I'm so gald The Bristol was nominated. It's a place I've never been, but it's been on my list to try for quite some time. I'm going to take this nomination as reason enough to visit soon.

I've had some terrific meals at The Bristol and I look forward to more, but I just can't get behind this GNR nomination. I think it's mostly that to me, a place like this dilutes what's special about our list. The Bristol is a very good restaurant and it's discussed here aplenty, as it and similarly "hot" places are on Twitter, Facebook, Fodors, Yelp and every other food discussion medium in Chicago. When places like The Bristol, Publican, Girl and the Goat, etc. start penetrating the GNR list, the list becomes less relevant in my mind. There's nothing inherently wrong with a "hot," popular place making the cut, but to do so I think that place should stand out head and shoulders above its peers. As much as I like The Bristol, I wouldn't say that about it.

Kenny, I think this is an interesting point. It's a thought I've had as well. Yet, I also think this new-American gastropub, locally-sourced style of food is very relevant to the discussion of restaurants in Chicago. I haven't been to the Bristol so I can't gauge it against other such restaurants, but I do think there's room on this GNR list for the top the genre.

turkob wrote:Kenny, I think this is an interesting point. It's a thought I've had as well. Yet, I also think this new-American gastropub, locally-sourced style of food is very relevant to the discussion of restaurants in Chicago. I haven't been to the Bristol so I can't gauge it against other such restaurants, but I do think there's room on this GNR list for the top the genre.

Agreed. If, in reading all the comments about such places, the committee were to determine that the forum consensus is that The Bristol is at the top of the genre, then crown it. But I don't think that's all that close to the forum consensus.

edited to add: I don't think The Bristol is part of a "gastropub" genre. The bar itself is tiny, and the staff hardly encourage people to linger, pub style, over drinks. In fact, I believe doing so may actually be prohibited.

Kennyz wrote:

turkob wrote:Kenny, I think this is an interesting point. It's a thought I've had as well. Yet, I also think this new-American gastropub, locally-sourced style of food is very relevant to the discussion of restaurants in Chicago. I haven't been to the Bristol so I can't gauge it against other such restaurants, but I do think there's room on this GNR list for the top the genre.

Agreed. If, in reading all the comments about such places, the committee were to determine that the forum consensus is that The Bristol is at the top of the genre, then crown it. But I don't think that's all that close to the forum consensus.

I echo Kenny's comments. I think the upscale food/pub concept (hate the term gastropub!!) could certainly find representation on our list, but, based on both my personal experience (which, granted was two visits in the first year that they were open, so some time ago) and what I've read on this board, I don't see The Bristol as a standout--just another "good" place that isn't necessarily a destination in and of itself. To me, a GNR should be a standout in it's category and the Bristol doesn't ring that bell for me.

I also think that the "fancy" places on the current list tended to have early and ardent LTH support before the wider media generally recognized their excellence. That makes some sense to me; I never saw the GNR as a rating as much as a love letter from the membership that's not (or at least not entirely) unrequited. I really like the Bristol. Is it more or less a GNR compared to Mado or Vie or Avec (which was widely anticipated and buzzed before opening and thus doesn't fit the mold I described)? I don't feel strongly enough to take a position one way or the other, but I could see it.

One of the things that I find so compelling about the GNR list is the range of restaurants included. It is true that high-end restaurants have always been somewhat controversial - if food quality were the issue Alinea would have made the cut - but it is something indefinable that make so fine-dining places right for the list (it is part of the discussion about Le Titi de Paris as well). I think that Bristol might be a GNR in this light - at least in that I see Bristol as being similar in important ways to Mado (personally I preferred Bristol). Bristol is not a gastro-pub, like Purple Pig or Publican, but like Mado its niche is snout-to-tail dining.

I would be happy to see Bristol get a GNR designation. I hope that at least one fine dining restaurant will be selected.

It's not the case that a GNR has to be the best or a standout in its category. Just that we consider them great. If you look at http://lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?p=243341#p243341 it specifically says "Great does not necessarily mean a place is the best in its class"

If you read what people have written about it in the links I provided in the nomination, a lot of people on LTH have said it was great.

I also wouldn't classify The Bristol as fine dining. It's a fun neighborhood place.

While it's popular, I don't think it's nearly as "hot" as a lot of other places. But even if it was, why hold popularity against it? It can't be a GNR unless no one goes there but us?

It's a tough job these committee members have, trying to determine what "we" consider "great". Though the word indeed appears in posts, my subjective reading of the comments in this forum suggests that "we" consider The Bristol "really good".

Kennyz wrote:I've had some terrific meals at The Bristol and I look forward to more, but I just can't get behind this GNR nomination. I think it's mostly that to me, a place like this dilutes what's special about our list. The Bristol is a very good restaurant and it's discussed here aplenty, as it and similarly "hot" places are on Twitter, Facebook, Fodors, Yelp and every other food discussion medium in Chicago. When places like The Bristol, Publican, Girl and the Goat, etc. start penetrating the GNR list, the list becomes less relevant in my mind. There's nothing inherently wrong with a "hot," popular place making the cut, but to do so I think that place should stand out head and shoulders above its peers. As much as I like The Bristol, I wouldn't say that about it.

I couldn't disagree more. I think the Bristol does in fact stand out head anmd shoulders amoung its peers. Just because a restaurant does a good job of publicizing itself through social media and gets a "buzz" shouldn't eliminate it from GNR status. The food and the attitude is what makes it a GNR. And I think the Bristol has all of the attributes that make it such.

It seems that a lot of people think a GNR should only be a place that is BYOB, sells an exotic cuisine, has squat toilets, or has been shut down by the health department at some point.

JLenart wrote:

Kennyz wrote:I've had some terrific meals at The Bristol and I look forward to more, but I just can't get behind this GNR nomination. I think it's mostly that to me, a place like this dilutes what's special about our list. The Bristol is a very good restaurant and it's discussed here aplenty, as it and similarly "hot" places are on Twitter, Facebook, Fodors, Yelp and every other food discussion medium in Chicago. When places like The Bristol, Publican, Girl and the Goat, etc. start penetrating the GNR list, the list becomes less relevant in my mind. There's nothing inherently wrong with a "hot," popular place making the cut, but to do so I think that place should stand out head and shoulders above its peers. As much as I like The Bristol, I wouldn't say that about it.

I couldn't disagree more. I think the Bristol does in fact stand out head anmd shoulders amoung its peers. Just because a restaurant does a good job of publicizing itself through social media and gets a "buzz" shouldn't eliminate it from GNR status. The food and the attitude is what makes it a GNR. And I think the Bristol has all of the attributes that make it such.

It seems that a lot of people think a GNR should only be a place that is BYOB, sells an exotic cuisine, has squat toilets, or has been shut down by the health department at some point.

I respect the first paragraph of your argument - whether or not one thinks the Bristol stands out head and shoulders "amoung" its peers is a subjective matter. The second paragraph is nonsense.

I haven't contributed a lot to GNR discussions in the past, but I've used the guide extensively and have a lot of experience eating at The Bristol. I completely understand why there is a debate about their inclusion.

I love The Bristol. A great place in every way. A lot of inventive items on the menu that are straight up solid concepts executed incredibly well. The basics (things like their chicken) are straightforward without much innovation, but are so well executed with great ingredients that they really shine. I love beer and have been brewing at home for about 20 years - their beer selection is great and very well chosen. Service has been pretty much perfect everytime I've been there. There is absolutely nothing about the quality of the food or experience there that should keep it from being a GNR.

That said, I think the debate comes down to the nature of what GNR is. The "N" in GNR gets to the heart of it. Using the word neighborhood certainly presumes that it is a local place, and can also imply that it is a place that is flying under the radar. The Bristol is most definitely not flying under the radar. That is where the debate begins. Places like Avec, Moto, and Violet Hour have made the list. They were not flying under the radar either. At the same time they may not have been given the attention they deserved on a national level. The problem comes from the fact that over the last few years Chicago restaurants have been getting the national attention they deserve. The Michelin Guide is the exclamation point on this. The implication of a GNR being an "insiders" guide to the city may seem sullied by awarding places that have gained national recognition. As Chicago is regarded in a different manner nationally, and LTH's reputation grows, the meaning of a GNR may be changing. That is the root of the debate.

All that said (phew!) I say include The Bristol, and I don't envy the judges this year!

(I also have some comments on what Gastropub means, but I'll save that for another thread)

I've been on the fence over The Bristol since it opened, and after this past week's visit I have come to a conclusion: Not a fan. I'm not sure where LTH currently stands with the N-factor, but I live in the neighborhood and definitely don't feel the neighborhood vibe. The Bristol is not a place where one can casually eat and drink on a regular basis. Even if I could afford to...it's just not that comfortable and inviting. But that's small change to the more pressing issues with The Bristol.

A friend and I sat at the bar and ordered the following:

Suckling Pig Ragu: Wait, is this suckling pig, or dry, flavorless ground pork purchased on sale at Dominick's?

Blood Sausage/Pudding: Dry, underseasoned and missing the usual spices that go into a standard pub pudding.

Head-on Prawns: Why on earth would you advertise head-on prawns, and cut them down the middle?!?!? The point of head-on is to suck all that delicious goodness out...not lick it out; or what's left of it. Also, can I have some prawns with my butter and salt? Cheap thrills...

Seafood Stew: Really blah. Any of us could make a better stew with a $20 budget and a google-search recipe.

Bone Marrow: The saving grace, but not the best version in town. One of the bones was half-calcified, which equals less marrow for the same price.

Other things that annoyed me:
When I asked about the oysters, I got "sweet, briny, Pacific" Okay, can we get less specific?
Unmarked draft prices. Maybe this is our bad, but we were ordering $9 beers w/o knowing it. Drink tab: $68
After under two hours of casual eating and drinking, we get the grand total: $182. I almost threw-up, and had anxiety/money guilt for the next two days.

When do nominations open for the WTF Award? We should have ordered from Honey 1 and taken it to the Map Room like we normally do. It would taste better, drink better, and be more comfortable for a fraction of the cost.

Ill recap a a visit I posted about way upthread.

I wanted to like the Bristol, as I do with any place I plan to hit on one of my food trips into Chicago, I arrived right as they opened and wanted to sit at the bar and sample a handfull of their dishes. No go, their rude, unwelcoming staff told me that was not possible(even though the bar was empty. I was told I would have to go upstairs to do this. Upstairs was the equivilent of a service bar with no chairs, 1 rude bartender and 1 nice one. Duck fat fries were really good, but I was not about to stand and eat more food @ the unwelcoming Bristol.

I cut my losses and hit a local bar around the corner that was a neighborhood joint where I was treated kindly even though they didnt know me from adam. The complete opposite of how I was treated @ Bristol & what a neighborhood place should be. For the record I was dressed well, & polite in my interactions with the staff as I always am. Somehow I was profiled as someone they did not want in their restaurant. All good, I saved the $200 I would have spent there, and will never return.

I cant support this place for a GNR.

I can't say what the upstairs bar was like in Feb 2009 when you visited, Jim, but in Feb 2011 there are tables and chairs and everything

Per the GNR guidelines, I quote (bolding mine):

What is a “neighborhood” for the GNRs?

For the GNRs, Neighborhood means two things.

Geographically, a GNR may be any place that you can drive to from State and Madison, have an enjoyable meal, and drive back in the same day. We like to explore, and to eat well when we are exploring, so we see no reason to be more limiting. And we are not checking on distances and times – we trust the members who nominate places to understand and abide by this geographic limitation. A neighborhood is more about community than location. For the purpose of the GNRs, the community is LTHForum itself; therefore, any place that LTHers find themselves gathering to eat could be considered a “neighborhood.” This part of the designation is less about restricting the program and more about ensuring it is open to the Chicagoland community at large. “Neighborhood” does not mean, however, that we can or should judge how much a place is part of, or contributes to, its community in the real world. Some GNRs are great in part because of how they relate to their neighborhood, and that is part of why LTHers love them. But that is a personal determination made by each LTHForum member, and not by the GNR program.

leek wrote:I can't say what the upstairs bar was like in Feb 2009 when you visited, Jim, but in Feb 2011 there are tables and chairs and everything

its all good, just a data point. there were couches up there if i remember correctly. I was and am disappointed I was not allowed to give them a try that night due to their b.s., their menu is impressive.

I think some compelling points have been made in both directions regarding The Bristol's GNR-worthiness but my personal experiences there have been overwhelmingly positive and I support its nomination.

I think their food is distinctive, successful and delicious. It's hard to knock Chris Pandel's immense talent and creativity, and he's an extremely hard-working guy, too. At the 2010 Green City Market BBQ Festival, in oppressive conditions that had more than a few other chefs sitting back and letting their minions do the cooking, Chris Pandel manned the grill at The Bristol's stall, flipping delicious burgers all by himself. Not only is this level of dedication admirable, but I think it shows up clearly on the menu and the plate. I'm always happy to eat there (which I don't do often enough) and I recommend it to others without hesitation.

As for what the rest of the world thinks about the place, while it's a GNR factor for others, for me personally, it doesn't really matter. IMO, a place is either deserving on its own merits or it isn't, and The Bristol is deserving. As far as I know, there's no iconoclasm pre-requisite to being a GNR. The fact that the rest of world may know of and favor a place doesn't make it less worthy in my book. The fact that we and the rest of the world agree about something from time to time seems entirely reasonable to me. Based on my food and beverage experiences at The Bristol, I definitely support its nomination as a GNR.

=R=

So would a small group like to gather with me and the DH at the Bristol this Thursday (24 Feb) to debate the merits of this nomination? I'll post this to the events board. I'm thinking 6 total, @ 7 pm...

Ronna and I had a late, light dinner last night at The Bristol. We sat at the bar and from the time we walked through the door until the time we left, service was flawless. I want to single out Debbi in particular, who was as friendly, skillful, and attentive as can be.

I appreciate that The Bristol has a fairly broad beer list, and I browsed for a while until I found the Professor Fritz Briem 1809 Berliner Weisse. Great beer.

The impetus for our visit was a tweet listing pork loin tonnato as one of their specials for the night. We both loved this riff on vitello tonnato when we had it last year. It really made an impression. The version that we had last night was made with a cured pork loin rather than the loin and belly version from last year. It was still excellent, but we missed the flavor and texture that the extra belly fat lent to the dish.

Pork loin tonnato - frisee, Grana Padano

The charcuterie board sounded particularly compelling, so we went for that as our next shared course. It came with pork and walnut pate, pickled beef tongue, porchetta di testa, red wine cured bresaola, cornichons, house mustard, and pear mostarda. This turned out to be a very good call.


Pork and walnut pate - Excellent, rich pate; and a massive hunk of it at that.


Pickled beef tongue - The tongue was pickled in sherry vinegar, then braised in veal stock. The texture was quite unusual; it completely dissolved in our mouths. At first, the shock of it threw me off. Then, I greedily ate more than my share. I'm still not sure if it was too mushy or just wonderful.


Porchetta di testa - Very fatty and full of pig face.


Bresaola and pear mustard - Bresaola was meaty and flavorful, if a little salty. Too bad the pear mostarda was way too bitter and the only thing we left on the board.

We finished with an order of chitarra with snail bolognese, which might not look like much, but ended up being the runaway hit of the night.

Housemade chitarra, Burgundy snail bolognese, herbs, and breadcrumbs - Unlike any bolonese I've ever had before, this was crunchy, chewy, lemony, herby, and full of earthy richness from the minced snails. The fresh pasta was cooked to a perfect texture. Awesome dish.

Though we only had a few dishes between us, this was a really, really good meal. We like The Bristol a lot.

--Rich

How often is menu changing these days? That pasta looks killer--but I may not be able to get over there for a week or so.

It's funny how some people are quibbling about the Bristol being a "hot" or "buzzy" spot -- it certainly was in 2009 or so, but that buzz has died down considerably (I'd make a distinction between buzz and accolades*). My sense is that there are a lot of people who love the Bristol, but the crowd that cares about the Hip New Place has moved on.

A few weeks back, we wanted to try Owen and Engine on a Wednesday night; they quoted us a 2 hour wait (at 7 pm). We traipsed right into the Bristol. Weekends are busy, but the waits aren't miserable.

Whether or not the Bristol was "designed" to be "hip" / cash in on the 2009 "weird pig parts" trend, the fact is that this "trend' has morphed into a legitimate genre of quasi-upscale cuisine with true staying power.

Now that the masses have buzzed south to the Girl and The Goat or whatever the next new place is, we can see the Bistol for exactly what it is, a great neighborhood restaurant. I think it's important to distinguish a restaurant's marketing/vibe with it's goals/aesthetics. Sites like LTH have greatly increased the baseline knowledge of the average restaurant goer, and that's great for us all. But of course, some places will have a bit more "buzz" than others, and the value in cultivating relationships between a restaurant staff and a diffuse "community" like LTH is that by strength in numbers we can help places we love thrive. The brutal cycle where places go from hip to stale is really damaging to the values I think a lot of us share by conditioning us to always be looking for the "new" thing. Of course, that's great when the new thing is unknown and unheralded, but we all know of examples where a great restaurant opened to throngs and yet couldn't survive when the initial buzz died down. The example that comes to mind is Izzard's first place, Scylla ... the place was nearly deserted before it closed, and it surely wasn't because the food sucked. In other words, while the "job" of a forum like LTH can and should be to discover new things, it can also "canonize" known and respected places. As that Cinderella song so aptly put it: "Don't know what you got till it's gone ..."

All this is to say that I'm really glad the Bristol is still around and still doing it's thing. Especially now that we've lost Mado. And to those who think the Bristol isn't a GNR b/c of its vibe/buzz/aesthetic, just what exactly is the substantive difference between the two?

Oh, and the chitarra is excellent. My only criticism of the Bristol is that it seems like they charge 25% more for 25% less food when compared to avec for similar dishes, i.e. meals tend to cost nearly double what they'd cost at avec. That's perhaps the one reason I'm not there more often.

* I do think an argument against GNR designation can be made for places that have been overly praised. I'd put Longman and Eagle in that category.

What I like about The Bristol (aside from that it's within stumbling distance of our house, which may be the truest definition of a neighborhood restaurant) is that even though we go there reasonably often there's almost always something new & interesting on the menu (and if not there, on the wine or beer list). They've survived the buzz phase without it going to their heads, and have settled into being good at putting together whole animal, locovore-friendly menus. Unbidden, our waiter at Boka last night told us he had recently gone there for the first time and thought they were at the top of the game. And the Hangover Breakfast is simply awesome. Even without the hangover. It should be a GNR.

Great dinner at The Bristol! I don't have a single complaint about what I ate. As always, I'm not too good at words, so I'll go with photos instead.

Started the meal off with a
Pisco Sour - pisco / fresh lemon sour / egg white / bitters


Duck Fat Fries - house ketchup, garlic aioli


I will say this, their house ketchup has vastly improved. I went there for brunch several months ago (you must go), and it was basically marinara. Would not glue to their fries.
Monkey Bread - dill butter, sea salt

Apple Salad - marinated manchego, hazelnut

Roast Bone Marrow - shallot jam, toast


Head On Prawns - a la plancha, anchovy butter, tarragon

The waiter recommended that I get a pasta with my dish, seeing as how there were only a fear prawns, so I got their tortellini


Pig's Tail - (I apologize, but I don't have their menu in front of me and this was on special)

Roasted Half Chicken, dill spatzle, crunchy salad


and then came time for desserts
an espresso cocktail with disaronno

Chocolate Sabayon - with homemade nutter butters

Basque Cake - apple sabayon and candied nuts


Bill was...more than I expected, but given the opportunity, I would go again in a heartbeat.

Just read in The Stew that The Bristol's pastry chef, Amanda Rockman, will be a contestant on season 2 of Top Chef: Just Desserts.

at The Stew, Steve Cavendish wrote:She was limited in what she could tell The Stew. "At this moment I can only say – with a big smile on my face – that I am indeed on the second season cast," she said.

The Bristol's Amanda Rockman chosen for 'Top Chef: Just Desserts' season 2

*Sigh* I guess I'll have to watch now. I was kind of hoping not to.

=R=

ronnie_suburban wrote:*Sigh* I guess I'll have to watch now. I was kind of hoping not to.

Ronnie, this was exactly my thought (before I got to that part of your post!).

A couple of questions.

*Would this be a good place for a largish party in which two of the party will be meeting each other for the first time and will want a chance to get to know one another? (I.e., is the noise level conversation-friendly even if energetic?)

*I can see that the menu has many vegetarian options among the small plates, which will be good for one of our party. But are the "animal" parts of the menu inescapably "animal" looking, if you know what I mean (and you might not)? Our vegetarian is fine with dining companions who eat meat, but is personally revolted when food is brought to the table that inescapably evokes the animal that was killed. (I know that for many of you this is a feature, not a bug, but for her it's a bug.)

*Finally, as the most recent post in this thread was more than two years ago, are those who were fans of this place still fans?

Thanks.

What defines "inescapably evokes" to her? Whole fish? Rare steak? Chicken that isn't a slab of grocery store breast meat? The menu is posted on line--granted, I'm sure there are specials so no way to know for sure, but the only item I saw that had the head on was a shrimp appetizer. Beyond that, it seems kind of hard to offer an opinion so you might want to have her check out the menu and let you know if she's ok with it...or go someplace that won't offend--maybe a traditional Italian restaurant or something like that.

boudreaulicious wrote:What defines "inescapably evokes" to her? Whole fish? Rare steak? Chicken that isn't a slab of grocery store breast meat? The menu is posted on line--granted, I'm sure there are specials so no way to know for sure, but the only item I saw that had the head on was a shrimp appetizer. Beyond that, it seems kind of hard to offer an opinion so you might want to have her check out the menu and let you know if she's ok with it...or go someplace that won't offend--maybe a traditional Italian restaurant or something like that.

Whole fish, rare steak, and chicken wouldn't offend, but something that looks like the organ it is--e.g., tongue--probably would.

Your advice is sound.

So chicken feet are completely out?

=R=