The Monarch - Andrew Brochu

The Monarch - where Andrew Brochu seems to be doing his version bar food in the former Uberstein spot in Wicker Park - opened last Friday.

Just this morning, Thrillist posted the first version of The Monarch menu I've seen.

Kevin Pang's Trib piece from last week on Brochu and The Monarch.

The Monarch
1745 W. North Ave.
773-252-6053
http://www.monarchchicago.com (still not working yet, tho)

I tried Andrew's foie gras mousse and it was perfect. The foie was rich and creamy and was spreadable on slices of toast grilled with the optimal amount of char. Spread some of the strawberry jam on and you have a dish worth returning for. This is similar to the preparation at Bavette's/Maude's.

At this point (a week into service), the kitchen is miles ahead of the bar however. I guess that is to be expected when an average neighborhood bar goes through a transformation to a restaurant with talent in the kitchen. They use the same Libbey glassware, shitty maraschino cherries (in $12 cocktails), etc. Don't tell PopcornMegaphone about this place...

Hopefully Andrew sticks around for a while. I'd like to go back and try more of the menu. It looks promising.

I really loved the food I ate here a couple of weeks ago. I've long been a fan of Andrew Brochu and it's a real treat to have a chef of his skill in such a casual venue.

3 of us sat at the bar and shared several dishes, all of which were very enjoyable . . .

Foie Gras Mousse | strawberry jam, toast
Great stuff. Loved the rich flavor and supremely creamy texture. I'm not normally a fan of savory and sweet together but the strawberry jam really worked nicely with the mousse.

Pimento Cheese | white cheddar peppers, crostini
A nicely-sharp rendition. One of the best restaurant versions I can remember having.

Potted Pork | spices, cornichon, red onion, mustard
This was a very well-executed dish. The meat was delicious, chunky and perfectly seasoned. I loved that it was unctuous without being greasy at all.

Wings | bbq rub and dill pickle
3 varieties are available (buffalo is the third) and we asked the kitchen to choose for us. We were served the bbq rub and the dill pickle. I wasn't crazy about the bbq rub but I really enjoyed the dill pickle wings, which had a delicious, assertive, pickley flavor.

Fries | truffle mayonnaise
Very nice. Crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside.

King Salmon | potato puree, brown butter, caper
A perfectly cooked piece of fish. This entire dish was sensational, and I'm really glad we ordered it. At the end of our meal chef told us that this was his favorite dish on the menu.

Garlic Sausage | pork belly, cabbage, candied mustard seed
I loved every component on this plate. The sausage had perfect definition and great garlic flavor. Pairing it with the sticky-soft slab of belly was a great idea and really wasn't overkill (though, 3 of us did share it )

Considering some of the top-tier places chef Brochu has cooked, it was a bit strange chowing down on his food in this super casual, neighborhood bar environment. But no matter what the venue, he continues to turn out amazing food -- for bar food, it's seriously high caliber. A River North, white tablecloth restaurant might feel like a more appropriate venue for fare of this quality but it'd be a lot less fun to eat it there. With Brochu at the helm, The Monarch is a bona fide destination.

=R=

Have a res for Saturday night at The Monarch, a one-two punch starting at The Violet Hour. Food-wise I want to try some of the those dill pickle wings after some Publican-provided Mettwurst at the VH.

Last night, after our party of seven had cocktails and 'sustenance' at a jam-packed & uncharacteristically loud Violet Hour (big line at the 6:00 open, no line at midnight--go figure), we walked the couple of blocks down North Ave. to The Monarch.

Tiny place, really, typical Chicago storefront, maybe seating 30 max at tables and 8-10 at the bar. And there was chef Andrew Brochu right there at the back, totally in control of his open-air kitchen. I did enjoy watching him work the little space as I sipped a drink, and from his dexterity in such a small area--no wasted movements--he definitely seemed happy & in his element as he turned out these stellar dishes.

Almost everything was at least very good, not a miss in the bunch in my opinion. Dill pickle wings were different but awesome in their own way, although I would've preferred a bit more crust & brine. Fries were narrow beauties, not quite matchstick, with the best truffle mayonnaise I've tasted in a long while. We did have some Prince Edward Island mussels as an appetizer, and they were fantastic, the medium-sized bellies totally devoid of sand, and the accompanying broth a perfect balance of wine and the fishy release of the mollusks.

Main course-wise, there was a totally fresh fried green tomato sandwich, with a slightly overpowering jalapeno cream that unfortunately masked any green tomato taste. The duck confit was similar to a very solid banh mi, with plenty of moist yet crunchy duck bits. Nice meld on that one with the fresh herbs & vegetables too--a great tactile bite there. I thought the real hits were the abovementioned salmon--as Ronnie said, the preparation was topnotch--and that glazed beef short rib with melted onion & purple potato. Imagine the most flavorful pot roast, with a little soy-based crunch, maybe? I did think that the potato puree from the salmon would have worked better with the short rib than the purple potato, but that's splitting hairs.

Overall, a real nice find, The Monarch, especially considering it's only been open six weeks. Once it warms up, can't wait to sample more selections & sit out back in the garden.

My husband and I visited monarch about a month ago and enjoyed the experience. The pimento cheese was fantastic, even more so since I was mourning the closure of city provisions and my supply of zingermans. The burger was also great, but something that needs to be eaten quickly before it falls apart from juicy goodness. The fries that came with the burger were fantastic. I ordered another round of them since my husband was inhaling them. A really small space that I'm sure will be overwhelmed very soon.

Not impressed with the pimento cheese spread. If not for the little squeeze bottle of hot sauce not much flavor there. I wouldnt order it again, but it didnt turn me off the place. The buffalo wings had a ton of flavor, but they were the size of quail wings. For $10 or $1 a wing, it was comical. Seriously, good tasting bones.
I'll try the dill pickle next time, but my expectations will be tempered.

Grilled tomato soup with cheese bread was also good if you like that kind of thing. Fresh basil on the cheese toast is what made it special.

The star of the show was the burger. Oh I will be eating you again! And again! Two crispy 3oz diner patties, with American cheese, special sauce, lettuce and potbellyesque pickles. So well seasoned. It had a tomato, but that came off immediately. No need to make it wetter.
I'm so glad I kept my little squeeze bottle for the slender fries. Perfectly fried, and agree with the above poster, could have used a few more. But to be fair, they kept sneaking off my plate......

Place was packed by the time we left at 7 on Friday night. Not a destination spot, but I'm glad it's in my hood.

(fists in the air ) I had to go back for that burger. It was even better than the first time. Less salt.
Tried the dill pickle wings,meh.. The buffalo had a lot more flavor, but still the tiniest of tiniest bones.
Also tried the Drunken Bread (with Mornay sauce, Sausage, Gruyere) in no way is this french onion soup. It's like cheese fondue in a bowl and awesome. This is a dish that must be split it's so rich.
Nice crowd for the Hawks game on a Sunday evening.

Three of us went last night after Soup and Bread at the Hideout. It was pretty full for a cold, wet Wednesday which was nice to see. We ordered three cocktails which were the weak point of the evening, served with too much ice and those icky day-glo red cherries. I asked our bartender if I could have it up which she happily accomiditated.

We ordered the burger, the dill pickle wings and the potted pork, I thought all were really good. The burger was juicy to the point of disintegrating the bun, great flavor, but the second half was over salted. Dill pickle wings were juicy with a nice brine taste and great hot sauce. The potted pork was served too cold, but once it warmed up it was delicious. The staff were very nice and accommodating, it's nice low key vibe and good food will bring me back.

Disclaimer - I am friends with new chef Michael Destefano.

I didn't intend to make it in so close to the transition from Andrew to Michael, but found myself in the neighborhood and in need of a bite. There seems to be no slippage in the food coming out of the kitchen during the transition, and I was very impressed with the new dishes.

The dish listed on the menu as "Blue Crab" was a pubby version of crab rangoon: fried wonton chips served with a rich, creamy blue crab dip with a side of sweet and sour and sriracha. I won't be able to pass up this guilty pleasure anytime I visit.

The other new dish we tried was the Chilled English Pea Soup with coconut. The coconut came in two forms: dabs of coconut puree, and slices of pickled coconut. I simply loved this soup and it could easily come out at a much more refined restaurant and I would have been equally pleased and impressed.

I'm excited to see what Mike does with this opportunity.

jfibro wrote:I'm excited to see what Mike does with this opportunity.

Me too. He seems to be a very talented individual.

=R=

I'm happy for Andrew and his new opportunity, but I'm glad that The Monarch still has some talent in the kitchen. Chef Michael created one of my favorite courses ever at El Ideas. It was a squid ink cappellini with crab and tomatoes.

Even more reason to get back down there, hang out on the patio some night. The menu looks great, nice additions. Just hope chef Michael isn't claustrophobic--that's a small area to cook in!

ronnie_suburban wrote:King Salmon | potato puree, brown butter, caper
A perfectly cooked piece of fish. This entire dish was sensational, and I'm really glad we ordered it. At the end of our meal chef told us that this was his favorite dish on the menu.

Mrs Willie & I are taking my parents tonight. King Salmon isn't on the menu anymore but I'm hoping the current fish dish is a chef's favorite! (Rainbow Trout, Green Cauliflower “Cous Cous”, Bacon)

Walking into The Monarch last night with 3 large video screens are behind the bar, college football on the outer screens & the middle screen showing the music video of Rick James "Give it to me baby" greeting us was quite a way to get our excitement up for the evening. For those not familiar with the tune: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1dNIQVYGXbM

Seeing as we were early, we sat at the bar & ordered a drink. Other videos follow: The Clash, OMD, INXS & some bands from the Where Are They Now file, but all good fun.

Parents arrived & we took our seat, I thought volume of the video music would be a bit loud for my parents (mid 70s) but it seemed to be right at that point where the four of us were able to have a conversation w/out yelling.

There was not a dud in the bunch of dishes we tried, Mrs Willie expressed that it was one of the best meals she has had recently, I had to agree.
Starters:
Blue Crab/cream cheese dip, large chunks of crab, served with deep fried tortilla chips & two side sauce to kick up if needed: a sriracha and a sweet chili.
Fois Gras Mousse
Fries w/Truffle Mayo
Mussels

2nd:
Bib lettuce salad w/apples, walnuts, Manchego, sherry vinaigrette
Grilled Tomato soup - croutons, fresh basil
Brussels sprout, (roasted) Thai carrot salad, curry (I have NEVER, repeat NEVER, have enjoyed Brussels Sprouts, I would have been one happy camper if I only had this dish last night, it was that good).

Mains:
Pork shoulder, squash, pumpkin seed, ciabatta, fennel jus There was a bit of heat in the dish, our table downed two orders of this.
Fried Green Tomato sandwich with jalapeno cream cheese on sourdough.

Again, not a meh in the bunch, terrific dinner.

We will for sure try breakfast sometime, I was sold upon reading that The Monarch is serving duck confit chilaquiles

Along with the seasonal menu changes, Monarch added a Denver steak. It's served with kale and maitake mushrooms. It's incredible. I've never had this cut, but it was wonderful - juicy, well marbled and packed with flavor. I'm going to have to see if they do this cut at the local butcher shop.

I also had the Brussels sprouts with Thai carrot salad and curry. This dish is meant for sharing, but I ate the entire thing - another plate packed with flavor.

jfibro wrote:Along with the seasonal menu changes, Monarch added a Denver steak. It's served with kale and maitake mushrooms. It's incredible. I've never had this cut, but it was wonderful - juicy, well marbled and packed with flavor. I'm going to have to see if they do this cut at the local butcher shop.

I also had the Brussels sprouts with Thai carrot salad and curry. This dish is meant for sharing, but I ate the entire thing - another plate packed with flavor.

New York Times piece on Denver steak - Interesting . . . I had never even heard of the cut before.

The marketing machine rolls on.

The New York Times wrote:Mike Debach, who runs the Leona Meat Plant in Troy, Pa., reviewed the cutting schematics for the Denver. His analysis: “This is just a glorified chuck steak that they cleaned the junk off of.”

Tom Mylan, a butcher who breaks down whole carcasses at Marlow & Daughters in Brooklyn, says the cattlemen are not inventing anything.

“The old Italians and French butchers have been doing this forever,” he said. The surprise, he said, is that it took the big producers this long to figure out how to process and market off-cuts.

“The difference in a good name is worth $3 or $4 a pound,” he said.

BR wrote:New York Times piece on Denver steak - Interesting . . . I had never even heard of the cut before.

I read that article after the fact as well. I would say their money was well spent because this was a delicious, tender cut of beef.