Friday was my first visit to Bavette's and hopefully not my last (though given the amount of planning to get a table here on a reasonable day and at a reasonable hour, who knows). But I thought the food was just outstanding.
One thing I've appreciated about all of the Sodikoff restaurants is that when I walk in, there's at least one dedicated front of house person waiting for me to arrive, who is familiar with where things stand from a reservation standpoint, and who can communicate clearly concerning whether there will be a wait for your table (but as I found out this morning, Au Cheval does not succeed at all in this respect). So many restaurants in Chicago could take lessons here.
And though Sodikoff seems to like this sort-of-French look for all of his restaurants, I think he did a particularly good job at Bavette's - I found the dining room striking. I also enjoyed the fact that although there was background music and the room was energetic, you could hear the people around you.
The meal starts with delicious complimentary bread, very crisp and slightly burnt on the outside, but with an ultra-light, soft crumb and as soft and delicious a butter as you will find.
As for my order, I started with the shrimp de jonghe. Purists should know this is not at all a typical shrimp de jonghe. There were no breadcrumbs; instead, Texas toast on the side which came in very handy for mopping up the garlicky sweet sauce in which the shrimp bathed. And while this may not have been the shrimp de jonghe to please fans of Chicago purists, it featured beautifully plump, perfectly cooked shrimp of such quality I've never experienced in any other rendition of this dish. I might have expected and desired something different, but I was thrilled with what Bavette's delivered.
Salmon tartare with creme fraiche and lavash was also outstanding. The salmon stood proudly front and center in this tartare, accented beautifully by herbs and creme fraiche. And the wedge salad will remind you why this salad was created in the first place. If you've dined at Au Cheval, you probably had a pretty good idea of the thick, rich bacon that adorns this wedge. But you should know that every other ingredient of this salad receives equally crafted treatment. The same could be said for the crab-stuffed avocado, where appropriately front and center are chunks of deliciously sweet crab.
I was no less impressed with entrees. My favorite was my own shortrib stroganoff. It takes some nerve to serve this dish at a fine dining restaurant. You can usually find the dish on menus at old fashioned diners, usually served with dried out pieces of meat swimming in an unintentionally crust-covered sauce with canned mushrooms and atop an equally unintended sticky web of overcooked noodles. But Bavette's version will make you forget every disastrous version of this dish - the noodles have texture and separate, each one coated in the rich, creamy sauce laced with perfectly cooked mushrooms. And the short rib is so tender and perfectly cooked, as if done sous vide (no idea if it was, but even more impressive if not) with a noticeable yet subtle red wine flavor reminding you you're not at a diner. This was just outstanding.
I was also very impressed with the fried chicken - nicely seasoned with a crackly, brittle crust that led to a moist and very flavorful chicken. This is as good a version of fried chicken as I have tried in recent times - no suggestions for improvement whatsoever. I also enjoyed the meatloaf with mushroom jus, but I only had one bite.
We shared a couple of sides: pommes frites were crisp yet fluffy, delicious and served with an outstanding aioli. Broccoli was expertly roasted with a light char, served simply with some olive oil and lemon for accent.
I really enjoyed the cocktails too - interesting, not too sweet, and done better than what I have experienced at most other places. I'm always a fan of a dark and stormy and this was a particularly well balanced one.
As for service the rest of the night, it was outstanding and well-paced. Just a terrific dinner. And I'll note that the non-steak entrees were very reasonably priced
(Link to Bavette's). We didn't order any of the steaks - just so many interesting things to order - I would be curious to try one, particularly to see just how good they prepare a bernaise sauce. But I can't wait to return to Bavette's, even if I don't taste one of the steaks.