Replacing a head chef is never easy, but sometimes change is good–or at least it works out. Cases in point: L’Anne, a west suburban French-Asian thriving under its second chef, Kei Uchikawa, and Vivere, where Drue Kennedy is the latest in a lengthy line of fine chefs.
L’Anne
Uchikawa was a cook at Le Francais under Roland Liccioni; at Opus prior to that ambitious restaurant’s demise and then at Montparnasse just in time to see that restaurant close. Before you characterize Uchikawa as some sort of culinary Angel of Death, do know that he has been at the helm of Wheaton’s L’Anne for two years, and the restaurant is doing just fine.
Indeed, in my view it’s much better. L’Anne opened originally as a French-Vietnamese concept, heavy on the Vietnamese; Uchikawa has strengthened the French half of the equation and broadened the Asian half to include Chinese, Thai and Japanese influences.
So to begin the meal, it is possible to contemplate either the pho, an aromatic consomme with thin slices of beef, rice noodles and a moderately spicy chile-lime sambal; or a perfect puff-pastry pillow stuffed with Stilton cheese, walnuts and raisins on a plate strewn with endive and haricots verts. Or split the difference, with gingered chunks of moist lobster meat floating in a silky cauliflower-cream broth.
Lightly sauteed and wonderfully tender calamari are the putative stars of another dish, but those beauties are nearly upstaged by the accompanying salad of watercress and cucumber, dressed with a beautifully balanced vinaigrette of ginger, roasted sesame and cilantro. After that, the Vietnamese-style pork and sprout-filled spring rolls, and the grilled quail seasoned with Chinese five spice, are merely ordinary.
I’ve sampled seven entrees at L’Anne, and I’ve yet to be disappointed. The knockout dishes include sliced duck breast, made memorable by a foie-gras flan and a half-dollar-sized dab of tart raspberry puree; and outstanding halibut, seasoned with paprika and mustard and served with an herbed wine sauce. Japanese scallops–bright, firm and slightly sweet–work well with a salad of mango, mushrooms and green papaya, along with a red-wine hoisin sauce that had hints of sweetness but plenty of structure behind it. A citrus marinade and lemongrass broth are perfect complements to grilled Atlantic salmon, and a bevy of Asian spices–in essence, a Korean-style marinade–turn ribeye steak into something extraordinary.
The obligatory warm-centered chocolate cake is a fine dessert, but I’d recommend instead the puff-pastry square topped with Granny Smith apples and caramel, and the excellent duo of creme brulees that pairs the classic vanilla version with one made with black sesame.
A list of more than 40 food-friendly wine choices, about half available by the glass, gives diners plenty of flexibility in matching flavors. Prices are quite reasonable.
Service is prompt and straightforward, and the chances are good that owner Lanny Nguyen will be one of the people visiting your table. She’s happy to chat about the menu, the wine list and especially the beautiful display of orchids in the middle of the low-lit dining room. Nguyen grows these herself, and indeed the restaurant is a sort of homage to her hobby: L’Anne is both a contraction of Lynnanne, Nguyen’s daughter, and a homonym of Lan, the Vietnamese word for orchid.
Vivere
The last time I reviewed this Loop restaurant, Jonathan Harootunian was making a stir with his modern and creative takes on Italian cuisine. I thought he was brilliant; the owners perhaps thought the food had gone a little too far.
So Harootunian left (he’s now at Courtright’s), leaving the kitchen to sous chef Kennedy. That was almost 18 months ago, and Kennedy apparently has hit on a formula that keeps everyone happy. His menu has enough tradition to soothe the tried-and-true crowd, and enough creativity to keep jaded types such as myself from falling asleep.
Thus, appetizers include carpaccio, though it’s unlikely to be beef. I’ve had duck carpaccio, topped with thin shavings of parmigiano reggiano cheese and dressed with a relish of sun-dried tomatoes and black olives; the current offering is lamb carpaccio, with chive-fennel salad. Seared prawns with a little salt and pepper sounds simple enough, but a sprightly tomato-sage marmalade and dabs of basil oil and 25-year-old balsamic lift the dish above the ordinary. Pappardelle pasta sheets mix with braised rabbit, fava beans and cherry tomatoes for a great spring-summer dish, and potato-truffle gnocchi with lobster meat and a rich beurre-blanc sauce is comfort food of the most indulgent sort.
Roasted squab is a highlight entree, featuring two meaty, semi-boneless birds in a pool of blueberry-squab sauce that bore a hint of sweetness but was primarily savory, the squab-reduction flavor predominant. In the center of the plate, a pale-green asparagus flan, draped with strands of wild asparagus, contributed silky texture and buttery flavor.
A duck composition (roasted breast with duck-sausage raviolis), by contrast, was served with a plum-sangiovese sauce that was aggressively fruit forward, the sweetness balanced by a bed of sauteed arugula topped with thinly sliced plums. Another delightful mix of tastes and textures features lamb loin alongside a plump eggplant pancake with a zesty tomato-horseradish sauce.
There are a handful of desserts available, but invariably I choose a tasting platter that runs $17.50 and will satisfy four, easily. My plate included a creme brulee with a surprise inclusion of coconut; a tall apple spice cake with apple-cider sorbetto and a goat-cheese panna cotta; an aptly named cherry tart; chocolate cake with homemade chocolate candies and a trio of gelati (white chocolate, hazelnut and cherry) notable for their faithful flavors.
Vivere’s award-winning wine list is broad and deep–first-timers are invariably surprised to see many non-Italian vintages–and the wine list probably represents a fraction of the bottles in the cavernous wine cellar. Sommelier Ron Balter is an approachable and essential guide through the myriad choices.
Service is exemplary, but you can’t go by me; a few years ago I was still able to get in and out of Vivere undetected, but now Fred Ashtari, the unflappable maitre d’, spots me every time.
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L’Anne (star)(star)(star)
221 W. Front St., Wheaton
630-260-1234
Open: Dinner Tue.-Sat., lunch Wed.-Fri., brunch Sun.
Entree prices: $16-$26
Credit cards: A, DC, DS, M, V
Reservations: Recommended weekends
Noise: Conversation-friendly
Other: Wheelchair accessible; no smoking
Vivere (star)(star)(star)
71W. Monroe St.
312-332-4040
Open: Dinner Mon.-Sat., lunch Mon.-Fri.
Entre prices: $13.95-$32.95
Credit cards: A, DC, DS, M, V
Reservations: Recommended
Noise: Conversation-friendly
Other: Wheelchair accessible; valet parking; smoking in bar only.
OUTSTANDING (star)(star)(star)(star)
EXCELLENT (star)(star)(star)
VERY GOOD (star)(star)
GOOD (star)
Reviews are based on no fewer than two visits. The reviewer makes every effort to remain anonymous. Meals are paid for by the Tribune.
