Being so obsessed with food and having tried almost every restaurant in the downtown Evanston area, I'm surprised I still haven't tried this place out - until this morning.
Went in for Sunday brunch, and was pretty excited to go. I've tried a few of the other more upscale restaurants in Evanston area - Stained Glass, Quince, etc. - and have for the most part not been disappointed.
I ordered the mussels and the boyfriend ordered cream of mushroom and an eggs benedict with salmon. The soup came out pretty quickly, and although it tasted decent, the small bowl was NOT worth $7.50. Not getting soup here again...
Then came the wait. Waited for over 30 minutes before I got my food. Which I don't get because my dish is pretty much steamed mussels in a light broth and the boyfriend's is a very standard breakfast menu item. Started to get a little frustrated (and hangry), but the waiter was very apologetic and kept checking in with us, which I appreciate.
When the food finally came out, I wasn't necessarily disappointed, but the food was far from stellar. I appreciated the fact that they were very generous with the amount of mussels they gave me (42 to be exact... don't ask me why I was weird enough to count), but the broth itself was bland and pretty flavorless. Didn't try the boyfriend's, and although he said he enjoyed his meal, I could definitely tell he wasn't LOVING it. Finally, my meal came with fries, and the flavor was fine, but they were kinda soggy and floppy.
Gonna take a little bit of convincing to get me back.
My standard for a good French restaurant is Paris....ok, I can't really compare French cuisine in Paris to the US, so I've been in search of something close. Â Bistrot Du Coin in DC is the closest I've gotten. It's really hard to find a good French restaurant in Chicago.
Bistro Bordeaux was no exception.
Root vegetable soup - Had chicken in it. What?! If you call it a chicken soup, it's a great chicken soup. But that's not what it was called. Major misnomer.
Steak tartare-Excellent
Mussels-Restaurant Week menu online said this:
Moules Frites à l'Armoricaine aux Chataignes
Prince Edward Island mussels steamed in a lobster & chestnut bisque with
preserve lemon & tomato fondue served with Bistro Bordeaux French fries
At the restaurant, they CHANGED IT to a white wine sauce. Boring. The mussels were good, but I wanted what they said they were going to have. Really disappointed. About 10% of the bunch weren't open, which means they were dead.
The Restuarant week menu online also had this item:
Gnocchis Parisienne
pumpkin flavored French style gnocchi,
served with roasted butternut squash & sage butter
We go to the restaurant and it is not there. So my date ordered an alternative: Poulet Fermier Roti. It was too salty, but still had some good flavor. Hearty dish, and the vegetables were cooked properly.
Bread-they served Italian bread, not French baguette.
Profiteroles-Real profiteroles do not have ice cream in the middle. That's a US thing. The problem with that is that the puff pastry is not fresh. Tasted like they bought these from a restaurant company. The chocolate sauce was good. It was a satisfying desert if I were at Ruby Tuesday's or something of that genre.
I will never go back for the lack of value for the price paid, lack of authenticity, and changing the restaurant week menu to something of lesser value.
I'm not a debbie downer by any means, so let's point out the positives:
Server was good
Ambiance is great
Steak Tartare was delicious
Went for restaurant week with a friend and we each got different things so we could try a vast array of what was offered.
We started with chicken liver froi gras and steak tartar. I didn't care for the liver but my friend loved it and I loved the tartar but she didn't. Win in my book (don't touch my food!)!
For our entrees I got the mussels and she got the skirt steak. Again, I preferred mine and she preferred hers. The mussels were perfectly executed but I found the skirt steak too rare but I'm sure it was perfectly cooked in most peoples' books.
For desert we had the brioche and the creme brulee - both were decadent and amazing.
The service was prompt and friendly but the tables were TOO close and the lighting was horrible. I saw a few people picking up the candles on the table, hovering it over their menus to try and read it.
All in all, I will certainly go back and recommend this place for a special dinner, not for every day dining.
Tried Bistro Bordeaux for restaurant week 2013. I was very impressed and would definitely like to go back. The inside was nicely decorated and had a great atmosphere, although the tables were a bit close together. Service was friendly and prompt even though they were very busy.
My friend and I had the prix fixe menu starting with the soup of the day (root vegetable bisque) and steak tartare. My friend enjoyed his soup, and I found out that steak tartare is not quite my thing; not to say that it was poorly prepared. Along with our first course we had a delicious French baguette which was extremely crusty but soft on the inside served with very creamy butter.
For the entrees we had the mussels and the Amish chicken. My chicken was cooked perfectly. Skin was crispy and highly seasoned while the meat below was melt in your mouth tender.(Big portion too- 1/2 chicken) The brown sauce was deliciously soaked up by the bread. The mussels were also perfectly cooked- very soft and not a bit rubbery- but the sauce was a little heavy on the white wine flavor for my tastes. The accompanying frittes were so-so and served with a tasty truffle cream.
For dessert, we had the pain au perdue (read most indulgent, delicious French toast you will ever have in your life) and the creme brulee. Both were delicious, and the portion of the cream brulee was quite large.
There is a massive wine list to accompany whatever you order. My friend and I are big beer drinkers, and they also do have some great beers available too.
Bistro Bordeaux is not cheap, but it is excellently prepared food in a very nice atmosphere. I can't wait to graduate and make some money so I can come here again ha ha.
This place has a lot of charm and character but the food is very average. We heard this was a very authentic and classic french restaurant, so we gave it a shot. But nothing was impressive.
Our food items contained the following:
-Foie Gras (4/5) - comes with a delicious marmalade and honeycomb cake. The combination of Foie with anything sweet is always a winner in my book. They give you a good size of Foie Gras as well (4 oz).
-Scallops (2/5) - Scallops? My bad. I meant scallop. One scallop surrounded by unseasoned lentils. The only saving grace is that the scallop was perfectly cooked. Totally overpriced for what you get.
-In-house made curry pork sausage (4/5) - Actually very delicious and filling. It was the specialty item of the night, so I am not sure if you will see it again. Although it was really delicious, it didn't seem to be very authentic to french cuisine...
-Skirt Steak with Pomme Frites (3/5) - They give you a very generous portion of both items, but the steak was overcooked, making it very tough and chewy. Definitely had better skirt steak at other restaurants.
All in all, I wouldn't come back because it's too overpriced for the level of food executed.
Come for the coq au vin, skip the steak and frits. GET THE OYSTERS. Â The wait staff here is very well educated on the food so if you have questions, definitely ask. Â The wine list is pretty good also and definitely affordable for a nice bistro. Â I'd definitely come here more often if it was only closer to me. Â Kind of ironic that I was a poor student when I lived in Evanston and now that I can afford it, it's on the opposite side of Chicago :(
Review Source:David and I went to Bistro Bordeaux again and enjoyed this fine restaurant again. Â The food was fantastic. Â A very traditional dinner for me, French onion soup, Coq au Vin, Profiteroles au Chocolat - in a lovely space. Â
The service was good, but a bit leasurily.  Guests should be greeted very soon after arriving at the table, even just to say something to the effect of "Hi, welcome".  Admittedly, because I'm currently on crutches, David dropped me off then parked the car and I was seated as one of a party of two.  But, that's not a reason not to be greeted by the waitress quickly and offered a glass of wine or an appetizer until the rest of the party arrives.  The service continued to be more leasurily than I prefer.  Dinner took a bit long to arrive after being ordered, and there was a long time between finishing the main course and being offered desert.  Coffee and desert  arrived ... leasurily.  I understand and enjoy casual relaxed dining, but timing is everything and a short nap time shouldn't be part of it.
The bussing service however was the opposite, water refilled quickly and in-obtrusively, dirty dishes or glasses whisked away appropriately and without fuss, almost magically, napkins refolded if one left the table., etc. Â Waiters and waitresses take note, if the table is empty, glide over fairly soon and see what's happening.
What really mystifies me is how a restaurant this nice, and has so much going for it, has the lighting so wrong. Â Diners should not have to use flashlight apps on their phones to read the menu. Â Others were!!! Â If you are waiting after ordering, it should not be in very dim light. Â LIGHT THE TABLE! Â Show off the nice table cloth, the sparkling silverware, the glimmering wine and water glasses, and create a soft glow to the person(s) at the table! Â Great restaurant lighting for fine relaxed fine dining has pools of light at every table so it's an intimate separate space for each table.
The lighting in general is good, but at the table it should be sufficient to see the menu, the delicious food that is so carefully prepared and presented, and the person(s) with whom the diner(s) has chosen to share the occasion. I was at Chili's last night. Â While Chili's is way at the other end of the lighting spectrum for dining, (flood lights above every table!!), It was nice to see the menu, the food, and my handsome dining companion. Â I'm NOT saying flood lights are the answer. Â They are not, most certainly not for a fine dining experience. Â However, proper lighting at or on each table creating a pool of light on the table (NOT those electric votive lights! Oh, mon Dieu! ) sufficient to read the menu and enjoy the beauty of the food and the table service, would bump my review up a notch immediately.
Don't get me wrong. Â This is a lovely restaurant, and highly recommended. Â It's just that they have set the bar so high with the food, the decor, and the general ambiance of the room. Â The attention from the owner can't be beat. Â The maitre d' service is immediate, friendly, gracious, efficient. Â As I said, the bussing service almost magical. Â Bistro Bordeaux could easily meet its own very high standard if it can tweak the service by the wait staff and the lighting.
Oh please repair the escargot! You used to prepare it so well! Visited again a few weeks ago and they were like hard rubber/ so overdone. Ugh. And what happened to your bread? It used to be wonderful, now - bleh. The salads and pate were lovely. Step up BB - we love you here in Evanston!
Review Source:i wish i can give it less thank one
where did all you people eat with these greater reviews once again evanston restaurant that if highly over rated
went here for my birthday last night and had one of the worst dinners i ever ate so bad that when they offered free dessert i actually passed it up
first the food
(don't get me wrong i know what traditional french food is and i love it this was not that)
terrible steak, the skirt and their dry Aged rib eye. not seasoned and one of the toughest steaks i had ever tried, one of their specialize way a chicken in a wine souse  tastes like someone emptied out a bottle of wine into some bad gravy. i got the pork which was described as chefs choice of a cut, when they brought me a meatball you can imagine i was disappointed (also it was a bad meatball) all around bad
when the waiter asked how everything was and i told him a cut of pork is not a meatball he laughed in my face a little rude i think
there were more bad things but i don't feel to much like rambling
the only redeeming quality of this place was how nice the owner was when he came to the table but still thanks for comping half the check buddy but for bad food that you admit was not up to par of your restaurant you should have maybe comp the whole thing
We had a fantastic dinner here, using a <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Flivingsocial.com&s=2456932cd5ebcc60ad30944e723e56ffdb2706564dcfac90fbf2e821a2c1c821" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://livingsocial.com</a> deal -- four course chef's tasting for two with wine pairings. I have wanted to try this restaurant for a long time and this was the perfect excuse!
The charcuterie was, frankly, exquisite. I hate having to pick my charcuterie items on my own at restaurants like Purple Pig and City Winery -- I always feel like one item was a little lacking and that I made a poor choice. We were brought the steak tartare, chicken liver pate and a pork pate. All of them were truly fabulous. I never would have ordered the steak tartare, but it was very, very good. The chicken pate was silky and the pork pate earthy. The mustard pairings were also great.
The trout with haricot verts and fingerling potatoes with a brown butter sauce and capers was delicious. It was served with a perfectly crispy and delicate skin still on, and cooked just right.
Pommes frites and steak with maitre 'd butter: some of the best I've had outside of France. The frites are incredible; fried in beef tallow, they are thin, crispy and perfectly seasoned and needed no condiments whatsoever. The skirt steak was rare and lovely with the butter.
Pain perdu for dessert -- no complaints; the perfect ending to a great meal.
All the wine pairings worked very well with the food.
I can't wait to come back to this lovely, low-profile mainstay in Evanston!
I couldn't have asked for a more perfect anniversary dinner! First the service was amazing ( Lucas was one of the most helpful friendly and charming waiters I have had in a really long time! To the point that I told all of this to the head of the house!) Everyone though was as friendly and helpful I was delighted with the amount of attention to detail. Second and the winner of all things was the amazing and I mean amazing food! We shared a salad and entree because we are huge eaters there was more than enough. Everything was cooked to perfection and seasoned beautifully. We had the aged beef and it melted in your mouth so did everything else.
This was a gem of a find and we will be going again in!
We rarely go to another restaurant since discovering Bistro Bordeaux. Â In addition to the fantastic fresh food, the service is impeccable, Pascal is so welcoming, and the ambience is charming. Special events make it even more special.
Wish we could eat there more often. It's reasonably priced for the excellent quality, and you feel a bit like you're in France. Can't give too many compliments
Chef Johnny Besh offers exceptionnal authentic French gastro bistrot cuisine (my favorite are fish soup, a good steak frite, anything from a farmer's menu!) that I savor and even coming from downtown Chicago never been disappointed.  As a Parisian I found my refuge for authentic savor and high quality produce.  A pleasure of the palate, a pleasure of the eyes , a pleasure of  the kind service provided.  Bistrot Bordeaux is driven by a passion: good food without any pretetion.  The job is well done.  My congratulation to Pascal the owner to stick to quality and authenticity with flair.  Any occasion from romantic dinner or brunch with friends, my experience has been nothing than great!
My 12 years old invited the other day a friend and they loved it too!
We love the warm setting and special attention bynthenwait staff but especially the care that goes in to each plate. We have visited France numerous times and we are elated that that Evanston has a piece of "France" in it's own backyard.
We look forward to each change of menu and the pairing of wines that make each visit an anticipated delight.
Steve Bond
Just a big disappointment. Very slow service. We ordered steak frites - medium - and they came out COLD and rare....after waiting 40 minutes between the appetizer and the main course. The noise was uncomfortably loud.... We will not return. It's a Friday night - if they can't plan ahead and keep pace on a busy night - they should get out of the business!!
The wine was good. The frites were good.
But not enough to go back.
I absolutely adore this place. My friends surprised me for my birthday dinner by taking me here, and Bistro Bordeaux nailed the cauliflower steak and couscous. Â Succulent and cooked without losing its moisture, the cauliflower stole the night. Â I highly recommend the cauliflower steak if you have ever wondered what a correctly prepared cauliflower steaks tastes like.
Review Source:This is my favorite Chicago area restaurant. Â The food was amazing. Â
This is how good the food was: we had a last minute reservation and I ended up sitting right next to the restroom and I still had to adjust my seat every few minutes to let people by. Â Even with that really annoying experience I still give this place five stars.
Note to management: that table by the restroom is too close to the restroom for comfort.
Just back from an incredibly disappointing meal at Bistro Bordeaux. Â I've avoided the place for a few years out of fear that it was an overpriced French restaurant that fell down on the job--sad to say that I was right. Â
The decor was perfectly lovely, and the issues were two-fold. Â First, the service. Â It was fairly clear that our waiter had checked out for the evening from the beginning of our meal. He was curt, tired, and just generally uninterested in our table. Â We were uphold on wine (though the bottle was decent), and his general demeanor essentially told us that he had not an iota of interest in us as a group. Â To try to break the ice, a fellow guest went out on a limb and apologized for being a difficult table (although I'm not sure that we deserved the distinction), to which he just stared at her and said nothing. Â
Second, the food just wasn't that good. Â Not a since person at our table finished their plates, and no one had any interest in dessert. Â Execution was simply lacking--the onion soup was painfully sweet, the gruyere on top was off, the bibb lettuce was wilted, the list goes on. Â For $50 per person for dinner (including wine), we could have eaten much much better elsewhere. Â Suffice it to say, next time, we'll do that.
The decline of bistro bordeaux.
French summary: ce qui etait un coquet bistro francais bien sympa est maintenant une experience decevante, avec des mets sans gout et a la presentation passable.
I used to love bistro bordeaux. It was my got to place with friends and family to have them experience good french food. Unfortunately the past two experiences have marked the decline of what used to be a great place to go to.
The charming place where Pascal were Pascal, the owner, would great you in a such a wonderful way has made way for grumpy staff, marginal food. Drive downtown, worth the extra 20 minutes.
Service: 2/5.
Not horrible, but almost. Rude waiter who could not care less about offering any level of decent service or even being decently friendly. And it wasn't the "stereotypical rude French waiter", trust me, I speak French, he doesn't.
Food: 2/5.
French onion soup which used to be extraordinary was below average. Extremely sweet from a different choice in onions, a cheese blend that was not even remotely sharp. Salad dressing was also bad, unusually very mustardy.
The mains where beyond salty. The gnocchi were usually delicious, had been significantly burnt, the lamb had been over-salted, but was tender. The cauliflower steak was bland and not worth it.
Bread: what used to be the hallmark of bistro bordeaux, an extraordinarily great french bread, has been replaced by something more of an italian baguette, which is lacking the stamp of the former bakery and that Pascal should be ashamed of serving.
Also MIA is the "recession priced" filet mignon, which has not been on the menu for two years now.
Plating: the food still had the shape of the bowl the food was cooked in. No attention made to plating whatsoever.
Ambiance: 3/5
Never Bistro Bordeaux' strong suit, but decent without being great. Place is noisy, but that's poor acoustic.
Wine list: 3/5
Decent selection from small wineries. Staff steered us to acceptable choice, but prices are slightly inflated.
I will warn anyone reading this post, if this sounds like I'm being obnoxious in praise, it's because I've been waiting to try Bistro Bordeax since I moved to Evanston in 2009. 3 long years, but wow.(<a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.lebistrobordeaux.com%2F&s=909420bd596956751b16be4994f0e927736a0003a842488abd4e69db358f9cca" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.lebistroborde…</a> )My taste buds and mind alike were blown away. If only I was extremely wealthy and could afford to eat like this on a daily basis. I was fortunate enough to be invited to dinner with my aunt and uncle. It's a shame I had to rush though. Doctor's appointments and what not. Well, ok. So Bistro Bordeax is a class act, by far. It's obviously a nice, classy place. I half expected it to feel over done, or at least like I should be dining in the back, away from all the other customers. The food is out of this world, a hundred percent.
What I loved about it was how simplicity is embraced in the menu. I'm all for a creative menu, like if I'm going to get sushi. I love when I'm able to order a roll that is totally unique to that restaurant. But sometimes, simple is just better! Though it was French fare, the menu was quite easy to navigate. To start us out, we were brought French bread, crunchy, warm and delicious. No complaints! It came with butter and an olive tamponade. Not big on olives, but thought I'd try it. I didn't hate it, but I prefer the butter.
Skipped out on appetizers, since I was so rushed, but I really wanted to try the Escargot. Oh well. I have a friend who is dying to go, I'll just have to bring him! I'll take any excuse to go back. My uncle ended up ordering oysters, 4 total from individual places. I stayed far away, because oysters are the only thing in the world I am allergic to. It's random, but if I eat them I basically will die.
Onto entrees. My dad ordered the Cassoulet, which I suppose he enjoyed. The "foodie" thing doesn't really run in the family; neither of my parents cares about food too much. So I guess he liked it because he finished it. It looked delectable though! My aunt ordered a steak, which she seemed very satisfied with. My uncle and I actually ordered the same thing: Gnocchi that was just...words can't really do it justice. But I will try. Gnocchi is typically served in either a white sauce, or maybe a marinara. It really depends on what you're into, honestly. This gnocchi, was sauteed and served with lamb shanks. If I heard the waiter correctly, he said they were sauteed in coffee. Unbelievable. I thought gnocchi is light, and something that I could eat quickly and then still be full. Not quite. Every bite was a foray into new flavors. When I say they leapt off the plate, they did. The lamb was tender and added an extra feeling of depth to the meal. If I had to choose a word to describe it, depth would win. The flavors were so carefully constructed and blended into each other like gnocchi sauteed in coffee with lamb was a totally natural thing, instead of a tiny piece of food heaven. No regrets on thinking out of the box!
Finally, we get to dessert. My all time favorite meal of the day. Unfortunately, most of mine ended up having to sit on the table, because I did not have enough time to finish it. I ordered Creme Brulee, since A. in a French restaurant and B. Creme Brulee is in my top 3 favorite desserts. It comes out and it is huge. Creme Brulee is usually just in a little dish, served with a teeny spoon to go with. They went all out with mine. The dish was about as big as my head, and the spoon was proportionate. But nothing beat that first bite! I think I might have actually died and made it to real heaven in that moment. I felt like I was transported to a world where everything smells like roses, and tastes like Creme Brulee. For that one moment, I transcended reality. It was beautiful.
Sitting in Bistro Bordeax was a dream come true. I can only hope I get to come back soon, and experience it all over again.
One of my best friends was making a move from the Chicago area and we came here to have her "last supper". Although this was not the French restaurant she initially had in mind, we were both surprised with how great our meal was at Bistro Bordeaux.
First of all, they make this incredible black bean, fig, olive tapenade. I've asked them to bottle it up so I can use it at home but no luck. Once they do, I will be a more regular visitor.
The tarte of the day was with red peppers and sat on a great salad- definitely a large portion for two people. We also shared the pork trio and I was disappointed in the size of the pork belly. It was very fat-heavy and not enough for what I expected. However, the bacon wrapped loin was delicious. The desserts all sounded incredible but we chose the perfect profiteroles covered in dark chocolate. After a few glasses of bordeaux, it was a fitting send-off for Evanston.
I love a good French restaurant and have worked in many of them, including Le Titi de Paris, Le Ciel Bleu, Le Francais, Gordon and Le Vichyssoise. Â Bistro Bordeaux tries but can't get it right. Â The service was excellent, but the food fell flat. Â I wish we could keep a good French restaurant in Evanston, but we keep winding up with fakers. Â Bring Bistro Campagne back so we don't have to drive to Lincoln Square!
It's fine, but as a French-trained chef myself, this is tourist food, not authentic. Â The wine list is limited and expensive.
I have been to Bistro Bordeaux maybe a dozen times since it opened. Everything I have tried was great. My personal favorite is the steak and frites, as comfort food. Until a couple of months ago, the menu included a poached pear with a bread pudding and a rum sauce that was amazing -- I was disappointed not to see it today (I still dream of that pear!), when I checked the current menu. Another thing that is worth trying, is their farmer's market menu. Other than reinstating the poached pear on the menu, I wish they had a salade niçoise on the menu.
I find the atmosphere and service inviting.
My boyfriend and I dined here to celebrate the end of Restaurant Week. Â I had been once before and I knew he would enjoy the great French food in the unpretentious atmosphere.
At first, I was disappointed because the restaurant was super crowded and somewhat noisy and we were seated in the worst spot in the restaurant. Â We were seated at the table right by the bathroom and our table was pretty much next to the table in front of us. Â I hoped the food would not disappoint.
And, the food did not! Â My boyfriend had steak tartare, steak frites and the mini ice cream sandwiches with chocolate sauce. Â I had the endive salad, the white fish and traditional creme brulee. Â
The steak tartare was absolutely delicious, seasoned very well and served with baguettes. Â His steak frites were cooked perfectly and seasoned nicely as well. Â Try the garlic ailoi with the fries - it is very tasty. Â His dessert tasted well and was pretty large sized for dessert.
My endive salad was good, but it definitely has a taste to it which some may find off-putting. Â My whitefish was cooked nicely and accented with potatoes and vegetables. Â I really should have gone with the steak frites because it made my meal taste bland in comparison - and trust me, I don't really like steak and this one was just phenomenal. Â I love creme brulee and this one did not disappoint either.
We finished our meal with coffee, which definitely seemed like a darker roast.
The wine list is extensive, the service was good. Â The restaurant is cozy and inviting, but can get a bit crowded.
Definitely try it if you are in the area especially if you like French food. Â There is a parking garage close by and it only cost us $3 to park that night, which is great saying what you may pay in the city.
Will be back!
Where to begin...I'm a fan. I love French food and Kiki's Bistro holds a sweet and tender spot in my heart, but lo and behold, Bistro Bordeaux is not too far in the race..
Went here about a month ago for a business meeting and ended up having the most exquisite dinner I have had in a very very long time.
Everything that was recommended was a taste of heaven in my mouth. We shared the ,Foie Gras de Canard au Torchon, Bouillabaisse, and the croque monsieur for dinner. OMG. Everything was amazing. Then the server suggested a wine to pair our food with that just really complimented it all.
For dessert we shared the profiteroles and when I took the first bite, my mouth cried for joy and thanked me. For a moment, I closed my eyes and savored the warmth of the profiteroles with the coolness of the ice cream and the hot chocolate sauce, and I imagined myself in a little cafe next to the Seine and the Eiffel tower in the background. C'est la vie. C'es la vie. Oh lalalalalala.
I just had THE best smoked salmon Benedict of my life this morning. House-cured salmon, dill Hollandaise, capers, pickled onion, tomato, brioche. The perfect balance of all the ingredients (i.e. no monstrous pieces of bread).
And to wash it down? A juice special of blood orange, apple, and quince. *faints*
Stellar service as always. Best Sunday brunch in town.
Thank you, Bistro Bordeaux!
I'm writing this update as a response to the owner, Pascale, calling my wife back after our experience so they could discuss our issues. I appreciate that Pascale followed up on this message and was genuinlely concerned about my negative review.
I will start off by saying that I don't take anything back I said about the food and timing of the kitchen but after my wife spoke to Pascale and he seemed hurt by my review (sometimes I don't realize that owners often times read Yelp and they put their heart and soul into the business...well, some do, and it seems Pascale does) I will try to write my negative reviews differently so they come off as less snarky, more matter-of-fact and have a different tone. I can see how some owners who really do care can be deeply affected by things customers say. I was harsh at the end of my review and that was not necessary. These times are much harder for restaurant owners with avenues for customers to instantaneously review their experiences right away and have the freedom to say whatever they want.
From all accounts, Pascale was very nice on the phone and wanted to make sure his business continues to succeed. My wife and Pascale had an extended conversation where they went over everything from the kitchen speed (he chalked it up to the chicken taking so long...I guess we would have liked being told that the whole chicken is cooked to order so it would take longer) to the steak that was nearly inedible, to the price of the chicken.
My wife and Pascale agreed to disagree on the price. My thing is, if you require the whole chicken to be ordered and it serves two, just put the total price down, not per person. I think seeing a lower price gets our brains focused on that price regardless of the details. Â I also think that while most places have a great half chicken dinner for $21-$23, a whole order would be discounted so it would be around $35, not $46. Â Despite all this, if you are aware of the whole price, then fine. The chicken was very very tasty and Pascale knows this.
The steak is still an issue with me. Pascale contended it was a choice meat, not prime and the temperature could have been because the chicken took so long. I've had many choice steaks including ones from the grocery store and they weren't like what we had at Bistro Bordeaux. I won't go back into the steak in detail but perhaps it was just an off night or an off cut.
I agree with Pascale that if we were so displeased we should have sent it back. We didn't do this because we were so hungry and it was my birthday and I didn't want to create a fuss. Next time, I will be sure to send something back.
All in all, Pascale was accommodating and I should mention he was a wonderful presence at the restaurant, offering to take our coats, bring the chicken cart around to cut and plate and checking in on during the meal. Â With a few issues checked out I think BB could be back to where it was when it received high praise from critics. As you can see, most reviews are positive, so perhaps it was an off night.
Pascale has offered us a gift certificate to return which is a tremendous gesture and we will certainly take him up on this and return. We will then let him know about our experience before writing a review update.
Bistro Bordeaux is great in its simplicity: delicious and authentic French bistro cuisine rooted in fresh market ingredients.
My dad is the ultimate Francophile, so we've been here several times. The service is always prompt, friendly and incredibly knowledgable, especially about the wine list. Pascal, the owner, has experience at Michelin star restaurants and specializes in purveying wine from Bordeaux. And the carefully curated wine list has several reasonably priced bottles from $20-40.
My favorite dishes:
-- Ratatouille: all fresh market veggies -- zucchini, squash, eggplant, red pepper, onion, basil oil -- served with a petit heirloom tomato salad.
-- Tarte du jour: changes every week based on what's in season. Recently I had a tarte with homemade sausage. Highly recommended and can easily be a main course.
-- Poulet Roti pour deux -- Bordeaux's signature dish that can easily serve more than two people. Roasted chicken that's juicy and flavorful, served with a truffle sauce. Awesome.
-- Moules -- a broth instead of a cream base, this is a lighter version of the version of the dish than I've had at other French joints.
-- Frites -- skinny and crispy, served with garlic aioli. Yum.
-- Terrine au chocolat noir -- a dark chocolate mousse sliced table side, served with a raspberry sauce that's been through a sieve no less than 15 times. Absolutely divine.
Highly recommended if you're in Evanston!
This is an excellent joint.
Reminds me a bit of what NYC Bistros are like (yea, as well as a real French Bistro I suppose, but I haven't been to France since I was like ten, but I've been to NYC much more recently) and NYC LOVES their quirky little Bistros.
Went with a buddy of mine after spending a weekend of slogging out my sister's basement from the flooding. I was, for sure, in the mood for some soul satisfying French.
Started with Foie Gras, The Chicken Liver Mousse Pate and the Farmer's Ratatouille.
Foie; standard prep with brioche and black-berries. How can you go wrong? besides probably needing Lipator later in life. It was nicely seared, luxurious and tasted so good. Chicken Liver Mousse was velvety, creamy and quite decadent. Served appropriately with some good HOT mustard and cornichons, I'm sure I'm going to develop gout later in life.
Farmer's Market Ratatouille was excellent. It was a composition of each of the traditional vegetables treated and cooked differently, so it wasn't entirely a "stewing" of veggies. Served with a baby tomato salad. Really well done. It was nice to have the different textures of each the vegetables and the flavors to not be entirely homogenous.
Foie de Veau a la Moutard... OK for whatever reason, I wanted liver tonight and LOTS of it. This was one of the BEST liver and onions with bacon I've EVER had. It was really good. Bacony and rich Sour Cherry gastrique, lovely little wax potatoes done in a confit style (ah yeah baby... bring on the fat)... Pretty damned good.
My friend has the Steak Frites, very tasty. Properly seared steak, good fries and a dollop of garlicky butter. Really can't go too wrong.
Wine selection here is very well chosen and priced. Ordered a rather tasty Gigondas for something like $45. All of it are smaller and more obscure wineries/ vineards but doubt that you will hit on a bad bottle.
Did have the absolutely ridiculously decadent Terrine Au Chocolate Noir. Went great with the last of the red.
I'm really glad that this place is thriving and delivering such honest and soul-satisfying food. And REASONABLE! I absolutely plan to return, may concentrate more on the fish selections.
I met some friends here the other night and we had a great night. I swear I was there for less than 30 seconds before the trauma of the train ride from downtown dissipated.
The atmosphere and the service were enchanting and I can't tell you how surprised I was that they had a vegetarian soup as magnificent as the potato leek soup I had there.
The vegetarian gnocchi didn't blow me away and the bread wasn't great but who can remember any of that when dessert was so eminently satisfying? You go, hazelnut daquoise!
Bread comes in a brown bag which works well to cut down on crumbs when breaking but it's impossible to break. Â We tugged and tugged. Â Felt like day old bread nuked in the microwave.
Quiche was more of a custard than a true quiche. Â Not what I've ever experienced in France. Â The crust was very tasty though.
Steak pommes frites: Â I was so looking forward to this dish and soooo disappointed. Â My very sharp steak knife could not cut the steak. Â It was very tough, chewy, stringy and bland. Â Fries were decent.
Service was very attentive.
If you look up the word haughty you find "noun haughtiness, pride, arrogance, airs, dignity, contempt, disdain, snobbishness, loftiness, stateliness, superciliousness, affectedness [from French, from haut high; see HAUGHTY] " . Â Yep, the word is originally French which is a rather profound discovery.
Not that the French are really haughty. Except for my very first trip to Paris (in August, when every Frenchman left in Paris is noticeably unhappy and irritable), I have found the French friendly, helpful and gracious. Â Rather the French are perceived to be haughty and as a result, that seems to be what is expected when visiting something French.
Unfortunately, Bistro Bordeaux does not disappoint.
The restaurant is an attractive clone of a Paris bistro, dark tables and chairs topped with white table cloths. Menus arrived as soon as we sat along with requests for drink orders. Our drinks were quickly served followed by a four inch portion of crusty baguette served in a brown paper bag. Â The Coca-Colas came in a miniature bottle (8 oz.) Â and were, of course, not refillable.
The menu is quite small with a sprinkling of specials. There seems to be three meat, three fish, a poultry and a pasta in semi-permanent residence so most parties should find an acceptable selection. The menu includes the obligatory French classics of Foie Gras, Soupe à L'Oignon, Steak Pommes Frites and Escargots de Bourgogne.
We started with an excellent cream of mushroom soup and perfectly cooked Escargots in a garlicky herbed butter. The soup was a thick puree of mushrooms and herbs while the Escargots were served sans shell in a white porcelain dish. Unfortunately, the four of us had quickly demolished the small piece of French bread so there was none to scoop up the escargot butter and a no additional was offered. Â We finally snagged a waiter (not ours) who replenished our bread.
Our entrees arrived without undo delay. My wife had the Foie Gras appetizer (pan seared Sonoma County foie gras, seasonal fruit compote, red wine gastrique nicoise olive sable), which was described on the menu as 3 oz. but seemed appreciably smaller. My friend had Corvina (related to White Sea Bass). His wife had the Steak Pommes Frites Bistro Bordeaux (pan seared 8 oz hanger steak, maitre D' butter, Bistro Bordeaux French fries).  I had the Foie de Veau á la Moutarde (Pan seared calf liver, pearl onions, bacon, fried country potatoes, parsley salad, mustard & balsamic reduction).
Despite having asked for the Foie Gras to be cooked through, it came rare and so it was sent back for more cooking. Except for being a small portion my wife thought it was good. The Corvina was pronounced good. The steak was chewy and grossly overdone. In the chef's defense, it was ordered medium well but this was way more than that. My liver was good but had a tough, stringy vein running through it which should have been removed prior to cooking.
Deserts were good (Profiteroles and lemon tart) but not special.
I found some of the prices to be high. A dinner portion of mussels for $21.95, Foie Gras Appetizer $16.95, 8 oz. Coke $3.00. Â By comparison, the steak and Corvina were priced reasonably.
Overall Bistro Bordeaux was inconsistent. Great snails, terrible steak. Â Small (eight ounce) bottles of Coke, large serving of Pommes Frites. Good liver with a big tough vein running through it. It's almost as if the owner assumed once you were seated they could give you anything. Or perhaps they just wanted to be perceived as French.
Ah, at long last we meet, Bistro Bordeaux. Â It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. Â Allow me to kiss your hand. Â I bookmarked you months ago when you first opened; yet I neglected to introduce myself for too long. Â My interest sharpened several weeks ago, when your cassoulet appeared in TimeOut. Â How did you know that in winter I crave a fine cassoulet above all other foods? Â Your friend Yanyao assured me that the cassoulet was outstanding. Â
By then I was salivating around the clock. Â My ladyfriend and I selected an ideal midwinter evening and made reservations. Â I spent several days looking forward to our visit...only to see it wiped out by the Blizzard of 2011. Â I was rueful, but refused to be defeated.
And I finally cornered you last night, you elusive little coquette. Â Was it as good for you as it was for me? Â Perhaps you didn't even notice us; after all, your dining room was full to the gills with Wednesday-evening prix-fixers. Â I assure you that none of them overcame the obstacles that we did. Â None were so full of longing.
You have the marvelous Gavroche red farmhouse ale on your tidy beer list? Â Of course you do. Â You think of everything, even without meaning to. Â Lucky for me, the weather has warmed slightly, enough to enter beer-drinking range. Â
A beet salad AND a potato/turnip/cauliflower soup du jour?  You must possess the power to peer into my very soul.  I must have them both.  The soup...ah, divine...silky, earthy, savory.  And the beets...delicious.  The hazelnuts are a nice touch, the cheese not too obtrusive, and I'll even forgive the orange suprême.  You couldn't have known yet how I feel about fruit flavors. Â
And look at these mismatched dishes! Â So charming. Â Everyone in the room has different ones, but ours are the best. Â They exude character; they evince comfort, but class too. Â You have such an eye for details, mon reine.
With foreplay this sensuous, why rush to the main event? Â But of course it must come. Â And resoundingly. Â Yes, your cassoulet brought me to the heights of bliss: Â everything for which I could have hoped and more. Â What a delightfully satisfying trio of meats--duck confit, garlic sausage, and braised short ribs. Â Genius. Â I bow at your feet. Â The beans are cooked perfectly. Â That's difficult to do, isn't it? Â You do it better than anyone I've yet encountered.
Dessert? Â Do you still have the energy? Â I barely do. Â Hmm...well, that course was a bit of an anticlimax, if you don't mind my saying so. Â The bread pudding is lovely, but just a tad boring. Â It's your own fault for building up such high expectations. Â But of course I forgive you. Â I do adore the red-wine-poached apple slices. Â Next time I will try the profiteroles. Â I bet that you do the classics so well.
You will have me back, won't you?  I must see you again soon.  I await the day with bated breath.  Bonsoir, ma beauté.
I'm still plotzing from the fantastic meal we had at Bistro Bordeaux a few weeks ago. My husband and I had a reservation that kept getting rescheduled due to scheduling conflicts and last minute appointments, but we finally made it and I'm so glad we did.
Our reservation was for 6:30 on a Thursday evening, and I arrived first. I was very happy when they offered to seat me, rather than making me stand by the door and wait for my husband to arrive. The place is quite small, however there is a bar in the middle of the restaurant..errr, bistro. There was a light crowd at that time, but, I was happy to see that by the time we left they were almost full.
We ordered drinks and appetizers; I had the escargot and a glass of Domaine de la Villaudière, and my husband ordered the Pâté de foie de Volaille, and Belgian beer. I am an escargot connoisseur, have been since I was 10. Really, I have always loved escargot. Bistro Bordeaux's is quite good, although I can do without the puff pastry rounds on top. I prefer a nice crusty french or sourdough bread to go with escargot.
On to the plats principaux. To me the true test of a bistro is how good their steak frites is, and, Bistro Bordeaux did not disappoint. Theirs is pan seared with caramelized shallots (love!), maitre d'butter, and, frites. Their frites? Mon dieux, c'est magnifique! They are cooked in beef tallow and served with garlic mayonnaise for dipping. I could have had a platter of the fries on their own and been completely satisfied. My husband was went with the Calotte de Boeuf Grillée au Beurre Colbert, which was absolutely delicious. It's a bone marrow crusted piece of fillet mignon that was bursting with flavor, and, virtually melted in our mouths. It's served with potato galette, sweet garlic mousse, thumbalina carrots, sauce beurre Colbert. We thought it was going to be a large portion, but, turned out to be completely manageable.
We didn't think we'd have room for dessert, but, when we saw the Mousse au Chocolat Noir on the dessert menu, we made room. They wheel a little cart over to your table, on which rests an aromatic, glossy slab of dark Valrhona chocolate, which they then slice with a knife dipped in hot water. It comes with raspberry coulis and I tell you is hands down the best dessert I've ever had. If you are a chocolate lover, you must must have this once in your life.
The service was outstanding, the food was divine, and the surroundings lovely. It was a wonderful meal and I expect they will be seeing more of us at Bistro Bordeaux.
Wow.
After scoring an invite to their soft opening, we were treated to a delicious sampling of their menu. All though, to say sampling, would imply we were brought out many small plates. No, we were all bought out full entrees, many many entrees.
First brought to the table was Pomme Frites with a garlic aioli. Oh, my god, the frites are thin sliced, and the aioli is spectacular.
The next round was steak with caramelized onions and a side of frites. We realized they didn't bring steak knifes (it was a soft opening, they're still learning too), but I was starving and used my butter knife. And it cut through the steak like it was butter. The steak was cooked to perfection, and was so tender it melted in my mouth.
The next round was a croquette. The slices of bread were about 2 inches thick, along with about an inch of ham in the center, so it was a big sandwich, but a damn fine one at that.
Third, we were brought out mussels. So good. I'd rank them right up there with some of the best mussels I've had. Maybe I can get these and HB's in a heavy weight, winner take all.
And our final round, not to be out done by the 2 full meals we've already been brought out, the Coq Au Vin. I didn't care how stuffed I was, this was delicious. I imagine chickens were lining up outside, hoping to be selected for this dish. Their chick would tell stories of their father, who had the honor of being selected to be used in this dish at Bistro Bordeaux.
The staff was beyond friendly. We received personalized attention from the chef, and even chatted with the owner Pascal, who was extremely nice, a little nervous, but very proud of his place. I hope to be coming back to this place for many years to come.
Pomme frites served with a garlic aioli that will make your mouth water with delight and your eyes cry with pleasure...
Steak so tender you can tuck into it with your butter knife...
Steamed mussels that literally disintegrate on your tongue...
A croquette that will make you wish you had a French chef cooking for you on your payroll...
And a coq au vin that will make you dream about little brown chickens for days on end (and perfect little button mushrooms braised in milk and nutmeg)...
All of these culinary delights are accompanied by a chilled glass of Blanc de Blanc sparkling wine, bien sûr.
The brain-child of Pascal Berthoumieux (he's really French, if the name didn't give it away), Le Bistro Bordeaux will transport you to another country. Â In this country, dinners last til the last drop of Pinot Noir has been drained. Â People eat carbs in the form of crusty breads and creamy sauces. Â And there's butter. Â Real, creamy, perfection-in-a-small-little-dollop, butter.
The servers are dressed impeccably in bow ties and vests and nary dare to spill a drop of your chosen wine. Â Friendly, but not too much so, they will be the director into your journey to France for the evening.
There is pheasant on the menu (a dish designed for two, mon amour) and I've heard rumors that there will be a roaming cheese cart. Â Cheese and wild bird ensure that I will return as soon as I am able.
Take a short jaunt north of the city (via purple line or Metra) into adorable downtown Evanston and into this delightful new bistro. Â
Food is marvelous, service is excellent.  Take your  parents, a date, or your best friend, and visit France a la Bistro Bordeaux, "L'authentique."
The 5 best restaurants in the 2015 Denver Restaurant Week
3,611 Views | Category: Denver
The complete list of 2015 Denver Restaurant Week businesses
1,972 Views | Category: Denver
The tourists' guide to Portillos: 5 must have dishes
3,318 Views | Category: Chicago
Pho = Pronounced "fuh" not "foe" for pho-king sake
2,915 Views | Category: Denver
Indulgery selected to exhibit at Collision Conference
2,987 Views | Category: Press Releases
Not Logged In
BUSINESSES
Local Businesses
Near Me
My Favorites
SOCIAL
Blog & News
MY ACCOUNT
Login
Register
Contact Us
Add Your Business
