Chicago (French) - Le Bouchon

Le Bouchon
1958 North Damen Avenue, Chicago IL; Phone 773-862-6600
Date of Review: January, 2007; updated May, 2008

Le Bouchon is a classic French bistro in the heart of Wicker Park. Jean-Claude Poilevey opened Le Bouchon in 1994 and his restaurant has continued to impress in an environment that has underwent a myriad of changes over the last decade or so. Le Bouchon offers a casual atmosphere and high quality, classic French dishes. The menu is small as is the restaurant. When I walk into Le Bouchon, I feel like I am walking into one of the wonderful storefront bistros in the Marais or St-Germain-des-Prés neighborhoods in Paris which brings back some incredibly fond memories.

Le Bouchon is a quintessential French bistro. It is small, crowded and the tables are close to one another. This makes for an intimate dining experience that can be romantic or just fun. It has a small bar that you can have a drink at, but on a busy night you will have a tough time finding a place to stand as you wait for your table. If you have an extended wait, I would recommend going across the street to Darwin’s for a drink and returning when your table will be ready.

For starters, the French bread on the table is a good way to start your meal. Don’t skip on the rich and flavorful butter either. There is a range of starters and salads that are all solid. The French Onion Soup is fantastic. It is served with a healthy portion of cheese melted over the top, but the key to the dish lies in the fact that the onions are soaked in duck fat. As good as it is, I found it a bit too rich for my liking. These same onions are packed inside a nice crust in Jean Claude’s Onion Tart, which makes for a nice piece of savory pie. The codfish brandade is a simple combination of garlic, cod, butter and cream and it is fantastic. It is served with garlic croutons, but if you are left with more brandade (but no more croutons), use your leftover bread to assist you with the rest. The mussels and house made pate are also very good. On the salad side, I have particularly enjoyed the salad with lardons.

The entrees range from an always wonderful fish special to roasted duck for 2 to grilled steak with house butter and home-made Fries. On my last visit, I had the monkfish special that was served lightly fried and paired with sautéed spinach and garlic mashed potatoes. Another fish special I have enjoyed in the past is the skate wing, which has a firm consistency and is served with spinach and vegetables. The standard menu has many classic dishes including free range chicken, poached salmon, braised Moroccan lamb shank and sautéed rabbit.

The dessert menu is simple but continues to impress. The crème brulee is, as expected, solid. The profiteroles are decent but if the French Onion Soup and your entrée left you begging for a digestive, a lighter dessert option is the fresh berries with vanilla sauce.

Le Bouchon has an extensive, solid wine menu that is heavy on French wine.

Le Bouchon is a solid value. The appetizers, salads and desserts all range from 5-8$ and the entrees are between 16-20$. On my last visit, our party of 3 had the three course price fixe menu offered on Tuesdays and a total of 4 glasses of wine for a total of $125 (including tax/tip).

Le Bouchon offers some excellent specials including ½ price bottles of wine on Mondays, a $22 Prix-Fixe special where you can select any starter, entrée and dessert on Tuesdays and the daily "Le Menu Bistro Lyonnais" menu option allows the patron to select an appetizer, entrée and dessert from a limited selection of menu items for 20$.