LM (French in Lincoln Square)

I had brunch yesterday at LM in the former Tallulah space in Lincoln Square. I believe it's been open just a few weeks. It was just my wife and I, so we only tried a few things, but enjoyed them quite a bit. I think it was the little extras that I liked more than anything. They have great coffee (Julius Meinl) brought to the table in a little French press. They're possibly the only place I've had coffee arrive in a French press and also get free refils. In place of bread they brought croissants (chocolate or plain) with tiny jars of Bonne Maman preserves.

(Sorry for the bad cellphone picture.)

I had the LM Bendict: a standard benedict plus tomato slices and arugula with sauce choron in place of the hollandaise. I really liked this. The sauce choron was rich and flavorful and applied with restraint. (There are too many places that drown their benedicts in mediocre hollandaise.) My wife had the croque monsieur, which came with a fried egg on top. Other than the fried egg, it was a pretty standard croque monsieur, executed very well.

The service was excellent - attentive without being intrusive. Their dinner menu looks good as well. I can't wait to get back to try it.

LM
4539 N. Lincoln
Chicago, IL 60640
773.942.7585
http://www.lmrestaurant.com

Friends of mine recommended this place to me, anyone else been? BTW, when there's an egg added, the sandwich is known as a croque madame.

I went to LM for their prix fixe Christmas Eve dinner and really enjoyed it. It's been close to a month, so I apologize for not remembering all the details. (I apologize for not posting sooner.) The biggest thing that sticks out in my mind was the excellent turkey: probably the juiciest roast breast I've had with confit legs and savory bread pudding with black truffles. I remember everything else being very good too, but am fuzzy on the particulars. (Others had a porcelet - young pig - entree. Appetizers were a lobster salad or winter squash soup with duck confit. Desserts were buche de noel or creme brulee.) I will say that nothing was terribly original/creative, but there's something to be said for classics done right.

For Christmas Eve, my 5 year old daughter was with us for an early reservation. (We'd previously taken her for brunch on two separate occasions and had conversations with the very friendly manager (owner?) about kids in restaurants.) The staff was very accommodating and seemed genuinely pleased to have her there. They were happy to make some small adjustments for her (sauce on the side, for example.) We were sitting close enough to the kitchen to overhear the chef say something along the lines of "you mean the kid doesn't want mac and cheese?!" We haven't seen other kids there on any of our visits, but based on our experience, I think this would be a good place to take a kid for a first time trying a nicer restaurant.

I was hesitant to add this last bit about kids because I really do enjoy LM on their own merit, completely aside from being able to bring my daughter. I don't want to give the impression they're in the Wishbone category of "good enough if you're eating with kids" because they're not.

LM is a great addition to the Lincoln Square neighborhood. We have been there at least 7 times since they took over the space from Tallulah. Stephan is the perfect host and Chef Brad is very talented. We have tried a number of things on the menu but my favorite is the poussin. It is perfectly prepared, pan seared and crunchy on the outside and very moist on the inside. It's served with green lentil ragout, baby vegetables and foie gras butter. Last time we were there my husband had the arctic char and our friends had the scallops and were very happy.
Service is very good, attentive without being overbearing. The dessert menu is traditionally french and great-the tarte tatin is absolutely the best I have ever had. It is made to order and takes about 20 minutes but it is totally worth it. The apples are perfectly caramelized and the crust is crunchy. The flourless chocolate cake is also fabulous.

We've been here twice since we discovered it the first weekend in January: once for brunch and once for dinner. Service has been great, nice wine list, delicious food -- I had a pork tenderloin with cabbage and apple last week, perfect winter meal! Oh, and Julius Meinl coffee in a cafe press for brunch, along with fresh croissants...

I think it's gonna be our new neighborhood french standby.

No “mixologist”. No Facebook page. No chalk board or Tweetering. No pig ears, poutine, or press ass-kissing. The owners of LM seemed to have missed the memo about how to open a restaurant in 2009/2010, and I’m glad they did. What they’ve done instead, relatively quietly, is start serving some of the best French food in town, in a modern, comfortable space with fantastic hosts.

Stephan, one half of the husband-wife team that owns LM, greeted us with a warm smile when we entered, and showed us to a comfortable table for 2 in the corner. I was taken in right away by a certain casual elegance about the space. The fancy white linen tablecloths might have given off a stuffy restaurant feel, but a touch of whimsy in the form of bright orange linens balanced it out. French tunes played at an ideal volume, absorbed by the cushioned walls that fill the dining room at LM. It wouldn’t be right to call the atmosphere serene or elegant. Neither fun nor quirky would be right either. But if you could mix serene, elegant, fun and quirky into one word, that would describe it.

The food at LM is what I’d call modern French, with perfectly-executed, classic preparations that have been simultaneously lightened and intensified by frequent use of herb purees and reductions. Pureed parsnip soup had the luxuriously smooth texture and incredibly buttery croutons that one would expect from a top French kitchen. Bright chive puree and briny caviar added wonderful, balancing flavor and beautiful color. Crab bisque was relatively thin in texture and intensely crab-flavored, with a drizzle of lemon oil that exemplified the kitchen’s propensity to use lots of acid. I’d love another bowl of that bisque today.

I suspect something may have gone wrong initially in the preparation of our entrees, because we seemed to be waiting quite awhile after the soups were cleared. Our luck, as Stephan decided to bring over a split order of the beef bourguignon on the house, perhaps to compensate for the unexpected wait. What a fantastic version of this classic! Impossibly rich beef cheeks had been browned well to intensify the flavor, and had the kind of beefy intensity that seems to linger on your tongue forever. With a glass of the good pinot noir I was drinking, this was quite an intermezzo.

It was easy for us to tell when the entrees did finally leave the kitchen, as the smell of black truffles filled the dining room. From an execution standpoint, I can’t say that LM’s risotto was without flaws. The rice was slightly overcooked and still soaking in broth that hadn’t been fully absorbed. The flavors, however, were terrific. Generous truffle shavings, soft celery root and perfectly roasted chestnuts combined into a warming winter plate of food, with added brightness from an intensely green parsley puree at the bottom of the dish.

Our second entrée was seared whitefish with snail ragout, and it was wonderful. The whitefish skin was brown and crisp, and the snails were tender and flavorful. A rich, very French potato puree and smooth, powerful garlic-parsley aioli finished the dish, along with some garlic-parsley bread crumbs for more flavor and texture contrast.

We passed on the signature tarte tatin for dessert, and opted instead for LM’s crème brulee. Served still warm from a fresh torching, with oozing custard underneath the burnt-sugar shell, this crème brulee has few equals in the Chicago area.

Can restaurants succeed these days simply because they serve great food in welcoming environments with fantastic service? Or do they need to get PR firms and the Hungry Hound to create a frenzy of tweetering that packs the house? Time will tell, but for the sake of people who would like to enjoy LM far into the future, I hope it’s the former.

Kennyz wrote:No Facebook page.

How can I trust the rest of this review?

cilantro wrote:

Kennyz wrote:No Facebook page.

How can I trust the rest of this review?

That doesn't count. A facebook page that has not been updated since its inception 3 months ago is not a real facebook page. And I promise, The Hungry Hound has not tweeted about LM.

I have not much to add to Kenny's excellent post above. We had some of the same dishes that Kenny did; beef bourguignon was rich, and layered with light -- not stodgy -- flavors; the fine pastisserie-grade desserts are not to be missed. (The little piece of chocolate in the peanut butter cream tart felt whimsical and special.) Sweetbreads were well-prepared, and people were raving about the foie gras appetizer. The duck breast was perfectly cooked with crispy skin and a pink center, and the lamb was perfectly prepared, served with a delicious tomato tart. One misfire was that the poached egg on my mushroom ragout was slightly overpoached; but the remainder of the dish was richly flavored and well-seasoned; showing that mushrooms can still be earthy although vehicles for butter.

LM is one of the most exciting openings I've been to in awhile -- understated, modern interpretations of French food, but executed with all the flourish, skill and competency inherent in French cookery. The atmosphere is casual enough in which jeans are fine, the prices are reasonable, the wine list is excellent, the service is fun but knowledgeable. Our French server was absolutely correct that the wine we ordered would need to open and warm up -- which is why he brought it to our table when we were only halfway through our cocktails. (I had a very balanced, spritzy French 75, I might add.) After visiting many ho-hum restaurants over the past year, and openings of restaurants that are facsimilies of one another, I am really excited about this place. I can't wait to go back.

We had a really lovely dinner at LM last night. We've been meaning to try it and noticed that it was pretty empty on the drive home. So, we made a last minute on Opentable and headed over.
They have really done a nice job with the space--it's comfortable, serene and classic. Service was about as good as I've had in recent memory--really warm and attentive. They had some very nice wines by the quarter liter--served in nice little carafes. I had a red burgundy and my dining companion had a grenache--both very nice. We didn't know it was restaurant week until we arrived--all the choices are from the regular menu. We went with the restaurant week menu and shared plates (the half-way through plate switch-a-roo). We had: the crab bisque (silky, subtle and delicious) and the tuna carpaccio with meyer lemon, picholine olives and harissa (very good, didn't really taste the harissa--thought the olives were maybe a little strong for this dish). For entrees, we had the browned butter crepes and the diver scallops. The crepes were delicious and this was one of the better renditions I've had of this dish. It wasn't light--but lighter than the name suggests. The beautifully carmelized leeks and toasted hazelnuts really enhanced this dish. The pair of scallops were served on a bed of lentils with slices of foie gras and they were absolutely perfect (in quality, doneness, taste). We had a discussion after eating them about how we'd rather have two perfect shining examples of scallopness than a dozen so-so quality. We split the tarte tatin for dessert along with some french press decaf--very nice. Overall, this was a great meal. We really liked the feel of the place, service and execution of the dishes. I love Bistro Campagne (across the street)-I eat there fairly frequently and I really like the homey atmosphere, somewhat rustic french dishes. So, before eating at LM, I kind of figured it was a 'try it once' kind of place just to check it out but that I'd mostly be returning to BC for this type of food. But I really like LM and I will definitely be throwing it into the mix when I crave French. It's a really great addition to the neighborhood.

My fiancée and I dined at LM last Friday and enjoyed a very fine meals off the Restaurant Week menu.

I started with the poached farm egg appetizer with mushroom ragout - nice, but I wished that the egg yolk was a bit runnier. I believe that my "better half" had the mixed green salad. As entrées, I had the beef Cheek bourguignon with pearl onions, lardons, mushrooms and potato puree, while my fiancée enjoyed the diver scallops with brussells sprouts (if I recall correctly). Both were memorable but, this being Restaurant Week, the portions were on the smal side (e.g. she had one medium-sized scallop). We shared an apple tart for two as dessert - quite good, although I stained my favorite necktie in the process.

We had previously dined at Tallulah, but I cannot recall the experience for the life of me.

ld111134 wrote:As entrées, I had the beef Cheek bourguignon with pearl onions, lardons, mushrooms and potato puree, while my fiancée enjoyed the diver scallops with brussells sprouts (if I recall correctly). Both were memorable but, this being Restaurant Week, the portions were on the smal side (e.g. she had one medium-sized scallop).

I'm not one to complain over portions, but if I ordered scallops (plural) and only got one scallop, I'd be annoyed.

That is strange, i had the scallop entree as well during the restaurant week and i got 3 large scallops
in fact, my bf and i couldn't even finish our desserts
we found the portions to be normal

perhaps the kitchen messed up on your order?

ld111134 wrote:Both were memorable but, this being Restaurant Week, the portions were on the smal side (e.g. she had one medium-sized scallop).

There are no "official rules", but based on my experience with several of the participating restaurants, most do not serve smaller portion sizes during Restaurant Week than at other times. And any that do, are doing a disservice to the concept of using Restaurant Week to enable customers to try them and then spread the word about what they have to offer.

Disclaimer: I have not been to LM and I cannot comment specifically on their portion sizes, during Restaurant Week or at any other time.

Can anyone elaborate on their prices as far as you find them vs. value? Total tab?

TheWindyCity wrote:Can anyone elaborate on their prices as far as you find them vs. value? Total tab?

The total tab is sum of the price of each item you order, plus tax. Prices are on the website.

Kennyz wrote:

TheWindyCity wrote:Can anyone elaborate on their prices as far as you find them vs. value? Total tab?

The total tab is sum of the price of each item you order, plus tax. Prices are on the website.

Of course, but did you feel you got your money's worth for the what you paid, is what I was asking.

I'm not Kenny, but I feel that while LM isn't inexpensive, the food quality is very high and the portions are a decent size.

TheWindyCity wrote:

Kennyz wrote:

TheWindyCity wrote:Can anyone elaborate on their prices as far as you find them vs. value? Total tab?

The total tab is sum of the price of each item you order, plus tax. Prices are on the website.

Of course, but did you feel you got your money's worth for the what you paid, is what I was asking.

Kennyz wrote:some of the best French food in town, in a modern, comfortable space with fantastic hosts.

See quote above. See prices. What do you think?

Diane wrote:I'm not Kenny, but I feel that while LM isn't inexpensive, the food quality is very high and the portions are a decent size.

Thank you!

TheWindyCity wrote:

Diane wrote:I'm not Kenny, but I feel that while LM isn't inexpensive, the food quality is very high and the portions are a decent size.

Thank you!

Yes, thank you. In Diane's original post, when she described the food as fabulous and noted that she had been to LM at least 7 times, I still wasn't sure if she thought it was worth it. This clears things up.

That is strange, i had the scallop entree as well during the restaurant week and i got 3 large scallops

We got two large scallops. I have no complaints. The scallops were large, good quality and perfectly cooked. As far as value, I ate there during restaurant week so that was a better deal ($32 for 3 courses which would have run mid-40's had we ordered a la carte) but looking at the a la carte menu, prices seemed fair.

We've got reservations for this Saturday. I'm really looking forward to my dinner. Does anyone who has explored the menu have any "shouldn't miss" recommendations?

stevez wrote:We've got reservations for this Saturday. I'm really looking forward to my dinner. Does anyone who has explored the menu have any "shouldn't miss" recommendations?

creme brulee

stevez wrote:We've got reservations for this Saturday. I'm really looking forward to my dinner. Does anyone who has explored the menu have any "shouldn't miss" recommendations?

I always order the pan roasted poussin-the skin is crunchy and the chicken meat is really moist. It used to be served with a brown butter sauce and french gnocci, but the menu has recently changed and I don't think it's on the menu any more . In its place is pan roasted duck which I am sure will be delicious.
I also have ordered the beet salad and the poached farm egg with wild mushroom ragout and they have all been good.
As noted upthread, the tarte tatin is unbelieveably good and the chocolate mousse with hazelnut crisp is tasty also.
Last time we were there we had the 2004 Chateauneuf du Pape and liked it so much we found it online (for a really good price) and bought a case! The wine list is small but good, and Stephan makes good recommendations.
We're going back on the 27th and I am already looking forward to our visit.

Diane wrote:I always order the pan roasted poisson-the skin in crunchy and the chicken meat is really moist.

That dish has/had fish (poisson) AND chicken? Or was it pan roasted poulet?

nsxtasy wrote:

Diane wrote:I always order the pan roasted poisson-the skin in crunchy and the chicken meat is really moist.

That dish has/had fish (poisson) AND chicken? Or was it pan roasted poulet?

She must mean poussin. Easy mistake.

Diane wrote:

stevez wrote:It used to be served with a brown butter sauce and french gnocci, but the menu has recently changed and I don't think it's on the menu any more . In it's place is pan roasted duck which I am sure will be delicious.

Replaced by duck?!?!?!? They must have known I was coming.

aschie30 wrote:

nsxtasy wrote:

Diane wrote:I always order the pan roasted poisson-the skin in crunchy and the chicken meat is really moist.

That dish has/had fish (poisson) AND chicken? Or was it pan roasted poulet?

She must mean poussin. Easy mistake.

Yep, I meant poussin. That's what I get for typing quickly and not proofreading.

We had a duck dish as part of the Valentine's Menu-it was delish.

Just perused the menu and it looks delicious. Brunch especially appeals. Has anyone tried their french toast?