Michigan Ave Casual French?

Need a casual, romantic french bistro type place for anniversary. Something like Mon Ami Gabi in Lincoln Park. Any recommendations would be appreciated.

The two that come to mind first are Bistro Zinc and Bistro 110. I'd recommend Bistro Zinc. The one meal that I had there was quite good, but I don't remember what I ordered. I've had a few meals at Bistro 110 and always came away feeling like I wasted the opportunity for a good meal. I once had (was talked into...) having a New Years Eve dinner there. They gave us a "special" menu that included four bottles of Champagne - one of which was around $60 and the others were a lot more. Later in the evening we discovered that they have a lot of other bottles that are a lot less than $60, but they didn't list them on the New Years Eve menu. When we inquired, the waiter said we could certainly order any of them. Shameless, if you ask me.

Another idea is Kiki's bistro. I haven't been in a few years, but I always thought it was consistently good. It is a little further from Michigan Avenue. It is probably a touch more romantic than the above two. Another option is Bistro Margo on Wells in Old Town, though this may be too far from Michigan Avenue.

Finally, there is Les Nomades. It is not a causal bistro, but it is French and romantic.

Les Nomades
222 E Ontario St
Chicago, IL 60611-3205
(312) 649-9010
lesnomades.net

Bistro Margo
1437 N Wells St
Chicago, IL‎
(312) 587-3660‎

Kiki's Bistro
900 N Franklin St, Chicago, IL 60610-8101
(312) 335-5454
kikisbistro.com

Bistro Zinc
1131 N State St
Chicago, IL‎
(312) 337-1131‎

Bistro 110
110 E Pearson St
Chicago, IL‎
(312) 266-3110‎

By the way, there are two nice ways to use google to help with this type of search.

One is to type "bistro near Michigan Avenue and Delaware Avenue, Chicago, IL" into Google Maps. This will search for places that contain the term "bistro" that are located near the corner of Michigan and Delaware.

Second, you can include "site:lthforum.com" in the search and that will restrict the search to pages on lthforum.com, which lets you go directly to a discussion here.

Just a couple of thoughts/questions:
Does it have to be literally on Mich., or just generally in the area?

Haven't been to Kiki's in a while, but they've been around for a long time and have, as far as I know, maintained a rep. for consistency. When I was last there the general feel and pricing seemed to push "bistro" to the upper edge, but it was very nice.

I've had a couple of very nice meals at Margot, but I've read reports of other people being disappointed. Another possible issue is your definition of "romantic." Margot, and many other bistros, tend to be rather bustling, closely spaced places as opposed to quiet, dim, and private feeling. If you find the former "romantic" then, great. But if you're expecting the latter, you might be disappointed.

I've had some very nice meals at Bistro 110, but it was always on the crowded, noisy side. Maybe celebratory for a group, but I wouldn't call it romantic.

Used to be a fan of Zinc on Southport and a few good meals at the downtown one, but the orig. team parted company long ago. Don't know how the place has held up over time. One almost never hears of it in general eating conversation, whatever that may mean. Possibly nothing.

Finally, if it's not too far afield, consider Cyrano's Bistro. Don't have the address at hand, but it's pretty much Wells and Grand. (within a block or 2 of those coordinates)

mrbarolo wrote:Just a couple of thoughts/questions:
Does it have to be literally on Mich., or just generally in the area?

I wondered about this also because Mon Ami Gabi isn't that far. Are you looking for walking distance from a particular place, short cab ride, etc?

I would add La Sardine (a little bit further away, but very authentic altho occasionally tight and noisy) and Brasserie Jo to the mix.

Because of an extreme lack of consistency on some fairly basic stuff on my last couple of visits (dry, overcooked omelette; dry, overcooked supposedly veal (how old do you have to be before you're beef?) liver) I count Zinc as my least favorite Chicago bistro, and nowadays I consider Bistro 110 to be the "tourist's choice" for Chicago French.

jbw wrote:I would add La Sardine (a little bit further away, but very authentic altho occasionally tight and noisy) and Brasserie Jo to the mix.

This is why it would be good to know the parameters of the OP's search.

When does veal become beef? Definitions vary. For some, it is when the animal is weaned off milk. For others, it simply means an age cutoff, like 4 months old.

Thanks for your comments. Bistro Zinc looks promising considering short walk from the Drake where we are staying. Kiki's also looked good, but maybe to far to walk in November.

Kiki's Bistro was perfect for anniversary. Prix Fixe was very good for $27.50. 10 minute walk from the Drake and 20 minute walk to the Cadillac Palace Theatre for Young Frankenstein. Still will have to try Bistro Zinc. Thanks for the suggestions.

I would second KIKI's Bistro.
Do not hesitate when you make a reservation that you are there for a special occasion and that you want a quiet table just behind the bar far away from the kitchen