Pretty big restaurant news

[Dennis]

Interesting, Amery. In Chicago, we are having a French renaissance of sorts - many new French or French-inspired restaurants that have opened in the last 2 years (or less) have become quite popular (Obélix, Petit Pomeroy, Grande Boucherie, Gavroche, Coquette) - - and some Chicago stalwarts are still going strong after 30+ years (Le Bouchon, Les Nomades, Chez Joël). Fun fact: Les Nomades has been open since 1978!

I, too, would love to have a true French bistro format on the island. I had high hopes for Chez Gus, too, but it did not pan out which was a big disappointment. SBH has gone through a few different favorited cuisines over the past few years - it used to be sushi everywhere, then the dreaded "Mediterranean" and now, Italian. I also lament the slow death of Créole on the island, as this is more erasure of the local culture of SBH than French food.

I do miss le Bouchon

 

[cassidain]

Excellent point on the loss of Creole. Thankfully Eddy's is alive and well.

How many of Eddy’s offerings are créole ?

 

[cassidain]

It’s a French island but very much an American and international clientele.
Increasingly of a generation much younger than this forum.

 

[le_reve]

I don't have a menu in front of me, but from personal remembrance I know that they have accras, fresh tuna ceviche, mahi with sauce chien, goat curry... Things that are getting harder and harder to find.

 

[cassidain]

Yes. They have a few créole dishes.

 

[GramChop]

Interesting, Amery. In Chicago, we are having a French renaissance of sorts - many new French or French-inspired restaurants that have opened in the last 2 years (or less) have become quite popular (Obélix, Petit Pomeroy, Grande Boucherie, Gavroche, Coquette) - - and some Chicago stalwarts are still going strong after 30+ years (Le Bouchon, Les Nomades, Chez Joël). Fun fact: Les Nomades has been open since 1978!

I, too, would love to have a true French bistro format on the island. I had high hopes for Chez Gus, too, but it did not pan out which was a big disappointment. SBH has gone through a few different favorited cuisines over the past few years - it used to be sushi everywhere, then the dreaded "Mediterranean" and now, Italian. I also lament the slow death of Créole on the island, as this is more erasure of the local culture of SBH than French food.

This Chicago intel is exciting, Tiffany. My SBH-loving granddaughter is heading to Columbia College of Chicago on Monday (from Denver) and knowing there are these restaurants on my (visiting) horizon is exciting! Thanks for the tip!

 

[amyb]

This Chicago intel is exciting, Tiffany. My SBH-loving granddaughter is heading to Columbia College of Chicago on Monday (from Denver) and knowing there are these restaurants on my (visiting) horizon is exciting! Thanks for the tip!

Good luck, Sofia. ! Knock ‘em dead!

 

[bkeats]

This Chicago intel is exciting

Chicago is a great food city. I think the food scene there is more accessible than in NYC. The high end may be defined by places like Alinea but I much prefer spots like the Purple Pig, Girl and the Goat and Pequod‘s. It’s a very vibrant place despite the headlines.

 

[bkeats]

They have a few créole dishes

Fewer and fewer I think. Over time the menu has become more mainstream French and international frankly with some limited holdovers to appeal to a different clientele. How else do you explain tuna four ways and udon which basically are fusion Japanese? I don’t recall the last time I saw land crab or lambis on a menu. Heck I never see christophenes on SBH but see them on SXM all the time. The only real creole spot I can think of is Cre’age. Whenever I go there, I am the only non tourist. My sense is creole has limited appeal to visitors.

 

[cassidain]

I miss steak de lambis at LG

 

[KevinS]

I miss steak de lambis at LG

I used to enjoy Ragout de Lambi (Conch) at the old Gloriette. Lambi is hard to come by. I don’t know if it’s even caught in local waters anymore. The old Gloriette eventually stretched their supply by changing to Ragout de Lambi et Pulpe (Conch and Octopus).

 

[jamiem4]

New owners need to adopt Valet parking! Considering the clientele of the last iteration of Ocean Club, it would be a “draw.”

Dennis, remember when the OC had valet parking? One “issue” was maneuvering the cars in the deck and others (also with rights to the deck) would just block in others. There was an entire interesting part of the “membership” that included parking perks… however as we know, their concept didn’t work for a host of other reasons…the parking was the least of it. Given our Defender is a frequent VIP guest at Hughes as our truck seems to repeatedly eat parts…, he has had a special spot for us over the years which is how we muddle through during high season parking headaches…and since I don’t wear heels when walking about, I can make it safely to eat without, so far, not a breaking an arm or leg or cracking my skull open!

Can’t wait to see you and everyone when we return! This will be fun with so many new restaurants to try!

 

[cec1]

Dennis, remember when the OC had valet parking? One “issue” was maneuvering the cars in the deck and others (also with rights to the deck) would just block in others. There was an entire interesting part of the “membership” that included parking perks… however as we know, their concept didn’t work for a host of other reasons…the parking was the least of it. Given our Defender is a frequent VIP guest at Hughes as our truck seems to repeatedly eat parts…, he has had a special spot for us over the years which is how we muddle through during high season parking headaches…and since I don’t wear heels when walking about, I can make it safely to eat without, so far, not a breaking an arm or leg or cracking my skull open!

Can’t wait to see you and everyone when we return! This will be fun with so many new restaurants to try!

Sorry to miss you on this visit, Jamie!

 

[Rocket]

Lutece was my all time favorite restaurant

 

[le_reve]

This Chicago intel is exciting, Tiffany. My SBH-loving granddaughter is heading to Columbia College of Chicago on Monday (from Denver) and knowing there are these restaurants on my (visiting) horizon is exciting! Thanks for the tip!

That's great! Funny, too - I was born, raised, and went to college in Denver and came to Chicago for a temporary job in 1990 after I graduated. I never left! . Good luck to your grand-daughter! Chicago is a great city and she will have a great time there.

 

[le_reve]

Chicago is a great food city. I think the food scene there is more accessible than in NYC. The high end may be defined by places like Alinea but I much prefer spots like the Purple Pig, Girl and the Goat and Pequod‘s. It’s a very vibrant place despite the headlines.

 

[le_reve]

Fewer and fewer I think. Over time the menu has become more mainstream French and international frankly with some limited holdovers to appeal to a different clientele. How else do you explain tuna four ways and udon which basically are fusion Japanese? I don’t recall the last time I saw land crab or lambis on a menu. Heck I never see christophenes on SBH but see them on SXM all the time. The only real creole spot I can think of is Cre’age. Whenever I go there, I am the only non tourist. My sense is creole has limited appeal to visitors.

Yes, it is a limited appeal to visitors, but I am talking about the local population losing access to their traditional cuisine bit by bit and therefore SBH is losing it's soul bit by bit as well.

 

[amyb]

Lutece was my all time favorite restaurant

Great choice. I loved dining there too.

 

[Bart -my real name-]

Interesting, Amery. In Chicago, we are having a French renaissance of sorts - many new French or French-inspired restaurants that have opened in the last 2 years

Same for DC. In the last few years a bunch of swanky French places have opened, including a Lutece (not sure if it's related to the one being discussed here but it's part of "The Popal Group" if that means anything)

 

[cassidain]

Lutece was my all time favorite restaurant

one of the legendary "Les Six"

on my first (brief) visit to NYC in 1979 on my way to Beverly, MA to visit a friend I dined at Lutèce. I was 22, and it was waaay too expensive for my budget.
one of their first course dishes is permanently burned in my memory:
tiny, pristine bay scallops barely sautéed, concassé de tomates, fresh herbs, white wine deglaze, monté au beurre, and a sprinkle of tiny, tiny croûtons
devine