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I'll fight you BOTH for them!

When I was a kid, I'd like the center pieces too. I'd eat all the toppings first, then the tomato bread. I know...weird kid.

I'm really enjoying reading your food adventures, Ron! Thanks for sharing - I'm living vicariously through you while at work. ::resisting the magnetic pull of the Heinemann's Turtle Coffee Cake that's just waiting for me next to the coffee machine :: I have a good guess which place you're talking about...

Ah, but what a night that was! Details, please!

We're going back tomorrow night and taking two friends. PGC is now on OpenTable, and we got a 6:00 reservation for four. I don't think they'll be offering 1,000 points any time soon!

I have thoughts on Bob Chinn's which I can't post until after Friday. ::cues mysterious music::

Damn right! The same drink at Miramar is $6.50. At least it was when we went after they opened. To be honest, I haven't paid the check the last several times I've been there to see if they still are - maybe their price has been, er, adjusted.

Sometimes miserable people are unable to be pleased. It must be terrible living in a world where nothing is ever right. I pity people like that, and those who must wait upon them. Let me add that my usual Grey Goose up with a twist was a mere SIX DOLLARS! That's a new low for ANY restaurant, let alone a nice place like this. Hell, the last time I went to Red Star Tavern each of my drinks was TEN DOLLARS, which was unconscionable. In friggin' GLENVIEW! Please note that I said, "the last time I went to Red Star Tavern." In friggin' GLENVIEW! I had a $9 hamburger and $20 worth of drinks. In friggin' GLENVIEW!

I agree that the Shepherd's Pie is exceptional. "Sublime" is not an overexaggeration - very well-executed and hearty. I'm glad you enjoyed PGC, Ron, and thanks for the report!

Never having gone to any of of Aubriot's, I still wonder: Is he talented enough to resuscitate the floundering Le Francaise? His track record hasn't been that great (three closed/re-thought restaurants in a relatively short amount of time, albeit for different, complicated reasons). There seems to be the impression that he's talented, or maybe it's just the French name that's contributing to that. Unfortunately, his reputation, rightly or wrongly, has been tarnished. I hope if he is the new chef at Le Francaise that he can finally hit his stride, but I'm afraid he'll be facing an uphill battle in a remote location.

When we arrived at 6:30, it was about 1/3 full. Within an hour most tables were filled. I'm sure the crowds will fill it up quickly once the word is out.

We ate here last night, opening night. I'd never been to any of the restaurants that previously occupied the space, so I can't compare/contrast the decor or determine what changes were made to the room. The dimly (but not too dimly) and well-lit space is done with hardwood floors, stone walls, a small fireplace in the middle of the dining room (but, oddly, above the counter which holds the bread warmer). Postmodern paintings of prairie scenes hang on the walls, and flat-screen monitors (must be a new trend) project yet more prairie scenes. Bare tables (the comfortable booths are along the walls) contribute to the casually elegant, comfortable room. The menu features steaks, fish entrees, "comfort foods" and pastas. Having started a low-carb diet recently, my choices were mostly limited to proteins. I started out with the spicy chicken wings ($8) served with crudite and homemade ranch dressing. The spice was mild, but they were served piping hot. My friend tried the crab cake ($8.50) served with corn relish. Both were excellent versions of the dishes. Entrees consisted of the 12 oz. burger ($13) with blue cheese and crumbled bacon served without the bun (as described on the menu!), substituting the broccoli puree for the french fries (I didn't feel like spending $30 for a steak when all the other entrees were $12-$22); and the "un-traditional" Shepherd's Pie, which was braised beef and swiss chard topped with a butternut squash, parsnip, and potato gratin - it was extremely satisfying and very rich, perfect for a cold night. I caved in to the temptation of dessert, trying the pecan pie and the apple pie. Both were superlative. Chef Stegner's mother makes these pies, and boy, can she make a good crust! She also used Jonathan apples (the best kind for apple pie), and struck a perfect balance of sweet and tart. The pecan pie was just as good, tasting wonderfully of maple while not being cloyingly sweet, a problem with may pecan pies. Service was efficient (though menu highlights weren't suggested, as they were to The Neitos, who were sitting at the table next to ours, but maybe that was the reason) and friendly. We were made to feel at home and welcome, and there were few, if any, opening night glitches. I scanned the menu and can e-mail a .pdf if you send me an e-mail request - I don't know how to post it here! This is a major new player on the north shore dining scene, providing good quality food in a relaxed, comfortable setting. I'd definitely return.

All ratings are relative to the category of food the particular place offers. In the Zagat guide, rewarding a three for food for a place like, say, Grimaldi's (their food rating is 26) means that they do the best possible job with the food they're offering. Yet Per Se will also presumably get a three for the same reason, yet the craft and skill required to earn that three is light years ahead of those of Grimaldi's accomplishments. Of course when decor and service is factored into the equation, Grimaldi's average drops way below that of Per Se. Still, it's always a bit funny to see Grimaldi's food rating the same as those of such diverse places as Craft, Picholine, Blue Hill, La Grenouille, The Four Seasons, Felidia, Aquavit, etc.

Zagat raters must rate on a scale of 1 to 3, three being the highest. It's unclear how raters are supposed to award those points, but they're certainly not adhering to Michelin standards. It's not surprising that Per Se would get mostly threes for food, service, and decor if 1-3 were represented in the broad classifications of, respecitvely, "good," "better," and "best," in comparison with other restaurants around town.

The most "popluar" restaurants overall tend to be of the Olive Garden/Red Lobster variety. Would those who frequent (and love) those places go through the effort to review other places for Zagat? I wonder just how diverse the Zagat votership is.

Chef, those menus look incredible! I'm really looking foward to trying Avenues. I remember Aaron from TRU - glad to hear he's joined your team.

Le Lan. Why? It's supposedly a "hot" new place, yet it's offering 1,000-point reservations on OpenTable.com (sometimes a sign that they can't fill their seats). I also just received an e-mail from KDK Frequent Diners, the subject of which was, "Please Enjoy A Complimentary Flute of Champagne from Le Lan." While ostensibly a nice gesture, it sounded a bit desperate to me. They seem to need to get people in the door, especially Mondays through Thursdays, when this offer is valid. Hmmm...

We're going to give this a try tomorrow night. Keeping in mind opening night glitches, I'll provide a full report afterwards.

I could never understand Chicago Magazine's restaurant ratings. Three stars for Ambria? C'mon! I really don't trust their ratings. They seem very fixated on the "new". Le Francais really hasn't been four-star calibre since the Liccionis left several years ago. Chicago needs better, more world-class restaurant criticism than what it currently has. Its restaurants deserve better.

That would have been Mal Bellaris, known to me only as The Voice of White Fence Farm. He was probably one of the New Christy Minstrels at one point, or something like that. Later, The Voice became Clark Weber's, and it used to advertise WFF's "lovely doll collection." ::creepy music gets louder::

I'll bet it's been about twenty-five years since I've been to White Fence Farm in Lemont. My grandparents used to like going, but I don't know if it was for the quality of the food or for the fact that they got to ride in the car for what seemed like hours. The place was always crawling on Sundays with hundreds of clones of my grandparents, filing in and out of the many dining rooms like zombies. I think I remember that the place did its own farming, perhaps producing a better-than-average quality bird. But hours in a sweltering car have killed the part of my brain which would enable me to recollect if it was any good or not. They sure seemed to love something about it. ::cues creepy music::

We drove past Prairie Grass last night, and its parking lot was filled with cars. Pre-opening party, I presume. We fought the urge to turn in to ask for just one piece of pie!

A three-star review for Trio Atelier in this morning's Tribune: Trio Atelier worth its salt

Ron, did you find the atmosphere uncomfortable? I've heard about those communal tables. And the place looks tiny. Was there a full house when you were there early?

I'm really looking forward to this too! If it's any good (and I've a feeling it's going to be), it will continue the trend of good-quality mid-level north shore restaurant openings, joining Miramar and Trio Atelier!