Had a wonderful experience here. The drinks, food, service and ambiance were all top notch. The…read moreonly disappointment was that we did not get to try the duck L'Orange since they ran out but that just means that we must return soon to try it. This place is a treat!

A wonderful experience (again) at Petite Vie Brasserie last night. The food, service and overall…read moreexperience was exceptional. Consistently the best restaurant in all of suburban Chicago.

My comfort spot when i need to drive away from the city & walk around the farm & fleet store not…read morefar away ... this hits the spot w a feel of a Paris cafe and dessert crepes or assorted savory crepes and salads - white table cloths & another room for larger groups. Lovely attention to detail in their service! With gratitude, Mary Ellen

We went back 5 years later and it was just as good. The shrimp crepe with béchamel was so delicious…read moreas well as the lobster bisque. The inside was so clean and service was impeccable.

we just returned to Fraconellos tonight after a couple years and it was a fantastic turn around…read more from our last experience the service was spot on the food was excellent swordfish cooked to perfection halibut wonderful my husband had filet mignon excellent very impressed with the ambiance so happy we gave them a second chance much improved

The food was delicious. The broccoli was amazing. Great service and delicious food. I highly…read morerecommend it.

5 stars for Lemont. Probably 4 stars in Chicago…read more Walked in on a Saturday for an early dinner. It was 5:45, I didn't have a reservation, a they didn't have a table available until 7:30 but there were spots at the bar which they said was full service. My friend and I cozied up to it and ate there. What a surprisingly good experience. The staff was super friendly and that bartenders had great suggestions. I hate when people at the restaurant say everything is good. Not these young ladies. They made some sound suggestions which we followed. French onion soup and the steak frites were both excellent and priced well IMO. They have a really good whiskey/bourbon selection with a few hard to find bottles. I settled on a Blantons neat. They had Pappy, but I'm not wasting money on that anymore. Food came out quickly and we ate and watched a baseball game. The locals at the bar told us about their membership program where I guess for a small mo they fee you get a bottle of wine and a charcuterie plate once a month. Seemed like a pretty good deal. I don't live anywhere near there, but if I did I'd certainly join. In any case, if you live anywhere close, this is definitely a worthwhile restaurant to visit. Seems like there were quite a few singles there as well if you are looking to meet someone. I have no idea what the dating scene is like in Lemont, but this might be a good spot to try.

I was craving steak frites, and discovered Barrel & Vine for a reasonably priced steak meal. The…read morechimichurri sauce with one of the steak options is absolutely amazing - I'd highly recommend. The food is honestly the best thing about this spot; the vibes aren't quite right for a special date night, but might be perfect for a birthday party or girls night out and service can either be hit or miss. If you come here, definitely make a night of it in downtown Lemont - there's lots to explore, whether for a nightcap or dessert after Barrel & Vine to turn it into a night.

Fantastic food Excellent service/ambiance…read moreWonderful drinks!! The bar staff is outstanding! From the first aperitif to the recommendation for the sauternes to pair with the foie gras terrine (I almost ate the whole thing by myself!)... I felt right at home and cared for. My early dinner was complete with the traditional onion soup and a salad that is unrivaled even the San Francisco Bay Area (home base). Gamay for the win! Housemade Picon If you miss it, you will miss out

The mister and I are fans of French bistro. We stopped by for a weekday lunch to celebrate a…read morespecial occasion. We shared the following: 1) Escargots - These snails were extremely tender, buttery, and garlicky. There were plenty of baguette to dip the sauce in. If you have an in-person meeting after lunch, you will need a few pieces of gum. 2) Croque Madame is a humble yet fancy sandwich. It was a baguette with mornay, smoked ham, sunny side up egg. There were plenty of beef fat fries to go with it. 3) Moules - These PEI mussels were also extremely buttery and garlicky. It also came with a generous loaf of baguette to soak in the flavorful mussel juices. We would love to revisit and try the steak tartare and happy hour specials.

This is one that is worth the hype. Well loved for good reason. There were no misses! We tried the…read morecrab tartlet, French onion soup, mussels, rabbit pot pie, duck l'orange for two, and the delicious maple crème brûlée. Every bite was scrumptious and we absolutely will be back! And the staff were all lovely. It is a really small space but that's part of the charm of being a traditional little French restaurant!

Le Bouchon is an excellent example of the idea one *can* have too much of a good thing. Alas, there…read morewere more things that went a little south with the experience. I ordered the Escargot and the French Onion Soup. There was also free baguette included at the start of the meal. I loved that the baguette had a substantial crust, for it was an absolute delight to butter it up (though not the best butter in the world), and dip it into the herbaceous escargot butter. However, the inside, despite its temperature, was still gooey/doughy. Too much crust or some other technical issue? I'll let those with baking experience sound off. Whatever the case, the last thing I want to do with fresh baguette is ripping out the innards and rolling it into a ball of silly putty. Now, for the escargot... ah snails, an old favorite, for I don't really love fast food (ha!) These were mostly good, save for two things: First, the texture was still just a little slimy, reminiscent of an oyster. 30 seconds more cook time is all they needed, a minute would be too much! Second, the sauce didn't do them any favors. I've had escargot in a rich, buttery, garlicky, slightly herbed sauce that was beyond divine. This dish went triple-overboard, if not more, on the greens - making it resemble a chimichurri rather than something turning snails into decadence. Now, we arrive at the French Onion Soup. The sheer amount of cheese was so excessive that I recoiled even though I have a line item in my budget for cheese. I fished what remained out, and consumed it only out of spite. Now, while I appreciate the use of crusty bread that didn't turn into soggy croutons, the size of the pieces was too large. I'm one who orders prepared food with the understanding that it is prepared and should require minimal additional work. Steaks that need slicing are exempt, soup is not. Unfortunately, there was one more undoing: while I can understand a less sweet soup may be normal variation in the recipe, one of the spoonfuls had something very sour, as if it was a large wad of sour cream (though none was present). This made were otherwise rich and flavorful broth less than enjoyable. When it comes to the service, this had some good and bad. It was friendly, attentive, and the food came out fast. However, an item of note is that finished plates were not cleared in due course. This applies not only to myself but also the stranger sitting next to me. Final verdict: I wanted to love Le Bouchon, really I did. I was even hoping, at first, to try more of the menu on a return visit. However, the poor execution across the board does not provide the confidence needed for a return visit.

Out here in deepest Suburbia, sometimes things present a vaguely Disneyesque artifice, where, if…read morethe fantasy world was more advanced, "Quotation Marks" would appear magically in the air around buildings (and, alas, people) indicating irony should be applied as a mitigating factor. This is not to imply in any way those places (or people) are therefore any less in quality or to be avoided. But I digress... I've driven past the "Paris Bistro" here, since it was established, and, unfairly thought "yeah, right". Why? Route 59 is a 1000% American Commerce Zone, rife with every franchise on the docket, and conformity is securely on the menu. And rightly so. Folks out here may have had their success, but they were raised in front of American TV, and their consumer habits developed accordingly, especially with regard to cuisine and eating habits. There are, of course, bona fide Ethnics in the general area, but those are germane to the Communities in residence. (Some FAB Chinese, Indian and Mexican places-q.v.) I am not aware of a burgeoning French settlement anywhere nearby. Around here "Cooper's Hawk" passes for "fine dining", and if you've ever fine-dined, you'll know Cooper's Hawk may parlay a decent feed, but it ain't Alinea, Bubba. In the far Western and Southwestern Chicago 'burbs, folks' Culinary tastes are as conservative as their politics. So whither "Paris Bistro"? It's a handsome suburban building with inviting signage. When you walk in, you pass a bar having an impressive array of boozes. Keep going west past the bar and you're in a room mimicking a rural setting, if a rural setting had curved leather banquettes. There's a more traditional dining room on the other side of the bar, but I didn't go in there. It was daytime, and bright, but when daylight ebbs, I'll bet both rooms are romantic. The service is reserved and accommodating-you're not going to find a wisecracking "Alice" on the staff. The menu actually is pretty accurate as a French Bistro in the USA. Lots of Français on it (in the titles), but the descriptions are all clear English. You don't have translation to fear.The menu is extensive, and features many traditional "Bistro" faves, along with select "American" choices. I was in for Brunch. Disregarding conformity, I ordered the Escargot for Hors D'oeuvre, not that I wanted to, but because I am pathologically incapable of NOT ordering Escargot if they are on the menu before me. They were yum, but I wish there was a softer bread available for sopping the buttery-garlic goodness remaining after the morsels are consumed. As "they" say, a French Chef is judged by their prowess in cooking a simple Omelette, so that's where I went. "Jambon et Gruyere" to be exact. It wasn't a large beast, but it was tasty, light, and properly prepared. No sign of the Rugby-Ball pancake-batter-enhanced behemoth omelettes you'll find in common Coffee shops. Accompanying was a (very) small salad of nice composition, with just enough fruity vinaigrette to satisfy. Also on the plate were tasty and ultra-crispy "shoestring fries". I'm not a slave to potatoes with breakfast. but these were damned good. The problem at hand (so to speak) was the transport from plate to mouth, as they were very thin and very crisp. Both fork and spoon were inefficient. I thought of using the spoon to crush them, thus rendering spoon a contender to preserve my dining decorum. In the end, I bit the bullet and just picked them up in hand, decorum be damned. I wish I had a bucket of these for movie-watching snacks at home. The coffee was a conundrum. It arrived with a strongish smell, like it was burnt and past its prime, but lacked the acrid flavor such as found in a forlorn brew. It was actually a fine, bold, cup of VERY dark roast. It's a nice, sophisticated (but not snooty) resto, dignified but not stuffy. If you need to have a business breakfast/brunch, this is a perfect place. Also, if you're not in the mood for the hustle and bustle of a noisy coffee shoppe. Prices a bit higher than you might expect, but... I quite enjoyed both the bread and circuses here, and while I never mistook myself from being anywhere else than in Naperville (not Paris), I caught the vibe, and it was nice. I am officially pissed at myself for not stopping here sooner. No "quotation marks" for this place. Throwing 4 stars (for now), and I'll be back here very soon for dinner.

I recently went to Paris Bistro for a Galentine's Day tea with my Pilates friends. We were a group…read moreof five. We were shown to a table in the room to the right of the host stand. That room is usually where they sit families. It was not our choice and we voiced our opinion to sit in the dining room. The staff immediately switched everything to the warm and inviting dining room. The food provided was tasty from the mini sandwiches to the tartines to the sweet treats. I have to say there was an inconsistency with sizing. Some were generous and some were lacking. They could've done a better job with consistency so we all got the same sizes. The tea service was very cute but you were only able to choose a couple teas. I've been to other teas at Suzette's and Pinecone Cottage where the tea is unlimited, as well as they ask if you would like another tasting of something that you really liked. I felt for the money this tea service was limited as well as not consistent. It was a great way to spend time with my Pilates friends, though. I could see myself doing this again if there were improvements made and they were more generous by offering an additional taste.