Yikes! We were impressed with reviews in magazines & went to the bar for an early evening meal. The bartender was very surly and full of frowns. The other wait staff was very friendly and accommodating so we tried to ignore her. I have to say the food was delicious---but the special was half price oysters 4-6 pm, and when the bill came we were charged full price. And, we ordered smoked salmon, an appetizer, and what came was a salmon steak--again delicious, but four times the price of what we ordered. We won't be back, but if you do go, review your check very carefully.
Review Source:Superlative service, gorgeous space, excellent view! Really top-notch service and decor.
On the other hand the food was only so-so. Like Custom House before it (it's the same folks who run this place) the food is very good, but just not quite good enough. I ordered a double portion of the steak tartar, short ribs and cold lobster.
1) lobster was cooked to perfection, sweet and sea-tasting.
2) short-ribs: very tender, but something is always up with the seasoning at this place, same with Custom House. Not enough salt? Wine cooked down too  much? Bad quality wine in the sauce? Something funky was going on with the flavors and not in a good way.
3) steak tartar: tender meat, very fresh, but OVERWHELMED with lemon. So much zest and juice that it overpowered the meat flavor, the capers, and everything else in it. In fact, I could have eaten a lemon and had a much cheaper meal.
Overall delightful place, but they need to fix their seasoning. Good food...but just not seasoned well.
*still washing lemon off my tongue*
I made a reservation through OpenTable and wrote in the comments section that we were celebrating a birthday. When I got to the restuaurant before my friend, the hostess confirmed that we were celebrating my friend's birthday. So I thought, great, we're set, they'll either bring out a dessert or a piece of something sweet with a candle on it or something. Service was friendly, though the first guy who showed up at the table had a haughty attitude. We were served by at least three people, so I really don't know who our actual waiter was. One person took our order, one person brought the wine, etc.
Starting with the good--you can't go wrong with any of the wines here, even the cheapest glass of the red was deliciously flavorful and good. The French onion soup was good, not the best I've had, but pretty good. My friend's gnocchi was fresh and tasty. My burger was beautifully presented/plated, but needed to be seasoned better. It left a strong aftertaste. I'm not one to not enjoy a burger, but I had a tough time chewing through this one. Shoe string fries were too salty.
The bad--apparently after confirming that we were celebrating a birthday, the hostess didn't relay the information to the server--or she did and nothing was done about it. At any other restaurant, they will bring you a piece of cake, a piece of pie, a scoop of ice cream--something--with a candle in it. Nope. Not here. So I insisted we order dessert, thinking ok they'll comp a lousy dessert in honor of us celebrating a birthday and choosing this establishment to do it at. Or that they would at least stick a candle in our dessert. Just a lousy candle and light it and bring it out. Nope! Again, nothing. The bill came to $105 for two people, no birthday dessert comped, which was a slap in the face. I left with an overwhelming disappointment that my friend's birthday passed by unceremoniously, thanks to Maison Brasserie's lack of caring. Thanks for ruining my friend's birthday celebration. If you have a special occassion, do not come to Maison to celebrate. And unless you have cash to burn, don't waste your money here.
3.5 STARS
Getting to Maison is not convenient. Bad parking situation, bit of a walk (beautiful walk that it is), and hard to find. The brandade was amazing. The croque madame was ok, but not great. I was so stuffed by the time I started in on the macaroni gratin that I couldn't really appreciate it, so I won't review it. I'd like to return with a date, explore the menu further, and I expect I would come away with a four star update. However, with so many restaurants on the Chicago food scene yet to concur, that may take awhile if it ever happens at all.
I enjoyed the seafood tower and had a great experience the only issue is the location, it is a little hidden and out of the walking path. I think the idea for the community is great but being right next to a Mariano's seems to lower the idea of being a nice restaurant for me and more along the lines of a casual get together place. They do tend to rush you and bring out everything really quick so you know.
Review Source:Maison is not easy to find, but it was rewarding. We really like the menu -- a broad selection of French faves, many enhanced with ingredient upgrades. The setting is pleasant (though I imagine it could get quite noisy if full) and the service smooth and attentive.
For starters, the baguette was above reproach and was served with a pair of lovely radishes(with butter and salt, in the French style). I enjoyed a lovely butter lettuce salad dressed with a lemon vinaigrette -- the presentation was exquisite. My companion enjoyed brandade (not really my thing, but OK). Her pasta with rabbit was quite nice -- terrific pasta, good bunny/sauce. I had "cassoulet" (their quotes, not mine); it was OK, but kind of one-dimensional (which I guess cassoulet is: you got your meat, you got your beans). I had to try the frites, based on Vettel's recommendation; they were almost perfect (just a little too salty for me -- in fact, saltiness was a weak point for the brandade and both entrées, too). Profiteroles made for an nice dessert, though the alleged hazelnut ice cream had little flavor. Café au lait was good and well-presented.
Maison has wine list that admirably broad and compact at the same time; there are good choices at all prices points. Similarly, it offers a nice, though not overwhelming, selection of Belgian style ales.
Salt notwithstanding, I'd like to go back and explore the menu further. Maison is clearly paying attention to the food...
Consistently good food and (relatively) reasonably priced for the neighborhood. Â We've gone half a dozen times and the mussels & frites are very good and generously portioned. Â I'm guessing the fries are twice fried (the key to crispy outside, chewy inside fries). The Parisian Gnocchi are heavenly little pillows of goodness. Â There was some confusion for New Years Eve as their website didn't list a menu, just that it was 3 or 5 course prix fixe. Â We later had to call, they rattled off the menu, we thought it over and decided to cancel for the evening. Â We asked to change the reservation to later in the week so we could enjoy the usual menu. Â The said "Well, we're supposed to charge $100 for that, but we won't since you're moving the reservation". Â Don't try to charge people for a menu you don't bother to inform them about. Â Also, they really like to try to seat us right next to the kitchen doors (the last three times). Â Please fill that table last, don't try to make me sit at it every time.
Review Source:It was a very slow early Sunday evening, but that didn't matter with the quality of our meal and experience at Maison. The ambiance was as expected - dim lighting, eclectic music, and touches of modern french country decor.
The food is what will be bringing us back.
We enjoyed the escargot served with a flaky pastry puff, amazingly creamy (yes, creamy and delightfully tasty) french onion soup with gruyere cheese, oh-so-moist duck confit served with potatoes oozing with yummy cheeses, and incredibly tender braised short ribs with caramelized petite onions, fingerling potatoes and the best sweet potato whip I've ever tasted. Everything we tried had unexpected elements but were also accessible to someone like me, who not only loves one-of-a-kind spots but also finds value in the chain restaurants close to home.
The service was very attentive without being over-the-top. The cocktails were refreshing and the chilled water was consistently filled. Prices were also very reasonable considering ample portion sizes and the meal quality.
We'll definitely return!
Absolutely fantastic. We started with the pate campagne. A terrific idea to split one order. That, and the baguette with amazing butter, was plenty to start. I had duck confit with a side of french fries. My partner had rabbit on homemade pasta. Although I believe it impossible for any business to make HOMEmade anything, both were fantastic. Keith said maybe the rabbit was a little under-seasoned. There was NOTHING wrong with my duck. We shared the best bottle of $50 wine either of us has ever tasted...Chateau Mangot. Quince clafouti and an isle flotant for dessert. The service, although parsed a little too widely, was complete. The sommelier helped us out as much as anyone...beautiful, charming, knowledgable, not pushy. Best of all, the whole thing is located essentially across the street from the Fairmont Hotel, where we're staying. We're going back Sunday for lunch.
Review Source:Food tastes good, except that when I was there tonight (Sunday), a lot of items on their menu were not available. A little too greasy to be French though. I studied and lived in Paris before, so I know a little about French food.
Service was a little too over the top (a little too pretentious, trying too hard to be francais, but not really knowing what's francais). The waiters kept coming over to help with the cutlery, water etc. etc. They work so hard. I almost suspect the boss made them work so hard because the chef(s) was plain incompetent or lazy. The food took a LONG time to come. We were 4 adults, and we ordered 3 appetizers to share, and one entree each. Waiting time for appetizers was more than 45 min. Waiting time for the entrees was almost another hour. At the time when we were there, there were only about 10 other guests there.
I may eat there again when I have 3 hours to spare for a dinner. Otherwise, I'd rather drive elsewhere even though this restaurant is literally 2 min's walk from where I live (Lakeshore East).
My company hosted a small luncheon here, and that we got to order from the regular menu.
I had the salad and the trout, and shared the fries with the table.
The view was nice since we got a table facing the lakeshore east park, but the food was ok, nothing spectacular.
It's a good business dining restaurant, but I am not too sure if it would be one of the places I would come on my own.
Holy baguettes! This place blew our socks off. We had a little difficulty ordering--too many good things to choose from and the selections from our neighboring diners all looked amazing. Great beer list, and someone behind the bar knows how to lovingly mix a mock-tail! My friend and I had onion soup, shared the gnocchi and croque madame. All spectacular. We wished there would have been escargot (as promised on the window) but we'll definitely be back to try it when it does show up on the online lunch menu-- and probably many more times in between-- especially now that we know where this gem of a restaurant is! Attentive server, also, who was considerate to ask if we had time in our afternoon schedules for a leisurely lunch, and I'm so glad we did. I'd highly recommend the tarte tatin for dessert!
Review Source:Maison has the best French Onion Soup I have had in recent years. Also amazing wine choices and the option to order wine in little or large pitchers is the best - we got a lot of wine and were able to try a few different bottles throughout the night.
THEN - another amazing feature of Maison is the seafood tower. It is 3 feet of seafood; oysters, lobster, clams, shrimp, mussels...delicious! Really fun for a table to share as an appetizer.
We came with a lot of people, some of us needed to finish a time sensitive work project which meant there were two laptops on the table and we stayed and enjoyed ourselves long enough to close the place down, our waiter, Craig was a delight. He made us feel welcome. :) We'll definitely be back!
Too expensive, decent portions, incredibly loud environment.
I can't comment on the wine or cocktails, but my husband and I went to dinner one night and were left unsatisfied. The space in the dining room is limited and we were cramped into our seats very close to our neighbors. Our waitress was nice and knowledgeable, but she had to yell at us in order for us to hear her. Our meals came and were an ok size. I got the mussels and my husband got the chicken. Mine was delicious and garlicky. My husbands meal was small, but flavorful.
Overall, decent food, but not a good place for a nice romantic dinner. You will be shouting at each other across the table all night.
5 stars for the cocktails, wine list and bartenders, 3 stars for the food, 2 stars for servers, 4 stars for the ambience
I like the gougeres, but the salads aren't so great (too much pepper and iffy dressing). The mussels were awesome. The cheese selection could be better.
Bottom line: the food needs some refinement, but it's a good little bar scene for a drink and a snack.
I work directly next door to Maison so I was pretty pumped when I saw they had opened! Â I came here for lunch with a large group of women from my office. Â We had probably about 25 people and took the window section in the back of the restaurant. Â The service was amazing, for serving a large party they didn't miss a beat. Â Also, the decor in Maison is very modern and fun. Â I loved the striped walls in the bathroom - very creative.
Now let's talk about the food!!  To start they give you really good individual baguettes with butter and radishes.  Yum.  I ordered the  Caramelized Onion Soup with Crouton & Gruyere cheese.  Amazing!! The cheese was bubbled over the top and the soup was perfect for the chilly, windy day!  For my lunch entree I had the Croque Madame on Brioche with aged ham, Gruyere cheese & a fried egg.  Again, amazing!  I love French food and Maison definitely delivered.  A lot of the woman had quiches, the frisee salad, the soup of the day, mussels and no complaints from anybody.  We also split some fries at the table and those were delicious. Â
The price point here isn't too outrageous, luckily I didn't have to see the bill :-) Â Either way I will be back here for lunch or dinner!
What a nice addition to the Loop restaurant scene. We considered going to III Forks since we hadn't been there yet either, but based on the Yelp reviews picked this place instead. Good choice.
We sat at the bar and enjoyed excellent service so I can't speak to the attentiveness of the waitstaff, which other reviewers have mentioned. I prefer to sit at the bar anyway for a late-night dinner, makes for more interaction and speedier access to alcohol when it runs out. Also bartenders are usually more overtly jaded and cynical than servers which suits me fine.
We ordered a variety of starters and a main dish to share and very much enjoyed the warm and fresh demi baguette bread with butter, radishes, and sea salt while we waited. Meanwhile, the bartender helped pick out a Sancerre and a lovely red Burgundy, served by the half liter for $27 which was an almost criminal steal for such a great wine.
The shrimp were gigantic and delicious, and the cured salmon was very good, Â served with huge roe and buttery toast. The steak tartare was also well executed with good texture and freshness, and paired excellently with the recommended wine. It was served with a gooey semi soft boiled egg and some of the best fries I've had in some time.
We followed that up with the cassoulet, which I'm glad we split as it was very rich and might have been a little too much for one person. Delicious sausage and fall-off-the-bone duck was served with pork belly that was just okay and thick meaty navy beans. Very good overall, the pork belly was an anomaly and the dish came together.
We had heard the desserts were excellent as well, so we ordered a scoop of banana-passion fruit sorbet, a scoop of apple cider sorbet (my girlfriend's favorite hands-down), and a scoop of rosemary brown butter ice cream. The rosemary brown butter could have done with a sprinkle of sea salt and a mint leaf, it was good but missing something. I also ordered the dark chocolate mousse which was firm, thick, rich, and flavorful.
We left full and satisfied. Overall great food, great service, good value, and a great location. They also have a half-price raw bar daily 5-6 and Monday-Saturday 10-11. That means you can get a whole Maine lobster for $15 or their giant seafood platter for two for $45. We will DEFINITELY be back for that.
My bf and I met another couple here for dinner last Saturday and things were off to a rocky start with respect to parking. I'd been to another restaurant in this Never- Never Land of neighborhoods (Lake Shore East) so I was familiar with the quirky ingress/egress of the location. Considering it's a downtown restaurant, we naturally assumed it offered valet parking. Ah, but that's where we'd be wrong. Our friends arrived first and couldn't quite figure out where to park. My friend had to go up to the restaurant on the fourth floor and ask them and was told to park in the garage (quite hidden and not easy to find). I wasn't about to pay $24 to park for dinner (according to the signage) so we drove up to III Forks and valeted our car there. Guess we should've parked in the garage because Maison Brasserie will validate your parking at a cost of $4 for three hours. Might have been nice to know that ahead of time, you know, like on their website, when they called to confirm the reservation, or when we asked where to park. So far, not starting off on a positive note.
The restaurant had a pleasantly busy feel to it but it wasn't overly crowded. The décor is warm and modern and very appealing, which was a nice surprise. I didn't really know what to expect since it's located in the same building as Mariano's.
We were seated immediately and started with a round of drinks while we looked over the menu (one oddity: a prix-fixe menu was offered of which $5 of the cost would be donated to breast cancer research, except the cost of the prix-fixe menu was never mentioned). I ordered their version of a kir royale, with house-made cassis. It was good; no complaints there.
Next we ordered some appetizers: steak tartare with frites, fresh oysters (sold individually which is ideal for a group) gougeres (cheese puffs) and a butter lettuce salad. Warm bread with delicious butter, sea salt and fresh radishes was also brought out. We all enjoyed everything; I especially loved the butter lettuce salad. It's a testament to the sheer power of simplicity: soft lettuce, a light Dijon vinaigrette and fines herbes. We were finishing up our appetizer when we noticed we hadn't gotten our cheese puffs. We told the busser as he was clearing our plates because we couldn't find our waiter. Five minutes later our waiter comes by and says we didn't order them. I know I ordered them because the rest of the table heard me. Also, I am someone that loves food, so I don't ever forget to order something I want. It felt like the waiter was arguing with us but to his credit an order was brought out quickly and all was forgiven once we tasted them.
For entrées, we ordered traditional bistro dishes: two of us had roasted chicken, another had trout, and another had a croque madame. We also shared some potato puree and brussel sprouts. The chicken was delicious, and served with pan juices over a thick piece of sourdough toast. Everything else looked great (although I didn't taste) but none of us liked the potato puree. It was overly creamy and smooth and was the consistency of straight-up baby food. Not good.
Desserts were better; we shared a tarte tatin and profiteroles and both were as good as any I've had elsewhere.
Overall, the food was good but the service was definitely lacking. It was a Saturday night and we were all having a good time and excited for a night out. Our waiter was not very engaging (despite our attempts to draw him in) and the level of detail was almost what you'd find in a counter-service restaurant. We had to ask for fresh pepper and other accompaniments, were never offered another round of drinks or coffees with our desserts...stuff like that. It felt like the kind of place where someone merely takes your order and never checks back until it's time to drop off your bill. Not what one should expect from a downtown restaurant at this price point.
I am a big fan of straightforward bistro-style French fare and Maison Brasserie executes the classics quite well. I am hoping the service was an anomaly, but I liked the food enough to give them the benefit of the doubt, and will likely visit again.
Living in LakeShore East, this place is perfect for both a lazy lunch, and a solid dinner.
Been here twice and have never had one bad meal. Service is very friendly, food is authentic and delicious, wine list offers both inexpensive and high quality.
This place rocks, and could easily be a neighborhood place for those of us who reside in LakeShore East.
I had a business lunch here the other day and this is a terrific addition to the lunch scene in the East Loop (if I have to eat another lunch at Tavern by the Park I may die). Â The dining room is light filled and very nice. Â The tables and noise level is such that conversation is very easy.
The menu is well suited for lunch, and it is easy to enjoy flavorful, well prepared dishes without filling up. Â I really enjoyed the beet/celery soup - light and flavorful with all the yummy goodness of the beets showing through. Â For my main I had the Gnocchi, which were delicious, although not prepared as listed on the menu. Â Luckily they were super yummy with an outstanding pan seared crust with squash and pickled onions to accompany. Â My lunch guest, who was vegetarian had no trouble finding several excellent options. and enjoyed the lovely quiche of the day.
Definitely recommend this place for lunch and will try to come back for dinner in the near future.
Dined there Wednesday, 9/19/12
Feels like a 2 1/2 star experience.
1) Â Ambiance - very nice. Â Bar and dining room do not match but both are nice.
2) Â Two mature females in our party - called "girls" by literally every person in the place. Â Cute once. Â Not cute after four separate people referred to us as girls. Â Perhaps this was a training to not refer to customers as "guys"?
3) Â Server was knowledgeable and helpful but the service was sketchy. Â Seemed they seated tables and the three servers rotated whose turn it was to get a table. Â Result was they were all over the place and service suffered as a result. Infrequent checking and auction at the table when food arrived. Â I hate that.
4) Â Even busboy was poorly trained. Â While we were eating our entrees, he removed our bread plate (they serve little demi baguettes and ours was gone) and our B&B plates. Â Mine was where I had placed the seafood fork I was using on my mussels. Â We asked for more bread - more B&B plates and I needed another seafood fork to complete my meal. Â
5) Â Water was filled ridiculously. Â Take a sip - he's back. Â And he doesn't just pour, each time he picks up the glass with his hands around the rim. Â WAY unsanitary.
6) Â We asked our server for bread with our salads. Â Never happened.
7) Â Food saved the place from getting one star. Â Had mussels and frites, trout, frisee and mixed green salads - all very good.
Service staff from servers to bus help in need of training. Â Not sure anyone in management has the chops to give it to them.
Great location may save them for awhile but service issues will ultimately sink them if they're not addressed.
Live nearby and really hoped Maison would be a regular destination. Â Tried it twice now, both in the dining room and lounge, and it's real disappointing. Â The lounge was stark and harsh -- no music was playing (bartender claimed the songs were just real quiet), the television was showing ESPN poker, and moving chairs sounded like screeching cats. Â The only moderately priced menu item, a hamburger, was so salty my mouth hurt after eating it. Â Same for the fries. Â Service was adequate, but we left with no desire to return.
Review Source:This place is a HUGE add to the food desert that is Lakeshore East. I enjoyed a fabulous girls night here, with many martinis and glasses of wine - it lends itself quite well to this occasion. And they score extra credit because the food is actually good, too!
Let me start by telling you (since you asked) Â that you should just order the chicken, everything else be damned. It's literally the best chicken that I've ever had. I don't know what kind of crack they use in the sauce, but I'm hooked. And I will be back.
I should also add that I absolutely adore french fries, to the point where I would eat only french fries, all of the time, if they somehow had a nutritional value more similar to baby carrots. This place DELIVERS on the frites. Delivers. Truth.
We had  a number of delicious things: Gougeres, bread and butter (!!!), oysters, moules frites (if you ask nicely, they might give you half the mussels and fries as an appetizer), rabbit pasta (amazing), beef ribs (not bad) and green beans.
Next time, I will probably go make a meal of the cheese and meats course... with fries. Love this place!
Great addition to the Lakeshore East neighborhood. Easy to get to via bike, or a two (uphill) block walk from the Michigan & Randolph bus stop- this justifies ordering the dark chocolate mousse.
We loved everything we ordered:
Mayonnaise Egg
Gourgeres
Parisian Gnocchi- plate looks tiny, but these are very filling
Croque Madame
Steak Frites
Chocolate Mousse
Profiteroles with ice cream
We had a drink at the bar, in the left side cafe area of the space, before meeting our friend and moving into the right side dining room area. Unique aesthetics on each side.
I ADORE the ambiance of Maison Brasserie. I want to get a huge place and then snag decorating ideas from Maison Brasserie. And I'll have them provide me with the Picnic Punch cocktail while I'm doing it - the decor and that cocktail were my favorite things about Maison.
Maison is divided into two rooms. The front room is very casual, sunny, and light. As in, it's decorated with light colors that play with the natural light from the windows.
The second room is modern and elegant. It's dark. Some of the walls are painted black, some have dark wood, others are covered in silvery metal, and still others are concrete. All of those dark walls and alcoves are in stark contrast with the one wall that's a window, making silhouettes of everything and everybody who passes before it.
Our server was nice and friendly. He was a bit familiar with us, which was fine. I ordered my cocktails based upon my own whims (the Picnic Punch is my new favorite and I might return to Maison just to have it again) but I got my food based on Yelp... and what the Yelp?! My braised rabbit entree was unappealing. The pasta was undercooked and the rabbit looked and tasted like chicken. The sauce was good though.
M got some cold mussels and a steak. She was happy with both of them. She was not happy that our bread was not removed from our table when everything else was cleared. She was also unhappy that she could not seem to get anyone's attention. It's true that we were not checked on very much. They also didn't seem to notice that my food was practically untouched.
We got dark chocolate mousse for dessert. It was pleasing - a little thick in consistency and not very sweet. I liked it and so did M. It went very well with her 10 Year Port.
All of our food and drinks came to a little more than $100, which was surprising considering that we got a lot (an appetizer, two entrees, a dessert, and four drinks). I suppose it was good for that price. Â Then again, it would have been nice to have been able to enjoy my entree.
I stormed this cleverly-hidden brasserie in Lakeshore East this afternoon for the French picnic lunch special, in honor of what would have been Napoleon's 243rd birthday. I suppose that I didn't read the fine print, as I was under the impression that the lunch would be packed up, in boxes, and that diners would be sent on their way. It turned out this was only for the first 100 dine-in guests. It all worked out for the best, as I could take a seat and imbibe, seeing as how the restaurant also offered $2.43 house (tap) wines during the day as part of the celebration. I went with the rose, a solid pour. The service was professional, no small feat given that this spot only recently opened, and the level of bustle today at what I'm sure is customarily a relatively sedate lunch spot.
I checked on the menu and this picnic lunch is normally $12, so it is great that Maison offered it for free, even though I ended up leaving most of the pate, as I am not a fan. The demi baguette was excellent, as were the other accompaniments (salad greens, blue cheese, and eggs mayonnaise). I look forward to returning to Maison to redeem my 15 percent off lunch coupon and sampling some of the other menu offerings, especially on the dessert side.
Great experience. Nice, intimate space with wonderful views of the park at Lakeshore East. Friendly, attentive service. Wonderful food. We tried the french onion soup, steak tartare, trout and duck confit. We left happy. Maison recently opened and feels like an undiscovered gem. So don't blow it and go tell everyone.
Review Source:Yes! It was that good. Â We had the gruyere gougeres, chicken liver and cheese plate for apps and they were excellent. Â The chicken liver pate was outstanding. Â Also I had the cheese onion soup. Â It was rich and slightly creamy, in short it was great. Â For dinner, the veal liver; braised rabbit; and parisian gnocci. Â We all enjoyed our entrees and finished them. Â Dessert was the profiteroles. Â We enjoyed. Â They gave us caramel and hot fudge. Both homemade and both wonderful. Â
But the best was the service. Â We had Wendy as our server. Â She took the time to answer all our questions. Â More importantly, the little things. Â With the cheese and chicken liver apps, she watched as we ate and brought out more bread without being asked. Â The attention to detail made an excellent meal outstanding. Â We didn't drink and for a party of three our bill was $112 before tip. Â What a deal. Â We will be back. Â The service and the food are just that good. Â As a new place it will be easier to get in, once it catches on, tables will be real hard to come by.
Lovely is the best way to describe it. Â Really friendly staff, great decor (esp the bathrooms) an amazing view and more importantly the food was fantastic. Â We started with the gourges which come out hot and eggy and cheesy and what you would want if you're in need of comfort food. Â Then you get more warm bread with sea salt and a radish. Â My friend had the duck which she said was moist and delicious. Â It did look like it was done well. Â I had the french gnocchi which was crispy on the outside and gooey cheesy on the inside. Â It was with white wine, butter, mushrooms, peas and a few cipollini onions.
We were too full for dessert so must return soon!
Delicious with great ambiance. Â
Of course, the food is the best part. Â We started with the gruyere gougeres which are like flaky pastry with melted cheese inside. Â They were good, but I was more excited by the hot bread that came out with "good butter", sea salt and radishes (their tagline for this is "just like in France"). Â For mains I loved, loved, loved my duck confit, it was cooked perfectly, moist and full of flavor. Â The turnip gratin was a really unexpected delicious side. Â My friend had the Parisian gnocchi, which is different than Italian in that it was toasted on the outside and cheesy inside. Â It was quite good, and she enjoyed it. Â
We were not wowed by the dessert menu, so we had some liquid dessert: Rose Brut and Cuvee Abbaye (super sweet nectar-y dessert wine). Â Here's how you know the service is great: I inquired about a more expensive dessert wine, not knowing much about it, and she recommended the less expensive one. Â I really appreciated that she went for taste and not trying to drive up our bill. Â Throughout the ordering process, she was ready with suggestions, but was never pushy. Â She answered our questions (ie pronunciation) without making us feel dumb. Â Well done Maison.
The space is modern decadence but not stuffy. Â The view overlooking the park is great. Â The bathroom is super cute, it looks like a boudoir with striped walls, soft lighting and l'Occitane soap. Â
I'll be back Maison!
Excellent -- classic French bistro food, typical of what you would find at any great corner brasserie in Paris. As our waiter told us -- and as we found true -- you won't find anything odd or experimental with the menu, just classic dishes done very well.
Our table had the marinated olives, caramelized onion soup, a butter lettuce salad, mussels & frites, and salmon with lentils. Everything was prepared very well and the portions were just right. The wine list was very nice and varied in price from low to high, especially for the selection of carafes and glasses. Overall, the food was excellent.
The dining room is very nice -- and new! -- modern, but still comfortable. Our waiter was incredibly attentive -- admittedly, we were there a bit early -- and stayed on top of things, even as the restaurant filled up on a Friday night. He even was so nice as to bring an alternative wine for my friend, noting that our initial selection, while excellent, might not have matched as well with her salad as another option. A thoughtful gesture.
Overall, a hit. We'll be back.
The french onion soup I had last night was the best! In fact, all the dishes at our table were a hit! We enjoyed the gruyere cheese appetizer, mussels with fries, gnocchi and especially the croque madame! We've got a real winner here in Lakeshore East! Â The owner even visited our table to share her wine expertise and did not disappoint! Â Amazing fare, terrific service and wonderful ambiance.
Review Source:French done very well. My wife and I consider ourselves foodies and as such are fortunate enough to try and visit a new restaurant each weekend. This past weekend we selected Maison and we were extremely pleased with the selection.
In very French style, the table is greeted with a wonderful mix of "french breakfast" radishes, whip butter, sea salt and bread. The combination of the radish butter and salt is so traditional french. My wife and I shared the steam lobster chilled appetizer. It was so fresh one could almost smell the sea water. We shared a pate campagne, house marinated olives and a selection of farmstead cheeses. Truly a delight. The pate was simply wonderful.
We moved from the appetizer level dishes to soups and salads. My wife had the caramelized onion soup. Oh my god...hands down the best onion soup I have ever eaten. Creamy and rich. So unbelievably good. I had the veal sweetbreads. I am a real fan of sweetbread and it is always a treat to have if it is on the menu. These sweetbreads were by far one of the best I have eat. Tender and creamy small bite of heaven. Â
Our main entrees: My wife had the Parisian Gnocchi. They were like eating little pillows of puff with incredible taste. This is the first gnocchi I have ever eaten that was not made with ricotta cheese. I had the sauteed veal liver. Melted in your mouth like butter. The roasted grape sauces was simply divine. The real texture of the dish was found in the layered crispy potato. This dish ranks as a 12 on a 10 scale. Just really well balanced and full of flavor.
The staff was great. Friendly like you were at home but very professional. There was not a single request that was not met. Â Even with all that was going on with the opening of the new place, Chef Perry Hendrix made time to visit us table side.
The entire experience was great. The 4 rating is really not accurate. This is a 4.5+ dinning experience.
Bistro French done delicious. Â With what looks to be a casual side to the left and a more "evening" fine side to the right (facing the park), it's lovely entering Maison feeling either way you'll fit in.
Our table had: the ny strip steak dinner, the bistro steak dinner, the chicken terrine, creme brulee, pistashio ice cream, roast chicken, the floating island, frisee salad, the most perfect cafe au lait (creme brulee's best friend) and gruyere biscuits...a good variety of things and everything was good. Â
Our server was absolutely lovely and attentive. Â Never pushy and always ready to be at your service. Â
Seeing as how this was opening night - - I was surprised at how put together things were. Â While I did see an assistant server get lost a few times and deliver dishes to wrong tables...it was only him...and it was always met with apology. Â He should probably just get re-familiar with the table arranging. Â Other than that, this was a very smooth opening night.
We sat on the lovely long sofa facing the floor-ceiling windows that over look the park. Â And we enjoyed every minute.
The food is not "fancy" so if you're looking for science in your food -- forget it.
This is classic basic French. Â Steak with frites. Â Frisee with large amounts of blue vein cheese. Â Etc. Â Profiteroles and the like.
I had a great time, the prices were fair, the service was great, the layout is warm, and the food was perfect French bistro fare...all in all wonderful.
They even do French radishes with butter and salt with bread pre meal - -- Â CLASSIC FRENCH!
The only thing stopping me from giving this the full 5 stars is a) the lost assistant server b) wishing the dessert menu was a little more...adventurous? c) waiting to see if visit #2 is as good...if it is - -- I'll update my review with a 5! :)
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