Well, I don't like to contradict you, of course, but this is the review that I found of Le Francais. Perhaps there were one or two more expensive specials when you were there.....
Review: Le Francais
By Phil Vettel
Apparently you can go home again.
Jean Banchet, who created Le Francais in 1973 and led, as much by force of personality as culinary mastery, Chicago's march into fine-dining prominence, is back at the helm of his Wheeling masterpiece after a 10-year absence (during which time the restaurant was run brilliantly by Roland and Mary Beth Liccioni).
The Chicago dining scene was mightily impressive in 1989, when Banchet departed, but there has been an explosion of fine-dining since then. Banchet pronounces himself amazed at the sheer number of top-quality-level restaurants he finds in the Chicago area.
"It's incredible," he marvels. "There are so many tremendous restaurants that you never have to leave the city! To get people to come here, we have to be great all the time."
That has never been a problem for Banchet, and it doesn't appear to be so now. If there has been a dimunition of Banchet's energy, any waning of his skill in the last 10 years, it does not show.
Indeed, the menu at Le Francais is a showcase of Banchet past and present, pairing new creations with signature dishes from 10 or more years ago. It is difficult to distinguish between the two, which to me suggests that Banchet's food transcends time and trends.
For example, there is Banchet's famous duck consomme "Paul Bocuse," a dish that first knocked me out in, oh, 1982. The dish is as spectacular now as it was then (think pure duck flavor in liquid form, abetted by a couple of mushroom ravioli and quenelles of ground duck); the only difference is that the consomme, once served en croute, arrives in a ceramic tureen whose lid resembles a pastry crust.
Not all the credit can go to Banchet; David Sanders, his chef de cuisine, is a veteran of several top-rated French restaurants and he collaborated with Banchet at his critically acclaimed but short lived Atlanta restaurant, Riviera. The two make a formidable culinary team.
Unlike most restaurants at this level, Le Francais doesn't offer a degustation menu because, Banchet says, they "make it too difficult for the service." Le Francais relies on a large a la carte menu of about a dozen entrees and appetizers, augmented by daily specials. Two words you'll encounter frequently: Lobster and truffles. Banchet loves them both, and uses them to great effect throughout the menu.
The daily ravioli might be a free-form creation of lobster, portobello mushrooms and spinach layered between sheets of tricolor pasta over a silky-smooth lobster sauce garnished by two large shrimp. The warm terrine of the day could be a melange of shellfish and fin fish, distinguished by large pieces of lobster meat, flanked by two perfectly plump mussels and set in a creamy sea urchin and butter sauce.
A terrine of fresh artichokes, in which whole pieces of artichoke heart are enveloped in artichoke mousse, is remarkable for the intensity and faithfulness of its flavor; a mustard vinaigrette with roasted tomato and portobello mushrooms proves a worthy complement.
Several outstanding salads vie for attention, beginning with a composition of duck breast and stuffed squab legs confit with quail egg-topped greens, and juxtaposition of watercress and endive with a slab of powerful roquefort terrine. A simple pairing of brie en croute with mixed greens gains star status because of a breathtaking chive-truffle vinaigrette.
Entree choices include meaty wild striped bass with lobster and truffle vinaigrette, topped with a small scoop of caviar and a sprinkling of shaved truffle. And truffles are dispersed like so much confetti over a seafood duo of Dover sole wrapped around seafood mousse and tournedo of salmon with champagne butter sauce.
There's a fair amount of game on the menu. A game plate combines stuffed quail with verjus, rabbit saddle with thyme-flecked jus and guinea hen with truffle sauce, while noisettes of Scottish venison are matched to roasted chestnuts, red cabbage and grand veneur sauce. Another combination paired a baby lamb rack with rosemary jus to an outstanding piece of veal loin over wild-mushroom sauce. A thin pureed-potato levee kept the sauces distinct.
Desserts are, of course, rich and sinful. The warm flourless chocolate cake sells itself, once diners catch the aroma as an order wafts its way to another table. Apple tart, another baked-to-order dish that should be ordered in advance, arrives piping hot, topped by a scoop of green-apple sorbet and surrounded by Calvados and raspberry sauces.
Service is outstanding. Virtually the entire Le Francais waitstaff stayed on for Banchet's return, and you would go a long way to find a group with this level of polish and skill. Occasionally the assistants will make a minor slip, in one instance delivering bread but forgetting butter (which arrived, unbidden, five minutes later). When things like this outrage me I'll know it's time to find a new hobby.
Banchet lightened the dining room considerably in an August remodeling, using cream and gold tones and blond wood accents. Sleek new silverware and stemware help establish a contemporary feel. The most prominent new dining element is the 10-by-4-foot picture window that lets patrons watch Banchet's culinary army at work.
The wine list is the one area that needs, and is undergoing, improvement. Le Francais' current list seems to have most of the bases covered, but depth will take a while. Acquiring the sort of older wines that one expects of a restaurant of this caliber will take time.
Le Francais
269 S. Milwaukee Ave., Wheeling
847-541-7470
Open: Dinner Mon.-Sat.
Entree prices: $31.50-$34.50
Credit cards: A, DC, DS, M, V.
Reservations: Required
Noise: Hushed
Other: Jackets requested; no smoking permitted
Vettel is the Chicago Tribune restaurant critic.
Published on March 1, 2000 |
