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Vie love it!
Our suburban special contributor Lisa Arnett has just posted an interview with Vie's Paul Virant. After Food and Wine magazine named him one of 2007's best new chefs, Virant joined the ranks of Chicago's culinary stalwarts Rick Bayless, Gale Gand and Rick Tramonto, Grant Achatz and Bruce Sherman among others.
But I've been getting a funny reaction from my pals when I tell them that I just dined at the Western Springs restaurant. The first question isn't, "Oh, my God! How was it?" It's usually something like, "Oh, my God! How long did it take to get there?"
Geez, people. It's Western Springs, not Western Australia. We left our Lakeview pad at 8 p.m. and arrived in time for our 8:30 p.m. reservation. In fact, Vie is probably ahead of the game--our table was actually ready on time, which is more than I can say for some city hotspots lately. Though I suppose we won't earn any green stars from Al Gore for driving there -- the restaurant is, after all, just steps from the Western Springs Metra stop. Now for the better question: Is this place really worth the drive? Our answer: You bet your Mini it is. Vie lives up to the hype. Find out why after the jump.
The service is relaxed. "Well, it's a little suburban," my big-city buddy euphemized later, but no one had any complaints. The room's stylish blend of lofty and comfy holds its own against any restaurant in the country. The wine list is small enough that it's not intimidating, and it offers a pretty nice price ($9-$15 by the glass) and palate range. In the end, the tab can get pricey, but not out of control.
Virant's reputation for locally sourced, seasonal and organic ingredients is well deserved. You'll know the pedigree of every artichoke on this menu and -- here's to your health -- even the cocktail menu goes organic.
But, this chef isn't just about serving up just some do-gooder philosophy; his food is pretty darn delicious. Here are some of our faves:
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Found that many of the dishes contain various forms of vinegar.....the Chef is into pickling.....Hmmmmm.