Friday, November 10, 2017
Bavettes Bar Boeuf
Bavettes Bar Boeuf
Location: 218 W Kinzie
Cost: About $70 per person
Many of you may not know this, but I am not long for this city (more to come on the future of JEC). One of the reasons Ive had less frequency of posting is because Ive been going back to my favorite places that Ive already written about. There are still some places on a bucket list of sorts though. My friend Ashley and I were in the mood for a good steak. She was finishing up a rotation of overnight shifts, and I was closing out my second month on the Transplant service, making a celebratory meal even more appropriate. So we ended up checking out Bavettes Bar & Boeuf.
Logistics
Bavettes is off Kinzie just West of the Merchandise Mart. If you werent looking for it, youd walk right by. Its got a very dark and classy vibe with plenty of hard wood inside. Theyve got a lengthy bar where I enjoyed an old fashioned while waiting for Ashley to get off work. Getting a reservation is key and can be a bit tough during popular time slots. They also dont take parties larger than 6. Our service was spot on, although I dont know if our waiter picked up on Ashleys "limited" tastes when making recommendations. As with many steakhouses, the price depends on what youre going for, but theyve got plenty of entrees around $30.
The Food
We got the meal started with the Smoked Whitefish Ceasar Salad and the Peppered Duck and Goat Cheese Terrine. Both dishes were great. The salad was heavy on the fish and had the right amount of thick, savory dressing. The terrine had a smooth texture that went well with the toast points when topped with the apricot preserves on the side. The goat cheese added more texture than flavor and was a bit lost in the dish to me though.
From there Ashley got the Filet, and I got the Classic Ribeye. My steak had a simple salt rub. There was a sear on the top and a solid medium rare center. Like many of their steaks it came with a side of creamy bearnaise. For our sides we got the Elote Style Corn and the Buttery Mashed Potatoes. The corn had a spicy and creamy kick while the potatoes had plenty of garlic and this chicken gravy that put them just over the edge.
Overall
Bavettes just has that right steakhouse feel down. Theres a classy yet trendy environment, a variety of price points, and a bunch of little twists on steakhouse standards. The only dish I would replace in my experience was the Terrine. Im giving them 4.5 out of 5 Pearls and wish I had the time to go back before skipping town.
Cost: About $70 per person
Many of you may not know this, but I am not long for this city (more to come on the future of JEC). One of the reasons Ive had less frequency of posting is because Ive been going back to my favorite places that Ive already written about. There are still some places on a bucket list of sorts though. My friend Ashley and I were in the mood for a good steak. She was finishing up a rotation of overnight shifts, and I was closing out my second month on the Transplant service, making a celebratory meal even more appropriate. So we ended up checking out Bavettes Bar & Boeuf.
Logistics
Bavettes is off Kinzie just West of the Merchandise Mart. If you werent looking for it, youd walk right by. Its got a very dark and classy vibe with plenty of hard wood inside. Theyve got a lengthy bar where I enjoyed an old fashioned while waiting for Ashley to get off work. Getting a reservation is key and can be a bit tough during popular time slots. They also dont take parties larger than 6. Our service was spot on, although I dont know if our waiter picked up on Ashleys "limited" tastes when making recommendations. As with many steakhouses, the price depends on what youre going for, but theyve got plenty of entrees around $30.
The Food
We got the meal started with the Smoked Whitefish Ceasar Salad and the Peppered Duck and Goat Cheese Terrine. Both dishes were great. The salad was heavy on the fish and had the right amount of thick, savory dressing. The terrine had a smooth texture that went well with the toast points when topped with the apricot preserves on the side. The goat cheese added more texture than flavor and was a bit lost in the dish to me though.
The Peppered Duck and Goat Cheese Terrine
The Smoked Whitefish Ceasar Salad
From there Ashley got the Filet, and I got the Classic Ribeye. My steak had a simple salt rub. There was a sear on the top and a solid medium rare center. Like many of their steaks it came with a side of creamy bearnaise. For our sides we got the Elote Style Corn and the Buttery Mashed Potatoes. The corn had a spicy and creamy kick while the potatoes had plenty of garlic and this chicken gravy that put them just over the edge.
The Ribeye
The Filet
The Elote Corn
The Mashed Potatoes
Overall
Bavettes just has that right steakhouse feel down. Theres a classy yet trendy environment, a variety of price points, and a bunch of little twists on steakhouse standards. The only dish I would replace in my experience was the Terrine. Im giving them 4.5 out of 5 Pearls and wish I had the time to go back before skipping town.
Available link for download
