NOW CLOSED...Formerly: During the restaurant's heyday in the 1980s, one writer called Le Francais the best French restaurant west of Paris. Much of the acclaim is due to the talents of Chef Roland Liccioni, whose departure and return merited an avalanche of publicity in Chicago.
Liccioni, the mastermind of the establishment, has brought dozens of prestigious awards to the eatery, whose non-descript green decor does little to distract guests from the purpose of the visit: the cuisine.
The sophisticated haute cuisine includes foie gras poele et Champagne d'Abalon, orange sanguine-sauteed foie gras with blood orange that tickles the tastebuds, as well as starters like wild mushroom soup and Salade Lyonnaise. The entrees are succulent, but the roasted loup de mer with spaetzle, caviar eggplant and Vietnamese broth is blinding. Dessert specialties include a flourless almond cake with tapioca soup and Thai basil coconut sorbet.
Pricing is specific to the course: appetizers at $14, soups and salads at $10, entrees at $35 and desserts at $12. A $90 seven-course degustation menu is available, provided every member at the table order it. For those with royal tastes and a pauper's budget, it's best to visit Le Francais during lunch on a weekday, when the $35 prix-fixe gives you your fill of appetizer or soup or salad, entree and dessert.
Le Francais has temporarily closed.
Reviewed By: Robin Wright
