Venteux is easily the best Happy Hour in Chicago. The restaurant offers amazing values for its HH…read moremenu all available in the splendor of its beautiful dining room. We were seated in a gorgeous and cozy booth and all the food was excellent. We ordered the $1.00 East Coast Oysters, Mignonette, Lemon which came on an impressive brass stand that instantly elevated our experience. Next came a bowl of steaming, heaping Mussels Mariniere, White Wine, Shallots, Garlic, Lemon, Herbs de Provence ($10) that was delicious although the Broth could use a little less Lemon to be less puckery. The Steak Tartare, Potato Fritter, Hanger Steak, Shallots, Calabrian Chili, Garlic Aioli, Smoked Egg Yolk ($12) was beautifully presented as 3 different pieces topped with Smoked Egg Yolk on white Garlic Aioli which resembled Egg White and was excellent and unexpected on the Potato Fritter which could have been even better if the Fritter was crispier. The Escargot, Garlic, Maître d' Butter ($15) came topped with tiny Puff Pastry which was unusual but still delivered all the umami of this classic French dish. Our waitress was sweet but she was too busy taking care of the entire dining room at HH that she didn't check on us for long stretches of time as we sat in the booth and not quite in her eyesight. Still, it was a wonderful experience with lovely ambience and delicious food at unbeatable prices. It's a pity that Venteux recently reduced its HH from Mon-Sat 4-7PM to Mon-Fri 4-6PM. Let's hope Venteux will not reduce it any further.

A beautiful atmosphere to enjoy a morning coffee, but not too much to enjoy past that…read more The space itself is gorgeous, and is adorned by a giant mural of plants and flowers. In the cafe space, there's a mix of tables, cushioned booths, outdoor seating, and counter space to sit. The air conditioning was strong which is an essential in the blazing summer heat. It wasn't crowded when I arrived but a line formed shortly thereafter so something to keep in mind. What surprised me the most was the price. An iced latte is listed on their menu as $7 but when he rang it up my total was $9.50. The receipt did not have a breakdown of the charges so I'm unsure where the extra $2.50 came into play. Surely that was not all tax. I thought the drink was rather small and bitter for nearly $10, and could not be something in good faith I could recommend. The service was good, but nothing exceptional. Particularly for goods at that price point. The front wall is all glass making the beauty of the store easily viewable from Michigan Ave, drawing in tourists. I wouldn't say this spot is a waste of time, but there are certainly better options.

The gift that keeps on giving. The food, the service, the quality, delivers time and time again…read more Brad our server was exceptional tonight as well as the front the house staff. Standout folks that make the experience that more enjoyable. The fried perch and the short rib beignets, two classics that are done so well and packed full of flavor. Opted for a lighter dinner tonight and got two sandwiches instead of steaks. Very happy we did, something about the burger was EXCELLENT. I can't stop thinking about it, I would order 12 of them.

One of my first steak experiences in the city and it set the bar high. Went with the dry aged…read moreribeye and it made the clean plate club every bite was rich, tender, and melted in your mouth. You could really taste the beef, which is exactly what you want from a cut like that. Small and tucked away, this spot is made for a special occasion or a steak connoisseur looking for their next great bite. Drinks and service were on par with a steakhouse of this caliber. Will definitely be back. -Mr.

For lunch, I'm not sure there's any better chill spot to grab a bite in the Loop. Low-key,…read moresophisticated, refined. I popped in for a quick solo lunch and indulged in the croque monsieur + fries. The rest of the menu had enticing things but I knew what I wanted and would not be swayed. After a small wait, which I mention only because it really wasn't busy, my food was served. The look matched the flavor: delicious! It's nice that the other French place, offering nearly the exact same offering here in the exact same spot, was replaced with a worthy newcomer. Bandol checks all the boxes you'd want.

Bandol is good for lunch, but the breakfast I had today was terrible. I ordered a chocolate…read morecroissant, and like in a lot of American restaurants, it was a fake croissant, more like gummy white bread in a croissant form. It was ultra-soft, with a minuscule dab of chocolate. The poached eggs were completely flavorless. They might have been old eggs six weeks away from the farm, I don't know, but all I could taste was the chalky whites. And by the way, poached eggs should always be served with a spoon without the customer having to ask. How do you eat poached eggs with a fork? I asked for my English muffin to be "burnt" (crispy.) They were soft and gummy, just like the croissant. And no jam or jelly was offered. The waiter was polite but inattentive. It's annoying to say, specifically, "I'll have two poached eggs with crispy bacon" and then have the waiter come back and say, "do you want sausage or bacon with that?" And like most restaurants these days, they've switched to that thick-cut bacon that can't be cooked crispy. The breakfast came with a very small side of potatoes, which tasted fine. And I had some green tea that was...okay, but not even remotely like the delicious green tea that most Japanese restaurants offer. I asked my waiter to clear away my plate when I was done, but he either didn't hear me or misunderstood, because he left the plate sitting there. Lastly, when people are eating breakfast, especially on a weekday, they usually have some place they need to get to, and don't want to linger. It took too long after I put my card down for the waiter to pick it up. Every one of these things is a minor complaint (except for the tasteless eggs.) But add them all up and it makes me think -- even though I'm in the area frequently -- "I'll never go back here for breakfast." Overall, a disappointing experience.

TLDR vibe: your rich "cultured" friends you kind of hate just got back from France and youre like-…read moreoh I know a place. Or youre dating someone who likes Anthony Bourdain and you've convinced her you're a foodie. I rarely if ever give a place 5 stars but I have to for this place. At a high level heres what made it stand out to me from other often mentioned places in chicago: the portions felt decent for the prices, the food was actually good, and the vibe truly did feel like a busy French bistro vs the well spaced large rooms of most other restaurants. It's not great if youre someone overstimulated easily, hard of hearing, or need elbow room. Or if youre looking for this uber luxe quiet formal vibe. But if you want to go somewhere where you feel like youre in a (extremely well known) hole in the wall this is it. Even though it was crowded one of my favorite parts was that the chefs or at least culinary dressed not front of house vibe dressed staff- were walking around as well so it was like you were really in the back of the kitchen secret table vibes. I also appreciated that a couple got engaged and they called attention to it without making us all cheer incredibly loudly. Me and the table next to me were like- who? what? They have good N/A champagne which I appreciated. And the bay leaf ice cream tasted like some legit herbs - which as someone whose goal is to really taste plants and the flavors of the earth - I appreciated.

Le Bouchon is an excellent example of the idea one *can* have too much of a good thing. Alas, there…read morewere more things that went a little south with the experience. I ordered the Escargot and the French Onion Soup. There was also free baguette included at the start of the meal. I loved that the baguette had a substantial crust, for it was an absolute delight to butter it up (though not the best butter in the world), and dip it into the herbaceous escargot butter. However, the inside, despite its temperature, was still gooey/doughy. Too much crust or some other technical issue? I'll let those with baking experience sound off. Whatever the case, the last thing I want to do with fresh baguette is ripping out the innards and rolling it into a ball of silly putty. Now, for the escargot... ah snails, an old favorite, for I don't really love fast food (ha!) These were mostly good, save for two things: First, the texture was still just a little slimy, reminiscent of an oyster. 30 seconds more cook time is all they needed, a minute would be too much! Second, the sauce didn't do them any favors. I've had escargot in a rich, buttery, garlicky, slightly herbed sauce that was beyond divine. This dish went triple-overboard, if not more, on the greens - making it resemble a chimichurri rather than something turning snails into decadence. Now, we arrive at the French Onion Soup. The sheer amount of cheese was so excessive that I recoiled even though I have a line item in my budget for cheese. I fished what remained out, and consumed it only out of spite. Now, while I appreciate the use of crusty bread that didn't turn into soggy croutons, the size of the pieces was too large. I'm one who orders prepared food with the understanding that it is prepared and should require minimal additional work. Steaks that need slicing are exempt, soup is not. Unfortunately, there was one more undoing: while I can understand a less sweet soup may be normal variation in the recipe, one of the spoonfuls had something very sour, as if it was a large wad of sour cream (though none was present). This made were otherwise rich and flavorful broth less than enjoyable. When it comes to the service, this had some good and bad. It was friendly, attentive, and the food came out fast. However, an item of note is that finished plates were not cleared in due course. This applies not only to myself but also the stranger sitting next to me. Final verdict: I wanted to love Le Bouchon, really I did. I was even hoping, at first, to try more of the menu on a return visit. However, the poor execution across the board does not provide the confidence needed for a return visit.

First day in Chicago and I was getting hungry. Nothing was appealing to me until I saw this place,…read moreand it reminded me of a sidewalk cafe in Paris. So in we went. Would have sat outside but it was way to hot that day. This was the best meal we had in Chicago. I had Cheese Ravoli and he had a skirt steak and fried with truffles. Of course we had wine as well. I scarfed my meal up in record time. Service was great and ambiance lovely. It will definitely be on the agenda on our next trip to Chicago. Price was reasonable for quality of food. I would have eaten here a second time, but I had decreed no repeats so we could try as much as possible while in the Windy City.

We loved our dinner at bistronomic. For food I highly recommend the following:…read more Appetizers Homemade country pate French cheese selection (you can't go wrong with anything but I do love a Camembert) Tartare of the day Mains Amish chicken Beef bourguignon All the staff were so friendly, the interior is nicely decorated and it's not too loud inside either- even when packed

A couple things, this place is FRENCH not Mediterranean. I want to make that clear…read more The food is very good! We went on a Tuesday night and they had a $45 price fix meal that was one of the best deals in the city. Full size apps, entree (including steak), and dessert. We started with burrata and mussels which were both light and lovely. They could have provided a bit more bread but we also didn't ask so it's a bit on us. Very fast apps and the mussels were cooked beautifully and fully open. I had steak au poivre which was cooked truly medium rare. They came with these smashed golden potatoes which I literally just dreamed about last night. They were SO GOOD. My friend has white fish which looked lovely and shrimp which were quite large. For dessert we got the mango sorbet and the tiramisu. I downed my tiramisu which was good... not incredible, but completely fine. The mango sorbet was almost too mango-ey. So if that's your vibe highly recommend.

WOW, what an incredible meal! Everything was absolutely delicious, and such a great deal…read more We went for an early birthday dinner and took advantage of the Tuesday Dinner Deal ($45 for an appetizer, entrée, and dessert), plus happy hour until 6 PM. Seriously, don't sleep on these deals! The service was outstanding, and every dish was cooked to perfection. I was already telling my husband we need to come back again. Love that we live so close. The escargot and steak frites are an absolute must and the duck breast was incredibly flavorful and perfectly cooked. Can't wait to return!

What a charming spot! The outside patio is a magical garden escape with cute chandeliers…read more Appetizers and baguette were amazing. We had the French onion soup and beet salad. Both tasted so delicious and home made. The steaks were also great! Everything felt very authentic. Service was so friendly. Such a hidden gem.

Chez Joel is a true hidden gem. I love how intimate the restaurant is. The food was flavorful and…read moreworth the value. Service was top notch. It's a restaurant my family still raves about.

I absolutely love Pomeroy!  I know I have said it many times.  This past Mother's Day we went to…read morePomeroy again.  It has become our go-to restaurant for celebrations.  I always consider Mother's Day the ultimate test for any restaurant, and Pomeroy passes with flying colors year after year! As expected, the restaurant was packed, both inside and in the beautiful courtyard. Families filled the dining room, with children of all ages at about 90% of the tables. The team at Pomeroy has been so consistent and professional, that all of our dishes were delivered at a perfect and steady pace, and qualities remained high. Although we got a different server each time we went, they were all very welcoming, friendly, and attentive.  This time, Carlisle did such a wonderful job even though she was super busy, and she wished me a happy Mother's Day several times to make sure that my day was special.  I must mention that the friendly hostess greeted me with well wishes too, and said happy Mother's day again when we left. We had noticed that they had replaced the couch in front of the courtyard fireplace with more tables.  Who could blame them when they had so many patrons to seat.  However, the courtyard still looked gorgeous. Now on to the food and drinks.  I had a mocktail Bleu 75 ($13) that's my favorite, my husband had a glass of chardonnay ($17), our daughter had a Le Spritz Strawberry ($16).  We shared an order of Sea Scallops ($23) and a Warm Tomato Tarte ($19).  I had my go-to dish which was the Mediterranean Sea Bass ($38), I loved the seared skin that was crispy on the edges. Husband and Daughter each ordered a Spring Halibut ($92 for 2) from the Mother's Day menu.  We ordered 2 Strawberry Crème Brulee ($28 for 2), and I shared 1 with my husband.  I also had a cappuccino ($6). The check came up to $283.05 before tips (they add a 3% surcharge to each guest check, which may be removed upon request, we didn't).  As always, our dinner was very enjoyable and it's worth the money.  I had a very happy Mother's Day dinner, and it ended a wonderful weekend with high notes!  We will keep returning!

Still a very nice Bistro ambiance, but they lost a star on this visit. We made reservations while…read moreon our way to the Chicago Botanical Garden ... close by and very handy. When we got to Pomeroy for dinner, we were seated in the farthest back room, one that was open-air ... the staff never asked us, they just put us there. The room was nice as was the weather, but the open-air room had gnats all over the place. Now we realize that gnats or fruit flies oftentimes come with wine servings ... and the Pomeroy has a bunch of nice wines, but the gnats flying around your face all through dinner was not pleasant. We ordered drinks to start, and found it hit-or-miss. The Watermelon Margarita seemed tempting, so we tried one. It came with a big smear of Tajin powder on the rim, and was not appealing. Once again, we thought they should mention this kind of thing before it appears. They replaced the drink, but it kept us off on the wrong foot. All in all, they still put our good food. Our complaint was the seating, the gnats, and the Tajin powder ... all they had to do was ask for our preferences and these could have been avoided. But alas, they drop to four stars.