Going to Gabriel's

Got a ride for my kid to the United Center so we are staying close to home Saturday night and having my birthday dinner at Gabriel's. Have been wanting to go there for years so am looking forward to it but am wondering if anyone has been recently and if so, any must-haves and/or don't-bothers?

Would like to try the degustation with wine but we don't eat mushrooms and I every fancy place has shrooms out the wazoo so may have to pass.

310 Green Bay Road
Highwood, IL 60040
(847) 433-0031
http://www.egabriels.com

Happy Birthday.
I havent eaten at Gabriel's in over a year, but it is always good. I think that Gabe is off climbing mountains right now, so he wont be there to greet you, but the service is always great and friendly. The tasting is always good, and I am sure that they would accommodate a no mushroom request. Hopefully Bob Bamsburg is still there handling the wine....he is a very interesting guy and does a great job explaining the wine pairings. The only complaint that I have about Gabriel's is the water service....it is way too attentive, pouring more water almost after every sip (and that is with tap water) and replacing the ice at least twice during the meal. As long as that doesnt get too annoying, you will enjoy it a lot.

-Will

Happy birthday!

My last trip to Gabriel's was a big disappointment. Very expensive for what it was, uninspired food and substitutions made on dishes of which we were not informed until they were being served. It really felt like no one cared at all about what they were doing. This was a few years ago but the experience did not inspire a return visit and I haven't been back. It may have just been an off night, so please take my comments in that context. I do love Miramar Bistro, though, where I eat on a fairly regular basis.

=R=

ronnie_suburban wrote:Happy birthday!

My last trip to Gabriel's was a big disappointment. Very expensive for what it was, uninspired food and substitutions made on dishes of which we were not informed until they were being served. It really felt like no one cared at all about what they were doing. This was a few years ago but the experience did not inspire a return visit and I haven't been back. It may have just been an off night, so please take my comments in that context. I do love Miramar Bistro, though, where I eat on a fairly regular basis.

=R=

We were there about 2 months ago and I felt the same way about our experience. We were seated and before we even got settled our waitress appeared and asked for our drink order. We asked for a couple of minutes, but she just stood there waiting. The rest of the meal was just like that-hurry to take our order, hurry to serve us and hurry to get us the check. We had 8:00 reservations on a Saturday night and the place wasn't crowded at all so it wasn't like they needed us to get out so that they could re-seat our table. We did like the sommelier very much-he was knowledgeable and also very funny. The prices were quite high and we didn't feel like it was a good value. I can't remember what we all ate, probably some seafood because that's what this group usually orders. We all talked about how we should have gone to EJ's.

Sorry to be so negative-perhaps it was just a bad night. But I don't think we'll be returning any time soon and we have eaten there at least 5 times before that bad experience.

Surprised that you two had such bad experiences. I agree that it is expensive. You could almost go to Carlos for the money you spend, but i always think that the food is very good and the service good, if a little hovering. I dont eat there more than once every year or two though because of the lack of value.

-Will

WillG wrote:Surprised that you two had such bad experiences. I agree that it is expensive. You could almost go to Carlos for the money you spend, but i always think that the food is very good and the service good, if a little hovering. I dont eat there more than once every year or two though because of the lack of value.

I agree that Gabriel's has been good, but it's been years since I've been there. In terms of value, you make an excellent point also. In the last few years, a couple of extremely talented chefs have opened high-end (but casual) restaurants offering terrific food and far better value than Gabriel's, in North Shore towns that are not all that far away: Michael Lachowicz of Michael in Winnetka to the south, and John Des Rosiers of Inovasi in Lake Bluff to the north.

Hmmm.

Been to Michael's (at least 2 years ago I think) and was underwhelmed, maybe the hype on it was too great and it couldn't meet our expectations.

Will look at Inovasi for comparison purposes, not married to the idea of Gabriel's and glad I asked. Regardless, will report back. Thanks to all.

sujormik wrote:Been to Michael's (at least 2 years ago I think) and was underwhelmed, maybe the hype on it was too great and it couldn't meet our expectations

I've only been to Michael once and felt the same way but I know it has a number of devout fans. I hope you have a great time, regardless of where you end up.

=R=

I don't pay attention to hype, only to my taste buds. I've eaten at Michael maybe five times in the past few years and I've loved it every time. Those meals were among the three best I've eaten in the Chicago area during that period (along with Tallgrass and Alinea).

My dinner at Inovasi last month was exceptional as well, and that one was the only dinner I can remember in which my jaw dropped when I saw the check because the total was so low.

I havent eaten at Carlos in a couple of years, but I just looked at the menu online, and it is only a little more expensive than Gabriels. You might consider eating there if you want fancy, or I would agree with the recommendations of either Inovasi or Mirimar for a very good, but significantly less expensive meal, in a more casual atmosphere.

-Will

I've eaten at Miramar several times. It's been okay - not bad, not great. It's not a place I'd choose for a special birthday.

I ate at Carlos last year, and it was excellent. It can be quite expensive, but check their website because they sometimes have specials that can be a much better deal. Also be aware that it's dressy; AFAIK it's the only public restaurant in Chicago's suburbs that requires jackets for gentlemen.

We've had two great experiences at Bank Lane Bistro. The atmosphere is nice-we've sat on the enclosed porch/balcony both times. Service has been exceptional and we enjoyed the menu. They have a tasting type of menu and we have done wine pairings with it also.

http://www.banklanebistro.com/

Diane wrote:We've had two great experiences at Bank Lane Bistro.

Was that when John des Rosiers was there, before he left to open Inovasi?

nsxtasy wrote:

Diane wrote:We've had two great experiences at Bank Lane Bistro.

Was that when John des Rosiers was there, before he left to open Inovasi?

One before and one after. Liked it both times.

I think Gabriel's is much better than it was a few years ago. Not only is there more attention paid to the quality of the food coming out of the kitchen, the addition of Bob Bansburg as Sommelier bring a freshness to wine service, including a nice list that isn't quite as marked-up as it was in the past. Bob is an encyclopedias of knowledge who is more than happy to share as much info as you desire. Of course, a low/no corkage night would be nice.

mattshafferHP wrote:I think Gabriel's is much better than it was a few years ago. Not only is there more attention paid to the quality of the food coming out of the kitchen, the addition of Bob Bansburg as Sommelier bring a freshness to wine service, including a nice list that isn't quite as marked-up as it was in the past. Bob is an encyclopedias of knowledge who is more than happy to share as much info as you desire. Of course, a low/no corkage night would be nice.

Have to agree that Bansberg is a great addition and one of the best we have in Chicago. My last visit pre-dates his involvement at Gabriel's and if I were to return, he'd be one of the main reasons for doing so.

=R=

As promised, my report about Gabriel's. My palate is not nearly as sophisticated or discerning as many of yours so take it all with a grain of salt, your mileage may vary.

We had an absolutely wonderful dinner. The room is not what I expected at all for the price range, I'll get that out of the way. We were running a few minutes behind so called to say we'd be about 10 minutes late and asked that they hold our table, which they were gracious about and it was waiting for us when we arrived. Chef Gabe met us at the door, welcomed us, what a darling man!

Our server was very attentive, told him I wanted the chef's tasting menu with wine pairings so he sent Gabe back over to talk to me. I will admit he threatened to remove me when I sheepishly told him of my mushroom phobia but ultimately assured me there'd be nary a shroom on my plate and he was true to his word. I also don't remember all the details about the foods...there's some leeks that I'm having trouble remembering where they went, but I at least remembered to ask the sommelier to write down the wines for me.

My husband had lobster bisque with shrimp, it wasn't a creamy one (which he prefers) but the lobster taste was unbelievable, the shrimp in there were perfect, and we did trade because he liked my calamari and i was perfectly happy with that soup. He also had a crabcake app that was outstanding...an enormous cake with some greens on top, don't recall what they were but he actually ate them (he's not an adventurous guy). His entree was a veal porterhouse with frites that was magnificent...tasted fantastic and looked so beautiful too; we really did bring the bone home for our dog. He did not drink because he was driving but he did taste some of my wines.

My starter was a seared ahi tuna with a sesame oil/soy type vinaigrette and with shaved fennel, served with a 2007 Drylands Sauvignon Blanc. Not sure I've ever eaten fennel before it was excellent. It was definitely a small tasting portion and I did get a teensy bit nervous about the quantity. Taste was excellent, the vin was a tad salty to me. Second course was a crepe with a spinach and cheese sauce, it was f'ing unbelievable. (Chef Gabe came over and told me it was a signature of the restaurant and that if I didn't like that he'd get me the menu from Froggy's for the rest of the meal.) The flavor of that sauce drove me to eat bread to sop it up. Served with a 2007 Macon-Vire white burgundy. I liked this better than the sauv blanc. Third course was a whole roasted calamari stuffed with roasted red peppers and some spinach i think, some pine nuts in there, i don't recall all the components. Served with 2007 Chardonnay Ferarri Carano, Russian River Valley. This was my favorite white. As I said, there were some leeks in one of those dishes, i don't recall which but they were delicious.

Fish course was unreal. Roasted chilean sea bass topped with with seared foie gras topped with a black truffle sauce. Oh man. One of the richest things I've ever eaten. It was really really good, served with 2008 Cycles Gladiator Pinot Noir (central coast CA). I really have only ever had foie gras with sweet stuff accompaniments so this was real interesting. Did I mention it was rich? LOL

Entree was osso buco with a veal reduction over a saffron risotto. I have made osso buco...it doesn't remotely compares to what this man served me. It was honestly too rich for me to finish, especially after that foie gras, breaking my heart to so much that I brought home the remaining three bites. This came with a 2007 Cab Huntington from CA, also our favorite of the 2 reds. I adore risotto and this may be the best I've ever had. Perfect texture, perfect

Dessert (with a candle) was a coconutty type frozen panna cotta with a chocolate tuile cookie and some strawberry coulis i think, very tasty but i was done. My husband ate it. I drank the 2008 Moscotto di Asti Sarrocco from Piedmonte Italy and when the waiter asked if I liked it I giggled. Said I'd happily drink more and he offered to bring me another drop. Which was more than the original tasting portion. I loved that man.

I doubt any of these wines are considered fabulous, I'm no expert by a long shot. The sommelier was terse and indicated he was quite busy but toward the end he did stop for a moment and ask about the selections. It was fun watching him decant one of the older bottles, guess I'm WAY less sophisticated than most of you .

No pictures per my husband, sorry. No idea what it ultimately came to cost wise, the tasting with wines was $105, and I know that veal porterhouse was $45.95 so probably about $200 before tip. And again, we didn't have additional drinks or even coffee because we were stuffed.

I'd go back in a heartbeat.

Editing to add that service was excellent, and per someone's comment upthread I kind of giggled every time they refilled our water glasses.

Tell your husband he is a great guy! I can't stand being in a restaurant and having someone constantly interrupt my dining with picture taking.
BTW, we have never had a bad time at Gabriels', we only go to Miramar for lunch and Carlos of course is always very good and we got there a couple ot times per year. Particularly good is when Carlos has lunch during December and on Valentines Day!-Dick

Thanks for the report, sujormik! It's always helpful to hear how things worked out, after various alternatives are discussed.

I'm glad everything went so well. Sounds like Gabriel's is as good as ever!

Given a short of list to choose from, my brother-in-law decided we’d celebrate his birthday at Gabriel’s. They hadn’t been in ten years and we’ve somehow never made it. In the event, an excellent, nearly overwhelming, dinner; no photos, sad to say, so you’ll have to manage on text alone.

Our reservation was for a Saturday, 6:30pm. We were surprised to find a number of tables already occupied when we arrived; by the time we left (circa 9 pm), I saw only a single two-top open. This is a popular place. Walking in, we were struck by two things: the friendliness of everyone we saw and the somewhat dated—if impeccably maintained—décor. The place is pristine and comfy in an old-fashioned sort of way. Robert Bansberg, sommelier here (late of Ambria), was the evening’s maitre d’. He escorted us to a booth toward the back corner and left us in the capable—if somewhat mechanical—hands of a woman who gave the impression of having done this forever. She was pleasant enough, extremely competent, and not particularly warm. Though I prefer feeling like I am connecting on some level with my server, I can’t point to anything she did “wrong” or that I disagreed with. I just didn’t get any warm fuzzies and I like warm fuzzies.

One option that I really appreciated was the opportunity for one or more to have the tasting menu. Many places require that the entire table take that route and don’t allow a single diner to do so. As it happened—somewhat to our surprise—I was the only one who chose to do that. Everyone else had apps and entrees. I didn’t have the chance to taste all the various plates, so I can only mention them briefly and recount the orderer’s reaction. Apps at the table included the Lovely Dining Companion’s steamed artichoke (mustard vinaigrette), which she enjoyed, although we agreed that $14 for an artichoke seems a bit pricey (as does the restaurant in general). Others ordered the pear/goat cheese salad and the mussels. Nothing challenging, all right down the middle of the beaten path. The kitchen plated every course beautifully and, to judge by the comments, everyone was quite happy. Not sure how demanding my sister and brother-in-law really are, but each professed to be quite happy and indeed, they cleaned their plates. On the other hand, short of bad mussels, there was not too much room to go very wrong.

Two of the entrees were part of my tasting menu, so I defer those descriptions for the moment. The other entrée was a half-portion of pasta: gemelli with green beans and sun-dried tomatoes. As with many things that evening, even the half-portion was a very generous portion. My sister requested a half-order and even after working away at it for some time, she still had pasta to take home. The LDC chose the scallops and the brother-in-law went with the rack of lamb. Both, again, said that they were quite pleased; I had both as part of my tasting menu as well and will comment shortly.

I commented above re the apps, that no one ordered anything off the beaten path. For better or worse, that is what the menu dictates. There is very little on this menu that is unusual, little that is far from the classics or adventurous in any way. By way of illustration, here is the entire “meat and poultry” entrée selection: Veal Porterhouse; Osso Buco; Roasted Chicken; New York Strip; Rack of Lamb; and Roasted Beef Tenderloin. This is your grandfather’s restaurant and I say that without sarcasm and, indeed, without intending to be critical. If this is the sort of menu you are seeking, you will be quite happy here (assuming the price point is acceptable: those entrees range from $30 to $47!). The food was, without exception, beautiful. It was also, without exception, cooked exactly as ordered. And it was, without exception, also delicious. If you’re looking for this kind of classic comfort food, executed at a high level, you will enjoy your dinner. If you’re looking for a walk on the wild side—indeed, if you are looking for anything off the beaten path—study the menu carefully before you come.

The Tasting Menu
Given the price of those entrees, I was more than eager to try the tasting menu: it’s $80 (or $110 with pairings). Under the circumstances, it seemed like a no-brainer to me. Bansberg led off with a generous pour of Veuve Clicquot (non-vintage Brut) which took me through my first course as well. It’s funny, but the older I get, the drier I find I like my champagnes. This was a marvelous vorspeis and a wonderful complement for the:

"Seared Ahi Tuna with Braised Daikon & Sesame Soy Vinaigrette"
In the immortal words of a reviewer on tripadvisor.com, this was “fairly bland.” I, on the other hand, mean that as a compliment: I can’t imagine what that reviewer was expecting, frankly. Seared ahi is not gonna light up your palate, even with a vinaigrette. The fish was pristine, perfectly done, and just wonderful. I loved it. And while it may have been “fairly bland,” I’d certainly be happy to have it again. Just great quality fish immaculately prepared and presented.

"Crespelle filled with Spinach & Taleggio Cheese in Parmesan Sauce"
This course, however, didn’t do a whole lot for me. Nothing objectionable and also nothing to tempt me to get it again. A little crepe (which is what, class, crespelle are) wrapped around a filling of spinach and taleggio. I notice or taste much the spinach; in the event, what’s not to like about a rich, cheesy cream sauce? As it happens, I think the parmesan overwhelms the taleggio (a relatively mild-tasting cheese), to the dish’s detriment, I think. The pasta was accompanied by a 2010 Macon (Larochette-Manciat, Morrizottes) that, while pleasant, didn’t set my taste buds atingle either. It was a bit light for the dish and, in the end, I found both dish and wine a bit…dare I say “fairly bland,” without intending a compliment?…for my taste. Neither food nor wine delivered anything noteworthy and I wouldn’t order either again.

"Roasted Sea Scallops with Wild Mushrooms & Caper Butter Sauce"
My portion (thankfully) was a single scallop, lovingly plated. I say “thankfully” not because the scallop was anything less than terrific, but because it was one of the few times in the course of the evening that the portion seemed in proper proportion for a tasting menu. As I’ll note in a moment, portions overall were definitely more than generous—particularly given the price of the entrees and the price for the tasting menu. The scallop was nicely seared and flavorful (occasionally, I find the texture and searing right but the scallop lacking flavor; that was not an issue here at all). The capers brought acid to the table and there were enough of them present to cut the butter and the richness of the scallop itself. I liked this course mostly because of the pairing, though.

I’ve avoided sauvignon blanc for years because I dislike the grassiness that I associate with this varietal. Well, this was a very pleasant surprise. This was a 2010 Woollaston, west of the better-known Marlborough region. When Bansberg said “tomato leaf” in describing the flavor, I wasn’t sure I heard him right. But the first taste confirmed his description: tomato leaf. Now I don’t know how attractive that descriptor sounds to you; it had me wondering. But it was dead on and the wine was great with the scallop. No grassiness at all and for me that helped. Bansberg also said “grapefruit,” but I didn’t find that present as much. In the end, a nice pairing and a very nice course.

"Papillotte of Chilean Sea Bass with Lemon & Herb Vinaigrette"
I’m not at all sure how or why I was blessed, but the kitchen sent the fish (which comes by itself as an entrée) with a nice-sized hunk of foie gras. It’s not in the menu description at all and foie is, in fact, a separate app. Whether someone sent something back, whether the kitchen was feeling exceptionally generous, whether aliens descended at the moment of plating and performed a plate meld, I don’t know. I don’t care. Wow! On second thought, let me say that a little differently: WOW! Creamy and very nutty (as in brown-butter nutty). The minerally edge that usually accompanies all liver was there, but so minimal as to leave you wondering if, in fact, you just ate a piece of foie or not. Don’t know what the prep was because it’s not on the menu and, in the flow of the evening, I forgot to ask. But WOW! And, in complete fairness, this course didn’t need it. The fish was roasted and luscious as well.

I was intrigued with the dish and even more intrigued and impressed with the choice of wine: a pinot (2009 Cycles Gladiator, from the Central Coast). It was on the lighter side (not light, per se, but light for a pinot) and packed with flavor. The wine list says cherry, but I’m not sure I got that. I do remember trying—unsuccessfully—to engage Bansberg in a discussion about the wine. I was intrigued about the process of matching a glass to the combination of foie and sea bass. Unfortunately, as I mentioned above, the place was packed and he was acting as maitre d’ as well. It’s a pity because, in the event, I got the canned spiel on each glass. On a couple occasions, I was able to hold on to him for an extra fifteen seconds (just about literally). Unlike some other sommeliers, he actually listened to my questions and replied (albeit exceptionally briefly). Sadly, he was so incredibly busy, he never had any time to talk and I got tired just watching him. He’s an exceptionally informed guy who knows his stuff and for this and other reasons, I was disappointed in that aspect of the evening.

"Roasted Rack of Lamb with Ratatouille & Thyme Sauce"
The portion was astonishing. My brother-in-law had the rack entrée and received three gorgeous chops. I had the tasting menu and got two. What was remarkable was that this portion was in keeping with my portions from the very beginning. Where I might expect a portion that was less than half the size of the entrée, each portion kept arriving being at least half, usually more. Small wonder that I waddled out. Slowly And as for the wine: every glass was a full pour. It’s no small miracle I walked out and drove us home without incident. But the lamb: in a word, yummy. Cooked a perfect medium rare (perhaps a shade less), it was juicy, meaty, and—although I happen to like the gaminess one sometimes gets with lamb—not gamey in the least. The ratatouille was lovely and in proportion to the dish. (One peeve is the occasional kitchen that tries to hide a smaller portion with a larger side. This kitchen was generous to fault with the entrees and always kept everything in perfect proportion.) The wine was a 2008 California cab from Side Yard Cellars (a new winery to me, out of Sonoma. According to what I find on the web, it has small amounts of zin, sangiovese, and syrah). Classic cab features, nicely balanced and not too tannic. Nothing exceptional, but very pleasant quaffing.

"Pistachio Semi-Fredo with Chocolate Spaghetti and a Ragout of Strawberries"
I’m not a semi-freddo (menu proofreaders take note) fan. That said, this was quite enjoyable. Instead of the washed out flavors I usually associate with this dish, this one had a full-flavored pistachio taste, to its advantage. It was not too sweet, and in that regard, was well-matched by a 2011 Moscato d’Asti from Saracco (in the Piemonte). The wine list describes it as “Semi-sweet & Frizzante.” I’d say distinctly more than “semi,” but full-flavored and enjoyable. Given the restrained sweetness of the dish, the match worked. I think something less sweet might have been better, but I’m not Robert Bansberg and he is. (You know what I mean!)

The brother-in-law chose the “North Carolina Pecan Cake with Roasted Pecan Ice Cream.” Glad he took one for the team because I’d been tempted (but had no choice, given that the semi-freddo was part of the tasting menu). The roasted pecan ice cream tasted only a very little of pecan and the cake was dry. Not a particularly successful dessert and it was the one course that he failed to praise. Given my reaction, I thought it wiser not to inquire. In any event, he loved his lamb, so the more important dish was a hit.

Overall, a happy and successful choice. I’ve stated most of my quibbles above and they have to do with the lack of adventurousness in the menu. But, ultimately, that’s not a fair complaint. I included it in the list of choices I gave my brother-in-law precisely because he’s not the world’s most adventurous eater and I wanted a “safe” choice. The menu is what it is; if you’re not tempted, you won’t go in the first place. If you do, you’ve probably already made your peace with the prices. You’ll like the food: to repeat myself, it’s beautifully plated and presented, very well prepared, and the place is a comfy one. We didn’t care for our server but hey, win some, lose some. Her service was just fine. The place was packed and noisy, but it was a Saturday.

My last quibble has to do with the wines I was offered—and I hope not to sound churlish here: everything was from the “By the Glass” portion of the wine list. Maybe that’s standard and I’ve never noticed before. I enjoyed a few of the selections a good deal. And some not particularly. But I wasn’t particularly impressed overall. I enjoyed the pinot most, but that was in part because it matched the dish so well. The cab was very nice, but nothing unusual. All in all, a pleasant group of glasses (and yes, that’s called damning with faint praise).

Overall, the evening was very nice and we enjoyed ourselves and our dinners. I wouldn’t have chosen a Saturday, but you work with what ya got. Bansberg was too busy and I really regretted that I got only the canned spiel for each wine. The tasting menu, at least as I got it, with very generous portions and nearly full pours for each wine, is a steal at $110. Everyone in the place is friendly and welcoming (with the exception of our server, of course). The menu is unadventurous but I have no quibble with the food. I’d be curious to go on a weeknight—largely for the opportunity to talk more with Bansberg, but I’d have a much better notion what to expect.

Where is this place

310 Green Bay Road
Highwood, IL 60040
(847) 433-0031
www.egabriels.com

According to today's Dish from Chicago Mag, "the North Shore Italian-French restaurant Gabriel’s will shutter on Saturday."