My husband and I were in Chicago to see a concert at the Old Town School of Folk Music. We were staying downtown, so we toyed with making reservations at one of the many restaurants on Michigan Ave. Then I thought, maybe there is a good place right near the venue that we can go to so we could relax before the show. I googled the area and found that there were many places right on Lincoln Ave., so we decided to wing it. We got our tickets, walked a few blocks down and found a really cute place with seating next to open windows. We went in to grab the last table, only to see the table being given to a women who entered seconds before us. We kept walking, and were just about to settle on a bar and grill with outdoor seating when my husband looked across the street and spotted a tiny restaurant with a courtyard filled with plants and flowers. PERFECT!!! It was early in the night, so even though we didn't have reservations, they were able to seat us. They took us into the back seating area that looked like a courtyard in southern France. The restaurant itself is made of stone with several buildings connected to each other. Vines and trees fill the space and tiny lights hang from the trees. There was even a old mosaic on one of the walls that looked like it was once a fountain.
It was casual but classy. The tables were dressed with linen and the wait staff was all in black. The hostess handed us our menus, and after a minute I noticed that the wine, cocktail and spirits menu was four pages and the food menu was only one page. This was my kind of restaurant!!! Unfortunately, that meant I had to figure out what to drink! Even though I drink my fair share of wine I am not very familiar with French wines so I asked our waitress to recommend a white wine on the sweeter side.
She suggested the Maison Foucher, LaVignedes Sablons,Vouvray, Loire 2011. It was sweet but not too sweet for dinner. My husband chose a Chicago brew. When she brought out the drinks we also received a loaf of warm fresh bread. This baked on site and has a multigrain feel. It is dense and nutty and really good!!!!!
The dinner menu is short but creative and strong. There were chicken, beef, lamb, fish and vegetarian options. Additionally, there were also two specials that the waitress described beautifully!
They offer appetizers, salads, entrees, sandwiches and sides. All the food was truly French so there was no cheating for those who do not like French food. Seeing I have not had escargot for about 20 years, I opted to order them. They serve them in a garlic Pernod butter. This not only flavored them beautifully but softened them a bit so they were not rubbery. I was so proud of my husband for trying them again!!! Lucky for me he is still not a fan so I got to eat them all!!!!
I ordered the Bologaise d'Agneau, braised lamb shoulder, with carrots, spinach and beet greens over home made pasta. The lamb was so moist and the portion perfect! I loved the combination of carrots, spinach and greens! The sauce was light but rich and I ended up soaking the remainder with my bread. Wow, was that a fantastic meal!!!! It was such a pleasant surprise!!! I did not realize it would be like a soup, but that presentation allowed all the flavors to combine and enhance the overall meal.
My husband ordered one of the specials, a steak with potatoes d'au gratin. He ordered it medium well and it was cooked to perfection!!! The potatoes were soft but not mushy and still formed covered with a tangy, rich cheese blend. We both cleaned our plates!!! We opted to have another cocktail instead of dessert and I decided to try one of the sweeter champagnes. Again, I went with the waitress's suggestion. When she brought it out she joked that the color of the champagne matched my outfit. It was true but the color wasn't the only selling point. It was sweet, but not sickeningly sweet and it was smooth and fruity. A perfect ending to a fantastic meal!!! What a wonderful surprise this restaurant was!! Bistro Campagne is a true gem! As you can see I was a very happy girl!
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