Adelle's -- Wheaton

Friends,

I've been read some pretty good reviews of this place, including a writeup in the January 6th Daily Herald. We're going to give it a try this weekend. Any of you West suburbanites have any recent experiences there? Recommendations from the menu?

Thanks.

I didn't get much of a response to my previous post, so I figured that no one really has had an experience there (good, bad or indifferent) worth mentioning. Here are some observations following our dinner there on Friday eveninig.

The atmosphere is quite nice, and I definitely would put it in the same class as other upscale West suburban places such as 10 West, Cab's Bistro, and Bistro Banlieue. (I have not been to Vie, but from what I've read I imagine that Vie may be slightly nicer.) The decor is upscale, but not too trendy, and there is a nice fireplace in the main room. The owners (a couple, who both formerly worked for Bistro Banlieue) were on hand to greet patrons.

The food was very good, but not great. For example, the bacon-wrapped scallops (appetizer) were good, but the portion consisted of just three rather small scallops. I ordered the filet, which also was good, but certainly nothing out of the ordinary. My wife had the whitefish, which she enjoyed -- but again, nothing too spectacular. My impression is that the restaurant is striving to do the basics well but not push the envelope in terms of creativity or use of exotic ingredients. The server was friendly, but seemed a bit slow.

In sum, we probably will go back there, because I think it probably is one of the nicer places in the area right now and the food was good. However, I definitely wasn't blown away, and I'd have to say that I probably was expecting a little more.

I enjoyed the braised short ribs I ate there a couple of months ago. Our server was a bit eager but not too opressive. We were there on 1/2 price wine night and it wasn't too crowded but I understand reservations are a must on weekends.

Diannie

What night is half-priced wine night? I must admit the reviews do not make me feel compelled to go (particularly since I have committed to make the run to the much better, based on posts, Maisonette in Bloomingdale), but it also sounds like a different culinary palate, and I am a sucker for wine deals.

Ron - did you post on 10 west or Cab's? I do not recall seeing anything, and since I have never tried these places I am curious to hear if they are worth exploring.

I admit that I have had such a string of mediocre experiences at predecessor restaurants where 10 west is, that I am biased against it, and I just do not know how I have missed Cab's, though I guess there never was any compelling reason to go either.

For my money, Bistro Banlieue is doing very good work on my last two visits, though. Excellent food. And Isabella's in Geneva is the other place I highly recommend at present, though it is also more pricey than the others. I have posted recently on both.

As to Vie, the room really is not particularly fancy, nor the place stuffy. Bistro B is definitely a more formal dining room. Vie is a cement floor, with grey painted wooden blocks and dividers and an open steel ceiling with hvac ducts suspended from it, if I recall correctly. Nice table settings on white cloth, but nothing special. More post-modern and minimalist than anything, though it put me in mind of a high school play set designed to mimic, or parody, the arch trendoid look of Blackbird (which I like, but the look of the place and servers does crack me up).

Adelle's 1/2 price wine special is offered on Wednesday. Again, I thought that our meals were perfectly acceptable, but I wouldn't rush back there. That said, it probably is worth trying if you're looking to try a relatively new upscale place in the area (particularly if you can take advantage of 1/2 price wine night).

I haven't posted anything on either 10 West or Cab's. I actually wasn't too impressed with 10 West (however, I did like Elaine's), and we haven't been back there in quite some time (primarily since my wife didn't care for it at all). I have not dined there since the new chef replaced Patrick Cassata. At the time, I remember thinking that they were trying to do too much with different food combinations in an effort to be an out-of -the-ordinary "fusion" place. As a result, many of the dishes simply were a bit bizarre.

Cab's Bistro always has been a favorite of ours, and I've never had a bad experience there. It definitely is worth a visit, IMO.

I agree with your comments on Bistro Banlieue. It remains one of our favorite "go to" places for special occasions, etc. I always have considered it one of the best places around.

Finally, I am anxious to try both Isabella's and Vie, based on your reviews and other comments that I've read. I hope to get to both of these places within the next several months, as it sounds as though they are really taking things to another level in the Western suburbs.

Thanks, Ron, for the info.