Bistrot Margot?

We are joining another couple at Bistrot Margot on New Year's eve. In a (misguided?) effort to be agreeable, I vetoed only one restaurant from a list of about a dozen we were presented with. The list, I must add, was mostly places with excellent reputations. I decided to leave the choice (save one) to invitors (we being the invitees).

I had, in the back of my mind, the vaguely troubling recollection that I ate here years ago and found it profoundly average. In the meantime, having been given our time and address--and way too late, I guess--I started doing my research. There are a few postings here and a few more on the other board and they all tend to the same opinion, sadly: profound averageness.

In a (desperate) move to reassure myself, I am now posting a formal query, seeking recent experiences of this establishment (the one in Old Town).

Has anyone been recently and, if so, would you share you experiences and impressions, please?

Many thanks,

a sadder but wiser

Bistrot Margot
1437 N. Wells St
Chicago, IL
312-587-3660

I've been within the past 18 months, which may or may not be recent enough. It was fine. Nothing earth shatteringly good or bad. Just middle of the road, servicable bistro food.

There are many better bistros in Chicago, and many worse places to eat. I think you'll be ok.

I in the smae camp as gleam. I ate there a couple of years ago. If I was in the area I'd eat there again. I remember it being just fine but not a destination. I'm sure they'll plenty of beverages stocked for that evening. I'm sure you'll have a fine time with your friends.

I really liked their Croque Monsieur with fries when I was there about 6 months ago. Now, I realize that the sandwich may not make the menu on NYE, but it is really good.

I was there a couple months ago and made a meal of the french onion soup. I wasn't disappointed, but wasn't the best I've ever had.

A friend of mine swears by their prix fixe menu which they offer on a particular weekday night (Tues or Wed? not sure). About $25 from what I recall for app, entree, dessert.

I have only been there once, but had an overall experience probably one notch better than the sentiments expressed above. This may simply reflect the fact that we get out less than the other posters. However, it was a fairly busy night and service was friendly and smooth. Everhything we ate was very good, if not revelatory. It's a bit crowded and noisy at the best of times, so be prepared for major hustle and bustle on a holiday night.

I was just thinking...what makes a bistro good? Food executed well enough to not be memorably bad OR revelatory, friendly and efficient staff, comfortable space, and maybe a standout item or 2 (croque monsieur/onion soup)? If a bistro started deconstructing standard fare & using foams/gelees/vapors/savory ice creams/etc., would it still be a bistro in traditional sense of the word?

I think bistro fare has certain expectations. When I go out to a French bistro I usually expect a good pate plate, properly dressed salads, steak frite with properly cooked meat and crispy frites, and good desserts.

Slow day at work here...just some thoughts

Well even within a faithful rendition of a dish or a concept there can be huge variation.

With steak frites, what cut of meat is the steak? What's the quality like? How properly cooked is it? Are the fries pre-fab or fresh cut? Were they fried once or twice?

Does the french onion soup taste like the onions caramelized on the stove for hours?

Are the sauces properly made? How do they taste? How are the mashed potatoes, vegetables, etc?

My experience over the years has proven to me that no matter what restaurnat you choose on New Year's Eve, you are not going to get their best effort no matter what. Just roll with your choice and enjoy the company.

gleam wrote:Well even within a faithful rendition of a dish or a concept there can be huge variation.

With steak frites, what cut of meat is the steak? What's the quality like? How properly cooked is it? Are the fries pre-fab or fresh cut? Were they fried once or twice?

Does the french onion soup taste like the onions caramelized on the stove for hours?

Are the sauces properly made? How do they taste? How are the mashed potatoes, vegetables, etc?

But what I'm saying is that if it is a "faithful rendition," then the steak would be properly cooked, the fries would be fresh cut and fried twice, and the sauces would be made properly. When all of these things are executed properly, it is a good bistro.

My question is this - is a good bistro a place that would be so memorable that you make it a destination? Or is it a place you go when you have a craving for that kind of meal, a comforting, familiar meal?

Sometimes the most memorable bistros are the ones that are awful. Because you remember how poorly things were executed & you couldn't believe how bad it was.

One of my favorite bistros in town is Le Bouchon. I remember having great first dates there with my wife and taking friends there. And having good food, of course. But honestly, I can't recall any certain thing there that was so incredible that I would recommend it above all else. Usually if someone asks me what they should have there, I just say that everything that I've had there is good. So if you're in the mood for onion soup, it's good there. If you like roasted chicken, it's good there.

And I concur w/stevez...anywhere you go on NYE is going to be, at best, a little subpar from its normal level of quality.

Well, then, I guess the question is which bistro does the most faithful rendition? Because I don't think there's a restaurant in the city that does all the bistro classics perfectly

gleam wrote:Well, then, I guess the question is which bistro does the most faithful rendition? Because I don't think there's a restaurant in the city that does all the bistro classics perfectly

you're right about that! My favorites are Le Bouchon & Campagne. And I like Cyrano's as well. Although this is probably for another thread. But I did go to Margot once!

I was deeply underwhelmed.

Gypsy Boy wrote:Has anyone been recently and, if so, would you share you experiences and impressions, please?

Gypsy Boy,

I have not been to Bistrot Margot recently, but reading your post reminded me of one of my favorite lines from web sites, and posters for that matter, past.

-
"When I was last in Paris, I had mostly disappointing to medicore meals, on my return, I ate at Bistro Margot had a far superior meal to any I'd had in Paris (should be noted however that I didn't make it to any 2 or 3 star places while there so perhaps that explains some of it)."
Shannon C on C-H
--

Have a happy new year!

Enjoy,
Gary

mrbarolo wrote: It's a bit crowded and noisy at the best of times, so be prepared for major hustle and bustle on a holiday night.

I dine in that neighborhood regularly and usually pass on Margot because it is invariably crowded and noisy.

Be prepared to be cramped, tables are shoe-horned like sardines, IMO. Food is fair but forgettable. You'd be ALOT more comfortable just a few doors down at Trattoria Roma.

Had a decidedly average meal at Bistro Margot this past Friday night.

The appetizers were fine, escargot and Steak Tartare - neither distinguised itself, but I have no complaints about either. The entrees however, suffered greatly. My duo de Canard was bland (yes, the confit was bland! I'm not sure how this happens), and the breast portion of the meal was overcooked. The Veal medallions were likewise overcooked. Actually seemed like they had been sitting around for awhile under a lamp. I have no idea if this is the case, but it certainly tasted as if it were true.

I guess this echoes the previous posts in this thread - I had a fine night, the service was good, the wine plentifull, but the food was mediocre, ranging to below-average for this price range. Any other bistro I've visited (Sardine, Campagne, Volo, Absinthe) would be a better option.

ab

viaChgo wrote:

gleam wrote:Well even within a faithful rendition of a dish or a concept there can be huge variation.

With steak frites, what cut of meat is the steak? What's the quality like? How properly cooked is it? Are the fries pre-fab or fresh cut? Were they fried once or twice?

Does the french onion soup taste like the onions caramelized on the stove for hours?

Are the sauces properly made? How do they taste? How are the mashed potatoes, vegetables, etc?

But what I'm saying is that if it is a "faithful rendition," then the steak would be properly cooked, the fries would be fresh cut and fried twice, and the sauces would be made properly. When all of these things are executed properly, it is a good bistro.

My question is this - is a good bistro a place that would be so memorable that you make it a destination? Or is it a place you go when you have a craving for that kind of meal, a comforting, familiar meal?

Sometimes the most memorable bistros are the ones that are awful. Because you remember how poorly things were executed & you couldn't believe how bad it was.

A little while back I was having a discussion about what makes a place great in conjunction with nominations for the GNR program, and I said something like this - that a great bistro is almost by definition non-descript. But through that dialogue, and looking back on certain meals, I now see that was wrong. While bistro food is a French version of fast food served at places that are either bars or akin to diners or the Greek-owned family restaurants here, it certainly can be wonderful and stand out. For comparison, if there can be a great hot dog stand, or Italian Beef joint, there can be great Bistro food - good ingredients, excellent preparation, a good palate and deft touch with seasoning. An excellent roast, chicken or red meat, a good hanger steak and crisp fries with seasoned butter, perfectly done potatoes au gratin, a perfect cassoulet, or fresh oysters served in the French style, served with a simple Cote du Rhone - these can all be Bistro food that is memorable and damned tasty.

Based on one visit to Bistro M downtown and two to the new N'ville location, Bistro Margot is not there. Oversalted, overdone, and just plain over the top with the gargantuan Croque Monsieur, the food, while never awful was also never really good.

About the same level as Mon Ami Gabi, though the ability to have wonderful oysters and a good glass of Sancerre will bring me back to the bar at Gabi, and Bistro M's convenient N'ville location and reasonable enough prices might bring me back for a dinner sometime.

I think the problem is that Bistros in Chicago either like to view themselves as French places with higher aspirations, or food factories with interchangeable cooks. They should be simple places with Mom or the owner cooking in back, where everyone knows Mom is a heckuva cook.

Anyway, for my money, Le Sardine and Bistro Banlieue do the best Bistro food of any places I have tried. Le Sardine holds the line and is most faithful to the Bistro tradition (have not tired Le Bouchon, but I assume the same is true for Le Sardine's sister). Bistro B has higher aspirations and is really a white table cloth place whose menu goes way beyond Bistro food (its target market seems to be the moneyed Hinsdale clientele who go in for corduroy jackets with elbow patches, and like to act like old money), but they reliably deliver truly excellent bistro classics, so the place belongs in the discussion.

I think that D's comments regarding bistros are right on the money. That said, I had a pretty darned good rack of lamb at Bistro Margot in N'ville, and really enjoyed their mussels on another visit. While the service at the N'ville Bistrot M has been real spotty, IMO it is a reasonably good addition to the downtown N'ville dining scene (which now seems to primarily consist of outposts of chain places). Of course, Bistro M probably falls more into the Mon Ami/Brasserie Jo (i.e., Lettuce Entertain You) bistro category than the more serious city places.

Gypsy Boy wrote:We are joining another couple at Bistrot Margot on New Year's eve.

Gypsy Boy,

We never did hear how your NY's meal was, terrific I hope.

Met Steve Z at Bistro Margot Saturday and at 9pm the joint was jumping. A large party upstairs, seemingly comprised of attractive 20 something women who enjoyed wine, and a nicely mixed lively downstairs crowd.

After a few drinks in the cozy bar, we walked in without a reservation, we were seated at, possibly, the worst table in the house, right on the aisle with a view of the service bar. As the host seated us he looked at the table, then us, shrugged apologetically and said a different table would be a half an hour if we preferred. In a busy bistro someone is going to get the sh*ty table, guess that evening it was us. But the host recognizing the fact went a long way in our easy acceptance, plus we were hungry.

Started with a daily special of salmon two ways, cured wrapped tightly around tartar, nicely presented with creme fresh, capers and cornichon. While well executed it was a wee bit dense, not flavorless, but no real sparkle. Possibly an example of Hammond's Effect's of Slice on Taste theory. Escargot on the other hand, were above reproach, tender snails drowning in garlicky parsley laden butter, best example I've had in years.

Steve had Bistrot salad, a nicely composed mix of lettuces, spinach, chopped egg and lardons tied together nicely with a walnut oil vinaigrette. My Caesar was fine, if not slightly neutral, no anchovy in evidence, though when I commented to the waiter that Steve's salad looked great, in particular the lardons, he brought out a small bowl of perfectly done chunks of bacon, immediately becoming my very favorite waiter in Chicago.

Was hoping skate was on the menu, no such luck, but a daily special of calves liver was quite good. Flavorful, tender and served, at my request, med rare. Bistrot M's take on Lyonnaise potatoes was tart-like, fine, though a wee bit bland, the frites, on the other hand, were quite delicious. Steve had duck two ways, and I'm guessing he has a comment or two on the duck.

Clos Pegase Mitsuko's Vineyard Pinot Noir with dinner, which I thought worked well, and we split a just-fine Profiteroles for dessert. Overall a very nice meal, which places Bistrot Margot securely in my Chicago bistro rotation.

Enjoy,
Gary

I don't have much to add to Gary's post above except to say that I enjoyed my meal at Bistrot Margot much more than I thought I would. It may come as little surprise to many on LTH, but I ordered the duck as my main course. It was a basic preparation of duck breast and leg/thigh confit served with a wild rice mixture which included finely diced carrot, adding a very nice texture note. The breast was perfectly cooked to just a hair past medium rare (just as I like it). The confit, on the other hand, was prepared in a strange manner that I'm not sure I entirely liked. There were pretty heavy herbal notes, with a strong taste of bay. The bay taste overwhelmed the duck, which also seemed to have not spent as much time braising in duck fat as some preparations I have had.

Other than that, and ending up with the short straw in the table sweepstakes, I thought BM was hitting on all cylinders on a very busy Saturday night. I'll be back.

Cher ami,
You are correct; I ought to have posted and, in fact, thought that I had done just that. But now this thread demonstrates my faulty memory (among other things). Veuillez accepter mes excuses les plus sincères.
Our meal was exactly as I had feared, profoundly average. The time in question being the best part of a year ago, I no longer recall the items we all had, but perhaps the best advice was given by stevez: on New Year's Eve the best you can do is enjoy the company. The place was packed as one might expect, a trifle too noisy for easy conversation, and the food was remarkably unremarkable. I recall absolutely nothing in particular about it. The menu struck me as pretty much what I had expected and the quality and service were both acceptable. (In fact, I've just taken a look at the online menu and truly cannot recall what we had.) But with so much in the way of competition, acceptable won't bring us back.
Curiously enough, in choosing a restaurant for another occasion recently, Bistrot Margot came up. As soon as we realized that it had been our New Year's place (some memories are more vivid than others), it was removed from the list. I don't expect to return if we do the choosing and, frankly, should someone else, I expect I would nominate another place.

Gypsy Boy wrote:...perhaps the best advice was given by stevez: on New Year's Eve the best you can do is enjoy the company. ...But with so much in the way of competition, acceptable won't bring us back.

Not that I'm a huge Margot fan (can't remember the last time we were there, actually) but have you tried it on a non-holiday? I really think most restaurants aren't any good on NYE, VD, etc...

curious how it did go..

I have to say, Bistro Margot is my least favorite French place in Chicago... I haven't been in about a year, but I can remember distinctly what I didn't like... The first thing that comes to mind is the terrible thing they pass off as onion soup. How can a French place mess up onion soup? Well, they did. It came and tasted very tomatoey, almost like a tomato soup as the base. I just didn't care for it. I asked what it was about it, they said they use tomato as the base, not chicken stock or whatever it is a normal traditional place would use. I remember a pretty mediocre croque monsieur as well.

Having seen this thread, I just wanted to post a quick update on Bistrot Margot Naperville. In the past, I've always found the food to be fairly decent and the service to be, frankly, pretty poor. Not a great place, but worth considering in view of the alternatives. However, on our most recent visit the service was extremely poor -- totally unacceptable for a restaurant in that price range. We won't be going back soon.

Unfortunately, when we spoke to the manager, on our way out, it further confirmed our perception that they really just don't "get it." We explained (politely) that we had been to the restaurant more than a dozen times, and that each time we had experienced service ranging from slightly below average to extremely poor (he was aware of the situation that we had endured that evening, with a new and very inexperienced server). Rather than say, "we're working on it," or something to that effect, the manager simply offered to comp us a meal on a weeknight. We left feeling that there was a real disconnect, with the manager neither acknowledging (nor even realizing) that there is a problem nor realizing that we were bringing it to his attention for any reason other than to try to get a free meal.

It's a nice space and they seem to have potential, at least from a business perspective (especially with the "closing" of Bistro Banlieue and the closest "bistro" being Mon Ami in Oak Brook). It's a shame that they can't seem to get their act together.

FYI, the "new Banlieue", now named Sequel, will be opening in the next couple weeks. Same owner, same chef, same staff, different menu...

LTH,

Had a very nice meal at Bistro Margot this lovely late spring evening. We opted for a just inside table with a view of the outdoor dining area and active Wells St pedestrian traffic. Service was friendly, efficient and informed and the daily specials hit two personal favorites, Steak Tartare and Cornish Hen.

Wine is 50% off on Mondays, which was a pleasant surprise, and we started with a French rose from Château Grande Cassagne, which made for a nice accompaniment to steak tartar which incorporated capers, onions, Dijon along side a pile of frites drizzled with saffron rouille. Escargots were in exersize in parsley flecked garlic butter and Crevettes Provencale, small tender shrimp accented with green olives and lemon beurre-blanc, exceeded my expectations.

The three of us split a watercress salad mixed with grilled artichoke hearts, red onion, cherry tomatoes and feta, brought together nicely by a light application of tarragon vinaigrette, then move on to our mains.

Tender pan seared whitefish for my wife, steak frites with an almost comical mound of frites for our friend Jan and grilled Cornish hen for myself. Steak had an intense beefy flavor and was surprisingly tender for butt sirloin. Cornish hen was perfectly cooked enhanced by an intensely flavored mustard sauce, but the real winner of the dish were the ~just this side of raw~ whisper thin start of the season asparagus. 2005 Mercurey with our entrees.

A ridiculously good Tart Aux Pommes with vanilla ice cream split three ways for dessert, more beignet than tart. We also split a Chocolate and Fresh Raspberry Terrine with Creme Anglaise, fine, but didn't hold a candle to the apple tart.

Bright fresh flavor, cool breeze, terrific people watching, professional service, and Monday 1/2-off wine made for an enjoyable meal with a reasonable total.

Enjoy,
Gary

LTH,

Surprisingly mediocre meal Bistro Margot meal Saturday, boring 'Bistro' salad with chopped egg whites and flaccid lardons, over done duck breast paired with over thymed confit and generally inexpert service. Is it really so difficult to teach runners not to reach over/bump into people when clearing and serving.

To make matters worse, we were out with a cousin from LA and I wanted someplace casual, but fun with good food. Early on I found myself wishing we were at Cyrano's, at the end I knew we should have gone to Lao Sze Chuan

Enjoy,
Gary

Early on I found myself wishing we were at Cyrano's, at the end I knew we should have gone to Lao Sze Chuan

I nominate this as the all-purpose test for any meal an LTHer eats.

Is it really so difficult to teach runners not to reach over/bump into people when clearing and serving.

This reminds me of my dining experience there in August. It was a lovely summer evening, so we sat outside. The water person was very attentive and refilled our water often. Unfortunately, he had terrible aim and several times missed the glasses, causing the water to drip through steel mesh table top and onto our feet below. He seemed oblivious to this, and we did not stop him because of the comedic value this was providing.

Besides that, the food itself was not memorable, so we will not be back.