Restaurant Week Menu Review: Bistro Campagne
Restaurant Week 2012 has officially begun! Our first restaurant week stop was at Bistro Campagne in Lincoln Square. With a combination of classically French cuisine and sustainable eco-minded ingredients, this cozy French bistro easily tops our list.
The Menu: Rather than reinvent the wheel, Bistro Campagne took a sensible approach, repurposing favorites from their regular menu to round out the three-course dinner menu. For a price comparable to one entrée on a regular night, Bistro Campagne’s $33 Restaurant Week menu is a deal with an appetizer, entrée and dessert combination.
For appetizers, diners can choose amongst the soup de jour (this week is a sweet squash soup drizzled with maple bourbon crème fraîche), a crisp strudel with caramelized onions and melted gruyere layered into the folds of the pastry and a house salad for the less adventurous.
The second course options are classic French: a roasted chicken bedded in a wild mushroom ragout with onion fries, a steak frites plate with a fresh basil bordelaise sauce and fries and our favorite selection, the Truite Grenobloise, a buttery trout with flaky skin paired with fresh citrus, capers, brown butter and green beans. An added plus are the conscientious selections of Chef Michael Altenberg, with each course featuring organic ingredients and sustainably raised proteins.
Without missing a beat, the dessert selections proved a perfect end to a perfect meal. The Pain Perdu, a fig and brown butter bread pudding with caramel sauce and ice cream, is a delightful bite of soft and sweet flavors, whereas the Pot-de-crème brings forth bold flavors of dense chocolate. Either selection hits the spot.
The Atmosphere: Bistro Campagne strives to be a warm and friendly neighborhood bistro, and continuously proves to be a popular neighborhood pick. With dark-colored wood and low lighting, this restaurant can set the mood for a romantic dinner or for a comfortable meal shared amongst friends. The dining room is separated into four sections (five if you include their beautiful summer terrace) with only an intimate handful of tables in each section.
Final Review: It’s hard to find anything wrong with this neighborhood gem. Reservations during restaurant week are available but sparse, so we recommend to make your reservation now.
Bistro Campagne is located at 4518 N. Lincoln Ave. The restaurant week menu is $33.
