Choosing Among Kiki's Bistro, La Sardine, and MK

I'm trying to choose a place for an anniversary dinner, and right now, these three are at the top of the list.
In the past, we've gone to places like Avenues or Charlie Trotter's for our anniversary, but this year, we want to step it down a notch (at least in terms of price).
Any thoughts on these three? We really like French-influenced food (as opposed to more traditional French food).
Any other ideas?

MK would be the least traditional, very distinct from the others- more $ also, if I remember correctly. It may well be the best bet for a more special dining experience.

I'd choose La Sardine as the best, but they serve very traditional French Bistro Food so maybe not right. I've had a few underwhelming and, IMO, overpriced meals at MK, but the place is always packed so maybe I just don't get it. Kikis also serves traditional bistro fare.

Brasserie Jo is about to close and they have some interesting Alsatian dishes if you want some French food that you don't usually find in the the US.

But what about L2O? French Chef but definitely not traditional French food. and the best coffee I've had in Chicago. Or maybe North Pond.

Bistro Campagne!

A couple of different kinds of restaurants are being discussed here.

Kiki's Bistro, La Sardine, Brasserie Jo, and Bistro Campagne are all French bistros. French bistros in Chicago are almost all casual and moderately-priced (entrees typically no more than twenty-ish) restaurants. Their menus are all quite similar to each other, and typically include classic dishes like onion soup, escargots, duck breast, steak au poivre, coq au vin, sole meuniere, and for desserts, tartes, mousses, and profiteroles. You can see a fairly complete list of the French bistros in Chicagoland, with links to their websites, here.

On the other hand, MK, Avenues, Charlie Trotter's, North Pond, and L2O are generally considered contemporary American restaurants. Contemporary American is an inclusive term and many such places serve food that is not strictly American, but rather, has influences from cuisines around the world, including French cuisine, both classic (as you would find at a French bistro) and contemporary (as at places like Everest). Their menus tend to be individualized, reflecting the creativity of their chefs. They also vary in price, with Avenues, Trotter's, and L2O at the high end, while North Pond and MK are not quite as expensive, but still more than most French bistros. Some of our contemporary American restaurants, such as Cafe des Architectes or Sweets and Savories, have more French influence than others, but they are still, at their core, very different from the classic French bistros.

Nothing wrong with either category, or with any of these places; they're all very good indeed. Check out the menus on their websites to see which sound like what you're looking for.

If you're looking for the best value, some of the French bistros have specials on one night of the week, such as La Sardine's and Le Bouchon's Tuesday nights with any three courses for $25, and a similar special on Wednesdays at Bistro Bordeaux. A few of the contemporary American places also have specials, notably Cafe des Architectes with their $29 "neighborhood friends menu" Sundays through Tuesdays (their everyday prix fixe is $42, still not bad), and Sweets and Savories with their $29 prix fixe every night.

Since you're looking for French influenced food, you might also consider the restaurants which combine contemporary Mexican cuisine with French influence; Mexique, in West Town, and Sabor Saveur, in Wicker Park, fall into this category. Their menus combine elements of contemporary American cuisine with Mexican ingredients and French preparation techniques and sauces.

How about Bonsoiree? BYOB certainly reduces the cost... And the food is great.

wak wrote:I'd choose La Sardine as the best, but they serve very traditional French Bistro Food so maybe not right. I've had a few underwhelming and, IMO, overpriced meals at MK, but the place is always packed so maybe I just don't get it. Kikis also serves traditional bistro fare.

Brasserie Jo is about to close and they have some interesting Alsatian dishes if you want some French food that you don't usually find in the the US.

But what about L2O? French Chef but definitely not traditional Frenthis pointch food. and the best coffee I've had in Chicago. Or maybe North Pond.

Thanks. L20 is out of the price range at this point (after 20 years of working for others, I just opened my own business) and unfortunately North Pond is closed on Mondays. North Pond had been my choice, since I have never gone there during the s ummer. It is stunning in winter, but I expect it may be very good during the summer also.

Looks like we are going to do MK for the anniversary. It seems like a good option both in terms of food and price.
However, thanks for other comments. My wife and I tend to get in a rut and go to the same place (Naha, NoMi, and Avenues recently -- all outstanding of course, but even when the choices are that good, still a rut) so I'm looking to start trying other places.
I think next month I will try one of the others mentioned.