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ELV note: Word reached us today of the passing of Jean Banchet — Chicago’s first celebrity chef and one-time operator of the best restaurant in America — on Sunday. Below is a too-brief but heartfelt reminiscence (published last year) of our sole meal at his Le Français temple of haute cuisine, when it was widely considered the ne plus ultra of fine dining in America. Continue reading “Jean Banchet – Cuisinier Extraordinare – Dead at 72”
To be a great chef…
…you need the soul of an artist…
…the discipline of a drill sergeant…
…and the stamina of a bricklayer.
ELV
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It’s tasty.
It’s fresh.
It’s unique.
It’s inexpensive.
It’s chef-owned.
That chef is always at the stoves.
It’s good.
It’s good for you.
It’s as vegetarian or meat-centric as you want it to be.
It’s as spicy or tame as you desire.
It’s clean.
It’s charming.
It’s intimate.
It’s open all the time, i.e. throughout the day.
The service is unfailingly sweet and efficient.
It’s got food that isn’t fancy.
In fact, a lot of it looks like this: