Former Bistro 110 Chef Dominique Tougne is the heart and soul of his new venture, Chez Moi. Many of the dishes here are reminiscent French comfort cooking: Large portions of beautiful proteins, sauces and vegetables, combined together to make you feel as if you were a guest in Dominique's home.
The restaurant is cozy, but what visually steals the show are the whimsical chandeliers ensconced in "cages," wrought-iron globes encasing the fixture inside. These works of art are eye-catching and beautiful.
But the décor is nothing compared to the food. As soon as you are seated you can order a small plate for an "aperitif," among the choices: Roasted garlic purée, or the traditionally French radishes and salty butter.
Appetizers range from traditional verging on experimental. We sampled the plate of tender garlic mussels accompanied by (be still my heart) duck fat fries. The nice-sized portion of mussels were perfectly cooked and the fries simply fantastic. Who knew duck fat could be so delicious?
On to the main dishes: The Roasted Trout in a Riesling beurre blanc served over oyster mushrooms and fingerling potatoes. The fish was tender and full of flavor pairing extremely well with the vegetables. It is definitely a main dish that you will wind up coming back for on your next visit.
For the carnivores, the Steak au Poivre is another traditional favorite, served with a cognac sauce and a generous portion of the heavenly fries. Braised Lamb Shank was melting off the bone and the Chicken with Morels was another standout.
If you are still wanting more, the desserts are worth a try. Our absolute favorite was the Gateau Breton: Extreme buttery goodness on top of salty caramel sauce, topped with fromage blanc ice cream. Amazing.
Overall, the portion sizes are large, and the wait and bar staff extremely attentive. Our biggest complaint was that there were too many options and not enough people at our table to order everything! No worries; all the more reason to return again, as soon as possible.
Chez Moi Chicago can be found at www.chezmoichicago.com
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