AMBRIA, 2300 N. Lincoln Park West, 472-5959. This thoughtfully creative cuisine is excellent, the service super and the atmosphere one of relaxed formality, making Ambria one of Chicago`s best dining experiences.
Recommended: Carpaccio, sea scallops and lobster, medallions of salmon, salads, combination rack of lamb and veal, calves liver, mixed seafood grill, dover sole, fresh berry tarts, while chocolate mousse, flourless chocolate cake. Hours: 6-9:30 p.m. Mon.-Thurs., to 10:30 p.m. Fri.-Sat.; closed Sun. Price range: Expensive. Credit cards: A, C, D, M, V. Reservations: Necessary. (PAC)
AVALON, Hamilton Hotel, 400 Park Blvd., Itasca, 773-4000. The hotel dining room far outshines most. The room is pretty, the service smooth and the food outstanding. Recommended: Cold lobster, cold raw filet, lobster bisque, Hamilton salad, smoked goose salad, roast quail, duck, veal, salmon, chocolate mousse cake, strawberries sabayon. Hours: Dinner 6-10 p.m. Mon.-Sat.; closed Sun. Price range: Expensive. Credit cards: A, C, D, M, V. Reservations:
Accepted for groups of six or more. (PAC)
CAFE PROVENCAL, 1625 Hinman Ave., Evanston, 475-2233. This place features traditional French dishes with just enough creative touches to make the meal interesting. Recommended: Wild mushroom saute, pates, squab, grilled duck breast, saddle of lamb, chocolate cake with pistachio ice cream. Hours: 6-9 p.m. Mon.-Thurs., 6-10 p.m. Fri., 5:45-10 p.m. Sat.; closed Sun. Price range: Expensive. Credit cards: A, D, M, V. Reservations: Necessary. (PAC)
CARLOS RESTAURANT, 429 Temple Ave., Highland Park, 432-0770. Everything goes so smoothly at Carlos, one of Chicagoland`s best restaurants, that even a three-hour dinner seems to fly by. If there can be any complaint it is that everything from service to the food is so outstanding that nothing stands out. Recommended: Fresh grilled goose liver, salmon sausage with basil sauce, mushroom pate, pink grapefruit sorbet, veal medaillions sauteed with a confit of ginger, assiette of squab, flourless chocolate cake, fruit tarts, mango with butterscotch. Hours: 5:30 p.m.-11 p.m. Wed.-Mon. Dinner will be served during the Ravinia season 5-10 p.m. Sun.; closed Tues. Price range:
Expensive. Credit cards: A, C, D, M, V. Reservations: Necessary. (PAC)
THE DINING ROOM, Ritz-Carlton Hotel, Water Tower Place, 266-1000. The impeccable service and consistently good food, along with a $35 fixed-price menu makes this a hotel dining room worth trying. Recommended: Specials on prix fixe menu, game and seafood pates, soups, salad with game, cassolette, veal, poached sea bass, dessert cart selections. Hours: Lunch 11:30-2:30 p.m. Mon.-Fri., dinner 6-11 p.m. daily and brunch 10:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Sun. Credit cards: A, C, D, M, V. Reservations: Necessary. (PAC)
DUMAS PERE, 1129 Depot St., Glenview, 729-4823. Dining at this exclusive eatery is a memorable experience and the perfect backdrop for a special occasion, offering an unpretentious, romantic ambience. This is a cooking school during the week, a restaurant on Friday and Saturday where five and seven course fixed-price dinners at $35 and $60 (including wine) are offered at the discretion of the owner. In mid-summer, the restaurant will be begin serving dinner daily. Recommended: Cheese souffle, potage St. Germaine, black sea bass, apple crepes. Price range: Expensive. Credit cards: None, but personal checks accepted. Reservations: Required. (Staff)
FROGGY`S, 306 N. Green Bay Rd., Highwood, 433-7080. A good-natured restaurant that doesn`t take itself too seriously, Froggy`s is one of the best places around to introduce the uninitiated to the joys of French cooking. Recommended: Terrine of scallops, quail with veal mousse, escargot, creme caramel. Hours: 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Mon.-Fri., 5-10 p.m. Mon.-Thurs., to 11 p.m. Fri.-Sat.; closed Sun. Price range: Moderate. Credit cards: C, D, M, V. Reservations: Accepted for six or more. (PAC)
GEORGE BADONSKY`S MAXIM`S ON ASTOR, 1300 N. Astor St., 943-1111. George Badonsky has imported a staff of French chefs led by the talented Jean Joho to bring new life to one of Chicago`s most famous dining rooms. The extraordinary and very expensive cuisine matches France`s best, but service falls short. Lucullan fixed-price tasting menu offers a superb potpourri of the chefs`
masterworks. Recommended: Menu degustation, snails in ravioli, cake of sea scallops and truffles, salmon souffle, chocolate mousse with pistachio sauce. Hours: 6:30-9 p.m. Mon.-Fri. 6:30-10 p.m. Sat.; closed Sun. Price range:
Expensive. Credit cards: A, D, M, V. (MK)
KO CHI, 5402 N. Clark St., 784-4030. French/Japanese. Ko Chi bills itself as a seafood and steak restaurant that`s one part Japanese and one part French fresh, and is outstanding at serving well prepared, simple food at a reasonable price. Recommended: Black mushroom soup, steaks, grilled seafood. Hours: 5-10 p.m. Tues.-Sun.; closed Mon. Price range: Moderate. Credit cards: None, but checks accepted. Reservations: Accepted. (PAC)
LA BELLE CUISINE, 378 Park Ave., Glencoe, 835-4720. Originally a carryout establishment, this charming and unpretentious eatery now accommodates about 50 for lunch and dinner. Ample diner portions include a huge salad and side dish of vegetables. Recommended: Veal pate, cassoulet, apple tart, lemon cheesecake. Hours: Lunch 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m. and dinner 5-9 p.m. Tues.-Sat.;
closed Sun.-Mon. Price range: Moderately expensive. Credit cards: M,V. Reservations: Accepted for dinner only. (Staff)
LA CIBOULETTE, 1260 N. Dearborn St., 944-2506. Michael Beck, the newest member of ”the association of former chefs of Le Perroquet,” learned his lessons well at Chicago`s premier restaurant. His own place has the potential to become one of the city`s treasures. Recommended: Potage portugais, mackerel salad, poached salmon trout, smoked pork loin, mousses, tarts. Hours: 6-10 p.m. Mon.-Thurs., to 10:30 p.m. Fri.-Sat.; closed Sun. Price range: Expensive. Reservations: Recommended. Credit cards: A, D, M, V. (PAC)
LE FRANCAIS, 269 S. Milwaukee Ave., Wheeling, 541-7470. This world-class restaurant serves up incredible food, excellent service and fun, too. The food here ranges from good to super-fantastic and the sense of humor should be welcomed by any secure enough to laugh at themselves, the Midwest and the absurdity of dropping a couple of hundred bucks on dinner. Hours: Tues.-Sun. 5:30-9:30 p.m. Price range: Expensive. Credit cards: A, D, M, V. Reservations: Necessary. (PAC)
LE PERROQUET, 70 E. Walton St., 944-7990. New ownership hasn`t noticeably changed this magnificent dining room. The fixed-price menu supplemented by daily specials displays a restrained, urbane approach to fine cooking that has made Le Perroquet world renowned. Exquisite presentation and flawless service complement the haute cuisine. Recommended: Vegetable mousse with shellfish, veal with two sauces, dodine of pigeon, souffles. Hours: Lunch noon-3 p.m. Mon.-Fri., dinner 6-9:30 p.m. Mon.-Sat.; closed Sun. Price range: Expensive. Credit cards: A, C, D. Reservations: Necessary. (MK)
L`ESCARGOT, 2925 N. Halsted St., 525-5522. L`Escargot has returned to Halsted Street with a pleasing mixture of French regional cuisine and lighter dishes. There`s a fixed-price menu that`s a good value at $24.50. Recommended: snails, marinated raw salmon, cucumber consomme, duck with red wine sauce, roast tenderloin of veal, grilled salmon, chocolate hazelnut, genoise. Hours: 5-10:30 p.m. Mon.-Sat.; closed Sun. and holidays. Price range: Expensive. Credit cards: A, C, D, M, V. Reservations: Accepted. (PAC)
LE TITI DE PARIS, 2275 Rand Rd., Palatine, 359-4434. Pleasant service and good, simple food keep this bustling room crowded. Entrees are always cooked perfectly, and a long list of daily specials provide ever-varying flavors. Only desserts fall short of expectations. Recommended: Snails, venison pate, turbot, pigeon, saddle of rabbit, beef with goat cheese, salads. Hours: Lunch 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Tues.-Fri., dinner served from 5:30 p.m. Tues.-Fri. and 5 p.m. Sat.; closed Sun.-Mon. Price range: Expensive. Credit cards: A, C, D, M, V. Reservations: Recommended. (MK)
LE VICHYSSOIS, 220 W. Ill. Hwy. 120, Lakemoor, 815-385-8221. Bernard Cretier`s outpost of French cuisine offers great value in fine dining. The environment is comfortable, and the food is good enough to satisfy the city`s most difficult skeptics. Recommended: feuillete of asparagus, crayfish cassoulet, grapefruit champagne sorbet, roast duck, rack of lamb, veal steak, chocolate meringue cake, flourless almond cake. Hours: 5:30-9 p.m. Wed.-Thurs., to 10 p.m. Fri.-Sat. and 4:30-9 p.m. Sun.; closed Mon.-Tues. Price range: Moderately expensive. Credit cards: D, M, V. Reservations: Recommended. (PAC)
LOUIS` BON APETIT, 302 S. Main St., Crown Point, Ind., 219-663-6363. Louis` is a wonderful place for a relaxed, filling dinner of country French food. Recommended: Homemade sausage, mussels, fresh foie gras, wild duck breast, cassoulet, loin of lamb, chocolate cheese cake. Hours: Dinner from 5:30 p.m. Tues.-Sat., brunch 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Sun.; closed Mon. Price range:
Moderately expensive. Credit cards: A, M, V. Reservations: Accepted. (PAC)
MONIQUE`S CAFE, 213 W. Institute Pl., 642-2210. Caterer and cooking teacher Monique Hooker has revived part of an old warehouse into a smart, high-tech loft for lunch and carryouts. Ask to eat at the bar if the wait is too long. Fine place to sip wine or coffee against a classical music background. Recommended: Fresh breads, pork-veal-pistachio pate, coq au vin, salad nicoise, daily special fish, chocolate-walnut-caramel torte. Hours:
11:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Mon.-Sat. and brunch 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Sun. Price range: Moderate. Credit cards: A, M, V. Reservations: Six or more only. (PT)
TALLGRASS, 1006 S. State St., Lockport, 815-838-5566. This outpost of fine French cuisine marries a superb kitchen to an antique-decorated dining room in a historic landmark. Fixed price dinners show off the chef`s creativity and feature excellent classic and new sauces. Recommended dishes:
Escargots in puff pastry, soups, pastas, scallop and sweetbread salad, lamb with gorgonzola sauce, fresh seafoods, capon and duck breast in pastry, apple Calvados tart, raspberry mousse bombe. Hours: Dinner 6-11 p.m. Thurs.-Fri., two seatings at 6 and 9 p.m. Sat. and brunch at 12:30 p.m. Sun.; closed Mon.- Wed. Price range: expensive. Credit cards: A. Reservations: Required.(MK)
TOULOUSE, 49 W. Division St., 944-2606. It should be more imaginative and varied, considering the price, but this restaurant is still a pleasure, top quality food served in a moonlight serenade setting. Recommended: Scallops in pastry shells, artichokes in crab and lobster sauce, oysters in leek sauce, lamb loin in pastry with spinach, veal with wine sauce, seafood platter, roast duck, strawberry mille feuille. Hours: 5:30-11 p.m. Mon.-Thurs., 5:30-midnight Fri.-Sat.; closed Sun. Price range: Expensive. Credit cards: A, M, V. Reservations: Recommended. (SS)
YOSHI`S CAFE, 3257 N. Halsted St., 248-6160. The place is tiny, only 42 seats, which creates some lengthy waits at times. Yoshi, who used to cook at Jimmy`s Place, is Japanese, but his cuisine is decidedly French and every bit worth the wait. Recommended: Chicken mousse, seafood sausage, escargot surprise, mussles, lobster bisque, grilled fish, jumbo shrimp, pork tenderloin en croute, sauteed chicken. Hours: Lunch 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Tues.-Fri., dinner 5:30-10 p.m. Tues.-Thurs., to 10:30 p.m. Fri.-Sat., 5-9 p.m. Sun., brunch noon-1:30 p.m. Sun.; closed Mon. Price range: Moderate. Credit cards: A, M, V. Reservations: (PAC)
YVETTE, 1206 N. State St., 280-1700. The atmosphere is noisy, the room crowded and the service rushed, but the food is so good it doesn`t matter
–after all, a Parisian-style bistro should be lively. Recommended: Oysters provencal, escargots, soups, steak au poivre, duckling in peach sauce, coulibiac, chocolate praline torte, ice creams. Hours: 5:30-11 p.m. Mon.-Thurs., 5:30 p.m.-midnight Fri.-Sat., 5:30-10 p.m. Sun. Cafe open 11 a.m.-1 a.m. daily. Price range: Moderate. Credit cards: A, M, V. Reservations: None. (MK)
