This place killed it.
We opened the night at the bar, waiting for another couple to arrive for our reservation, with a Martinez (Me) and a glass of sauvignon blanc (girlfriend). Â I can't attest to the wine, but she seemed to like it fine as she was slugging it back, and the Martinez was spectacular. Â The gin was the dominant flavor in the drink without overpowering the other ingredients and the maraschino cherry was house made, eschewing the nuclear neon red maraschino cherries you find in liquor stores.
Thinking it was a bar and not a restaurant, the couple we were with showed up having eaten dinner, and then proceeded to eat a second dinner because the food was fantastic. Â Me and my girlfriend split a dozen of the Beau Soleil and Misty Point Oysters, which were just as fresh as anything you'd find at a restaurant on either coast, then had the steamed mussels. Â We were drinking the broth afterwards. Â The highlight of the meal was the cassoulet, which we closed with. Â The garlic sausage in the cassoulet made the dish.
I would recommend this place on a list of about five to any of my friends visiting the city and looking for a great restaurant to go to thats pseudo casual (ie no Alinea/Next etc.).
I really enjoyed this place. Seafood tower was excellent, if a little pricey at $150, but hey it had lobster. My favorite was the roast chicken on the dinner menu. It was soft and juicy with the right amount of spicing to complement the delicate flavor of the meat as opposed to overpowering it. Drinks are also tasty and interesting.
Review Source:TOURIST REVIEW*
Went here for a double date with my boyfriend and his brother and girlfriend. Â The moment we walked in I loved the ambiance, dim and romantic. Â They took our coats and had us hangout at the bar until our table was ready. Â We walked upstairs and were sat at a table that was half booth/half chairs. Â The chairs were quite comfy. Â The noise level was perfect, it wasn't too quite but, but not too loud.
We debated about getting their seafood tower (clams, muscles, lobster, crab, & shrimp) or a bunch of dishes. Â We chose the later. Â Everything on the menu looked delicious. Â I think it took the four of us about half an hour to decide on 5 dishes. Â We also ordered 18 oysters, one of each for each of us, plus 2 extra since they were sold by the half dozen. Â The oysters were fresh and delicious. Â The first three dishes all came with country bread. Â We ordered the chicken liver, steak tare tare, and the pork shoulder pate wrapped in bacon. Our first thought was 'WOW' that's a lot of bread, but by the time we were done, we probably could of ate more bread! Â Unanimously, we all loved the steak tare tare the best. Â I could probably eat a big plate of it as a meal. Â The last two dishes were french onion fondue (yum what a fantastic idea) and the Cassoulet. Â Both were perfect.
Their smashes were delicious along with a couple other cocktails. The one thing that kept it from 5 stars is though things were listed as "Hors d'oeuvres" "Traditional French" & "Almost French" Â Small plates and entrees were mixed through the whole menu. Â The waitress noted this at the beginning and even noted which ones were entrees, but I personally forgot right away. Â In my mind, Hors d'oeuvers would be the "small plates" and the rest entrees.
*I'm from Seattle and was visiting Chicago for the first time.
I love this place. Â Maude's is a place that I have returned to several times. Â The ambiance downstairs where the bar is located is more bright and light and, upstairs is darker and muted with dark wood and deep leather benches. Â Both ambiances are very enjoyable. Â The cocktails here are exceptional. Â The bartenders know their craft. Â I have tried several of them, each of which are fresh, delicious and creative. Â The food here is absolutely delicious. Â Of note are the Cassoulet with sausage, duck confit, pork belly and breadcrumbs all of which is so good that you will want to mop up every last drop with the bread; the foie gras pate with sour cherry compote that is to die for; and, last but not least the sinfully delicious and buttery bone marrow.
The ecclectic background music, ambiance and incredibly delicious food and drinks combine for an exceptional gastronomical experience.
Friendly hostess but snooty, pretentious, unhelpful wait staff.
Showed up here to meet some friends on a Friday night after a concert. Tables seat 4 and there were 7 of us so we pushed two tables together (they were about 4" apart to begin with). The waiter told us "they usually don't do that," rather than asking us to move them back. Then she disappeared for 15 minutes, not taking anyone's order. She showed up again as two more friends came to join us. The waiter took one look at our two new arrivals, rolled her eyes, and walked away. We left without ordering anything.
The upside: The hostess was friendly and helpful. Â Our knowledgeable and competent server made good recommendations. Â The food and cocktails were uniformly delicious. Â The prices were reasonable considering the quality and portion sizes.
The downside: We asked for a 5:30pm reservation and were told they could only accommodate us at 5pm. Â We were also forced to give a credit card number to hold our reservation. Â The entire time we were in the restaurant it was, at best, 2/3 full. Â I would rate the entire experience higher if not for the ridiculous and unnecessary reservations obstacles.
This place was absolutely Delicious! Great Drinks too.. The atmosphere is very sexy, french and rustic with gold lit lighting in the dark room.. I enjoyed the cheese fondue a dish based off of baked french onion! Also the lyonnaise, escarole with pork belly and easy egg... It makes my mouth water.. And also the do it yourself Foie Gras pate with a sour cherry sauce on toased brioche was Divine! This dish I could eat for the rest of my life... Cant wait to go back!
Review Source:Came here with my girlfriend on a Friday evening...we had an 8:45pm reservation and were running a few minute late due to some closures around Kinzie St.  We called to notify the hostess and were informed that they hold reservations for 20 minutes (just enough time for us to make it!)  We arrived around 9:00pm and were seated immediately.  We had a nice table towards the back of the restaurant and  had a friendly waitress.  And we were hungry....we ordered the Delice de Bourgogne cheese dish to start...was delicious.  Then, the fireworks began .  My girlfriend's Pork Palliard dish was everything you would want in a Pork Tenderloin...I ended up eating about half of it because of the large size of the dish.  I ordered the Scottish Salmon and it was very tender.  We also got the brussel sprouts which I was a bit nervous about but once I tasted them I knew I made the right decision.  Overall, Maude's was a very nice experience and the vibe was just what you want in a Friday night weekend date spot (albeit quite similar to Gilt Bar and owned by the same group)...I'll be back.
Review Source:We tried this place for after dinner drinks the other night. Â First off, when I walked through the doors I felt like I was stepping back in time ala Owen Wilson in "Midnight in Paris". Â The vintage decor is fabulous - I love the walled tiles adjacent to exposed brick and the crystal chandeliers. Â The lighting really set the mood.
The hostesses were very friendly and welcoming, directing us to the location of the bar. Â It was crowded, maybe two person deep, but the bartenders were still accessible. Â We ordered and received our drinks in a timely manner. Â For the first round, I tried the vodka smash. Â The ice and crushed mint reminded me of a refreshing mojito. Â I really liked my second drink, the St. Germain Fizz - it was dangerously delicious. Â Hubby tried the whisky smash and several types of whiskey on the rocks. Â It was a perfect place to end a great night meeting friends.
I definitely want to go back for dinner. Â Reading the menu on their website is making me drool.
I'm the last person on the planet to go do different styles of restaurants to try different food but I was brought here on family dinner and man...it was awesome!! This was my first time trying steak tar tar and it was great. We stayed there until it closed and we enjoyed everything on the menu. I just returned home from Franch from a vacation and was excited to see that everything in France tasted the same here in the states. You cant ask for anything more from a French Restaurant. Only complaint was we received a rude remark when they were closing which I wasn't very fond of. But everything was really good and I would recommend to friends.
Review Source:We've been wanting to try this place for a while, since we love Au Cheval, and finally got our act together and made reservations. We were greeted by two lovely, friendly hostesses who took our coats and seated right away, even though we were a little early for our 7:30p reservation.
We started with a couple of cocktails. I had the Whiskey Smash, my boyfriend had the Old Cuban. He didn't pay much attention to what he was ordering and it was funny when our drinks arrived. His was in a champagne flute and mine was in a much more "manly" old-fashioned type glass. But both drinks were delicious.
We had a hard time deciding what to order, everything on the menu sounded great. The waiter explained most plates were appetizer-to-entree sized and meant to be shared. He said he'd bring them out as they were ready, but he definitely kept an eye on our table to make sure we weren't over-crowded.
We started with the French onion fondue. It's all the best parts of French onion soup - the cheese and the onions, with a hint of the beefy broth laced with wine flavor. I totally burned my mouth and it was worth it.
Next up we had the Country Terrine, a bacon-wrapped pork shoulder, served with mini-pickles, grainy mustard and toasted bread. Sometimes terrines can be a little "tough" or have an unpleasant texture, but this one was perfect. Cool, smooth and lots of porky flavor.
Next up we had 3 dishes that came out fairly close together, but worked well with each other. The roasted marrow bones, braised lentils and cassoulet. Holy cow, the other reviews weren't lying about the lentils. They're incredible. Such a simple dish, but so much flavor. We were practically fighting over the last spoonful. The cassoulet was perfect winter comfort food, tons of beans, duck and sausage, topped with crispy croutons. The roasted marrow bones are so rich and decadent, you need something to cut through them and the lentils worked perfectly.
In retrospect, we ended up eating a lot of bread, since it came with 3 of the things we ordered. Not necessarily a bad thing, the bread is excellent and since I normally eat wheat/gluten-free, it's a treat. But it does fill you up. Next time we'll probably try to balance out our choices a bit better.
The service is very friendly and knowledgeable and our meal was well-paced. The first drinks took a bit longer than I'd normally expect to come out, but it was a Friday night, the bar was very busy and they're crafted cocktails, not something pre-mixed. So not a big deal, just be prepared be understanding. Also MAKE RESERVATIONS especially if you want to eat prime-time. The bar area is small. We heard the hostess explain to more than one walk-in that the tables were booked for the entire night. Avoid disappointment and plan ahead, it's definitely worth it. We can't wait to go back!
I've been to this place half a dozen of times in the last two months! It's difficult to get into but worth the wait. I recommend making reservations .... way ahead of time! This place offers great service, fantastic ambiance, delicious drinks and absolutely the best steak tar tar I've ever had!
Review Source:Every time I go, it is jam packed and hard to talk. Â AND- people push to get chairs at the bar even though there are polite people waiting patiently. Â Not a lot of eye contact with fellow patrons even though we are all jammed in there. Â What am I trying to say-- not a friendly crowd. Â I KNOW-- I should get a rez, but I have issues planning things. Â Someday I'll get to eat there.
Review Source:I'm considering moving neighborhoods just to be closer to Maude's. This place is wonderful for either sitting at the bar for a pre-dinner drink, going on a date, or coming with a large group and sharing several dishes. It never fails to please everyone.
Things I've ordered and you should too:
1) French Onion Fondue
If you love french onion soup, imagine that in dip form but with as much cheese as you could ever dream of. It's rich and decadent, perfect for sharing with everyone at your table.
2) Classic Lyonnaise
A sinful take on the everyday French classic salad. It's great as a main if you are not too hungry or sharing with your date to start the meal.
3) Roast Farm Chicken
They've taken the simple roast chicken and made it drool-worthy. Moist, not overly brined (which so many places do wrong) and gets a nice crispy skin.
4) Steamed Mussels
Side of fries and you're practically in France.
5) Braised Lentils
Surprisingly, this is the reason to come here. These are impossible to describe but they are worthy of your order every time. They are the perfect side to any of their dishes.
6) Maude's Steak
Skip the Chicago steakhouses and just come get this.
Yes, this is salty and fatty food. It's also worth it. My only complaint is that the fries are doused in so much salt they were inedible, but I attribute that to a heavy handed night for a cook, not a general rule of how they will be.
Also, finally! They changed the website so it won't drive you nuts anymore! Thank you!
I really enjoyed Maude's. Â It definitely has that dark and sexy vibe you usually get from a Sodikoff place, so if that ain't your scene you've been warned. Â I happen to love it - when I'm out with my honey it's got to feel special.
We were seated upstairs which definitely has the chill lounge kind of vibe going on. Â Good energy in the room was was packed, but not uncomfortably so on a Saturday night. Â The cocktail service is clearly a strength of the place. Â I ordered a Boulevardier - kind of a Manhattan with Compari for an extra element of exoticness (is that a word?). Â Very good - well balanced between the various liquors so the flavors really came out. Â Very nice presentation is an excellent and nicely shaped rocks glass.
The dinner menu was nice, but I have to admit I found it a bit limited. Â It's got many of the classic French dishes and didn't stray too far from that playbook. Â I found it difficult to find dishes that I really wanted that weren't old school and heavy. Â Nonetheless, I enjoyed what I ate.
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The seafood tower had some awesome oysters but the shrimp were too big (I know, right, this is a complaint?) and not firm enough. Â Next time I'm just getting oysters. Â The shaved vegetable salad was awesome, and perhaps my favorite dish of the night. Â Unbelievably crunchy with a delicious vinaigrette - definitely get this. Â But it's a huge portion and could easily serve two. Â For main it was cassoulette - always a good dish for January in Chicago. Â This was an interesting rendition of the dish - very rich and hearty. Â It was good, but fell a little flat. Â Flavors didn't quite jump out at me and it could have perhaps benefited from more or a different kind of sausage.
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Desserts looked good but there were not many choices - creme brulee or mousse. Â All good reviews from my dinner mates but they could have used more options.
I really like the place. Â Good hearty food, excellent chill vibe, and great drinks. Â Sounds like a good place to spend Saturday (or any) night.
I'm still thinking about a dish I had here. Wait, did that sound creepy?
Anyhow, after one trip for drinks only and multiple attempts to eat dinner here (all thwarted), I finally made it to here for food and it was fantastic.
My only complaint about the entire night? Service. The waitress was visibly and audibly annoyed with us and even rolled her eyes at us when I asked for menu recommendations. Guess that was too much?
We settled on a beverage called 20th Century (delightful) and opted to do a few shared plates.
The ricotta gnocchi with chicken au jus and mushrooms was my favorite item of the night. Light, fluffy, and just so flavorful. I cannot say enough good things about it. It was so tasty, I could have eaten an entire plate of it...multiple times.
Next up was the Lyonnaise salad. Another winner. The combo of frisee, egg and pork belly was perfect and it was perfect to share too.
Finally, we ventured out of our comfort zone for the final dish, the cassoulet. First time I've had it and I am a huge fan. I would absolutely order it again, but it's enough for three people, easy.
Overall, great meal, great ambiance, great drink, just not so great service. It won't stop me from going back and having another meal and/or 1-3 drinks there. And if the service is better, it would be perfect.
The drinks and food are great, but I can't get past the fact that the waitstaff really wants you to know how lame you are. Not only was our waitress incredibly rude, but the host and the person who sat us were also rude. I expect that at an expensive place like this you'll answer my questions about the menu without rolling your eyes at me. I get it, you're very cool for working here. But please keep the attitude to a minimum.
Review Source:Roasted Farm Chicken. Pomme Frites. Whiskey Smash. Need I say more?
Great ambience at Maude's. The decor is sleek and comfortable. Went here on a Sunday evening for a friend's birthday and we had the bar to ourselves. Our bartender/server was great, very knowledgeable about the restaurant's spirits and foods.
The only slight downside for me was that the place was just a little too dimly lit. I had to hold my phone against the menu items for some additional lighting.
Best Seafood Tower ever!!! Â All we had was the tower and drinks, but this place was fantastic. Â Not too crowded, I think I might have been the only dude in the place. Â Every table had ladies sharing their plates and having a good old time. Â So my friend Jen and I decided it was going to be a seafood type of not and how can you go wrong with a 3 tier seafood tower. Â King Crab, shrimp, lobster, muscles, oysters, and some other things I cannot remember. Â But it was better than the tower's I have had in Vegas.
I love the feel of this place and love the hand crafted drinks even more.
Great date place or a great place to catch up with a friend. Â Highly recommend and with the new Green/Pink stop in the West Loop getting to this hood is easier than ever.
This is now one of my favorite restaurants in Chicago!
Great for a romantic date night, probably not the best for large groups as the place is pretty small.
We loved the seafood selection, including an amazing tower of oysters, shrimp and crab.
The drinks are great too. Enjoy a "Smash" if looking for a sweeter drink. My favorite drink was the more serious "Sazerac" with whiskey and absinthe. Â
One downside is that as of 1/1/2013, they are no longer taking reservations. I have a feeling the lines are going to be long.
We will definitely be back!
dark and classy. just how i like 'em.
one of my favorite places in the city...ever since a cold, rainy winter night almost two years ago when a friend flew in literally at a moments notice. once my friend arrived drenched and arms full of luggage, we literally ran to maude's to celebrate (luggage and all)...where we drank the night away (and had several orders of moules-frites). ranks up there in "favorite memories."
oh, and i want the owl that sits on top of the bar shelves.
Alright, I'll admit it, I kind of have an obsession with all of Brendan Sodikoff's restaurants. I THOUGHT Au Cheval would always be my favorite until I happened to choose Maude's for my birthday dinner. We made a reservation for 6:30pm on a Sunday night and walked into a bustling, but not busy, atmosphere. We were promptly seated near the bar and I took in the vibe of the restaurant. Maude's is... sexy, dark, and mysterious. The restaurant is incredibly dark but lit up with tastefully placed chandeleirs and lamps, with a sparse amount of light coming from the single candle on the table. This establishment makes for a great date or special occasion destination, and I'm already itching to go back.
We put in our drink order after we took a look at the cocktail selection, I chose the timeless Sazerac and my boyfriend went with the Vieux Carre. The Sazerac was delicious, as expected, and had a subtle black licorice kick to the drink. The sip of the Vieux Carre that I had was also fantastic, and without even having a morsel of food at this point, I had decided that their drinks were reason enough to come back at a future point in time.
After going over the small menu, we decided which items we were going to indulge in for the evening...until our waiter threw a few curve balls at us with their nightly specials. ALL of them sounded fantastic, which put me into a state of paralysis in regards to what to order. I mean, how can one choose between a bacon wrapped pork shoulder pate and a lightly cured salmon rillette?! All food snobbery and first world problems aside, we (somehow) managed to narrow down our food selection to the following:
1) Hor d'Oeurves: Their cheese plate with brandied apples: This appetizer was HUGE and delicious. There were six large pieces of buttery, crunchy, toasted baguette served alongside a large wedge of the greatest cheese in existence, Délice de Bourgogne. The cheese was rich and creamy and spread like butter on the bread. The brandied apples added a great balance to the richness of the cheese, and my only complaint was that there could have been more apples to balance out the large wedge of cheese.
2) Traditional French: Cassoulet with garlic sausage, duck confit, braised pork belly, and toasted breadcrumbs: There was a lot going on in this dish, but it worked perfectly. All of the meats were tender and flavorful and were swimming in a rich, buttery sauce. It was oddly reminiscent of a deconstructed pot pie, which made for a hearty and delicious dish. We luckily had about 1/3 of the dish leftover, so we topped it with a fried egg per the waiter's recommendation and it made for a fantastic meal.
3) Pork Special: Thinly pounded out piece of pork, lightly breaded, topped with green apples and greens: The best way to describe this dish is a French twist on the German Schnitzel. The pork was flavorful and not overdone for being fried, and was drizzled with a light vinaigrette dressing and topped with a generous helping of fresh greens, apples, and beets. The beets and apples brought out a lot of flavor in the pork. We probably could have just split this or the Cassoulet and been more than satisfied, as the portion was more than generous.
4) Side #1: Braised Lentils: I never thought I'd put perfect and lentils in the same sentence, but thanks to Maude's I experienced the best lentils of my life. I think it may have something to do with the fact that they're swimming with bacon lardons. All I know is that I want to go back now and eat these in mass quantity.
5) Side #2: Pomme Frites: A French staple that we couldn't resist ordering, and these were fantastic. They were perfectly fried and the garlic aioli was top notch.
Unfortunately we didn't have room for another drink OR dessert, but the Chocolate Mousse looked fantastic.
The service here was flawless and prompt, making this restaurant very consistent with Brendan's other restaurants in the city. I'm already scouring my calendar for an excuse to come back, but I know it won't be soon enough.
In lieu of exchanging gifts for Christmas, my two girl friends and I decided to treat each other to a nice meal at Maude's. All of my expectations were exceeded, and I couldn't have asked for a better meal!
We each had mixed drinks off the menu (I'd highly suggest the 20th Century), and our waitress was really helpful at explaining in depth what was in each one. She even told us about drinks that weren't on the menu, and helped us pick out the perfect beverage based on our taste preferences.
The food was impeccable! We ordered the French onion fondue, pomme frites, escargot, mussels, steak tartar, Â and brussel sprouts. The portions were larger than I expected and nothing was disappointing!
The restaurant itself is smaller than I'd imagined. It is sort of long and narrow. One wall is a giant chesterfield tufted bench. I loved the exposed brick and subway tile walls. The lighting was low and at times it was difficult to read the menu, and it did tend to get a little loud.
Bottom line: Maude's was great and it was the perfect setting for a Christmas celebration with friends!
We had a great time here. The food was very good. The cocktails were yummy. The service was just okay. The noise level was too high. We had to almost yell the entire meal to carry a conversation. The Maude's Seafood Tower was gigantic! Worth the $155 price tag. I was a little disappointed that they didn't offer to compensate us after spilling butter all over our table, and a little splashed on my friend's dress. Other than that, it was overall a good experience due to good food and good company.
Maude's Seafood Tower - impressive, we had so many gawkers
Foie gras pate - yummy with the sour cherry and generously buttered toast
Escargot - typical, but still good
Roasted Bone Marrow - way too oily, couldn't stomach
Brussel Sprouts - the best I've ever had, simply perfect!
This place was truly outstanding. Â Simple but good. Â We ordered the Boulevardier (Negroni with whisky instead of gin, in case you didn't know.) and champagne, both delicious and frites & aioli and shrimp cocktail. Â Shrimp cocktail is usually, blah, but this was awesome served with a greally good cocktail sauce, lots of ice, a mustard/mayo, and presented with a tea candle in the middle. Â Very romantic. Â The fries, although good, could have been better. Â French fries, in a French restaurant, should have been oil-blanched before service and then re-crisped at a higher temperature just before serving. Â There were simply two many short and broken friies. Â
We shared the steak tartar and the roasted chicken with garlic jus and other were just absolutely spot on. Â I highly recommend this place, especially on a weeknight when the pace is more relaxed and quieter.
Dining and drinking at Maude's was easily a highlight of my gastronomical weekend in Chicago. Blessed to find a reservation available on a late Friday night, we sat in the sleek restaurant area and started with Eagle Rare bourbon, naturally. Service was friendly and quick to greet us.
I think what I loved most about Maude's is it's ability to feature one of my deepest loves in life- steak tartare. I have had it in 5 cities so far and I love it dearly. (This may be due to my eating red meat only rarely in life..) In NYC I wanted to eat the entire cow raw this way, chopped up into little bits and mixed with mustard, worcestershire sauce and a fresh quail egg yolk. At Maude's I felt similar, smearing each rich, flavorful knifeful onto chewy toasted bread. Â
Aside from the cow, the chef knows his way around the belly of a pig. When too grisley or thick pork belly can be downright nauseating, the pork belly that was nestled into the Lyonnaise salad was simply perfect-a perfectly smoky, salty chew with a even meat to fat ratio. The braised lentils also were studded nicely with pork belly, rendering their own smoky element to a wonderful dish.
Drinks were inventive and tasty, none too overwhelmingly sweet to pair with dinner items. Beer and wine lists were also extensive and well selected. Overall a fantastic spot to start your night, walking distance to Aviary, Office, Au Cheval and The Girl and the Goat.
Places like Maude's are the reason why I am so grateful to live in Chicago.
The food? Fabulous. The drinks? Deeelightful. The ambiance? Cozy, inviting, warm, luxurious. Anyone could look flattering in this lighting. The whole experience was positively wonderful. Unlike its neighbors, Maude's didn't shove my date and I into a tiny table because we were a small party or make us feel rushed because they are a hip restaurant. It's just not their style.
I loved that our waitress recommended eating leftover cassoulet the next morning with eggs. I did and it was amazing! The only downside? They could use a bit more signage, I walked past the place a few times and had to ask where it was. But I guess that's kind of the allure, isn't it?
This is a great spot for an intimate dinner or a drink at the bar while you watch the bartender hand craft every cocktail.
The drinks are well made with attention to detail. They also have an great wine program as well.
I've tried:
Oysters - fresh and delicious, nice classic mignonette with shallots
Salmon - perfectly cooked medium rare and nicely seasoned - definitely let the salmon flavor shine through
Steak tartar - the pieces weren't diced too fine and the dijonaise along with siracha was a great compliment to the steak
Braised Lentils - I normally don't see lentils offered as a side dish, so it was nice to see this on the menu. Of course, I had to try it. The lentils were braised in chicken stock and you can taste all the flavors of the stock - very nicely done
I would definitely recommend this place if you are looking for a date night spot and looking to catch up with a few girlfriends.
Admittedly, I am not a foodie but I can't (won't?) pass up a great classic cocktail speakeasy and Maude's fits the bill for both.
The bartenders here are fantastic as is the drink list. The atmosphere is amazing and the location in the west loop couldn't be more convenient.
What's good to eat? This stuff:
*Maude's Steak
*Pomme Frites
*Chicken Liver Mousse
*Braised Lentils
Drink?
*Death in the Afternoon  - A Hemmingway invention and favorite
*Sazerac
*Vieux Carre - Mt favorite by far!
Also, don't be afraid to order drinks 'off menu' - they make a great Corpse Reviver #2 here and I've also had a classic daiquiri on occasion  (no, not the frozen kind - <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FDaquari&s=b8102c9901080b05196be80986ade638c7ea5b185ae3499d0eeb9b1fbaed4524" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://en.wikipedia.org/…</a>)
There's always a long wait Thurs - Sun nights so make reservations and be prepared to sample a few amazing cocktails while you wait to be seated.
Overall, if you're into the whole gastronomy foodie stuff and/or just some great drinks in a beautifully designed and executed environment then Maude's Liquor Bar can't be missed.
Ahhh this beauty of a restaurant!! The exterior looked a little uninviting but just go ahead and open the doors.
The service was excellent. Hostess was awesome, server was spectacular. My cup of water was never empty nor was my wine glass unfilled. We were given excellent suggestions but went with the salmon, frites and brussel sprouts.
You MUST try the brussel sprouts, even if you've sworn as a child to never eat them again.
The atmosphere was dark and romantic. There were live performers but they didn't overshadow the dining experience. I didn't check out the second floor but there are more places for dining up there.
Totally crowded on a Wednesday evening, so much that we couldn't even get in to have a drink and dessert at the bar. Â There was a small table off to the corner that they let us sit at since it was crowded elsewhere. Â We ended up having just a drink and not getting the dessert.
I really liked the atmosphere of this place. Â It was a lot of females and couple on dates when I was there but a very hip crowd.
Note that the bathrooms are only one door so there sometimes is a bit of a wait.
Dress was more trendy and nice casual.
We'll try back sometime when it is less crowded or for a full dinner (with a reservation).
Last minute on a Monday, a friend of a friend told me she was in town and asked if I wanted to grab dinner. Â
I started with a gin smash that I thoroughly enjoyed, and she had the smokey violet. Â For dinner we decided to go with lots of small plates to share. Â Here's the list:
-6 oysters (forgot which ones)
-classic lyonnaise
-cassoulet
-escargot
-roasted bone marrow
I thought everything was pretty good besides the roasted bone marrow. Â I feel like bone marrow is the new trendy dish and I see it on menus everywhere now. Â
I always order it and it mostly turns out the same... heavy and flavored more by the jam accompaniment than anything else. Â It's decidedly underwhelming considering the cost.
Very solid dinner choice, especially if your companion is expensing it. Â Oh, and the $4 table wine is extremely drinkable. Â It's not 2-buck chuck from Trader Joes. Â Or if it is, it's disguised really well.
Gorgeous atmosphere - very swanky, intimate, and dark.
Food was incredible - highlights include the risotto (it's a side, but could be an entree), the mussels, and the bone marrow.
Drinks were fun - I'm a craft beer person and they only had a few selections, but the cocktails did not disappoint!
It didn't start out great on my part. After approaching us at the bar to tell us our table was ready, the hostess overheard me telling a disturbing anecdote about events that unfolded on the stage of a GWAR concert. Except she didn't hear that "on the stage of a GWAR concert" part of the story, Â just the disturbing part.
Naturally, she sat the five of us around the coffee table to eat dinner. She probably thought that ilk like us would feel most at home while feeding around a table that's roughly the height of a feeding trough. Aboslutely I do... Â of course. When I'm at home. Â But I didn't want to feel like I was at home, I wanted to feel I was somewhere fancy while I slurp-t oysters on the halfshell with mes copains de luxe.
I came here with a small group, including a popular chef from across the lake. The chef swore this place had the best steak tartar in the country. And he wanted nothing else.
We never got the steak, because the server just forgot about it. We did have other things though. Oysters, bone marrow, cassoulet, escargot, and enough cocktails to drown ourselves. Though several cocktails were also forgotten throughout the night.
The server didn't question my moral integrity, just the hostess, so she had no vendetta. She just forgot a lot of stuff. By the time we realized the steak tartar wasn't coming, we didn't want to be there anyway. In part, because an experienced oyster shucker at the table was unlucky enough to throw a rancid oyster in his mouth without second guessing the restaurant and smelling it first.
Au cheval is a much better experience, and this place let me down. The food was ok, the cocktails were good, but I can't say much else. Â The guy who was probably most let down (see: rancid oyster, crushed dreams), didn't seem to mind, if that tells you anything. He had been impressed a few times before, and had respect for the chef. I wouldn't be surprised if he stopped bringing people there, though. And personally, I certainly won't go back.
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