Terror on Taylor Street: Chez Joel and Mario's

After an afternoon of apartment hunting with my girlfriend in the UIC neigborhood, we decided to find a nice restaurant to goto on Taylor Street. We initially decided to dine at Tuscany but after getting there we were told the wait was at least a one hour. At this point we decided to venture a couple blocks west to Chez Joel, what appeared to be a decent bistro, that we passed by walking to Tuscany.

Chez Joel actually has outdoor seating available and it seemed a nice evening to request it, which we did. However, I wasn't prepared at all for the rude reply from the waitress that didn't even have the decency to tell me with direct eye contact as she was scribbling away at something at the hostess table that outdoor seating is by reservation only when we first walked in. Thankfully, that waitress wasn't our server for the evening. But, that did little to improve our service with our designated waitress. It took me 15 minutes of waiting with me finally asking for bread before we finally got some.

Now, on to the food. We shared an appetitzer of sauteed scallops with leeks in butter, and had an order of their lamb shank and steak au poivre with frites for our entrees. Admittedly, the scallops were good but to only get 3 small scallops for $10 that's a bit of a rip off for something on Taylor Street. I had the steak au poivre with frites while my girlfriend had the lamb shank. I wouldn't think that such a basic dish as steak au poivre at what seems to be a highly-rated bistro would be as disappointing as what I had. The meat was tough and poorly seasoned and without exaggeration, if Chez Joel can sell their Steak Au Poivre for $20.95 then I can defintiely make a fortune with my costco valupack steaks made on my lodgelogic cast iron pan cause they definitely taste 10x better. As for the frites, there really weren't frites in the traditional sense but were actually really greasy shoestring potatoes that were a pain to eat. Trying to dip them in ketchup to overcome the greasiness proved an unworthwhile attempt.

As for my girlfriend's lamb shank, it was probably one of the driest pieces of lamb I've ever eaten. They must've just reheated the Lamb Shank made the day before which is why the meat was no longer tender.

And the total for this wonderful meal was $65.00 tax and tip included with no drinks. To add insult to injury, I thought trying out Italian ice at the much raved about Mario's would help me regain some of my composure but sadly even the $2 cup of lemon Italian ice which really was mainly sugar and ice was an extreme disappointment.

If you want decent bistro food drive the extra couple blocks to Le Sardine in the West Loop. It's better and cheaper. If you want better Italian ice goto Ricobene's or Freddie's in Bridgeport, both which are also better and cheaper.

Chez Joel
1119 West Taylor Street
Chicago, IL 60607
312-226-6479

sinos wrote:Now, on to the food.

How were the portions?®

JeffB registered trademark

As it happened a friend and I, not wishing to eat indoors on such a splendid Saturday evening, decided to eat at Chez Joel with dessert at Mario's.

I suppose that the proprietors of Joel and Mario's were suitably chastened by Sinos's critique, because we had a most pleasant time at both establishments (my first visit to Chez Joel). I called ahead for outdoor reservations and we were seated rapidly and pleasantly. (Perhaps Sinos needs to take charm lessons from moi).

I ordered their special: scallops on a bed of risotto with a creme de cassis sauce. Perhaps the scallops were not as sweet as I have ever tasted, and perhaps the creme de cassis was not as silky as it might have been. But the rice was well-cooked, and a the dish provided a serious jolt of pleasure.

The bouillabaisse was thick with seafood - all credible - even if I would have prepared a more garlicky and herbal liquid. Still for about $21, it was a fine rendition. Perhaps not the all-star Chicago soup, but a happy summer choice.

Seated beneath the shade tree in Chez Joel's garden, drinking Sancerre, we were has happy as clams.

Chez Joel may not be the outstanding Chicago bistro in culinary terms, but it is a creditable one . . . one that provides real enjoyment.

A person who doesn't enjoy Mario's on a summer evening . . . well, I suppose that there is no accounting for taste.

I like the concept of Mario's more than I actually like their ice. There's this one place in River Forest that has hands-down the most amazing italian ice I've ever tasted. It's called Johnny's Beef & it's at North and Harlem. I still remember the taste from high school.

peglegged_heart wrote:I like the concept of Mario's more than I actually like their ice. There's this one place in River Forest that has hands-down the most amazing italian ice I've ever tasted. It's called Johnny's Beef & it's at North and Harlem. I still remember the taste from high school.

Welcome to LTH, Peglegged!

If you're a fan of Johnny's, you'll find you're in very good company here

thanks, dom! my eyes boggled at the list.

So there's not an official Chez Joel thread, and this is the closest thing to one.

Stopped by Chez Joel for some quick dinner. It was alright, but certainly not good. First, service was pretty much non-existent. My water glass ran empty several times, and I was one of only four tables occupied at the time. The servers were effectively indifferent and seemed like they just didn't want to be there on a Sunday evening.

I had the same scallop dish GAF descried above. It wasn't bad, but the risotto wasn't really risotto, just like rice. It lacked the subtle creaminess that decent risotto should have. The scallops were fine. Not the most pristine but totally serviceable. The sear was pretty weak, so there was no textural contrast between crust and silky interior.

The roasted chicken wasn't roasted at all. It's more like a braised dish that's actually served in its own cooking liquid. Again, not a bad dish, but not what I was expecting. I wanted crisp skin, pure chicken flavors and I got a chicken that had taken on the flavors of the onions, garlic, and sausage it was cooked with. The frites here are pretty crappy. Why anyone serves bullshit shoestring fries is a mystery to me. I'm just as critical of bad fries as I am bad sushi.

Total for these two dishes came to just over $30. Again, not bad, but not somewhere I'd rush to return to. If the service had been really friendly it'd be a notable neighborhood spot. For now, I'm kind of meh on it.

I promise I'm not always this critical of everywhere I eat at. Wait until I go back to Alinea and start waxing poetic about Chef Achatz's brilliance.

Our service on Saturday was pretty attentive while we were eating in the garden - perhaps different staff: one server can make all the difference. You can't clone personality. We were searching for a nice place to eat outdoors and Chez Joel was it. As I noted, this is not the bistro to head to in Chicago for great food - and we didn't have the shoestring potatoes. I wouldn't rush back if I were eating indoors, but our meals were pleasant, as was the evening.

BryanZ wrote:Wait until I go back to Alinea and start waxing poetic about Chef Achatz's brilliance.

The trick is to appreciate the .05 star diner equally.

BryanZ wrote:I promise I'm not always this critical of everywhere I eat at.

That's OK. With TonyC's moving away, we need someone to cover Chicago from that perspective.

I just got back from a very disappointing meal at Chez Joel on Taylor St. I wondered if anyone else has had any recent bad experiences there?

I ate outside on the patio, where less attention seems to be paid than in the dining room to the tabletops and overall ambience. Rather than put down new butcher paper, the waiter appeared to simply brush away some crumbs. My candle was never lighted. Service was moderately attentive, though I had to ask for utensils and a napkin when my salad arrived.

The salad -- mesclun with goat cheese -- was underdressed (better than overdressed, I admit, but still lacking in flavor). The house vinaigrette seemed very nice, but it needed a little more presence.

The steak frites was the big disappointment. I had it at Chez Joel for the first time last fall and remember thinking the sirloin was one of the best I've had. The next time I had it, the flavor wasn't quite as good. This time it was gray (my request for *charred* medium wasn't honored) and almost tasteless, lacking in flavorful fat, a bit too neatly portion-cut in a way you'd expect to see in a chain restaurant. The haystack fries were greasy.

The glass of cotes du Rhone was served too warm -- obviously kept in a too near the kitchen, rather than at the coolish cellar temperature at which a red wine ought to be served.

Finally, the sort of chocolate-mousse cake I ordered for dessert was attractively presented, but seriously lacking in the sort of intense, pure chocolate flavor I'd expect from something like this in an authentic bistro. It looked and tasted like something brought in from a large producer.

I thought Chez Joel was quite a find when I first went there last fall. And it's gotten good reviews from Zagat and the local foodie boards. Was this just a very bad night, or has the place seriously slipped in recent months?

Went by the location that I thought was Chez Joel today and all the windows were boarded up! Did something happen???

No, Chez Joel remains open. Just talked to someone there.

Yup, walked by it last night. Open and busy.

OK, sorry for the scare, I wonder what I DID see....

Was it the restaurant on the SE corner of Taylor and Loomis? That used to be La Vita, for a while it was intended to be the second location of Nella, but that fell through.

GAF wrote:Seated beneath the shade tree in Chez Joel's garden, drinking Sancerre, we were has happy as clams.

Friends on the hunt for a French Bistro to celebrate a momentous birthday with 20 invited us to test drive Chez Joel, which was completely off my radar. I wasn't all that enthused to be going to Chez Joel but they are good company and an invite is an invite. I was pleasantly surprised, outdoor garden an oasis of calm on busy Taylor street, service impeccable and the food, mainly preserved in amber French bistro classics, well executed with quality ingredients.

Appetizer highlights included Coquilles Saint Jacques, scallops cooked perfectly with barely translucent center, summer tomato salad, someone spent a lot of time picking heirlooms, and classic Escargots, garlic/parsley butter and crusty French bread calling my, and my cardiologists, name.

Med-rare steak frites, knob of garlic butter for accent, frites skinny crisp and addictive. Best restaurant version of Coq au Vin I've tasted, bone-in half chicken meltingly tender.

Creme brulee and profiteroles were nicely done, but my mind was on Mario's a mere block east. Accessible wine list with a few choices to please the aficionado, our waiter is studying to be a sommelier and was particularly helpful.

An eminently enjoyable evening, looking forward to a Chez Joel return visit.

Enjoy,
Gary

Chez Joel
1119 West Taylor Street
Chicago, IL 60607
312-226-6479

Chez Joel no longer serves lunch on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday (and they are closed Mondays).