Aboyer

This was our first time visiting the restaurant. First of all we will be back to try other dishes. We can’t say were blown away, however, it was very good. 1. Cheese board was enjoyable 2. Mussels sounded tastier on the menu and a little underwhelming when they came out not only a little cold but also pretty bland 3. Burger appeared plentiful even without bun. No sauces came with it. We were surprised for French restaurant not to offer any sauces for burger with so many ingredients. Overall quite lovely atmosphere on the patio. Service provided was extremely good. Deserts are fine but nothing to rave about. We enjoyed the chocolate mousse. The hazelnut tarte was too sweet. We also enjoyed the Pea soup.

After been introduced to this North Shore gem shortly after it's opening, it has become my favorite restaurant in Chicago and the surrounding suburbs. The food is always remarkable, especially when paired with a flawless team of professionals. I appreciate knowing I can show up and expect the same consistency of fine dining I have grown accustomed to thanks to Michael Lachowicz and his team. Was fortunate to get away for Easter Brunch and per usual they did not disappoint. Already looking forward to our next meal at Aboyer.

No creme brúmele for a French spot 😲 Forgetting that pre fixe menu has a dessert to serve is really not acceptable. We waited patiently for all of our orders but after 40 mins our server asked if there is anything else we needed. 😂 We realized that he forgot about our desserts. *Gin blossom ⭐️ Shirley ginger 👎 *The bread service was ….. ok *The smoked salmon 🍣 was nice but what’s with the piece of potato on the bottom?🤨 *Goat cheese salad 🥗 superb *Aboyer wings 🍗 dry and salty *Filet of beef 🥩 excellent 🥰 *Hanger steak (pre fixe) could be better *Papadelle (pre fixe) great 🙂 *Panna cotta (pre fixe) saving grace 🍨 after the long wait We all went in excited but left disappointed.

It was not busy, but it was disorganized. We went for restaurant week and got escargot. They had a little pan but not individual wells--with a lot of oil and very little garlic or parsley with some of the escargot overcooked and rubbery. I had the Pàtes Toulousaines-- the pasta was chewy and the sauce seemed over reduced with an odd taste. We also got the Hanger Steak which had no chimichurri. The desired doneness was not inquired when we ordered, but when we questioned they reported doing it medium rare. It came out unevenly cooked but medium well to well done. The steak was flavorless and tough, the fries were unsalted but real potatoes. The chocolate-citrus pàve was very good though I didn't taste any citrus. The 'burnt caramel sauce' tasted like honey. I'm not sure if the white piece is meant to be meringue or housemade marshmallow. The Tahitian vanilla Panna cotta had to much gelatin and not enough vanilla. They attempted to serve two Hanger steaks to the table beside us who hadn't ordered, and then to us. We also witnessed them being 4 wrong plates to the wrong 3 person table. There was a long delay between each course.

Note: Chef Mike keeps changing his response because he was blatantly wrong and can’t defend himself. He is the head chef, and confidently responded that they don’t serve cured salmon at his restaurant. Check out my pictures. lol. I know chefs like him. They stop working in the kitchen and lose all sense for how it runs. They just walk around the dining room and fraternize with the patrons. (Updated with Response to Chef Mike) This review is gonna sound pompous… I hesitate to post this. I hate saying this. I’m a chef myself. I’m not a picky eater. I don’t even mention when there is hair in my food cuz I get that it can happen. But this was shameful. The food was as good as buffet food. The plating was amateur at best, satirically bad at worst. Almost felt like a parody of elevated cuisine. There was a random slice of boiled potato with the cured salmon appetizer. The edges were BLACK from oxidation(Poor food prep and storage). The escargots appetizer was fine. The duck confit lamb pappardelle dish was fine, but slightly bitter, and the pasta was mushy. The hanger steak was tough and salty. And was served with fries and bernaise sauce. About as good as getting steak and fries from a cheap diner. I just don’t get how you pair greasy, salty meat, with greasy, salty fries, and a sauce that is made primarily of fat. At least there was some acidity in the sauce. But where is the balance? Steak and Fries in itself is a flawed combo unless you have fresh/acidic sides and sauces that help balance out all the richness. Bread tasted of raw flour (Sign of insufficient yeast fermentation). The desserts were childishly sweet and unbalanced. Just sugar sugar sugar. The panna cotta tasted like it came out of a prepackaged jello cup. I could tell they were trying to create some balance between sweet sour and bitter in the desserts, but the problem was all the acidic and bitter components were also incredibly sweet. I was dying for some dark black coffee to offset the overbearing sweetness. Our waiter was very nice. The host was a little rude. I told him I had a reservation and he said, “well I need a name.” He could’ve politely asked “may I have your name?” Cocktails were good. I think cuisine in America is suffering because Americans don’t travel abroad enough. They don’t even know what good food is supposed to taste like. Ignorance is bliss… $220 meal for something that tasted like $20. Response to Chef Mike: I understand the natural reaction to criticism of your food is to dismiss it as the other person having poor taste. I can concede perhaps I just have a bad palate. Maybe it was on off day for your chefs. Or maybe my palate was off that day. But it would serve you well to at least consider my specific criticisms. There is a grain of truth in even the most absurd criticisms. You could store your potatoes better so they don’t get oxidized, especially if you’re gonna serve them basically boiled and naked. Submerge them in water after cutting is all you need. Try tasting your french baguette and see if you notice the raw flour taste I mentioned. Maybe you will, maybe you won’t. I saw on your website there was a green sauce or crust on the steak fritte. That would probably address my criticism that the dish was unbalanced and too heavy. Rich greasy salty meat on top of greasy salty fries begs for more brightness and acidity (Chimichurri or pickled onions?) The plating in person was very amateurish while the photos on the website were beautiful. Also perhaps you should get familiar with your menu before so confidently claiming you don’t serve cured salmon. Check the photo I just attached. Says house cured and smoked salmon. (Btw the sauce that came with the cured salmon “you don’t serve” was very good) Also, the “Potato Gateau” was just a slice of boiled potato. That was insulting. I think the service at your restaurant was great. I was seated immediately as well. Servers were all amazing. Host was a little rude. But nothing crazy.

We enjoyed The Brasserie on Sunday this past week and we were blown away by the service and food quality. They feature a very eclectic menu and do some very fun things with otherwise ordinary staples. Even with a fuller dining room we received impeccable service and wanted for nothing without being smothered. Thank you Aboyer team for putting together an excellent date night for us! DB