Apparently, someone at Milkstop looked at a regular BLT and said, "You know what this needs?…read moreAvocado and apricot."
And somehow... they were absolutely right.
I stopped in for lunch and immediately liked the atmosphere. The restaurant is clean, comfortable, and has this great old-school-meets-modern feel. There's a beautiful dark wood bar when you walk in, vintage-style penny tile floors, a pressed-tin ceiling, globe lights, and rustic wooden tables and chairs.
It feels classy without feeling stuffy--the kind of place where you can have a relaxed lunch and coffee in the afternoon or come back later, grab a seat at the bar, order a drink, and stay awhile.
I started with the French onion soup, which isn't exactly playing by the traditional rules either.
It arrives with that glorious blanket of melted, browned cheese you want from French onion soup, but underneath you also find bread topped with pieces of steak.
Because apparently onions, bread, broth, and melted cheese weren't decadent enough.
The soup itself was very good. Mine leaned just slightly toward the salty side--not enough that I wouldn't order it again, and definitely not enough to overpower everything, but enough that I noticed. Overall, though, it was rich, hearty, cheesy, and exactly the kind of soup that makes sense once Chicago-area sweater weather arrives.
Then came their take on the BLT, and this was easily the star of lunch.
Bacon, lettuce, fresh tomato, and avocado are already a pretty solid team.
But then Milkstop throws apricot spread into the conversation.
On paper, I wasn't entirely sure where we were going with this.
Then I took a bite.
It works.
The salty, smoky bacon plays against the sweetness of the apricot spread, while the creamy avocado and fresh tomato balance everything out. Add the crisp lettuce and really good toasted bread, and suddenly a sandwich you've probably eaten a hundred times tastes completely different.
This wasn't just a BLT with random ingredients thrown onto it to make it sound fancy. The flavors actually complement each other.
I would absolutely come back specifically for this sandwich.
I ordered mine with the side salad, which was fresh, simple, and nicely dressed. You can also choose fries, beer-battered onion rings, and other sides if you're feeling considerably less responsible.
I briefly considered the salad my healthy decision of the day and therefore assumed it canceled out the French onion soup.
Nutrition experts may disagree.
And finally--the coffee deserves a mention.
Simple, but genuinely delicious. Sometimes restaurant coffee tastes like it has been sitting around contemplating its life choices since 6:30 in the morning.
This did not.
Overall, Milkstop is a really enjoyable La Grange find. The restaurant itself is beautiful, the atmosphere is relaxed and welcoming, and the menu takes familiar comfort foods and gives them just enough personality to make them interesting without trying too hard.
Come for lunch. Grab a coffee. Sit at the bar. Get the French onion soup.
But whatever you do, don't let the words "apricot on a BLT" scare you.
Trust the process.
I'd order that sandwich again in a heartbeat.