We had a revelation this evening ... a wonderful meal at Bistro Bordeaux, a French Bistro around the corner from our apartment in Evanston.
We'd been once before and the food was quite good, but tonight was really special. On Saturday's in Evanston, there is a large Farmer's Market, with fresh produce brought in from farms in Indiana, Michigan, Illinois and Wisconsin. We've been buying our fresh veggies there since it opened (we had some great sweet corn on Saturday). The Bistro does the same thing -- the executivie chef (a magician named Ben Benbow) buys fresh produce and uses it for a prix fixe three course meal with wine parings -- all for the wonderfully modest price of $35/person.
Tonight, we started with a corn mousse, over pickled squash blossoms, and scarlett corn salad. The whole thing was made just right and spice by a saffron cayenne espuma covering and the slightly sweet Dopff au Moulin pinot gris was perfect in accompaniment.
The second course was, however, the true gem! Lobster with braised baby fennel, amaranth, cucumber remoulade, quinoa all covered with a lobster sauce. Usually, lobster is overcooked and "rubbery" but this preparation was as soft as butter. A fine Macon-Charny chardonnay accompanied.
And for dessert ... a brown sugar cake with plums, black berry caviar and a cherry sauce. On a warm night, the Begerac Ch. Haut Santhers rose fit perfectly to finish the evening. All in all, the flavors were inventive and stood out without overwhelming. The ambiance was pleasant and the chef and owner (Pascal) seemed so eager to please that nobody could possibly walk away unhappy. We'll be going back.
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