sauerkraut, organic crème fraiche and horseradish. While great, this was probably the least "spectacular" plate of the night. The ribs were extremely tender but not over-braised and the sauerkraut cut through the heavy gnocchi and creme fraiche. Overall it was really tasty but came off a a little heavy and one note.

Our last appetizer was the flatbread with la quercia prosciutto, country cottage egg
mascarpone and pickled local red onion. The egg was perfectly runny and worked great with the pickled onion. The combination of all these wonderful ingredients tasted as good as it sounds.

For an entree we got the wood-grilled sturgeon, smoked pork sausage,braised potatoes, preserved brussel sprouts, local grilled carrots and whole grain mustard vinaigrette. While this sounds sounds like a lot for one plate it came off really harmonious in flavor. We make and smoke our own sausage frequently and this pork sausage was by far the best we have ever tasted. The only complaint was the potatoes were halved fingerlings and quite large making them the only bland component on the plate. The sturgeon had a tremendous smokey flavor from the grill and a great perfectly cooked, meaty texture.

For desert we decided on was the elderflower cheesecake, preserved paternoster mandarin oranges, vanilla cookie and st. germain caramel sauce. The cake was surprisingly light and definitely used a mild cheese. The velvety texture was perfect and blended well with the light drizzling of caramel sauce.

In addition to the wonderful food, our server was fantastic, providing great recommendations and small talk, all well delivering perfect service.

While we have gone to and enjoyed many LTH recommendations, this meal was so fantastic I had to say thank you for alerting us to such a wonderful restaurant. Overall, it was an unforgettable experience and we cant wait to return.

Abe, thanks for the report on a recent Vie meal. I have been so impressed with what Chef Virant has been doing, creating a winter cuisine here, using both preserved goods and winter products*. Last year, Vie got a pressure canner to go with their more, well I am not sure if it's normal, conventional, easier, whatever, steam canner. The pressure canner has allowed them to preserve vegetables meats and fishes as well as the pickles and fruits they had always done. Chef Virant mentions in his latest Vie mailer how he and his staff are working to combine their fresh and preserved foods into new dishes. I'm glad to see that you found them working.

I'm a huge advocate for building a bigger system of local eating here in the Chicago area. To eat local means to eat local year round, and to eat local year round means a healthy dose of canned and preserved foods. Vie and Chef Virant are surely showing us that's not such a bad thing.

*I cannot, obviously, speak to what you ate, but generally fingerlings are the least bland of potatoes.

So glad, Abe, to hear about how much you enjoyed your meal at Vie. It's been just over 5 weeks since my last meal there and I'm already jonesing for another one.

Relatedly, in case anyone missed it, Vie sous chef (and all around good guy) Nathan Sears was featured quite prominently in a piece that appeared in last Wednesday's food section in the Sun-Times:

Don't be chicken -- use it all

Nathan's quoted extensively in the article and he also provides a demo in a adjoining streaming video. Additionally, 2 of chef Sears' recipes are included.

=R=

dicksond wrote: "crispy braised fresh bacon, ...2 chunks of braised, crisped pork belly "

how can something be braised and crispy at the same time?

Johnsoncon wrote:

dicksond wrote: "crispy braised fresh bacon, ...2 chunks of braised, crisped pork belly "

how can something be braised and crispy at the same time?

Not sure exactly how Vie does this but pork belly is extremely tough, so my guess is that it's braised first to soften it up and render some of its excess fat, then crisped after that. I've made a similar preparation at home in the past, which I braised (for about 5 hours), then crisped up. Delicious but I'm guessing Vie's version is better.

=R=

The Bride and I had a pre-Valentine's Day dinner at Vie (her birthday was also that weekend and she chose Vie - I acquiesced).

Truly excellent. The use of lightly preserved fruits and vegetables made it an early spring feast, the technique and seasoning were damned near perfect on each dish. The scallops on the Bride's appetizers were plump and beautiful, shining white with a brown, crusty crown, prettier than a staged photo, tender and plump, sweet and juicy. Her roasted beet and preserved mandarin orange salad with a whisper-like buttermilk dressing was perfection, and the rich aroma of the sea that arrived with my bourride (seafood stew) was complemented by grilled bread slathered with a garlic spread guaranteed to jolt you into consciousness, but the seafood stood up to it well.

Just some examples. Vie was hitting on all cylinders that night and that meal compared favorably to any I have had for a long time.

I took MrsF to Vie for her birthday (which was Wednesday) last night, had a wonderful time. It's definitely different from other top-scale dining I've been to (e.g. Carlos), and definitely a place I'd go back to as the seasons change.

We started with the "fried t&d willey artichokes and preserved lemon, housemade salami, pickled spence farm ramp vinaigrette" and "potato gnocchi, dietzler farm beef shortribs, city farm turnip sauerkraut, organic crème fraiche, horseradish".

The artichokes were amazing: little crisp baby blossoms, with tart fried lemon pieces. Their salami was wonderful -- they need a pizza on their appetizer list that this can grace.

The gnocchi with short ribs was delicious but a little flawed: the gnocchi pretty-much dissolved on contact with mouth, I was expecting a little closer to al dente. The "sauerkraut" was discs of pickled turnip. I'd forgotten what it was by the time it came -- both turnip and the fact they callled it sauerkraut, but it was delicious. I don't recall seeing any creme fraiche in there, though... hmm.


For mains we had the "swan creek veal scaloppine and meatballs, braised french lentils, wood-grilled meyer lemons, capers and radishes" and "28 day aged dietzler farm beef combination: wood-grilled steak and red wine braised beef, wisconsin potato puree, roasted local roots, black trumpet and hedgehog mushrooms, pickled garlic"

MrsF had the beef -- she ordered smarter than I did. Wonderful piece of steak, and the braised pieces were delicious and quite different from the earlier braised short rib. I didn't get to taste the pickled garlic -- she got to those first.

The "scallopine" part of the veal was closer to a small chop -- thicker and medium rare, not hammered flat. Very tasty. The meatballs were nicely spiced, good "spring" to the texture. Lentils seemed very bacon-y (no mention of that, though), and the lemons and radishes helped brighten the whole thing up.


Dessert was "bittersweet chocolate bread pudding, dooley’s toffee liquor ice cream, preserved local strawberries, candied nuts, chocolate sauce" for her, "local winesap apple galette, blue marble dairy buttermilk ice cream, caramel sauce" for me. The bread pudding was closer to a chocolate french toast: a big slab of (probably) brioche with a great chocolate batter. The strawberries were amazing: tart and flavorful like they'd been on the vine that morning, something you don't get in frozen or cooked berries. The apple galette's crowning touch was a tuille with a lot of lemon and vanilla, I could have eaten a dozen of those.


Service was very attentive, and friendly -- definitely a place to go back to, and worth a 45-minute shlep to Western Springs.

We had dinner at Vie a couple of Saturdays ago and it was -- as usual -- nothing short of spectacular. We ordered a bunch of dishes, including some of those described above by Joel, along with several others. I'm still playing around with a new lens, so the pictures are pretty bad and don't really do justice to the food. But, even if these images are worth only 50 words each, that'll save me quite a bit of typing . . .


Amuse of Arancini (with tomato, iirc)



Fried F&D Wiley Artichokes and preserved lemon with house-made salami, and pickled Spence Farm ramp vinaigrette
A great dish. While not local, chef Virant sources these artichokes from a farmer he knows in California. The salami in this dish -- crafted by sous chef Nathan Sears -- was actually made with salt in which anchovies were originally packed -- just a plethora of intense flavors going in here.



Seared Diver Sea Scallops with local spinach, house-made lardo, pickled asparagus and dill butter
A phenomenal combination of flavors and textures in an inspired combination. As many times as I've been served bacon-wrapped scallops, I never would have thought of pairing scallops with lardo. The inherent sweetness of Vie's lardo really matched up well with the perfectly-seared scallops and the pickled asparagus made for great punctuation. The herbacious dill butter unified all the components.



House-made Charcuterie Plate: duck liver mousse, beer salami and country pate, with baby mustard greens, Green Acres pickled carrots, crab apple butter and mustard vinaigrette
This was a stellar plate but above everything else, I absolutely loved the duck liver mousse -- encased in caramelized onions -- which was rich, pungent and intense.



Pan-roasted Red Snapper with braised chick peas, wood-grilled fennel, pickled baby tomatoes, saffron butter and Werp Farm baby greens
Here, the kitchen sent out the collar out of us, which was a real honor. I could not believe how fatty, moist and tender the fish was and the accoutrements -- especially the sweet and acidic pickled tomatoes -- were sensational alongside it.



Vie's Burger
Fantastic, flavorful beef -- ground in-house -- served with onion rings and pickled green beans.



Cream of house-made cabbage Sauerkraut soup with Slagel Family Farm roasted ham pierogis
This lightly creamy soup was rich and satisfying. I may have loved the soup even more than the pierogi -- and the pierogi were worth fighting over.



"The Recession" -- wood-grilled Slagel Family Farm Pork Belly Sandwich with Spanish tuna mayonnaise, Werp Farm arugula and sorrel, and marinated local root vegetables
Not that they aren't both great but I liked this rendition of the sandwich even more than Blackbird's notable rendition because the pork belly -- aside from being remarkably flavorful -- was tender, fatty and unctuous. Paired with the tuna mayo, oily grilled bread and slightly bitter greens, this was a truly compelling dish.



Swan Creek Farm duck breast with sauteed cabbage, creamed celery root, preserved City Farm garlic, watercress and Wisconsin cranberry aigre-doux duck sauce



28-day Dietzler Farm beef combination: Wood-grillled steak and red wine-braised beef with Wisconsin potato puree, roasted local roots, black trumpet and hedgehog mushrooms and pickled garlic
Fantastic combination. The steak was succulent and the braised bits were oh-so-tender. I loved the meaty mushrooms on the side, too. Comfort food, amped up to a new level.



House-made sausage and caramelized onion side dish
One of 2 special side dishes on this night. The sausage was cured and mildly smoked. Delicious.



Green Acres Carrots: purple haze and thumbelina varieties
A real treat to have these sweet and savory roasted carrots, which were so distinctively flavored compared to general-issue carrots.



Rosé sorbet (intermezzo)



Chocolate Ice Cream
No matter how full I am, I gotta have some chocolate.



Local Winesap apple galette with Blue Marble Dairy buttermilk ice cream and caramel sauce
I loved this dessert because it was a very well-executed take on my favorite dessert model -- some fruit, some pastry and some ice cream. Here, all the elements were combined in a way that highlighted them individually, while the overall dish came together as more than the sum of its parts. The tanginess of the ice cream and the light acidity of the apple matched up well with the flaky, buttery pastry.



Carrot Cake with preserved Green Acres Farms carrots, mascarpone frosting and rum raisin ice cream
Loved the stellar refinements on this already grown up dessert. The candied pecans were toasty, sweet and crunchy. The boozy ice cream was delectable.

FOH at Vie is among the very best in my regular dining restaurant rotation. On this night, Jordan took great care of us. Like everyone else at Vie, he's enthusiastic, polished, friendly and extraordinarily knowledgeable about what comes out of the kitchen. Service at Vie is always a perfect match for the food. It's clear that the servers at Vie are well-invested in the collaborative effort being made there. There seems to be an understanding on their part of how current and relevant Vie's food is. That understanding appears to fuel the entire restaurant. Every element seems synchronized to consistently bring the diner truly memorable and distinctive experiences. Vie is -- at once -- amazingly consistent and also a deliverer of distinctive culinary surprises.

=R=

Ronnie, I'm envious of your amuse -- we got a couple morsels of white asparagus in brown butter sauce. Yes, delicious, but hey, you got something fried

Joel & Ronnie,

I just ate dinner, but each of your posts makes me hungry for some Vie.

Joel - the disintigrating texture you describe is exactly how I like my gnocchi, and I suspect Vie's result is on purpose rather than a misstep. I do know plenty of people who prefer more bite, as you suggest you do.

Ronnie - not sure how I feel about a dish that makes a bit of a mockery of these economic times, but that Recession dish does sound tasty.

Kenny

JoelF wrote:Ronnie, I'm envious of your amuse -- we got a couple morsels of white asparagus in brown butter sauce. Yes, delicious, but hey, you got something fried

Luck of the draw, my friend. Luck of the draw.

Kennyz wrote:Ronnie - not sure how I feel about a dish that makes a bit of a mockery of these economic times, but that Recession dish does sound tasty.

I didn't ask about the name of the dish but I got the sense that it was, perhaps, meant to reference a comforting and still-affordable luxury. In any event, it may well have been my favorite dish of the meal.

=R=

I believe "Recession Special" refers to an item Vie has placed on the menu for $15, about 1/2 their usual entree price; the idea being to keep Vie accessible even during the recession. That's hardly mockable.

Two of the girls and I hit the second "Sunday Supper" Vie's running every few weeks as another method of making Vie accessible. Here, they offer-up a few family friendly entrees at family friendly prices (for a place like Vie). Kidz under 12 pay their age. And here's the thing, the food was as good as anything eaten at Vie. I'm still thinking of that meatloaf. The next sunday supper is April 19. Reserve now.

My wife and I took the kids to the first Sunday supper. I had a trout sandwich that was excellent. Ate it so fast I forgot to give my wife a taste. Was tempted to use that as an excuse to order another. The kids had mac and cheese that was OK, but not really all that tasty. The biscuits/rolls were about 105% butter, with a touch of flour. I could've eaten them all night. We had to miss the second family dinner, but we'll be there for the April one. The kids talk about going to Vie as if it's a carnival ride where they get to sit right next to the real Santa.
Olaf

To celebrate another annual notch in the game of life, Mr. X treated me to dinner at Vie last night. I love Vie and have selected it a couple of times for celebratory dinners. Last night's meal did not disappoint. We arrived early for our 7:45 PM reservation. We could have been seated right away, but we wanted to relax with a drink at the bar. I had the Farmhand Lemonade (berry-infused vodka, homemade lemonade, bourbon or whiskey) and Mr. X enjoyed the Sweet Manhattan Martini. The brandied cherry juice finish of the his drink was delicious. It helped ease the kick of the liquor.

We moved to our table and got down to business. Most of the dishes we had are described by Ronnie Suburban with much better detail and photos in this post. We shared a starter with the seared diver sea scallops, radish greens, la quercia speck, pickled asparagus and dill butter. Beautiful combination. We need more pickled asparagus in our lives. Mr. X had the salad with bibb lettuce, housemade mortadella, creamy roasted garlic dressing, pickled garlic and spring radishes (although I don't think it was mortadella) while I had the cream of green garlic soup with escargots. (The description isn't on the website and I have a terrible memory!) Both were delightful. For entrees, I went with the halibut (pan-roasted alaskan halibut, yukon gold potato “homefries,” baby mustard greens, housemade bacon vinaigrette, pickled onion relish) while Mr. X enjoyed the 21 day aged dietzler farm beef combination (wood-grilled steak and beef “blanquette,” spence farm ramps, cedar grove aged cheddar toast, werp farm bordeaux spinach). The beef was wonderfully full-flavored. I thought the standout on my plate were the "homefries" -- they were all buttery tasting complemented by the pickled onion relish and mustard greens that were on top. Our server recommend a French pinot noir, (Christophe Denizot, Domaine Des Moirots, Givry, Burgundy, France) that worked well with our food and was reasonable at $55.

For dessert, I had the citrus and spanish olive oil cake with lemon curd mousse, candied lemon with the recommended pairing -- I think it was a moscata d'asti. Mr. X had the chocolate bread pudding with candied pecans and butter pecan ice cream. I'm not a huge pecan fan, but I loved those candied pecans! The bread pudding was very chocolatey without being overly rich, a balance that is difficult to achieve. For me, the citrus cake and mousse were very refreshing.

I appreciate that the restaurant ended up comping our desserts. When I made the reservation on-line, I had noted it was a birthday celebration. Not knowing who was celebrating, they made a guess and wrote "happy birthday" on Mr. X's plate. This brings me to my two nit-picky observations. First, I was surprised they never asked for clarification on whose birthday it was. It wasn't a surprise or anything, so I expected that they would ask. The other nit-pick is that after opening and serving our first glasses of wine, someone poured our wine only one other time. Given that we were easily spending $200+ on dinner, I shouldn't be pouring my own wine. However, these were small blips and won't keep me away when I want a fantastic meal.

Had another, stellar meal at Vie recently to celebrate my wife's birthday. It seems to me that Vie gets better each time I eat there, which is hard to believe because at each meal I think it couldn't possibly get any better. And then it does. Every time. As the seasons roll along, as local farms develop and refine their offerings over time, the creative minds at Vie evolve right along with them.

After we were seated, the kitchen sent out a delicious Summer Berry Sangria, which was made with local aronia berry juice, red wine, fresh lemon and orange juices and honey. I'm really glad they sent this out because I probably wouldn't have ordered it otherwise. What I loved about it was the impressive balance between sweetness and acidity. I cannot recall ever having a more delicious sangria.

Rather than order from the menu, we asked if chef could just 'send out some stuff' for us. We mentioned that we were pretty hungry, and our request was met with a veritable avalanche of delectable courses that reflected the bounty of the season -- most of it local and some of it from a bit further afield. The masterful melding of these ingredients created a truly distinctive and delicious meal . . .


Amuse: Kampachi Crudo with 'cherry bomb' vinaigrette
Meaty, fresh kampachi and the vinaigrette delivered a nice kick. Since's it's coming up on 4th of July, I thought the 'cherry bomb' aspect was appropriately seasonal.



Fried Great Lakes Perch with local white turnips, wood-grilled and pickled asparagus, pickled City Farm hot peppers and herb mayonnaise
Here, the fish was delicately fried and the accompanying veggies in herb mayo were kind of like a complex slaw. I loved the duo of asparagus, especially the wood-grilled stuff, which provided a subtle, smokey note.



Crab Fritter with beets, rhubarb creme fraiche and beet greens
Extraordinarily light, crabby (in a good way) and herbacious, this fritter was amazing. I loved the rhubarb and beet elements, too; especially the greens.



Fritter interior
A closer look at the fritter.



Nathan's Charcuterie Plate: House-smoked Mint Creek Goat Loin, Country Pate, Coppa, City Farm Mustard Greens & Pickled Local Beets, Plum & Pinot Noir Jam and Red Wine Vinaigrette
As I've mentioned in the past, the house-made charcuterie at Vie, most of which is created by sous chef Nathan Sears, is a major attraction. This incarnation of Nathan's Plate was no exception. I loved the variety, right down to the salad of greens and local beets, and the remarkable sweet/tart jam-vinaigrette combination.



Country Pate
A closer look at the pate.



Coppa
Coppa, glorious coppa.



Marinated Rushing Waters Trout with smoked Iron Creek tomatoes, horseradish, caper berries and fried bread
This was a truly inspired dish. I can't recall ever having trout 'crudo' before and this was sensational. It was very meaty and the smoked tomatoes and horseradish complemented it very well.



Wood-grilled Wild Salmon Cake with spring onion and meyer lemon sauce
I tore into this one before I could get a picture but hopefully, you get the idea. The unctuous, fatty salmon was foiled extremely well by the meyer lemon, and the spring onions were not only a great additional flavor but also provided a light crunch to the bites.



Cable's Rabbit and Porcini Pasta: Braised and Confit Rabbit, radishes, piparras, wood-grilled porcinis and parmigiano reggiano
Perhaps the star of the night. I cannot decide which component of this dish I liked the best. The rabbit was succulent, and the noodles were dense, aromatic and lovely. The porcinis were satisfyingly meaty and the piparras provided intense bursts of heat throughout the dish. The pungent parmigiano tied everything together and accentuated the earthiness of the porcini components.



28-day aged Dietzler Farm Beef Combination: Wood-Grilled Steak and 'Smokey Mountain' Shortribs with Cedar Grove cheddar biscuit, Nichols Farm broccoli, green tomatoes and tomato beef jus
Another incredible plate that featured fantastic Dietzler beef, cooked 2 ways. The steak was juicy and had a distinctive minerality to it. The shortribs, cooked on chef Virant's new Weber Smokey Mountain cooker, were unspeakably delicious. I loved the roasted broccoli, which goes great with beef and is a personal favorite of mine. The green tomato provided a perfectly acidic counterpoint to the rich meat, and the biscuit . . . well, the biscuit was light, tender, crispy and loaded with delicious cheddar . . .



Cedar Grove Cheddar Biscuit, Interior
Just phenomenal in every way.



Buttermilk-brined, Pan-Fried Chicken with milk gravy and house-made pancetta
As if we hadn't already eaten enough, chef Virant brought this spectacular dish to the table. It's actually on Vie's Kids' Restaurant Week menu but frankly, this was too good for most kids (although I'm sure that most would probably love it ). The juicy chicken, which had a densely crunchy exterior, was amped up beyond description via the rich milk gravy and generous sprinkling of crispy house-made pancetta nuggets. Wow!!



Grassfields Gouda with house-baked wheat toast and buckwheat honey
I normally don't order a cheese course but this beautiful slice of gouda from Grassfields, where chef Virant recently visited and made cheese, was fantastic. It was perfectly tempered for maximum enjoyment and the accompaniments of fresh-baked and toasted bread and complex buckwheat honey were wonderful.



Mimosa Sorbet
Nicely balanced with flavors of sparkling wine and juicy orange. A very nice transition.



Fresh Prairie Fruits Farms Chevre Mousse with Klug Farm strawberries and shortbread
I really enjoyed this dessert. It was balanced nicely between sweet and salty, and the slightly tart berries foiled the richness of the mousse nicely. I always enjoy the shortbread from Vie and this was no exception.



House-made Puff Pastry with Tahitian vanilla pastry cream and Klug Farm strawberries
A great way to showcase the aromatic strawberries and counter their slight acidity.



Carrot Cake with roasted pecans and cinnamon-cream cheese frosting
I loved the moist, dense cake and the sweet, rich frosting. A fantastic, decadent dessert.



Mignardise: Chocolate-covered, house-made Graham Crackers
A wonderful last bite.

I'm not sure what else there is to say about Vie, other than I love it. The skill, the ingredients, the creativity and the hospitality all add up to consistently phenomenal dining experiences. If this isn't my very favorite restaurant, it's in the very upper tier. When I eat at Vie, not only do I feel like I'm getting a great meal, but I feel like I'm tapping into something vital, something enduringly important. It kind of surprises me that chef Virant and his team haven't garnered more national attention but they are certainly worthy of it. Until that happens, which it undoubtedly will, I'll enjoy the relative ease with which I can get a table. I just love Vie and cannot adequately express in words how satisfying it is for me to dine there.

=R=

Oh. My. Goodness.

I need to go to Vie again very soon.

Other than a 1-time business dinner a couple years back, I'd never been to Vie during the week. So, this past Tuesday I was a bit apprehensive about traveling there on the heels of rush hour. I needn't have worried, though, because I covered the 30 miles between my house and the restaurant's front door (most of it southbound on I-294) in about a half hour and arrived so early, I had time for a bourbon at the bar before our friends arrived.

Dining at Vie on a Tuesday night was a slightly different experience because the restaurant wasn't quite as crowded as it is during my weekend visits. Everyone seemed even more relaxed than their usual laid back levels. But I really appreciated the mellow vibe and found it to be extremely comfortable. One thing that doesn't change at Vie, though, is their glorious food. This kitchen can throw down with the absolute best of them and when we put ourselves in their capable hands, we were rewarded with a symphony of a meal that is still reverberating mightily in my psyche as I write this. My new habit at Vie is asking the kitchen to just send out whatever they like for our table. Not only does this land us with the dishes that they're most happy with, but also we get to sample a lot of different creations -- in manageable tasting portions -- and it relieves me of the inevitable agony that comes with having to choose what to order from their uniformly tempting menu.


Amuse of smoked and grilled wild sockeye salmon belly with pickled asparagus, shaved radish and farm-fresh egg
Intense, sweet smoke up front followed by an explosive combination of bold flavors and varying textures. If a bite can be both decadant and restrained, this was an example of it.



Fried squash blossom stuffed with house-cured salt cod brandade and shallot soubise
This was a combination that worked like magic, though I never would have even imagined it. The creamy and aromatic soubise was a phenomemal baseline for the other flavors.



Heirloom tomatoes with housemade sauerkraut vinaigrette, shaved local onions, La Quercia prosciutto, fresh brioche breadcrumbs, toasted hazelnuts and herbs
Words cannot do justice to this dish, which showcased the tomatoes with a lot of distinctive ingredients without obscuring them.



Nathan's Charcuterie Plate: mortadella, country pate and coppa with local baby mustard greens, pickled local beets, fermented plum jam and red wine vinaigrette
I really enjoyed this plate and it's always fun to see what sous chef/Vie charcutier Nathan Sears has been up to. What struck me about this delicious combination of items wasn't the delicious meats, though. It was the amazing salad of baby mustard greens and house-pickled beets. It was one of the best salads I can remember having in a long time.



Country Pate
Up close and personal.



Coddled farm hen egg with Tuscan-style preserved pork, fried bread, hakuri turnips, pickled garlic and slow-roasted local peppers
Another decadant combination. The egg was so flavorful, as were the other components, especially the aromatic preserved pork, which was based on a recipe from legendary Tuscan butcher Dario Cecchini.



Braised Burgundy snails with black summer truffles, corn panisse, shaved celery, pickled fennel and micro herbs
At this point, our meal just kept ascending to new heights. The tender snails were delicious and the truffle took this dish to another level. But a major highlight was the panisse, which was sweet/savory as only corn can be and utterly compelling.



Wood-grilled wild sockeye salmon with olive oil-yukon gold potato puree, house-cured olive salsa verde, summer beans and scallion vinaigrette
Great wild salmon, cooked perfectly with a nice sear on the outside and still semi-rare on the inside. The house-cured olives were a surprisingly delectable accoutrement for the fish.



28 day-aged Dietzler Farm tenderloin with Weiland Farm cannellini beans, garlic confiture, housemade bacon, arugula, housemade bresaola, black garlic and watermelon radish
Intense and minerally, I couldn't believe how flavorful and tender this beef was. In the background is the equally impressive bresaola that was supple and almost floral in its aroma. What sent this dish over the top, though, were the impressive garlic elements that provided intense bursts of sweet and savory flavor, and the 16-year Hirsch bourbon that was paired with it.



Israel Karasik's Klug Farm blueberry sorbet
A wonderfully bright intermezzo by a friend and former classmate of chef Virant who'd been in town for a cooking event at Vie recently.



'Baba au Hirsch,' sherry-soaked raisins, Tahitian vanilla ice cream and candied pecans
Because pastry chef Todd Feitl knows I love Hirsch bourbon, he actually prepared this baba for us, which incorporated the sweet and caramelly Hirsch. I loved the lightness of the baba and its intense but focused booziness, which was complemented perfectly by the rich, aromatic vanilla ice cream. The light and crunchy candied pecans were a great element, too.



Beet Ice Cream
This is the one dish we specifically requested because I'd heard from G Wiv (who'd had it on a recent visit) how great it was and we wanted to try it. Turns out G Wiv was absolutely right. It had an intensely beety flavor and a perfect, velvety texture. I listened to Todd explain how he'd condensed the juice from 2 quarts of fresh, local beets into less than half a cup of beet juice used in the ice cream. I couldn't believe, given the cold temperature at which ice cream exists, how pronounced and clean the sweet beet flavor was.

So, it was another one for the ages at Vie. I absolutely loved this progression and thought that every dish was excellent -- and remarkably so. We also had some excellent and uncommon wine pairings set up by Thierry Menguy, our server and Vie's wine director. Unfortunately, I cannot recall the names of most of them but just as you can confidently put yourself in the kitchen's hands at Vie, you can trust Thierry to select great wines that really match up well with the food being served.

For all you folks who think that Vie's too far from you, you have no idea what you're missing. It'd be worth the drive if it were twice as long. Even on a weeknight, it's completely accessible from the city (from where our friends drove to meet us) or even the northern suburbs -- and I definitely suggest going on a weeknight. While Vie is always great, things seem to flow there in a slightly more relaxed way on weeknights. It may be the restaurant at its very best, which is no small feat.

=R=

Ronnie,

It all looks spectacular, but this particular photo of your squash blossom calls to me most of all. The batter looks incredibly light and crisp - there to add a bit of texture and bring out the flavor of the flower itself, along with its filling. Contrast that with the heavy, majorly disappointing fried squash blossom I had at The Publican this week, and I am really longing for a trip to Vie.

Kenny

I had the good fortune to dine with Mr. and Mrs. _suburban at Vie and since Ronnie posted his photos up have been trying to figure out what to say about the meal that hasn't been said by either his commentary or photography.

First, let me get it out of the way and say that I put off dining at Vie for a long time given its location. I was a fool; I admit it, I was. Go. Go now. Don't be fooled living in Chicago and thinking that there are enough great restaurants in easy cab/L/cycling distance that a trip to Western Springs is unnecessary. That said, on to the food.

ronnie_suburban wrote:Fried squash blossom stuffed with house-cured salt cod brandade and shallot soubise

If I could order just a huge plate of these, I would. The combination of a hot, crispy squash blossom - one of my favorite summertime indulgences - and a rich, salty brandade was incredible. Uber-savory.

ronnie_suburban wrote:Nathan's Charcuterie Plate: mortadella, country pate and coppa with local baby mustard greens, pickled local beets, fermented plum jam and red wine vinaigrette

I'm a huge fan of charcuterie (and fancy myself a bit of an amateur charcutier), so I was excited to try Nathan's variety plate (in fact, I think it's the one thing we requested definitely be in our meal). The country pate left me mulling over my own attempts and trying to figure out how I could emulate what Nathan was doing. It struck a great balance between fat, meat and liver, and had some sort of green herbal element that I couldn't quite pinpoint but really enjoyed. Next time I whip out the grinder and make a pate, this is what I'll be aiming for.

The copa and mortadella were both good, but unfortunately overpowered by the olive oil drizzled over them. Especially with mortadella - such a mild forcemeat - I thought the olive oil garnish was unfortunate.

ronnie_suburban wrote:Braised Burgundy snails with black summer truffles, corn panisse, shaved celery, pickled fennel and micro herbs

In the photo and description, this looks like an extremely rich dish - and it was (the butter-based sauce it was resting in sealed the deal) - but the shaved celery and pickled fennel offered just the right texture, temperature and flavor contrast to cut through without interfering. Additionally, a great example of proper portion sizing and placement in the progression of dishes.

ronnie_suburban wrote:28 day-aged Dietzler Farm tenderloin with Weiland Farm cannellini beans, garlic confiture, housemade bacon, arugula, housemade bresaola, black garlic and watermelon radish

What a way to end the savory courses! The tenderloin had just the right amount of aged beef mineral tang, a great exterior char, and proper salting (you can make out some salt crystals in Ronnie's photo) to bring out its core beefiness. The cannellini beans were sweet, and if you were served a bowl might be too sweet, but as an offset to the beef were fantastic. As Ronnie mentioned, the black garlic in the greens was a great choice to pull together the savory and slightly sweet flavors.

ronnie_suburban wrote:Beet Ice Cream

Obama claims to not like beets - if this ice cream can't change his mind, nothing will. Essence of beet: mildly sweet, intensely earthy.

Yes - it's a drive, but take it from a person who doesn't own a car: it was, without question, worth renting a ZipCar and taking the half hour to drive there. I'll be back soon.

-Dan

ronnie and dan: do you have any idea how much dinner costs (minus the wine) when you give the chef carte blanche?? thanks, justjoan

For those city folks concerned about the drive, Vie is within walking distance of the Western Springs Metra stop. It really couldn't be easier. The train ride back is a wonderful way to digest and reflect over a spectacular meal.

justjoan wrote:ronnie and dan: do you have any idea how much dinner costs (minus the wine) when you give the chef carte blanche?? thanks, justjoan

Tasting menus were $95/person with pairings another $35, iirc. A slightly smaller tasting menu (amuse, 4 courses, sorbet and dessert) is offered during the week, as well. It runs $70 per person.

=R=

thanks ronnie. i didnt realize that the dinner you had was the 'official' tasting menu. justjoan

justjoan wrote:thanks ronnie. i didnt realize that the dinner you had was the 'official' tasting menu. justjoan

They weren't. I'm sorry if I didn't make that more clear. Ours were, I guess, 'custom tasting menus,' since they had a few additional courses. The 'official' version, which is slightly smaller, is the one that's priced at $70.

=R=

Just received this information in an e-mail from Vie:

e-mail from Vie Restaurant wrote:Vie Restaurant finally announces its appearance on Iron Chef!!!

Iron Chef air date November 1st, 2009, on the Food Network.

See Paul Virant and sous chef Nathan Sears battle Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto.

Wow! Should be very fun to watch.

=R=