The Bristol gets really busy around 7 pm, and stays so as the evening goes on. Normally it's still busy on a Saturday night at 10, my guess is the holiday weekend and gorgeous weather kept people outside and at parties, etc. Monday it was pretty busy. We got a seat at around 6-6:30 but by 7 there was a short wait. It was never packed like it often is on weekend nights, but it was pretty much full.

A friend and I had a nice dinner at the Bristol last night.

I arrived first, at around 6pm. The place was empty, except for one table. Yet, the host told me to sit at the bar and have a drink until my friend arrived. I know this is common, and I know the place will eventually be full, but it annoys me nonetheless. The place is empty; why do I need to wait at the bar?

I started with an Aviation cocktail (gin, lemon juice, and marachino liquor), which was very good. My friend started with a Goose Island Fleur. We both ended up having a second glass of the Fleur later. It's a Belgian-style pale ale and we both like it a lot.

For starters we had the monkey bread and beer cheese. Both were very good, though I probably would try something a little more interesting next time. I guess I expected the monkey bread to be more than just a little $4 thing of bread. The cheese came with a really nice homemade cole slaw.

We both opted for the burger - based somewhat on the recommendations above. On a return visit with my wife, we'll probably go for some of the more interesting dishes and split them. But this time it was a burger. The waitress said that the chef makes the burgers either "pink" or "not pink" and we both ordered "pink". My friend's was pink. Mine was quite well done. We had waited a long time for the burgers to come out and it wasn't worth the time to ask for it to be redone. The bun from the burger was quite dry - perhaps day old, rather than fresh. I presume a place like The Bristol is either making or buying freshly made buns without the preservatives to retain moisture. That's great and that's why I'm willing to pay $11 for a premium burger. But for $11, I should expect a fresh bun.

All in all, I expected a little better, but I will definitely go back, especially to try some of the other dishes.

Darren72 wrote:I arrived first, at around 6pm. The place was empty, except for one table. Yet, the host told me to sit at the bar and have a drink until my friend arrived. I know this is common, and I know the place will eventually be full, but it annoys me nonetheless. The place is empty; why do I need to wait at the bar?

Yeah, it annoys me, too, when the place is nearly empty. When I arrived first at the Bristol this past Saturday (for a party of 4), I was told I could pick any 4-top. Wasn't asked to wait at the bar. Must depend on the Host.

Darren72 wrote:We both opted for the burger - based somewhat on the recommendations above. On a return visit with my wife, we'll probably go for some of the more interesting dishes and split them. But this time it was a burger. The waitress said that the chef makes the burgers either "pink" or "not pink" and we both ordered "pink". My friend's was pink. Mine was quite well done. We had waited a long time for the burgers to come out and it wasn't worth the time to ask for it to be redone. The bun from the burger was quite dry - perhaps day old, rather than fresh. I presume a place like The Bristol is either making or buying freshly made buns without the preservatives to retain moisture. That's great and that's why I'm willing to pay $11 for a premium burger. But for $11, I should expect a fresh bun.

This "pink or not pink" thing surprised me. I figured a place like the Bristol, w/ $11 burgers, could prepare burgers to temp. I was concerned that "pink" would be between medium and medium rare. I pushed back a little, and then told the server that I would like my burger as rare as the chef is comfortable making it. What I got was a wonderful rare burger. I really liked the cinnamon-laced pickled onions, too. I enjoyed the Bristol's burger and would order it again.

Ronna

REB wrote:This "pink or not pink" thing surprised me. I figured a place like the Bristol, w/ $11 burgers, could prepare burgers to temp. I was concerned that "pink" would be between medium and medium rare. I pushed back a little, and then told the server that I would like my burger as rare as the chef is comfortable making it. What I got was a wonderful rare burger. I really liked the cinnamon-laced pickled onions, too. I enjoyed the Bristol's burger and would order it again.
Ronna

I guess I would order it again (after trying a lot of other things on the menu), just because I can't help but think they could do better than what I got. I'd follow your lead and ask for it as rare as they are comfortable with. Then again, even at its best, I don't think it would compare favorably with the burger I had at Patty's. Is that comparison fair?

REB wrote:Yeah, it annoys me, too, when the place is nearly empty. When I arrived first at the Bristol this past Saturday (for a party of 4), I was told I could pick any 4-top. Wasn't asked to wait at the bar. Must depend on the Host.
Ronna

shit, you guys got lucky, I was ushered upstairs to the service bar when the place was empty on my visit, and not allowed to sit at the bar downstairs. Must have been the overalls, farmers hat, and piece of hay I had stickin out of my mouth. I must not be "hip" enough for The Bristol.

jimswside wrote:

REB wrote:Yeah, it annoys me, too, when the place is nearly empty. When I arrived first at the Bristol this past Saturday (for a party of 4), I was told I could pick any 4-top. Wasn't asked to wait at the bar. Must depend on the Host.
Ronna

shit, you guys got lucky, I was ushered upstairs to the service bar when the place was empty on my visit, and not allowed to sit at the bar downstairs. Must have been the overalls, farmers hat, and piece of hay I had stickin out of my mouth. I must not be "hip" enough for The Bristol.

That's funny! I was coming from work and had a dress shirt and pants on. When I was sitting at the bar waiting for my friend, it occurred to me that they are waiting to see my friend was a young hipster, a hot woman, an old frumpy man, etc (he is none of these). When my friend walked in wearing shorts, a ratty t-shirt, and sandals, I was curious if this meant we'd be seated away from the entrance. As it turned out, the hostess (a different person than who greeted me when I first arrived) just told us to sit anywhere.

I like the "pink or no pink" approach. As has been well documented in another thread that people have widely differing opinions about what "rare" and "medium rare" mean anyway, so why not just avert the potential misunderstandings. For people who really care about more specific levels of doneness, it's easy enough to express that the way REB did, and the kitchen will accommodate (unless they just screw up, which it sounds like they did in Darren's case).

Kennyz wrote:I like the "pink or no pink" approach. As has been well documented in another thread that people have widely differing opinions about what "rare" and "medium rare" mean anyway, so why not just avert the potential misunderstandings. For people who really care about more specific levels of doneness, it's easy enough to express that the way REB did, and the kitchen will accommodate (unless they just screw up, which it sounds like they did in Darren's case).

I've had a few restaurants explain what I'm going to get when I order a burger to a certain temp. The server will say, "medium rare is going to be pink with some juice" or something to that effect. That way, both sides know we're on the same page and I have nothing to complain about so long as the burger is cooked that way. I like an explanation of temp way better than only being offered two options and no explanation of what those options mean.

I still like Bristol's burger. But, I may not have had I just picked "pink" and not insisted on something rarer.

Ronna

Darren72 wrote:
That's funny! I was coming from work and had a dress shirt and pants on. When I was sitting at the bar waiting for my friend, it occurred to me that they are waiting to see my friend was a young hipster, a hot woman, an old frumpy man, etc (he is none of these). When my friend walked in wearing shorts, a ratty t-shirt, and sandals, I was curious if this meant we'd be seated away from the entrance. As it turned out, the hostess (a different person than who greeted me when I first arrived) just told us to sit anywhere.

now I know I was profiled.

REB wrote:I still like Bristol's burger. But, I may not have had I just picked "pink" and not insisted on something rarer.

Maybe I'm just misunderstanding what you mean by "insisted". If you had to engage in some sort of impassioned argument where you stood your ground firmly, and finally got them to kowtow and give you your bloody burger, then I agree with you. If all you had to do is say something like, "actually, I'd like it as rare as the chef is willing to cook it," and they obliged with no problem, I'm having a hard time understanding what the issue is. My experiences at the Bristol have all been like the latter example: I ask for it the way I want it, and they give it to me that way.

jimswside wrote:shit, you guys got lucky, I was ushered upstairs to the service bar when the place was empty on my visit, and not allowed to sit at the bar downstairs. Must have been the overalls, farmers hat, and piece of hay I had stickin out of my mouth. I must not be "hip" enough for The Bristol.

"Service bar"? Luxury! I showed up wearing a Depression-era barrel (sans sock garters of course, what with the economy and all...), and was promptly escorted to a storage room in the basement. They left me down there 3 days, they did, with nothing but stale hamburger buns & a pitcher of flat beer. When they finally let me out, 18% gratuity was added to my bill!

Kennyz wrote:

REB wrote:I still like Bristol's burger. But, I may not have had I just picked "pink" and not insisted on something rarer.

Maybe I'm just misunderstanding what you mean by "insisted". If you had to engage in some sort of impassioned argument where you stood your ground firmly, and finally got them to kowtow and give you your bloody burger, then I agree with you. If all you had to do is say something like, "actually, I'd like it as rare as the chef is willing to cook it," and they obliged with no problem, I'm having a hard time understanding what the issue is. My experiences at the Bristol have all been like the latter example: I ask for it the way I want it, and they give it to me that way.

We had to go back and forth a few times. The server said several times that they only do "pink or not pink." I did say several times that I wanted rarer than "pink," and the server said that they only do "pink or not pink." I really wanted a burger, so I smiled and asked that the chef please cook it as rare as he's comfortable. The server didn't confirm that my burger would be any rarer than "pink" - - I figured I'd take my chances.

So, I'd say my meaning of "insisted" is somewhere between your two examples.

Other than this little disagreement, I've had nothing but great service from the Bristol (info based on three visits). The burger was cooked as I like it and the tip was not diminished in any way.

Ronna

Hi, all:

Another longtime lurker venturing out into the LTH sunshine. My compliments to everyone involved with this board - it's a tremendous resource and a great read.

Thought I'd report on my fourth visit to the Bristol last night. Went with three friends, which is a great way to experience the place - with larger groups you can really make the most of their small-, medium- and large-menu orientation.

I know I've forgotten at least one dish we ordered (I blame it on the Moscow Mules I drank, that insidious vodka, ginger and lime ambrosia that's clouded my last two meals here). But here goes: We started with some Bristol mainstays: Scotch olives, monkey bread and duck-fat fries. All terrific - those olives are inspired, the fries were nicely crispy and for some reason I enjoyed the house-made ketchup with the fries more than I did on my last visit.

We then moved on to the raviolo with ricotta, egg yolk and brown butter (I'm cribbing from their online menu here), the pan-roasted halibut with parisian gnocchi, snap peas and cracklin’ (?) and pork rillettes. The halibut was outstanding, light and flakey inside with a a delicate roasted flavor on the outside. The raviolo was simple with a nice buttery taste, and I was surprised (despite the menu description) to find a perfectly runny egg yolk baked inside. The rillettes were a bit dry, but packed a lot of strong, porky flavor. They were the only dish we ordered that wasn't universally acclaimed.

We finished up with the apple salad (another Bristol mainstay), and the cheese board, which included one of best balanced, most nuanced blues I've ever had.

I live around the corner from this joint, and I think it's a gem, a place you can go, get high-quality food, and spend as much or as little as you like. I've gone with one friend, ordered hamburgers and a salad and paid $40, and arrived with a small group, ordered lavishly, and got a $300 bill.

My only regret? Looking at today's menu to help recreate last night's meal, I notice that if I'd waited a day, I could have ordered gilled sardines. Mmmm, sardines.

Cheers,

Rob

I've been a fan of the Bristol since they've opened. The style of their menu and their no-nonsense approach to supporting local farmers and seasonal preparation really appeals to me.

Unfortunately, they've drastically changed the style of their menu which really harms the restaurant, in my opinion. Gone are the: bar snacks/small plates/medium plates/large plates and in are just two categories, essentially apps and entrees.

I asked our waitress last night if they totally simplified or if this was just a tuesday night thing. She said that the old menu was too confusing for people, so they simplified. I found this odd, since I was never once confused by the menu (it's just food descriptions and prices) but then again, I do have a black belt in "going to restaurants".

The menu now has about 6-8 items in each category. The apps are mainly comprised of the old bar snacks (olives, fries, monkey bread, etc.) plus a couple salads from the small plates. The entrees have the burger, roast chicken, a pasta, a fish, and a couple more. Both sections had 2 or 3 things that were starred as seasonal specials.

Our food was as good as usual, certainly no loss in quality, but I miss the excitement of sitting down to an excellent draft beer and 5 or 6 little seasonal dishes to share. I actually had a hard time choosing my meal, not because of the variety, but because there was very little on the menu that interested me.

Best,
Michael

eatchicago wrote:I asked our waitress last night if they totally simplified or if this was just a tuesday night thing. She said that the old menu was too confusing for people, so they simplified. I found this odd, since I was never once confused by the menu (it's just food descriptions and prices) but then again, I do have a black belt in "going to restaurants".

Funny you say that; I actually thought the old menu was very confusing. I think the new menu guides you a bit more so that you're not over-ordering snack foods or sides. In addition, I think they've truncated the menu a bit. I recall that they used to have more items. Anyway, I enjoy The Bristol's food as well.

aschie30 wrote:In addition, I think they've truncated the menu a bit. I recall that they used to have more items.

Significantly more. That was kinda my point. I found there was very little to choose from that I hadn't tried before.

eatchicago wrote:

aschie30 wrote:In addition, I think they've truncated the menu a bit. I recall that they used to have more items.

Significantly more. That was kinda my point. I found there was very little to choose from that I hadn't tried before.

Yeah, it seems like they've now decided which items are "signature" items and keep those permanently on the menu. However, if The Bristol is now only offering, say, 5 or 6 snacks, and 3 of those are permanently fixtures on the menu (the olives, the monkey bread and the fries come to mind), then I guess it's easy for the menu to get kind of old, chalkboard items not withstanding.

It seems to me that if they view those items as worthy of being permanent fixtures on the menu, then the kitchen should also get really fast and efficient at making them; therefore, they should be able to squeeze in a few more fresh, seasonal, rotating menu items.

I have not made it to the Bristol in a little over a week so I haven't seen the new menu but each time I visited, I have been impressed.

A few people mentioned coming in small groups and enjoying it and although the food was good, I found it hard to actually converse with the one other person eating with me.

When I returned on 2 other occasions, I just sat at the bar and loved everything. There was a papardelle with bacon and chicken liver that was amazing. I didn't want it to end.

The other one that stood out was the fried egg and pork belly sandwich for brunch. Again, just plopped down at the bar, talked to the staff (and they mentioned they are working on the sound/noise issues) and enjoyed my time there.

I run the twitter account at my workplace and follow the Bristol. It's a great way to see what specials they have for the night.

I enjoyed the Bristol very much and can't wai to go back. we went on a random Wed and it was perfect in terms of the amount of people, and the great service. I thought the food was delightful. The chocolate dessert was amazing!

I had another fantastic roast chicken at the Bristol yesterday. I don't think there's anyone in town that does a better job with chicken skin. Raw shaved pumpkin salad was interesting too, though the pumpkin took a backseat to the cheese and endive in the dish.

The menu yesterday was much tamer than usual, missing the offal/ fish head type stuff I'm used to seeing at the Bristol. That was fine with me last night, since chicken was what I was after, but I hope it's not a shift in the restaurant's focus.

Kennyz wrote:The menu yesterday was much tamer than usual, missing the offal/ fish head type stuff I'm used to seeing at the Bristol. That was fine with me last night, since chicken was what I was after, but I hope it's not a shift in the restaurant's focus.

Kenny -

If you were on the Tweeterer, you would know that JohnTheBristol tweets the menu daily as well as wait times for The Bristol. From his daily tweets, I don't see that The Bristol has taken a turn for the tamer.

Kennyz wrote:The menu yesterday was much tamer than usual, missing the offal/ fish head type stuff I'm used to seeing at the Bristol. That was fine with me last night, since chicken was what I was after, but I hope it's not a shift in the restaurant's focus.

Attention, Kennyz! @JohntheBristol tweeted that pig's heads and tails are on the menu tonight. Don't think The Bristol is going soft on us yet.

aschie30 wrote:

Kennyz wrote:The menu yesterday was much tamer than usual, missing the offal/ fish head type stuff I'm used to seeing at the Bristol. That was fine with me last night, since chicken was what I was after, but I hope it's not a shift in the restaurant's focus.

Attention, Kennyz! @JohntheBristol tweeted that pig's heads and tails are on the menu tonight. Don't think The Bristol is going soft on us yet.

yesterday too:

Head to Tail tonight....Fried Pig Tail,Spicy Collard Greens,Bagna Cauda...Pan Seared Pigs Head,Green Tomato Jam,Wheatberries

Excellent news! Thanks for being my Twitser proxy.

Solid dinner last night at the Bristol. RAB and I arrived around 6:30 p.m. and chose to sit at the bar, which I think is preferable when the restaurant is full and you're a party of two - - the communal tables are a bit wide for easy conversation.

I started with a memorable cocktail, the Dardanian: Hendrick's, St. Germain, pear, and sour. It was pretty, too, with rectangular ice and a pear slice, a cross-section of bartlett pear. I'd happily order this again - - or two or three.

The food was also good. I appreciated how the plates were paced. We were served one dish at a time, allowing us to savor and ponder before the next dish arrived.

We started with the sauteed fluke with mole verde (avocado, pumpkin seeds, lime), roasted pumpkin seeds, and sweet pickled banana peppers. This was a great light and flavorful dish to start with.



Next, we had the pickled tongue crostini, which turned out to be a triple-layered tower of crostini - - and cold. The bread was topped with apple jam and cashew butter, then pickled tongue, with (braised?) radicchio on top. This, too, was wonderful. RAB thought that the bitter radicchio overpowered the other components, but we both agreed that cashew butter and tongue are delicious together. Who knew?



Third was the pork graisseron with pickled cherries. The Graisseron was very similar to chunky pork rillettes, but was served warm with toasted bread. The pork could've used a touch more salt, but was very good, especially with the pickled cherries. RAB liked the cherries so much, we're thinking about some pickling experiments with some of the summer cherries in our freezer. This was an excellent, very fatty treat.


The carbonara, with green garlic, lardo, and a runny egg, was also successful, but didn't shine as much as the earlier dishes. Still, great garlic flavor and wonderful chewy texture to the pasta.

Finally, we shared the bone marrow, which was the only slight miss of the evening. We recently enjoyed a similar preparation at Portland, Oregon's Le Pigeon, and the Bristol's version, sadly, wasn't even close. At Le Pigeon, the marrow was cooked to a really nice dark golden color - - the marrow came to the table hot, and the caramelization yielded much more depth of flavor. The bones were drizzled with a caper-rich salsa verde, which hit all of the salty and acidic notes that the marrow needed. At the Bristol, by contrast, the bone and marrow were beige and gray. Plus, we found ourselves adding salt and fighting over the shallot jam. I mean, don't get me wrong, it's bone marrow, so we ate it all, but it can be done better.

Ronna

What's up with the Bristol for brunch? No wait, no crowds. As we drove there at 10:30am yesterday, we noticed the huge crowds swarming around Toast - - and I'm sure the Bongo Room was similarly crowded.

We walked into a half-empty, calm, quiet Bristol. With 60 seconds of walking in, I had a menu and a cup of coffee. We've now been for brunch three times. I can't say that every dish is consistently wonderful, but there are some good options on the menu. RAB is hooked on the biscuits and gravy. My dad orders the granola and yogurt, which yesterday came with a lovely poached pear. I've had a few dishes, but think I prefer the chilaquiles. I had a skillet dish yesterday that had fennel sausage that just wasn't executed well - - but the rest of the dish was good. The dishes are not huge portions, but nor are they expensive so you can order a few, such as the biscuits and gravy, to share if you're especially hungry. Service has always been good, although RAB wishes they'd consistently ask before topping off his coffee.

When we left, the restaurant was still half empty. They've already limited their brunch hours to just Sundays. I hope folks will go so that the Bristol doesn't become a dinner-only restaurant.

Ronna

REB wrote: My dad orders the granola and yogurt, which yesterday came with a lovely poached pear.

I can never keep straight which one is RAB and which one is REB, and I like to challenge myself by reading through the posts while covering up the salutation. It's often tough, as tastes seem similar, writing styles too - but the occasional line like the one above is a dead giveaway, and ruins the game.

Kennyz wrote:

REB wrote: My dad orders the granola and yogurt, which yesterday came with a lovely poached pear.

I can never keep straight which one is RAB and which one is REB, and I like to challenge myself by reading through the posts while covering up the salutation. It's often tough, as tastes seem similar, writing styles too - but the occasional line like the one above is a dead giveaway, and ruins the game.

You don't think Rich talks about his father enough?

My brunch visit today was my first ever visit to The Bristol. I'd say mostly good, with one major problem. One minor problem was service. Perhaps they were understaffed but our server took quite a while to visit us once we were seated, and service was rather spotty throughout the meal.

As for food, my friend and I shared three dishes. The braised pork chilaquiles were really excellent - one of the better versions I've had.

The biscuits with tasso gravy were very good, not great. I loved the texture of the biscuits - a little flaky, crumbly and fresher and sturdier than most I get served in Chicago. I liked the gravy but it could have used a bit more flavor in my opinion, and there could have been a bit more gravy. The poached eggs served atop the biscuits and gravy was cooked just a bit too long, but not long enough to mar the dish. My complaints with this dish are actually pretty minor as I'd certainly order it again.

However, the malted waffles were just awful. The waffles were thin and bland - might have well been frozen waffles. They were supposed to be served with a maple anglaise, but the maple flavor was so subtle that I'm not sure I would have known there was maple in the dish had the menu not said so. And the candied cashews served atop the waffles were not candied at all . . . just toasted and in some cases burnt. Really, just a disaster. Thankfully, the other two dishes helped us forget how bad the waffles were.

I'm sure I'll return to The Bristol for dinner, but if I return for brunch, I'll make sure to avoid sweet items on the menu. I'll consider the waffle experience to have been a warning.

Bristol just announced a Wooly Pig dinner on 21 December at which they will serve a Mangalitsa pig (see http://woolypigs.com for more info on this breed). Leek & I have made reservations - hope to see other LTHers there!