Bistro Le Cep
This entry was posted on 11/11/2006 8:07 PM and is filed under Disappointments, Casual Chic - Jeans Allowed.
If you've looked at this website much, you know that we really like French food. (We don't care what you call them, as long as you call us when the frites are ready.) So, we ventured out to the western suburbs to try Bistro Le Cep. There's no question that Toto wasn't inside the Loop. The atmosphere was quaint, somewhat kitsch, punctuated with the not so dulcet (altho hardworking and well-intentioned) tones of an accordion player. You haven't experienced life until you've heard "New York, New York" played on the accordion.
We'd heard good things about the food which, while enjoyable, did not impress us. The complimentary pate was agreeable enough. The lump crab meat and fennel salad was fresh and well executed. The onion soup was a traditional version. The steak au poivre may have been the best dish of the night, as our other entrée -- the duck confit special -- was disappointing. We try this dish at many French restaurants since we like it, and it's a good test of the kitchen. It takes a lot of work to get it right; this version lacked in effort as the meat was not as rich as it should have been, and it suffered from a real faux pas -- the skin was not crispy. Due to copious amounts of butter, we did enjoy all the vegetables (asparagus, green beans and spinach), but the frites were soggy.
The wine list was reasonably priced and, altho it was the 'burbs, the glasses were appropriate for a cabernet sauvignon.
Although a pleasant enough experience, we were disappointed. The owner, Joe Mannke, used to own the highly-rated Rotisserie for Beef and Bird. We had expected better.
11112 Westheimer
713/783-3985
http://www.bistro-lecep.com/index.htm
