Miramar Bistro (Highwood), now under chef Roland Liccioni

Just caught this piece, by Phil Vettel, at The Stew:

Phil Vettel at The Chicago Tribune's Stew wrote:If Gabriel Viti sounds like the cat who ate the canary, it's understandable.

The head of his own mini-empire in Highwood (Gabriel's, Miramar, Gabe's Backstage Lounge), Viti just hired four-star chef Roland Liccioni--last seen elevating the food at Old Town Brasserie--to run the kitchen at Miramar Bistro.

I used to hit Miramar frequently when it first opened and I thought the food was excellent but the place was very popular and they didn't take reservations. So, after about a year of eating there frequently, my desire to go there -- and wait to eat -- faded. By the time I learned that they later began accepting reservations, it was pretty far off my radar and I rarely returned. But now that chef Roland will be heading up the kitchen, I have to say that I'm downright giddy about getting back to Miramar.

=R=

Miramar Bistro
301 Waukegan Ave
Highwood, IL 66040
847 433-1078

Ronnie:

I have long enjoyed Miramar, and should mention that for the past year, as opposed to when it first opened, getting a table has never been difficult. I was recently there on a Friday night and around 6:00 the place was half full, and when we left areound 7:30 it was perhaps 2/3 full. I think they are still doing well, but getting a table is not what it once was.

However, thanks for the news! This could make a good place even better.

A side story: About a year ago, I won a day in the kitchen at Gabriel's at a charity auction. In talking with Chef Viti, he said that he finally felt that he had the team at Miramar's that he wanted in place and that within the past few weeks had had decided to leave that restaurant to re-focus on Gabriel's. He said he originaly thought that that process would take about 6 months, but it ended up taking much longer.

Just think, one little stretch of Highland Park is now as dense as anywhere with superstar chef talent. Maybe property values in HP might improve.

My excitement and curiousity got the best of me, and just a couple of hours after learning that chef Liccioni had taken over the kitchen at Miramar (and calling to confirm that he'd already arrived), I went over directly from my office in Highland Park and had some dinner. Actually, I arrived right after work and enjoyed a couple of bourbons at the bar, first. Then, about 45 minutes later, the rest of the Suburban clan joined me and we had a great dinner together.

I spoke to Phil (the manager), who told me that chef Liccioni had been on board for about 10 days. During that time chef had already made quite a few tweaks and changes to the menu and I get the feeling, based on chef Liccioni's reputation as a perfectionist, those will continue. His touches were already fairly present but after only 10 days, it seems unlikely that he's done putting his stamp on the place. For now, the menu is pretty much unchanged from what I remember but many of the preparations have been updated and refined. In fact, I get the feeling that chef Liccioni might have been a little bit bummed that the cat was already out of the bag regarding his arrival at Miramar. I think he wishes that everything could be absolutely perfect before folks start coming in to see him. Nonetheless, what we had was truly excellent . . .


Right after 5 pm, the bar crowd consisted of just me. I had bourbon; a Booker and then a Basil Hayden.



Bread
Quality is excellent and the selection includes chef Liccioni's rustic, seeded rye.



Amuse of Truffle Ravioli
The kitchen sent out these delicious amuses -- meat-filled, heavy on the black truffle and served with a delicious demi-based sauce.



Country Pate and Chicken Liver Mousse
For now, the delicious mousse (left) seems the same as it's always been but the delectable pate is chef Liccioni's recipe, as are the pickles, which are more Asian-influenced than they've been in the past. Not only do their seasonings lean that way but the addition of daikon is a telltale stamp. Not pictured here (sorry) is chef Liccioni's special baguette, which is served exclusively with this charcuterie. It was lightly crusty on the outside and delicately airy on the interior. My wife took one bite of this combination and said it instantly reminded her of France.



Crab and Scallop Cake
The crabcake has been almost completely revamped and now contains minced scallop and scallop mousse, in addition to the crab. These were sensational.



A closer look at the Crab and Scallop Cake



Escargot
This has always been a favorite of mine at Miramar but chef Liccioni has amped the dish up to a new level via the inclusion of his yellow tomato coulis. After the snails were gone, I sopped up every bit of sauce with bread. I was tempted to ask for a straw.



Salad Lyonnaise
A great, all-frisee rendition with lardon and a perfectly poached egg. Here, chef has also revised the dressing and it's lighter and less sweet than it used to be, which is a big improvement, imo.



Macaroni Gratin with Bacon
A very nice rendition, which my son ordered. The cheeses here are 'grown-up,' but not blue. A very comforting dish, which I'm pretty sure is still the same as the last time we had it.



Salmon Provençal
This salmon was nicely cooked, with a good crust and yet still very moist inside. The addition of chef's ratatouille (beneath the fish) was a great touch, which really elevated this dish. Topping the fish is some house-made andouille sausage, which was an even nicer touch.



Steak au Poivre
A very flavorful steak and huge improvement over the previous rendition, which was served with more of a peppercorn gravy than a traditional au poivre preparation.



Gratin Dauphinois
Great flavors but a bit dry. As such, not quite as decadent as I was expecting it to be. My preference is for it to be a bit more saucey, even though I have no idea if that's how it's supposed to be served.



Grand Marnier Creme Brulee
Chef Liccioni has refined this dessert via the addition of a subtle hint of Grand Marnier. It was dead-on, with a complex series of flavors and a rich, velvety texture. This was almost like tasting creme brulee again for the first time. Exemplary.



Chocolate Mousse and Chocolate Cake
Another chef Liccioni add-on and a great one. This special, I was told by Phil, made use of the pacojet and a sprayer to create its even layers. The tuille was delicious and the sauces complemented the chocolate wonderfully. Normally, I don't even like fruit and chocolate together but the balance struck here made it compelling.



Chef Roland Liccioni in his new digs

There were several other things we wanted to try but we had no choice but to defer them until our next visit. One appetizer, chef Liccioni's house-made smoked salmon, sounded so tempting, I almost wanted to order it as a dessert but I restrained myself because I know that we will definitely be back -- and soon.

I really hope that chef Liccioni is given total free rein at Miramar. Presently, in addition to the few specials he's added, it feels like he's mostly working within the parameters of the existing menu. And yes, he's just getting started. This is easy for me to say because it's not my money backing Miramar but I sincerely hope that chef Liccioni is allowed to just blow the doors off the place and write his own menu. In any case, his arrival signals a new era for this North Shore former-hotspot, where, even though the food has been excellent, it hasn't always been the primary focus. If chef Liccioni is allowed to blaze his own trail, I have little doubt that Miramar Bistro will become an important dining destination.

=R=

Roland has been a favorite of ours since he started at Carlos and we have followed him around including his two stints with Le Francaise.
Hope to see him at Miramar soon!-Dick

Wow! I think I can taste this great looking food from these photos. Completely satiated from my own fine meal tonight but I'm ready to get here. Can't wait.

Very much looking forward to our dinner there Thursday night.

Have we ever had an LTH lunch get-together at Miramar? Shall we?

Katie wrote:Have we ever had an LTH lunch get-together at Miramar? Shall we?

Sounds good. I'd love to, depending on the timing.

=R=

ronnie_suburban wrote:

Katie wrote:Have we ever had an LTH lunch get-together at Miramar? Shall we?

Sounds good. I'd love to, depending on the timing.

=R=

Likewise.

Count me in for lunch!-Dick

Choose a date.

ronnie_suburban wrote:Sounds good. I'd love to, depending on the timing.
=R=

Ditto!

A caveat that isn't a caveat: I was there for lunch on March 3 (a good 11 days after Ronnie's photo-pictorial), and the lunch menu was exactly the same as it had been on all previous visits. If you are hoping for some of the new dishes Chef Liccioni has introduced to the dinner menu, in other words, you may be disappointed.

Here's why it's not really a caveat: Lunch was delicious, surpassing in my opinion the very good lunches I've had there in the past. So Chef Liccioni's influence may be experienced at lunch even if his new menu items aren't. My skate wing was particularly enjoyable. Rather than the meat of the fish being served "fanned out" as it is everywhere else (I guess that's what a skate actually looks like), the meat here was sliced in different-lengthed segments which were then assembled in parallel adjacent vertical strips across the plate to create the shape of a traditional "fish" fish. An amusing deconstruction/reconstruction, and fabulous-tasting.

I should post a follow-up and say that we generally enjoyed our visit. We started with cocktails, Negroni and Caipirinha - both good. Our first course was an artichoke terrine that was superb. It was flavorful and had a great texture. Next we had oysters that were fresh and served at a proper cold temperature. In addition the oysters were completely freed from the shell, and thus easily sucked down with only a hint of lemon. no other condiments needed (aside: I find the partial shucking of oysters that must be forcibly removed from the shell to be inexcusable). Next was duck consumee - tasty and textbook. Next we shared an entree of scallop and lobster over risotto, correction orzo in a saffron broth (if my memory serves), which was substituted in as they ran out of risotto. Not a good substitute, plus the scallops were a little over-cooked. That was our least favorite dish. Next we had cheese which was good, though unexciting. Service was very good and other than the entree mistake generally flawless.

I've enjoyed Miramar several times since it opened, but I'd not been there since Liccioni took the helm. I thought it enjoyably good before, but now rate it as excellent. The Bistro Salad had always been light and refreshing, but the dressing seems even lighter (yet enjoyable) now. The evening's soup was mushroom and it was one of the best examples of the breed i've experienced. The flavor blend of the Mac & Cheese now seems even more refined with the bacon flavor being noticable (additive) but not assertive or dominant. And the upside down pineapple souffle was an absolute treat. The changes to the menu are subtle but the elevation of quality seemed quite noticable. Although we have an embarrasment of dining riches in the North 'burbs, I'm surprised the restaurant hasn't had more buzz since the addition of Liccioni.

Had a very nice lunch the other day at Miramar, where chef Liccioni has tuned up and personalized the menu even further since my last visit. Additionally, there were several specials that sounded amazing including prime-aged beef, foie grass, striped bass and arctic char. Seeing as it was lunch and I had to return to the office afterwards, those all seemed like a bit more food than I wanted, so I opted for a cup of soup and a salad from the menu . . .


Duck Consomme
Really rich, intensely flavorful and just a little sticky on the lips.



Mushroom Soup with Chanterelles
Like the consomme, this is also a chef Roland signature dish. The flavor and creamy-smooth texture were fantastic. This was ordered by one of my companions but the taste I had was sensational.



Lyonnaise Salad
I always love this salad at Miramar and this was no expection. I don't think I left even one brioche crouton on the plate.



Burger and Frites
Very nice burger (ordered by one of my companions) which, for my couple of bites, could have used a touch more salt. Still, it was moist and beefy, and the veggies and bun were very fresh. The frites, of which a lifetime supply were served, were tasty and crispy.

I don't get to Miramar as often as I like but I'm going to try to eat there with more frequency. Even though it's close to my office, it's not my first choice for lunch because we always carry-out and this food seems to do much better in the restaurant, as you can see from the way it's so beautifully plated. Still, I'm going to make a point of returning soon because, as I mentioned above, the menu has been further tweaked by chef Liccioni and it'll be exciting to try some of the 'new' items.

=R=