Bistro 110
110 E. Pearson St., 312-266-3110
What’s the deal: Bistro 110 throws down the gauntlet, claiming its kitchen can deliver a four-course, gourmet prix fixe for under $20 and get customers out of the restaurant in under 45 minutes. Diners choose either a seafood or meat version of the prix fixe that they’re calling the Chef’s Quartet. We decided to call them on this mighty boast, dining at the French-inspired eatery around 1 p.m.–in the midst of lunch rush.
How fast was it: Pretty darn fast. The Chef’s Quartet arrived around 1:30 p.m., about 20 minutes after my friend and I sat down, maybe 10-15 minutes after we ordered. It was presented on four small, identical white plates on an attractive wood tray. It helps that two items are a salad and a cheese plate, both quick and relatively painless to prepare.
About the food: My “meat” Quartet started with a prosciutto-and-melon salad that only furthered my belief that if you wrapped prosciutto around pieces of bark, it would still be delicious. Ditto on the next “course,” a nice duck confit served with wild mushrooms and a port sauce. The portion was expectedly small given that executive chef Dominique Tougne designs four plates to give you a full meal without making you feel overly stuffed. The cheese dish–manchego with amarena cherries–was forgettable. My friend liked her roasted salmon with asparagus and Pommery cream sauce as well as her shrimp-and-citrus salad, though the salad came with two pieces that equaled, maybe, an eighth of a shrimp. We switched desserts; my tarte Tatin (upside-down apple tart) for her lemon mousseline with white chocolate shavings. The mousseline was light and tangy, definitely more appealing than the tart, which my friend said tasted less like apple and more like molasses.
Service: Our server was proficient, though a little out-of-breath due to the size of the lunch crowd. And, in a bit of unintended drama, she handed us the check at the 44-minute mark. I kid you not.
A plus: A breadbasket that comes with butter and a warm roasted head of garlic to spread. Bad breath was never so tasty.
Last bite: A quick, fun way to spend lunch.
———-
Glenn Jeffers, gjeffers@tribune.com
