Looking for a good bistro

I'm new to this forum, though I've lurked here for a while and have enjoyed it immensely.

At any rate, I'm looking for a bistro that is quiet, doesn't rush you through the meal, and, preferably, allows you to bring your own wine (I don't mind paying corkage). The Frencher the better, as I'm not a big fan of small but exquisitely decorated dishes.

I've been to Kiki's several times and though I enjoy it, it seems to have gone downhill recently, especially with respect to service. Brasserie Jo is too large and sterile for me. I've never been to Matou, Sardine, or Le Bouchon.

Any help much appreciated.

Jerry wrote:I've been to Kiki's several times and though I enjoy it, it seems to have gone downhill recently, especially with respect to service. Brasserie Jo is too large and sterile for me. I've never been to Matou, Sardine, or Le Bouchon.

Le Bouchon and La Sardine are both definitely not quiet. The service is quite good, but they're very noisy spaces, especially during peak hours. And, for those restaurants, every hour is a peak hour.

Wish I could be of more help. You can also consider Tournesol on Lincoln, which will let you BYOB, but I'm not sure of the corkage.

Hey Jerry,

A good place to try, while not exclusively French, but more French with Mexican/continental influences would be Cafe Dorado on Foster just east of Western. There is an extensive thread about Dorado on this site, but it is BYOB excellent food and the people who own and run it are great.

gleam wrote:You can also consider Tournesol on Lincoln, which will let you BYOB, but I'm not sure of the corkage.

Tournesol is excellent, and it definitely meets your criteria of "a bistro that is quiet, [and] doesn't rush you through the meal."

My personal favorite is Bistro Campagne. Late on a summer or warm spring/fall evening, their garden/patio is perfect. Though it does get very crowded, I wouldn't say it's exactly loud - the interior space is broken up in a way that keeps the volume reasonable.

There are also a threads on Le Bouchon and Tournesol about, if you need more information.

rien

Try D&J Bistro in Lake Zurich. I real out of the way place that has great food.

I'm not sure exactly what makes a bistro a bistro, but Rick's is FAB! Very slow, romantic, quiet, and incredible service. The place to go for 3-hour (or more) meals. I've never felt so warmly taken care of in a restaurant before. Feels very European that way, though I think the owners are Moroccan. They speak French, that's for sure. The waitress (owner) is so beautiful and smart - I've been only twice, but she remembered me the second time, and what my husband and I ordered and liked previously. Her husband is the chef. Both times I've been there, they've done something unexpected and extra - they made this incredible minty iced tea drink for my friend, about which we were all raving (amonst ourselves and not to the staff), so they brought some for the rest of us, gratis. They just notice what's going on and respond to it in stride. I can't stress enough how wonderful this place is. And you can bring your own wine (but they charge corkage, like $4/person).

Rick's Cafe
3915 N. Sheridan Ave., Chicago
(773) 327-1972

Chez Joel on Taylor is relatively quiet and intimate, and would probably allow BYO with corkage fee.

Bistro Compagne is good.

Le Sardine and Cafe Le Coq (Oak Park) are also pretty good, but they are super busy and indeed might be a bit loud. The food is spot on though.

is great... there was a mention of the chef in last week's time out magazine, mentioning that he is trying to become the first certified organic restaraunt... i'd go back there again and again.

has anyone been to cyrano's? i've been meaning to go there forever...the guy who runs it (a phonetic 'D D A') used to always sell his stuff at the chic farmer's market... i think he got them kicked out though ;p (he sells his pate at sam's now too)..

though not exactly a bistro, Tru would give you a great, slow meal and if you book a table in the 'upstairs' room, its as quiet as a library...

I recommend Cyrano's Bistrot! it is a very old-school style French bistrot. The tables are not too close together, but you do feel cozy. You probably won't be surprised by anything on the menu, but you will be delighted. It is all prepared well and served with charm and warmth.

My husband's and his lodge buddies eat there all the time, and Chef Didier and his wife do a great job. I've been there at least 3-4 times and have always been satisfied.

Cyrano's Bistrot
546 N. Wells St.
Chicago, IL 60610
312 467 0546[/url]

Bistro Maisonette
109 Franklin St.
Bloomingdale, IL 60108-2956
630-924-0930

Bistro Maisonette (French for "small house") is appropriately named--the intimate bi-level space was once a boarding house before being converted into a restaurant. The bistro is warm and decidedly unstuffy and there's a romantic outdoor cafe for alfresco dining. The reasonably priced menu (entrees are all under $25), features bistro classics like escargots in garlic butter, country pate, baked onion soup, onion tart, bouillabaisse, and steak au poivre, but also lists a few Italian dishes like risotto with shrimp and scallops.

Hours: Lunch: 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m., Tuesday-Friday
Dinner: 5-9 p.m., Tuesday-Thursday; 5-10 p.m., Friday-Saturday; 4-8 p.m., Sunday
closed Monday

Nobody's mentioned Cafe Matou here, though the Reader gives it a pretty high recommendation. Has anybody been there, and is it quiet and relaxed?

Thanks to all for their comments.

Matou's a pretty nice place, reasonably quiet but possibly a little busier than would strike you as quiet. Ate there a yearish ago and liked it better than the other time I ate there, though I'd still say Tournesol was the most impressive food-wise. Still, I would certainly recommend it for consideration.

Matou is certainly lees crowded than Le Bouchon and some of the other places mentioned. I was there last week and it was full but not crowded. I can get a bit claustrophobic so I tend to prefer a palce like Cafe Matou over some of the others.

Weather's cooling (and Sox are winning, be still my heart) so it's bistro time of the year. La Sardine is booked up tonight so was wondering if anyone's been to Chez Joel on Taylor recently. I haven't been there for at least six years, but I see it's still around so they must be doing something right - right????

I was at Chez Joel about 5 months ago (right before the weather heated up). I enjoyed everything. As I hadn't been to a bistro in awhile, I decided I would stick with the classic entree - steak frites. It was a nice piece of meat (I think it was flatiron) and relatively tender for that cut. Cooked to order. I also had some sort of soup to start, which I remember liking. I love their frites. The service was attentive but relaxed. I went early on a Saturday evening (about 6:00ish) with no reservation to avoid the rush (and I hadn't eaten all day so I was starving - I remember that distinctly). I would rate it as one of my favorite bistros, probably my favorite.

I made it to Chez Joel last night, and agree hardily. Good solid bistro fare on a par with La Sardine - but it's much more relaxed, they're not trying to turn the tables two or three times. La Sardine is one of my favorites but it gets kind of crazy there on Tuesday nights. We had the escargots (just ok, a little bland) and pate' (very good, mousse-like) to start, split a salad and split the coq au vin (outstanding, lots of salt pork). With 4 glasses of a decent house Bourgogne it all came to under $80. Beautiful room tres Parisienne, and great service. Thought it was very reasonable considering, but you can definitely run up the tab if you let it rip.

Chez Joel
1119 W Taylor St.
Chicago
(312) 226-6479

Four of us dined at Chez Joel last night. I had taken an out of town work group there two Decembers ago and had a good meal, and my office partner has been going every 8-10 weeks as his wife works over at one of the medical centers.

We chose to eat outside. Usually I'm not a big fan of that in an urban area, but I like the way that Chez Joel had their side yard set up. The chairs were comfortable as well, something that I often find missing in outdoor dining. The weather was perfect (75, slight breeze) and the place wasn't particularly busy at 6:15pm, so it was a great choice just for the atmosphere.

Normally, I would have taken the tomato salad with Roquefort, but as I am nursing some allergies I went with the onion soup to start. The top had the nice crusty cheese and bread, but the soup itself was a little flat. We also split two orders of the scallops. They were very tasty, but as metnioned ealier a bit pricey for Taylor Street.

My dining companions all went for seafood dishes, but I wanted some meat. I was disappointed at the lack of meat-based entree options - when I had been there last time, the specials were predominantly meat based. There were three steak frites variations, a lamb dish with mushrooms, and another beef dish. I took the steak with garlic butter and frites. The portions of the frites could have just been my dinner. The steak was solid, and at 10 oz was the right size.

Valet parking was $7, which seemed just a little high conisdering all the valet did was park the car in the no parking spot next to the restaurant.

Is it the best bistro in town? No - I did my parents' 40th anniversary party at Mon Ami Gabi in Oakbrook and it was absolutely fantastic. But I'd probably go once/year on a warm fall evening.