1958 N. Damen Ave.
Chicago, IL 60647
(773) 862-6600
Chicago Bar Project “Bite”
When asked what is the best French restaurant in the City of Chicago, a former Wallonian (French Belgian) colleague of mine always said, “Le Bouchon” (which means “the cork” in French). So, for the first Valentine’s Day spent with my last girlfriend, we went to Le Bouchon. She’s now my wife, so things worked out quite well, even though I made the reservation late and had to take a 9:30pm reservation… You’ll definitely want to make a reservation as Le Bouchon is quite small, the bar area even tinier and you’ll want to avoid standing outside most of the year. Just about everything on the menu is excellent, as are the specials, but I tend to gravitate to the Pate de Campagne Maison (house-made country pate) or frog legs for the appetizer, the Onglet Grille (grilled hanger steak, red wine sauce,
garlic mashed potatoes) or the Rognons de Veau a la Moutarde (veal kidneys in mustard sauce) for the entree, and the creme brulee for dessert. The wine list is also quite good and don’t hesitate to ask for a recommendaton. If you like Le Bouchon, be sure to check out La Creperie in Lakeview, Cafe Bernard in Lincoln Park and La Sardine (same ownership) in the West Loop. For more information, check out the Le Bouchon website. A votre sante!
