The Blanchard

Finally got a chance to try this place during restaurant week 2016. All those stellar reviews are legit! The chef here definitely knows what he’s doing. We started with the escargots and duck confit. The escargots were tender and drenched in butter (not a bad thing, but it’s rich, so be forewarned). I couldn’t stop dipping the few pieces of bread into the tiny wells of the plate to pick up every piece of butter drenched herb-​pancko even though I can feel my arteries narrowing as the night wore on… The duck confit was super tender and flavorful I almost wanted to steal from my bf.
For entrees we tried the boeuf bourgignon and duck a l’orange. Both were cooked to perfection, but I was sad to find the only thing crispy on my plate was a slice of fried orange (no crispy duck skin). The boeuf bourgignon is a modernized version with a huge chunk of tender beef instead of a traditional beef stew, but it was still delicious.
For dessert we both got the coconut financier. Our only complaint? It’s too small! For something that good, we should get a bucket of it! Service was smooth and attentive. This is certainly the best restaurant we’ve eaten at during restaurant week and perhaps the best this year so far! Can’t wait to return~

I came to the Blanchard with my friends at 9pm on a Friday night and the restaurant was as packed as you could imagine it to be. I’m really happy that they put their signature dishes on their restaurant week menu (aka the seared foie gras) — so far it’s been the best foie gras I’ve had in the states! Loved the steak frites; the portion of each dish was just about right. The only reason I’m not giving it a five star: the music was a little too loud for a French restaurant.

Really solid French food. Everything was delicious. Would give it 5 stars but the only drawback was we had to wait an extra 30 minutes despite having a reservation — then also had a hard time even getting a drink at the bar. Despite that, we’re already looking forward to our next meal there.

It’s a little difficult to find, m but definitely worth it. It’s dark and cozy inside. When I went it was very crowded. The food is amazing! I had the escargot, and it was classic and delicious. The seared foie gras with the candied lavender was so rich and luscious — so good. The duck was cooked perfectly, and the sauce was very flavorful. The pot de crème was very rich and decadent. My friends has the beef bourguignon. It wasn’t very traditional, but it was served with short rib and was delicious. Overall the food was very flavorful. The sevice was good. Plates came out a little slow, but I think that might be on purpose, as I experienced that in France. I definitely recommend this one.

Very good take on French bistro food.
Excellent location, nice surroundings without being frumpy.
Best steak fritz in Chicago
Had the duck confit and steak fritz. Could not have been better. Wine list was fairly extensive and reasonably priced. This place is my new go to place for French casual dining. I’m looking forward to trying the Bouillabaisse.
Also looking forward to trying it in warmer weather.
Loses the last star for sound (a little bit noisy) and pace of service (almost an hour for first course).

I would have given this place a 0 star if I could due to their lack of customer service since they are considered an «upscale» French restaurant. They need to retrain their hostess/​manager a little better. I made a reservation for dinner at 8:30 pm. However, when we checked in, the snooty hostess informed me that our table wasn’t ready. I asked her how long will it take before we can be seated. She responded by saying that «we are out of hangers!». I was appalled and asked my husband what the hell is she talking about. Am I not speaking English to her. He then asked her the same question again and she finally said that she doesn’t know the estimated time because they are running a little behind. Fine! We went to the bar and order our drinks. We were drinking and chatting away until 1 hour later, I told my husband to go check with that ignorant hostess again to see when our table will be ready. He was informed that the other party is in the process of paying for their tab and our table will be ready shortly. Ten minutes passed another girl approached us at the bar and said your table is ready. Please follow me. I addressed my concerns to her explaining that we have been waiting for one hour to be seated despite our 8:30pm reservation. She told me «I don’t know what to tell you.» I asked if there’s anybody who’s in charge that I could talk to. She simply walked away. I was livid at this moment and ranted right away when the server approached our table. At this time it was already 9:50pm. I related the whole situation to him and he said that he’s sorry. Then, he proceed to tell us about their specials of the night. I could careless about your specials of the night. I was hungry and upset that no one acknowledged my complaints. My husband was impressed with the food that we ordered: fois gras, duck confit, escargot as appetizers. Sea food bouillabaisse and shorts ribs for the entrees. All of the dishes were very delicious according to my husband. However, I was too upset that it totally ruined my appetite so I barely tasted the food.
To sum this up. If you are just coming here for good French food and don’t care too much about their services then this is the place for you. As for me, it doesn’t matter how good your food is. Customer service is also extremely important! Maybe someone from management should read the previous complaints on here that there were several other parties who made their reservations in advance and still had to wait about 1 hr before being seated. Perhaps they should not book all the reservations too close to each other if they can’t accommodate the guests on time.
Thanks for reading my long review!

Amazing service and, if possible, even better food. Among the top 3 meals I’ve had in Chicago, and I’ve been to Alinea.

The starting appetizer was the example of bomb diggity in small packages: a croissant with prosciutto and cream cheese.
Veal cheeks wrapped in al dente ravioli. A+
The frisée salad with a poached egg on top sprinkled with pepper specks was well mastered.
Rack of lamb prepared medium rare was a little undercooked for my liking as the bloody juice was glistening under the dim light. I’d prefer medium next time.
From this point on, everything is perfect! The filet mignon was tender and foie gras was the cherry on top.
The molten chocolate cake came a bit cracked, previewing the liquid chocolate inside. The firm cake enclose a velvety dream of cocoa. Mixed with the different dressing around the cake brought me over the top.

The Blanchard is a lovely dining experience. You are greeted by very handsome French men as soon as you enter! We started with Mussels and Lardon Salad. Outstanding Mussels and the bread to dip was divine.
We had the Dover Sole and Cassoulet for entrees. The Sole was perfection and the Cassoulet not as heavy as most. We ended with delicious desserts and coffee. Our waiter was excellent and the owner ran out and flagged down cabs for us on Clark St. I am going back this week, and can’t wait.

This was the best French meal I have ever had! We were given a gift card for a birthday celebration and dined there last night. It was a wonderful evening from the moment we entered the door till we walked home. The Barman was a scientist and I found a new favorite cocktail, Bön Vivant. Smooth and sweet and elegant. My husband loved his Old Fashions. I started with escargot and it was exactly the way it should be. The French bread soaked up the garlic broth which was perfection. I had the Macaroon foie gras which was a delightful surprise of creaminess. The steak frites were heavenly and we ended with the pot de crème which was smooth and deep chocolate goodness. I can’t wait to come back!

The food and service were both very, very good. 3 stars because they do not know how to manage time and reservations. We made ours two months in advance citing that we were celebrating a special anniversary and were told our table was paying when we got there. Great! We waited in the bar and got a drink. After 30 minutes our table was still not ready. After 60 minutes we were almost ready to walk out. We chose to spend our money (quite a bit of it) and our time at this restaurant and they apparently don’t appreciate that very much. I will note that they gave us a complimentary glass of champagne when we sat down but it wasn’t enough to make it acceptable in our opinion.
The bar was full of other people getting angry as well, constantly checking on their reservations.
There are so many other upscale restaurants in Chicago that will treat you better. If you are not bothered by ridiculous waits with a reservation then give it a try because the food and service was good.
Recommended dishes: escargot, foie gras ganache, short ribs and dover sole. Shrimp salad was good but not great and we skipped dessert as we had cake waiting at home.

The Blanchard is my favorite new restaurant of 2015. It is a fine, elegant space, with friendly, welcoming staff and service. The food is excellent, the pacing impeccably unhurried, the atmosphere buzzy without being crowded or overbearing
Let us jump right in to the cuisine.
They have four foie gras presentations. Two seared — one in a sweet compote, the other encrusted in truffles — a macaron torchon, and a ganache. My favorite was the sweet compote sear — a wonderful balance of fatty foie and sweet cookie — light, airy, and decadent. I also tried the truffle version, but the crust was overly blackened — too crunchy and overbearing for my taste. The ganache is a superb creamy spread and travels home quite well.
The signature dish, the Oeuf Outhier, is worth a stop for this alone. Whipped egg, topped with caviar, served in an eggshell, it is creamy, light and airy, full of flavor, simply divine. This is the appetizer to get if you wish to save room for dessert (and you should).
For entrees, our first time we had the duck l’orange and the steak frites. Both were superb dishes, minor variations on the classics. The steak was served in tournedos rather than one piece, but were melt in your mouth, grilled to perfection. The duck breast, rare, was full of flavor, and the orange sauce highly concentrated; a delicious dish.
On our second trip, in early November, I hoped to have the veal chop, which looked just as good as the duck l’orange. Much to my disappointment, it was not available, nor the duck. Apparently in November the veal are too big, and the duck breasts too small (so I was informed by our waiter). I guess it is to the Blanchard’s credit that they take local seasonal food that seriously, but my stomach was dismayed, nevertheless. In their stead I opted for the boeuf bourguignon. It was delicious but the duck was better. I hope it is back on the menu when you eat there.
For a finale, desserts are amazing. The pot de crème is among the best I’ve had, and serves double duty as a deconstructed smore — it is garnished with burnt marshmallows and a cookie. Highly recommended.
As we move into the realm of the spiritual, I assure my noble bourbon boozers that you will not be disappointed. The bourbon & rye selection is well curated and the pours are strong. Their house Old Fashioned has a house infused demerara sugar that adds an ethereal facet that perfectly complements the bourbon.
My only real complaint is the wine list — I was expecting a larger selection of French wines from which to choose, especially Rhones. The website wine list is woefully out of date — it lists six Rhones, including a Gigondas, but in the restaurant, i recalled only two — a St Joseph, which is good, but EXTREMELY earthy and austere, or a Chateauneuf-​du-​Pape, which while superb (as always), was the most expensive (!) bottle on the list that night. It was our anniversary, so of course we were worth it, but I hope they add some more French options when we return, which is likely.
Service was superb, very knowledgeable and friendly. On our first visit our waiter complemented us on our joie de vivre, but I’m sure he says that to everyone. In any event, we were suitably flattered, and the gesture cemented The Blanchard as a restaurant to which one should return, again and again.

My husband brought me here to celebrate our anniversary. I want to start with all the good things and there are lots of them. Blanchard has a solid chef, we tried foie gras 3 different ways (amazing), prawns salad was out of this world! Potted rabbit appetizer and cassoulet were solid but a bit too traditional for my taste and in comparison to the other creative dishes like a foie gras torchon served as a macaroon (impressive!!!) They offer a decent wine list, because it was our anniversary we ordered Chateauneuf Du Pape Tardieu Laurent 2009. This $ 165 bottle ($ 70 dollar retail value) was worth every penny, it forever stole my heart.
Now you are wondering why 4 stars instead of 5? So here are some things I didn’t enjoy:
The dessert was beautiful but lacked flavor. We had a pistachio cake, they wrote «Happy Anniversary» on it … so we just couldn’t send it back after such a sweet gesture:)
Ambiance was a little off… I thought the décor did not quite fit with the dishes. Majority of the menu were very traditional French food (some even country style, like the cassoulet and therefore, a more fitting décor should’ve been French country-​inspired. Instead, Blanchard has a clean and modern feel with very contemporary (and repetitive) art pieces on the walls and even more random barn-​resembling light fixtures… a little bizarre.

Had dinner here this past Saturday to celebrate a birthday. We were seated a little later than our reservation time, however that is the only negative comment I have. Our waiter was fantastic. He offered us a great wine recommendation for the table.
We enjoyed appetizers of rillettes a la fermiere and mussels. Absolutely delicious.
3 entrees were shared, duck a l’orange, Rock Fish and beef bourguignon. All mouth watering, rich sauces as only French dishes can do. When our waiter realized we were celebrating a birthday, he brought out a dessert plate of the pot de chocolate Crème with happy birthday written in chocolate rimming the plate. Wonderful dinner experience!

I don’t know if our expectations were set too high or what but our group of four did not think that they hit the mark.
First of all as of the time that we dined here there was no valet parking. Finding a spot to park was nigh on impossible. OK, if it is a lovely night but I wouldn’t want to attempt to dine here on a blustery Chicago winter’s night. To be fair they did say that they are currently working with the city of Chicago to get the appropriate permit to allow the valet parking.
The host and the servers were both very professional and friendly.
I had the appetizer of escargot a la bourguignonne. Buttery and garlicky it was excellent. One dining companion had the mushroom soup and wanted some bread to eat along side but evidently they don’t bring bread and butter unless you ask for it. We did ask and they kindly brought some but it was hard, cold and disappointing. The most disappointing portion of our meal was yet to come though. The entrée. Two of us had the duck a la’orange. Probably the worst I have ever had. The server asked to what temperature we wanted it cooked. I replied «to the chef’s recommendation» The server told me that would be medium rare. Unfortunately it was way more rare than medium. This caused the meat to be extremely tough and chewy. Yuck! No orange flavor what so ever. Ugh! The potatoes and turnips that came along side were also under cooked, making them hard and flavorless. Sigh! If you can’t get this classic French dish right and you claim to be a French Bistro maybe should go back to school. The meal did end on a highlight. The chocolate pot de crème was excellent. Topped with toasted marshmallows the night ended on a sweet note!

My friend and I came here for dinner on a Wednesday. We were seated near the window and the place was full. The décor was modern and classic.
I had an incredible smooth fois gras mousse with toasted brioche. It was so full of flavour and great texture, one of my favourite.
My friend had a fresh and crisp lobster (or crab, can’t remember) starter.
We both had the beautifully cooked orange and honey duck! The sauce was a great feature as it didn’t over power the duck and gave it great flavours. The duck was also slightly crispy which I loved!
We didn’t get to try any desserts as we so were so full. But that we will make sure for next time!
They didn’t have valet so parking was difficult to park but they informed us that they were getting valet soon.
The chef also took a moment to chat with us about our experience which we really appreciated and just added that extra cherry on top.
We shall be returning.

Nice but not awesome.
Great ambiance. Wonderful table spacing, so plenty of privacy.
They offer four different foie gras preparations. We had the one served in fruit-​flavored macarons, Not good — the foie gras was fancied up too much and overpowered by the fruitiness, muting the taste of foie gras that we wanted.
Flavors seemed to be the problem here. Presentations were beautiful. But the duck ala orange had no orange flavor nor Grand Marniner taste, and was a bit chewy. Still nice, but not as described on the menu. «Baby carrots?» I think there was one skinny toothpick-​size slice on the plate, not enough to even taste.
Dessert was fabulous, both in presentation and in taste — finally good flavors. But coconut, the first item listed for the dessert I ordered, couldn’t be tasted. It was still a terrific dessert, but it didn’t relate to what I ordered.
Service was spot-​on. We’d be happy to go back, but to enjoy the company of the people we’re with, not because the food was remarkable.

Very good food but best of all — their desserts!
Choose #2 in the list of their choice of foie gras under appetizers. We tried 3 different ones and liked the seared version with crispy truffle crust best. The foie gras with apricot ganache is like whipped foie gras pâté. Furthermore, they over toasted my brioche toasts to Burnt. They were black. Just look at my photos.
The 2 at our table raved about the gazpacho with the compressed watermelon.
I had the veal with some sweetbread with a delicate white sauce.
Their cheeseburger with bacon is also a good choice. And if you like French fries — they are phenomenal– thinner than usual and crisp!
Our favorite dessert in our table was the crispy Napoleon of berries which was not sweet and a favorite in our table.
Although the passion fruit financier had a strong fruit taste, I preferred the pistachio dessert.
The orange mousse does not have a very strong orange taste. I wonder if they should have had a chocolate sauce on it.
Service is excellent! Good ambience — but to me this is modern American — not French. A good American restaurant with foie gras in the menu.

After having heard a few friends rave about the Blanchard my wife and I finally made it in for a date night; the dinner did not disappoint and even exceeded expectations. Lovely menu; not the largest but thoughtful and a large portion of the items sounded tantalizing. Appetizers are reasonably priced and the entrees are quite a deal for the quality and quantity. The duck was absolutely a stellar dish; nice crispy skin and juicy, flavorful interior, but everything we ordered was delicious, even dessert (so save room).
Service was friendly and attentive. Wine prices are extremely reasonable and there is a nice overall vibe with an elegant yet comfortable feel.
My wish list for future visits would include the addition of a cheese course option, a soufflé available for dessert and at $ 12 my cocktail could have utilized a higher end bourbon and better quality ice, but otherwise a wonderful evening. Definitely plan on returning soon to experience more of the menu.
Kudos to Chef Paskewitz and his team; Chicago has another fantastic dining option.

Gemini Bistro has been one of our favorite restaurants in Chicago for years and after seeing that Jason Paskewitz opened a new park side restaurant we were so excited to visit this new, contemporary space that serves some of the chefs «all star» dishes from other restaurants.
The restaurant is secluded and was slightly difficult to find but the dining room is very open and it’s not a loud environment. The bar is separated from the restaurant and I loved the high top bar seating in the main dining room to witness the magic happen.
There are no salads on the menu, so prepare for traditional french starters. Our service was a bit slow. Although, the waiter was very passionate about the menu and he was very informed about the wine selections.
The burger is over the top to say the least. Our favorite part of the meal was dessert. The pistachio torte looked like a work of art! We will go back and next time order the dish the restaurant is famous for: the Rillette a la Fermiere.
It is nice to have another option for fine French dining in Chicago that will consistently serve Coq au Vin and Steak Frittes and that will surely satisfy your craving for perfectly prepared French cuisine.