Chez Joel Bistro: Chicago Restaurant Week Review

Chicago Restaurant Week 2024. The Saga continues. 

After perusing a variety menus I decided to narrow down my list and actually start dining at some of these places I desire. Chez Joel Bistro was next on my list as I am a huge fan of French cuisine. I've been wanting to dine here after noticing their very appealing Chicago Restaurant Week menu for the last several years. 

To loosely quote Dennis Green after the Bears beat the Arizona Cardinals on Monday Night Football in 2006, "they are who we thought they were! and they were off the hook!"  The flavors, presentation, and value was very much on point. I was expecting this after one of my friends dined here last year. Dinner at many establishments during Chicago Restaurant Week is generally $25 for lunch or brunch and dinner is generally $42 or $59. Chez Joel Bistro is $42 for a 3 course meal of some of my favorite French dishes. 

For our appetizers we had Escargots A La Bourguignon in garlic butter and bread crumbs and Mussels Marinières in a white wine sauce with a touch of cream. Our main course entrees were Salmon Grilled in Chive Lemon Beurre Blanc, Sautéed Vegetables and Butternut Squash Ravioli served with garlic cream, grilled butternut squash and truffle oil. Dessert was Crème Brulée and Profiterole, which is a cream puff filled with vanilla bean ice cream, warm chocolate and toasted sliced almonds. 

Here are my thoughts regarding these dishes:

Escargot- Delicious. Loved the garlic butter and bread crumb mixture. Reminded me of pesto which I love so dearly. 

Mussels- Delicious. Appetizer portion is enough for one person. The white wine sauce with a touch of cream was very tasty. Parsley is such an underrated yet tasty garnish. These are now among my favorite mussels in the city. My only complaint is that the mussels were kinda in the sauce/creamy broth and I typically like my mussels swimming in sauce especially when the sauce is this good.

Butternut Squash Ravioli- Loved the range of flavors. The Butternut Squash Ravioli tasted like it had some cinnamon and/or nutmeg going on plus the cream sauce with the garlic and truffle oil was a great contrast to the sweet herbal spices. It kinda made the flavors even more pronounced. 

Grilled Salmon- Had it prepared between medium and medium well. Very Good. The char was perfect while it was cooked just to my liking on the inside. Enjoyed the flavors, the beurre blanc sauce, and the sauteed vegetables were presented nicely and they taste good.

 

Crème Brulée- Very traditional and delicious. Served with  Sweet and buttery while the top looked like amber colored stained glass. 

Profiterole- Delicious. The cream puff is more like a mini croissant filled with cream. Warm chocolate, toasted almonds, and vanilla bean ice cream. What more can I say.

Bread- Warm soft and crusty French Bread. It was used primarily for sopping up the delicious sauces, but prior to the sopping we enjoyed it with butter and olive tapenade in olive oil. Yum!

Food was excellent. Service was excellent. Ambiance was nice, intimate, perfectly lit, and it made me feel like I was in a Bistro near Champs Elysees in Paris. Overall I would grade them an A. 

To learn more about Chez Joel Bistro's Chicago Restaurant Week Menu and to make reservations please Click Here or visit ChezJoelBistro.com