Chez Moi or Quel Suprise

The Slow and Savory Review

Though Brandy is unquestionably the expert on brunch, there has always been one part of her studies that has been impossible to progress at.  "I can tell you anything you want to know about chicken and waffles, biscuits and gravy, eggs benedict, pancakes, French toast, or mimosas," Brandy admits, "But Bloody Mary's have never been my cup of tea, so to speak."  She has tried several times to enjoy the traditional breakfast cocktail and has come close to finding some she found palatable, but there has never been a Bloody Mary she wanted to drink a whole cup of in all her years of brunching.

Her friend Hawk, who is a bit of a perfectionist, was disturbed by this blank space on her score sheet.  "You can't call yourself a brunch expert when you can't talk about where your favorite Bloody Mary is!" he explained to her one day, "I am making it my personal mission to find a Bloody Mary you like so that you have at least one in your Rolodex."  After a lot of research, Hawk found a candidate he felt fairly certain about on Chez Moi's new brunch menu.

Chez Moi in Lincoln Park is the current residence of Chef Dominique Tougne, who created one of Brandy's favorite brunch destinations of yore, Bistro 110.  The adorable spot was very much decorated with old world charm in mind, having lots of dramatic woods, Gothic art, and wrought iron, but without being too heavy or oppressive.  Brandy especially loved the high ceilings and crystal chandeliers that added a touch of classic coziness.

To warm up before she dove into the Bloody Mary, Brandy first tried the Royale Mimosa.  This particular iteration of her favored brunch cocktail was soft, sweet, and less acidic than a traditional mimosa with an extraordinary floral note from the use of orange liqueur.  After that came the moment of truth.  Brandy had the bar tender prepare a small portion of the dreaded Bloody Mary, just in case she didn't care for it, but right away she could tell that this one was something different.  "The trick with this Bloody is that it's made with a French onion soup base," Hawk proudly told her, and Brandy had to admit that she was intrigued.  The over all flavor was less tomatoey, but definitely savory, with a good salty kick, and came garnished with a blue cheese stuffed olive and a hunk of beef pate.  "Oh my goodness," Brandy exclaimed, "I don't want to alarm you, but I think I may actually finish this whole glass!  Well done, my friend, you've achieved the impossible and found me a Bloody Mary I actually enjoy!"

Now with a taste for onion soup, Brandy placed an order for the classic French bistro dish to start off her meal.  This version was spot on with a generous amount of melty cheese on top and a rich, complex soup underneath.  Brandy especially liked that this version incorporated several different types of onions, which added to the deep flavor.

Hawk, satisfied that he had accomplished his goal, settled in for the simple Omelette Au Fromage with ham.  The texture of the eggs was lovely, not being too dense or fluffy, and the proportion of cheese and salty ham was just right.  Hawk also appreciated that his side dish was a nice light salad, where as if it had been the more often seen home fries or house potatoes, it would have taken away from the classic bistro feel.

Brandy chose the Quiche Lorraine, remembering how she had adored the quiche she had at Bistro 110 so long ago.  Needless to say, she was not disappointed.  This quiche was still the silkiest, smoothest, most decadent quiche she'd ever tasted with a wafer thin, buttery crust and an intense smokey flavor from the bacon.  "Oh, I have missed this quiche!" Brandy sighed, "If I wasn't sure this thing was full of enough cream to stop a marathon runner's heart, I'd be eating this every day for the rest of my life."

Finishing off the meal with something sweet, Brandy and Hawk split an order of Pan Perdu, a lovely take on a French toast made with pan fried brioche and a raspberry coulis.  The toast was eggy and soft with the perfect custardy consistency, while the raspberry sauce and fresh fruit added a much needed brightness to hover the dish right over the line of breakfast and dessert.  Hawk especially couldn't resist scooping up the sauce on its own and savoring its flavor.

"Well, I thought it couldn't be done.  I'm not even sure that I believe it myself.  But you managed to find a Bloody Mary I could literally drink gallons of," Brandy smiled at her friend.  As if this monumental discovery wasn't enough, the friendly service, reasonable prices, and extraordinarily flavorful food gave Brandy plenty of reasons to return to Chez Moi.  "You know, I'm still not entirely convinced I enjoyed that Bloody Mary as much as I first thought I did," Brandy said, eyeing her empty glass, "I might have to have another one.  Just to make sure.  For scientific purposes."

The writers of this blog were invited to dine at the restaurant free of charge in exchange for an honest review.

The Short and Sweet Review

Bistro 110 or A Fondu Farwell

The Slow and Savory Review

It's always hard to say goodbye, no matter how old you get.  It's a fact of life that friends come and go, which is a blessing and a curse, but we never seem to be ready for the changes that come our way.  So it is with a heavy heart that Our Ladies, accompanied by Biscuit Brown, headed to Bistro 110 on the Gold Coast, which after nearly 25 years as a traditional French/Cajun haunt is about to be re designated as a pizza, tapas, and wine restaurant. 

Bistro 110  is surprisingly spacious inside, with several different areas of interest.  Cute touches brought in the New Orleans feel, such as wrought iron hat wracks on the walls and traditional French white table linens.  A little old fashioned for some, perhaps, but there seemed to be a decent amount of revelers presents for Bistro's final brunch.  A four man jazz band stood at the back of the room, playing cheerful classics like "When the Saints Go Marching In" to the delight of the diners.

The menu offered a few options: a 2 course prix fixe, a 3 course prix fixe, or individual options.  Brandy, noticing that a drink was only $5 with the prix fixe, opted for that option, while the other two preferred just entrees.  Both Brandy and Biscuit sampled a French Margarita, a bright twist on the original with orange replacing lime.  Bunny chose the Bellini, which was also quite lovely and a good opener to brunch.

The meal began with some fresh baked bread, butter, and black raspberry jam, which was actually quite nice.  All three ladies commented that they would gladly make a meal from just this, the jam was that enticingly delectable.

For starters, Brandy insisted on a bowl of French Onion Soup.  This particular incarnation of the traditional soup was made with not only yellow onions, but also leeks and spring onions, adding to its rich flavor.  Of course, Brandy was only in it for the cheese, which did not disappoint in its gooeyness.

As a side for the table, a plate of Pommes Frites and Angle Hair Onions was ordered.  Arriving in a tangle of fried goodness, Our Ladies and guest simply could not stop picking at the plate.

Brandy chose the Quiche Lorraine as her entree, which came served with a small salad of greens.  This quiche, dear readers, was the lightest, fluffiest, most airy quiche known to man.  Bits of bacon added just the right hit of smokiness, bringing the richness of the egg to the forefront, and the delicate crust was wafer thin, so as not to interfere with the heavenly interior.

Bunny picked the Crepes A La Fricassee, a savory baked crepe dish with plenty of cheese on top and chicken inside.  Bunny commented that she thought this dish reminiscent of a cheese enchilada, but with more delicate flavors.

Biscuit ordered (much to Bunny's chagrin) the Voodoo Eggs Benedict, which came with smoked pork belly and voodoo potatoes.  At first, the wrong dish was brought to the table (the Eggs Louisiana which is made with Crab Cakes) but the mistake was soon corrected.  Disappointingly, the "smoked pork belly" seemed to be nothing more than sliced ham, but the eggs were poached well and the sauce was quite lovely.  The potatoes were the real surprise, though.  Appearing to be hot and spicy, they were actually quite creamy and sweet, having been cooked with bell pepper and tomato.

The round out the meal, Our Ladies and guest shared a Creme Brulee.  Another dish served very traditionally, its sugar crust certainly did not disappoint for cracking.  The custard within was somewhat cold in spots and warm in others, which was strange, but all in all it was light and delectable.  Bunny and Brandy both agreed that it could have benefited from a few fresh berries on top.

Bistro 110 will surely be dearly missed for its combination of traditional French fair, warm service, and relaxing decor (not to mention the amazing Jazz band).  We tip our hats to you, Bistro 110, and here's hoping your new incarnation will be as delightful as its predecessor!

The Short and Sweet Review