Upon entering Retro Bistro, you might be greeted by C.J. Barth, son of the owners. Or maybe by the owners themselves, Lorraine and Chris Barth.
That’s because they believe it’s important for patrons to see who is behind the Crystal Lake bistro, a place that combines fine dining and casual atmosphere.
“Our name is an oxymoron; we do fine dining in a casual way,” C.J. Barth said. “We want people to feel comfortable. Some people may see a white tablecloth and escargot and pate and think they can’t come in.”
Sometimes French cuisine may be intimidating, but C.J. works hard to put customers at ease. He may stop by a table, notice a diner is eating from the charcuterie and artisan cheese board and rattle off the meats and cheeses from memory.
“Maybe they (thought they) would never eat escargot but, holy hell, they did and found out they liked it,” Barth said.
Popular dishes include Florida Crab & Rock Shrimp Cake, Wasabi Crusted Hawaiian Ahi Tuna, Potato Crusted Chilean Tilapia and Grilled New York Strip Steak Frites Parisian. The lunch menu offers more sandwiches, like the French Toasted Croque Madame and Monsieur.
Adding French dishes to the Mt. Prospect menu was an easy transition, Barth said, and the Crystal Lake location gave the family the opportunity to open up “a whole new concept and menu. We’re incredibly unique. There was an expectation we had to live up to with the name. My parents gathered quite a customer base so we’re living up to the name.”
Barth said the family feels that dining at Retro Bistro is the same as inviting you into their home for a nice meal. “It means so much to hear someone say they had an amazing meal.”
About the owners: Lorraine Barth’s parents owned Retro Bistro in Mt. Prospect and D&J Bistro in Lake Zurich. Lorraine and her husband, Chris, both graduates of Kendall College with years in the restaurant business, took over Retro Bistro in Mt. Prospect in 1997. They opened Retro Bistro’s Crystal Lake location in June 2016 and brought their son, C.J., into the business.
Philosophy: “Casual dining, you can come in on Christmas Eve with your family or on a Thursday afternoon for a beer and burger in a bar,” Barth said.
Decor: Designed to remind diners of an Americanized version of a European bistro. “This comes off as a more modern environment. We have a nice bar and French doors that open to the outside. The layout has a downtown Chicago feel in a great location with all of the shops,” Barth said.
Prices: Appetizers from $7.50-$24. Salads from $9.50-$18.50. Alsatian Tart Flambe (flatbread pizza) from $11-$13. Sides from $3.50-$7. Entrees from $18.50-$36. Desserts from $7.50-$9.
Logistics: Retro Bistro is at 83 N. Williams St., Crystal Lake. Hours are lunch 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Thursday-Friday, brunch 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, dinner 5-9 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, dinner 4:30-8 p.m. Sunday. Call 815-893-4465 or go to www.retrobistro.com.
Shonda Talerico Dudlicek is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News.
