Old Town Brasserie

I came here for brunch on Easter Sunday. We were thrilled to be somewhere that was 1) not a buffet, and 2) not a crowded circus.
The portions were perfectly sized, perfectly priced, and the food was excellent. I might have used a different bread other than a baguette for french toast, but it probably prevented me from eating entirely too much french toast. The Easter brunch menu was a bit limited, but it might not be representative of the standard brunch menu. Service was great, and the restaurant is cute. I’d definitely go back for lunch or dinner.

I was here for restaurant week. My meal was enjoyable but it just didn’t blow me away, and I feel like the prix fixe menu is the restaurant’s chance to really showcase their best.
That said, the ravioli du jour was pretty cool (it had ground chickpeas or something in it) and the pommes frites that came with my chicken were really delicious.
I had some kind of chocolate cake for dessert, though, that I would definitely NOT recommend. It was covered with way too much cocoa powder, which kept making me cough, and the ice cream that was served with it had a really odd flavor.

I came here for Restaurant Week but otherwise probably never would have tried it. The décor is a bit outdated and it reminds me of restaurants I used to hate going to with my parents when I was little… The bar area up front is nice with windows looking out onto Wells.
All the staff was great, very pleasant and professional if you will. Whatever butter concoction comes with the bread is so yummy. I started with a beet salad which had goat cheese in it so obviously it was incredible. I had steak frites for dinner — tasty but not anything to write home about — and also tried their chicken which is their most popular menu item… it was great too. I found their dessert portions a bit small, which required me to eat more dessert after my dessert — never a good thing.
All in all, I think I enjoy other brasseries in the city more than this one, but I wouldn’t NOT recommend it for a special occasion/​night out with your parents.

We went here for my birthday dinner during Restaurant Week. Everything was very tasty, but I would have left hungry if my boyfriend hadn’t ordered a much heartier meal than me and let me eat off his plate.
1^st course– he had the ravoli of the day and I ordered the beet and goat cheese salad. Both appropriately portioned for the 1^st course, but he could have used more than two ravoli. The beet salad was par for the course.
2^nd course– he ordered the casoulet and I ordered the fish special of the day (Alaskan cod with a few pieces of lobster). The casoulet was heart with lamb belly, duck confit, and pork sausage, all on top of white beans. The cod was maybe 3 medium bites and the lobster was tasty, but also hard to pick out of the leafy salad. Tasty, but not enough to fill me up.
3^rd course– Crème brûlée and chocolate torte/​cake of some sort. Crème brûlée was standard and the chocolate thingy I ate was tasty, but really heavy and seemed mismatched with the raspberry sorbet it was paired with.
Another complaint I have is the fact that they never acknowledged that it was my birthday. Picky, yes. But for a restaurant of this caliber (aka price range), I expected to be greeted with a happy birthday by either the hostess or waiter (I noted it in my open table reservation). Last year onesixty blue not only greeted me with a happy birthday, but they also sent out a dessert with Happy Birthday written on it.
Also, when we went to get our coat at the coat check, the hostess was drinking a glass of wine at the bar and didn’t even notice us standing there. Seriously?
The verdict– I won’t be back until next restaurant week, and even that is iffy.

Went here for dinner last night and was disappointed in the experience. The gory details…
Food: Sub-​par, especially for a restaurant in the price range. The first course was good, but not exceptional. The beat salad was on the small side but tasty. They wrapped the goat cheese that topped the salad was rolled in nuts and a bit sweet (cinnamon?) — an unnecessary flourish that detracted from an otherwise solid dish. Friend had the white shrimp and they were also a good starter.
The mains disappointed. Steak frites is a classic dish. How on earth did OTB get this so wrong? The steak came sliced on the plate (this should have been in the description of the dish) and the temp was tepid. Moreover, the portion of steak was small and the steak was a bit tough; luckily the sauce added a bit of flavor. Frites were adequately crispy but oversalted.
Friends had cassoulet (best main of the night) and salmon (solid but unexceptional).
Desserts were hit or miss too. The chocolate dessert was quite tasty, the soufflé, eggy but not terribly interesting.
Drink: Red wine should NOT be served room temperature; it should be cellar temperature. Any self-​respecting French restaurant should know the difference.
Service: the waiters were pleasant, but they lacked polish. Two waiters struggled with English, by no means a sin but hardly ideal.
Ambience: Very pleasant vibe, the place catered to a mostly older (50+) crowd. The lounge singer was good and thankfully, was not so loud that it interrupted conversation.

For french in the area I prefer Bistrot Margot for better food/​wine at a cheaper price point.

I had dinner here with my family this past Saturday night and the food and service were fantastic!
We started off with cocktails, my mom ordered a martini which was quite good. We ordered a couple of appetizers, the scallops were delicious and had a fabulous sauce to accompany them. The escargot was nothing to really write home about, it was traditional with garlic and bread crumbs.
We all shared the beet salad which was very yummy and had a pomegranite purée and goat cheese, I would highly recommend this.
All of our entrees were also good, my brother had the evening special which waslobster (good but definitely not the best entrée of the night.) My mom had the duck breast which was delicous, my dad had the ancho chile pork… also very tasty and cooked perfectly! I had the duo of lamb which was awesome. Definitely order this if you are a red meat lover!
We finished the evening with crème brûlée which was also delightful!

I’ve never actually had dinner here, but I have been here several times later in the evening for drinks, dessert and music.
We first stopped in when walking by on a random evening because we heard live piano music playing. We decided to walk on in and check things out. As it was already past 10:00, the greater portion of the restaurant was already closed up with really only the bar area opened.
We got a seat near the piano and the guy singing, and we were just floored and how good the live music was. These guys are amazing. Joe Ferrar is the singer and the piano player’s name is Jeff. Joe has an amazing voice and Jeff is a spectacular piano player. We now come in here every few weeks on Friday and Saturday nights just to listen and have some drinks.
Joe and Jeff will learn songs for you if they don’t know them, so you can ask and come back next week and they will sing them for you. They will also take requests and are happy to sit down and chat with you in between sets. Just two incredibly friendly guys that really make this place a good one.
We’ve also tasted several of their desserts, my favorite being the carrot cake. Although I typically just dislike crème bruelee, I’ve got to say they must put something special in it at OTB because it’s great!
As I said, I’m not sure on the dinner itself, but the late night is fun and well worth stopping by.

My mom is a total french food fanatic so I have been to a lot of them in Chicago. This one I decided to test out before her next visit and I think this will get mom’s seal of approval as well as mine.
Old Town Brasserie has a nice selection of reasonably priced wines including around 30 that were by the glass.
We started with the shrimp appetizer finished with lemon coulis and a warm chick pea salad. Quite yummy.
I had the skate special and my friend had the salmon. Both fishies were cooked well and the skate may have been the best I have ever had. We all know that french food is all about the sauce or foam as the trend seems to be. Both were delightful enhancements of the meal.
Unlike many other fine french establishments the wait staff was helpful and earthy right down to the owner. He kindly helped me put on my coat and told me he’d sleep better having seen a beautiful lady tonight. I am sure he says that to all the ladies… but hey it can’t hurt for business to have ladies leave his restaurant with full bellies and a satiated ego, right? Well done old chap!

Old Town Brasserie is a very good restaurant full of charm and deliciously decadent French fare. I absolutely love French food, and when my date suggested OTB, I was excited as they had positive Unilocal reviews.
The restaurant is super cute. I think they could have done a better job with the lighting, but I did like the pillars of candles all over the restaurant. Tres romantique!
We started with Champers, which always makes me happy.
For our meal, I had the roasted beet salad. It was good. However, they totally skimped on the beets and goat cheese. I’d say it was about 80 percent greens with a delicious balsamic dressing, with small accents of red and yellow beets.
For the main course, I had the duck. It was perfect. The duck breast was prepared medium rare, and sat on top of a bed of lentils in some sort of red wine reduction sauce. It was delicious. My date had the Ribeye and Lamb combination. Apparently it was very good as he finished the whole thing.
For dessert, we had the pumpkin soufflé!!! It came out piping hot, with the aroma of the pumpkin and spices dancing in our face when set on the table. He let me crack it open, and we pretty much devoured it. It was so good that I could have probably eaten another one!
At around 10pm, the jazz singer (who looked just like Harry Connick Jr.), came on to perform. Ok. He’s not the best singer, but he puts on a good show. And he was adorable.
Service was ok. But overall, I really enjoyed this restaurant. To be perfectly honest, I would go back to see Mr. Harry Connick Jr. Lookalike and eat delicious soufflé.

I think I just gained five pounds.
Okay, that’s ridiculous and untrue. More like six.
In all seriousness, though, the French food here is unsurprisingly rich, but delicious! I didn’t order any appetizers, but I had my first escargot here and some pâté. Both were good, but I’m not sure if my tastebuds are asking me to return (this is not a fault of theirs — just a result of what I like and don’t like to eat). I got the duck for a main course and it was delicious. It was tender and well-​seasoned. The fat was pretty easy to cut off, which was nice. I also liked the lentils, cabbage, bacon, and mushrooms underneath it.
The soufflé was a bit underwhelming. I think it tasted like an omelet with sugar in it (that’s not a good thing). I’m sure the other desserts are delicious.
The restaurant is overpriced, but it’s in a nice area, and the service is excellent. I’d go back… just not every day!

The Place is really good. The food is polished, portions perfect so that you don’t come out feeling overly stuffed. The wife loves this fried tomato thing. I’ve been making my way down their list of apps, hoping to try them all. My favs so far are the fois gras and ravioli, and the mussels. Be warned, their apps portions are tiny, but that is the reason why they are called appetisers. I love ribeyes, and they have a nice ribeye.
I just really want to say the wife and I are fans of soufflé. There are only a handful of places in Chicago that serves soufflé. One date night, the wife and I, in the middle of polishing off our two souffles, ordered a third. Yes, that is how much love we have for souffles.
A word of advice, you will notice on their dessert menu, that the «chocolate» soufflé is listed by itself, away from the coconut, hazlenut and grand mariner soufflé. That is because their version of the «chocolate» is not a real soufflé even though the menu calls it a soufflé. It’s more of a chocolate lava cake.
Also, on their specials menu, there’s usually one or two other flavored souffles. So far, I’ve had the raspberry and the pistachio off the special menu.

Super pretentious and pricey. I guess I’m just not into fancy food, because although some of the things I tried were «OK,» nothing struck me as «ooh, another bite please!»
My corn soup with lobster was OK, salmon and crab appetizer was awkward, and the cobia was metal-​tasting. Maybe I don’t have a sophisticated enough palette for this place. I just kept drinking my wine, and savoring my bread until it was over.
Something distracting was the heat. Our whole table was sweating like crazy, and the booth seating was sticking to us. You’d think by charging hundreds of dollars for meals they could fix the a/​c for summertime.
Seemed like a whole lot of fuss over not a lot of tastiness.

We only stopped in for a drink purely based on location but I will say that we plan on trying the food. They also were very kind enough to put on the Cubs game.
I am a little hesitant on going from the reviews that others wrote about the staff, which I can completely see the staff being snobbish. I felt like they were watching me or something. Maybe I didn’t look money enough… nah.
Beautiful décor, dark woods and white linens. Also a full round bar that looks onto a very nice patio.
Like I said we probably will be coming back for the food which looked very very tasty.

It’s worth repeating 1000 times… the coconut soufflé here is AMAZING. Seriously, beyond words. Paired with a glass of Pinot Grigio, I had a near-​orgasmic experience.
Waitstaff was incredibly friendly and the décor inside is much nicer than other restaurants on the Wells St strip.
Haven’t tried the food here, but from the looks of it on my neighbors’ plates, it looked (and smelled) fab.
Definitely worth a visit (esp. if you can score a seat outside).

I like to reserve 5 Stars for exceptional places like MK and Zealous, but Old Town Brasserie is a whisker under 5 Stars and they are clearly above ‘my 4 star, Very Good’ rating. I was concerned about the Unilocal reviews of the service being inattentive and sometimes rude. But my first experience there last night (anniversary) was all positive. John and Rafael (they team up here) were most attentive and we never felt neglected.
As far as the food, is was mostly superb. I had the (rack of) lamb and braised beef combination. They recommend the lamb at med-​rare and the braised beef (cheeks) comes out medium. Lamb a tad bit fatty, but very tasty. The braised beef I cut easily with my fork. My wife’s Beef Wellington was ‘good’ but not great. We let John pick a starter for us and he brought the lobster ravioli, which was most tasty, but small (kind of hard to split). Also, we opted for a bottle of the Rosenblum Red Zinfandel, a good pairing and inexpensive at only $ 30. From reading Unilocal reviews we knew to order the coconut soufflé and we were rewarded with an outstanding end to our anniversary meal. We will go back again, perhaps late on Friday or Saturday for just a drink and the piano bar.

I have mixed feelings about this place.
The entrée I had (duck) was pretty tasty and the next time I go I will try the rack of lamb and beef. I go there more often for the soufflee. It is AMAZING! I usually have the Grand Mernier and my friend usually has the coconut flavored one. They are both great.
The appetizers on the other hand… Just not my thing. I tried the scargot… not sure why… because I already knew I hated all the butter they put on those slimey suckers. I also tried the scallop/​crab cake thing… hmmm… not so great either.
So, go for the entrée and the soufflee… skip the appetizers.

The food looked wonderful but the service was awful. Unfortunately, we never got to taste the food.
After seating us 45 minutes late for our 8:30 reservation, we were promptly told the kitchen was out of half the menu and «not to rush you, but the kitchen is closing in 10 minutes.» I’m afraid to see what it’s like when they rush you. We couldn’t believe the server’s audacity and decided to walk out.
When we told them we were leaving, they were unapologetic and told us «that next time we should make an earlier reservation.» They didn’t have enough food for their 8:30 reservations? What business are they in? I don’t think there is going to be a next time.
All in all, the food looked great but it doesn’t seem like the management has made the transition from the fine dining atmosphere of Le Francais to the busy, urban brasserie setting. If you go, expect a rude welcome, a long wait and don’t forget to make an early reservation!

My hips said «No-​no,» but my lips said «Oui, oui» to this recently opened French brasserie.
Right at the corner of Wells & Division, I am delighted to discover that Bob Djahanguiri (former owner of Toulouse & Yvette in the Gold Coast) has come out of hiding to bring back some good, old-​fashioned bistro fare. As I walk in, I am reminded of Balthazar in Paris and I feel a little déjà vu, as if time stood still – People I haven’t seen since my old dancing-​in-​a-​cage days were there, almost as if to celebrate Bob’s «arrival.» It’s a scene to «see and be seen” – pretty people everywhere – mingling of a sophisticated older crowd reliving their heyday mixed in with young, well-​heeled hipsters.
The menu is limited, but ooh, what choices from which to pick! My meal started out with the soup du jour – an extraordinary creamy blend of wild mushrooms followed by the most exquisite shaved black truffles dancing atop a perfectly chilled frisee salad. Every bite, every crunch opened up taste buds I didn’t know I still had. The final course ended with an 8 oz. ribeye steak served with a wonderful swirl of purée de pommes. Magnifique!
I didn’t get to see Nan Mason at the piano – an oldie, and a goodie – but I will sure go back on a Friday or Saturday when I am told she performs.
…nothing good comes without its opposite, so I unfortunately end this commentary with a little warning: Get past the manager’s aloofness — -a Barney Rubble look-​alike — -and, as long as you don’t mind the busboy asking you at the end of your meal whether you’re «still wurkEEN» (Translation: Are you finished eating), you will be pleasantly surprised by the cuisine and the ambience. Ooh la la :)

Dined here this past Saturday night with a party of four, all of us «sharers’», so I was able to taste half the menu. My one complaint will be addessed right away and was not so much an issue for us, but it was incredibly loud. If you’re dining with anyone older or that is hard of hearing, I’d avoid peak times and weekends.
Apps: We had the pâté, the duck consommé, the oysters and the artichoke terrine. My terrine was nice, but not incredible. I tased the consommé and it was indeed rich. Justin did not share either of the two lovely floating truffle ravioli, but they looked good. The oysters were sweet, plump and fresh. The highlight though was the pâté — a trio of chicken liver, duck and country style pates — I preferred the duck but all were lovely.
Entrees: Members of my party had the duo of lamb and kobe, the duck duo, and the oil poached lobster w/​scallops. I had the tournadoes of beef. I tasted everything and could not find any faults. The veg accumens were appropriately paired and inventive, the proteins were all done well — I though the duck was a little dry, but redeemed itself with really crispy skin.
Wine: We had two bottles of a French pinot noir, reasonably priced at about $ 45. It was nothing to write home about, but did the job well, considering our wide range of entrée selections.
Dessert: OH my. This is why I will go back. Their are five soufflé options. We tried four: Coconut, Hazelnut, Grand Marnier and Pistachio. I’m only sad we didn’t have a fifth person so I could have had a bite of the chocolate. They were all fantastic.
I hate to call a meal like this «reasonably» priced, but for a three couse meal and two bottles of wine, we came out to $ 175/​couple including tax and gratuity.

This new addition to Old Town has been open about a week and we stopped by last night to check it out.
First of all, Old Town Brasserie has got alot going for it if past performance is any indication. It’s owner Bob Djahanjuiri (sp?) has had success in the past with Toulouse and Yvette and the chef is from Le Francais so our expectations were pretty high.
The space is beautiful. The front windows open on to the street and frame the large bar area. It was one of those perfect September nights so it was great to see the people sitting and enjoying dinner al fresco. The bar itself is a speckled granite done in tones of beige and brown with dramatic down lighting and plenty of seats and little bistro like tables. I could have lingered there a while longer but our table was ready.
We were seated in the dining area which is done in beautiful tones of gold and the seat backs are upholstered in a silk like plaid lending to the overall french feel. Wall sconces softly light the place and there is enough room between the tables not to feel cramped. Very lovely. A perfect place to enjoy an evening with someone special.
The menu is not huge but carries some of the traditional french dishes with a little twist. Case in point the escargot. While it did come with the traditional garlic butter preparation– they added a tomato and some Roquefort cheese to the preparation and it made for a very good, unique combination of tastes. The french bread that they kept putting on our plates was perfect for scooping up that last little bit of garlic butter from the snails.
For entrees– you can choose from a variety of offerings like Salmon, lobster and scallops, steaks, duck or chicken. I chose the special of the day which was thinly sliced prime rib in a peppercorn sauce served with lyonaise potatoes and fava beans. My friend took the tourenados of beef which also was good. The food is artistic looking and prepared perfectly.
We were offered our choice of 4 souffles about mid dinner ranging from a hazelnut to a more traditional chocolate but we were full and the idea of dessert while nice– was just too much. I regretted my decision when two of the souffles were served to the table next to us a moment later. They looked delicious! Oh well. Next time.
While the name and menu imply that this is a french restaurant– I would say that it is french with a contemporary twist. Gone are the overly sauce laden dishes that you normally associate with french cooking and instead, there is just simple foods prepared with an eye toward creativity.
All in all– a really nice place for dinner. And I will be back for one of those great soufflé’s.