Bistro One West
1 W. Illinois Street, St. Charles, IL
(630) 444-0600; www.bistro1west.com
Hours:
Lunch: 11 a.m.-3 p.m., Tues.-Sat.
Dinner: 5-9 p.m., Tues.-Thurs.; 5-10 p.m., Fri.-Sat.
Closed on Sun. and Mon.
Price average:
Lunch: $8-12; Dinner: $16-20
By Lee Barrie and Cindy Kurman
Photos by Cindy Kurman
Story originally appeared in Streetwise magazine
Story originally appeared in Streetwise magazine
No, this isn’t about dogs, hot dogs or Asian steamed buns, for that matter. But if the new Bistro One West (B.O.W.) in beautiful downtown St. Charles was a Westminster contestant, it would have a good shot of winning Best in Show.
Bistro One West has the pedigree to be taken seriously by food lovers. The owner is George Guggeis, who made a name for himself as the owner of the beloved Chicago restaurant, Mango, among others. The executive chef is the versatile and consummate Doug D’Avico, who put Trattoria No. 10 on Chicago’s Italian go-to list for many years.
These two friendly, down-to-earth guys have joined forces to create a Modern American bistro which will do much to make the tri-cities area (St. Charles, Geneva and Batavia) an even more attractive place to enjoy a weekend getaway from Chicago. The restaurant sits on the west bank of the Fox River, and its spacious outdoor deck will no doubt be the place to go once the warm weather kicks in this spring.
But for now, while we are still in the midst of winter, suffice it to say that the interior immediately speaks “warm and comfortable gathering place.” Combining rustic exposed brick walls with colorful artwork, warm artistic lighting, earth-toned tile floors, dark woods and comfortable seating, the space has been created with the confident eye of designer Vicki Tesmer.In the front of the restaurant there is a bustling bar area that’s perfect for the upscale locals who, in Bistro One West, have found a perfect hangout with a sophisticated wine and cocktail program.
The L-shaped dining room features leather booths with a window view of the river as well as tables that are nicely spaced. The atmosphere is good for both social and business dining and there is a semi-private dining room for special events.
The top draw is the food, however, and D’Avico delivers on his promise to offer fresh, locally sourced seasonal food that is predominately American but also takes advantage of his prodigious Italian skills. The presentations are handsome and the ingredients are first-rate. Note that there is a separate lunch menu that only slightly overlaps the dinner menu.
At dinnertime, the appetizers get everything off to a roaring good start. We loved the Burrata, a fresh mozzarella-type cheese with a creamy center, served with delicious roasted tomatoes.
We were joyfully surprised by the Deviled Eggs filled with Maine Lobster—it’s a classic brought to a whole new level. Other good choices include the White Polenta with Crispy Pork Belly, served with red mole and heirloom radishes and the Jumbo Prawns with garlic, chili threads, shallots and grilled Ciabatta. A nice vegetarian choice is the Ancient Sweet Pepper with Dunbarton bleu cheese and applewood smoked bacon.
Salad lovers can choose between the tasty Shaved Roasted Beets with Nopales Salad, served with pickled Jalapeno and feta cheese, and the Bibb Leaf Salad with roasted tomatoes, herb dressing and fried parsnips.
The main courses are particularly interesting, well chosen and comforting. There is something for everyone and the choices are diverse enough to keep it interesting for those who are inclined to frequent the restaurant often. Meat lovers will enjoy the
Berkshire Pork Cutlets with spicy snap peas and roasted corn pudding—a quite original dish, and the tender Grilled Waygu Steak, served with avocado butter and fingerling home fries. The Braised Veal Short Ribs, with caramelized onion relish and natural reductions, are as tender as can be. The robust pasta specialty is a perfectly prepared Pappardelle with Berkshire Pork, tomatoes and Pecorino Romano cheese.
On the lighter side, fish fans can go for the delightful Organic Irish Salmon with roasted cauliflower, applewood smoked bacon and mint or the Lake Superior Walleye with radicchio cole slaw, Shitake, green onion butter sauce. The poultry dish is Herb Roasted Amish Chicken with roasted carrots, lemon, cinnamon and pearl onions and, for vegetarians, there is a flavorful Roasted Poblano Pepper, spicy lentils, red shallots, spinach, feta and tomato.
Dessert lovers can find plenty to choose from, but at some point you’ll simply have to try the Butter & Bread Pudding with poached berry compote. D’Avico has taken a small loaf of bread, sliced it thinly and then applied the appropriate magic to turn it into a to-die-for mini-French toast with a wonderfully sweet and tangy topping. Very unique and extremely good; bravo!
Other desserts include Caramelized Roasted Banana with baked cinnamon wonton and Nutella cream; Baked Pears with Marsala, cinnamon, lemon, sun-dried cherries, and a rich Chocolate Pot e Crème with roasted pumpkin seed brittle.
The final good news is that Bistro One West has kept the pricing reasonable so that regular visits can be enjoyed. The parking is free and the staff is very gracious and enthusiastic. It’s great news for this part of the Chicago area, and worth the drive for a unique, even if brief, escape from the city. Check out the website for a peek at the lunch and cocktail menus.
Cindy Kurman Barrie and Lee Barrie are the principals of Kurman Communications, Inc., a Chicago-based marketing and public relations agency. Please visit their blog at www.gotbuzzatkurman.com and check out all DineWise articles at www.dinewisechicago.blogspot.com. Photos by Cindy Kurman
Cindy Kurman Barrie and Lee Barrie are the principals of Kurman Communications, Inc., a Chicago-based marketing and public relations agency. Please visit their blog at www.gotbuzzatkurman.com and check out all DineWise articles at www.dinewisechicago.blogspot.com. Photos by Cindy Kurman