David's Bistro makes the grade by mixing signature dishes

I sipped a Cointreau-spiked chocolate martini at David's Bistro with a friend, recounting the meal we had finished just moments before. The word we kept coming back to: flawless.

It's not often that every dish hits high notes, but chef David Maish pulls it off at his Des Plaines restaurant.

Perhaps it's because he studied at Chicago's venerable Washburn Trade School (the nation's oldest culinary academy). Perhaps it's because he trained at some of the area's top banquet halls and fine dining restaurants. Perhaps it's because Maish has commanded the kitchen at this hidden bistro for the past decade.

That's right. Ten years - quite an accomplishment considering the high percentage of restaurants that fail within the first 12 months. Maish has found the right balance, keeping signature dishes on the menu while continually introducing exciting seasonal cuisine.

Maish turned a pancake house into the bistro in 1997, quickly expanding the place in 1998. A striking mural and nice-sized bar greet diners, but it's the back room that I prefer for its rich paneling. The lighting, however, is too stark.

One bite of the pork shank appetizer and it's no surprise it's been on the menu for 10 years. The apricot-glazed meat falls off the bone, waiting to be scooped up with a bright mango salsa. Yet the refreshing tomato and cucumber martini that blended summer's signature flavors with a champagne-infused dressing has, understandably so, slid off the menu.

Other starters include brie wrapped in flaky pastry with a champagne-spiked raspberry sauce and mushroom caps stuffed with artichoke mousse and drizzled with a basil-flecked parmesan sauce.

His pear salad with Italian blue cheese is another long-time favorite. Maish changes up the pears depending on seasonal availability, allowing the fruit's natural sweetness to play against the bite of the blue cheese and the crunch of the walnuts under a cloak of Dijon dressing.

I like how Maish built the menu. Entrees come with soup or a house salad, but for just $2 you can upgrade to one of the specialty salads. (On their own, the salads list for $15.)

It's too bad that his veal bistro dish lost its place on the menu to a more cold-weather-compatible osso bucco. The veal fillets were pounded thin and rolled up with gruyere, sauteed mushrooms and tomatoes and served on a bed of ethereal bacon and shallot-stuffed polenta. Here's hoping he can find a spot for that polenta on the winter menu.

For the winter, he's also changing the broiled salmon from a maple-and-nut-glazed fillet to one dusted with Japanese bread crumbs and served atop kohlrabi. He's ditching the asparagus-and-pancetta-stuffed chicken breast rolls in favor of a bird served with andouille sausage dressing. He also plans to introduce Creole-rubbed rib-eye with potato and cheddar croquettes in the coming weeks.

The pork tenderloin will continue its reign as a menu staple. Maish browns diced apples with brown sugar before adding dates and heavy cream to the pan and finishes it with a handful of Gorgonzola. A singed sprig of rosemary garnishes the plate, adding another level of sensory pleasure.

In addition to the menu, Maish brings in weekly specials "so I don't get bored," he says.

Diners aren't likely to be bored by the bistro's dessert menu. You'll find classic crȨme brulee served up with a spot of Muscat, a sweeter dessert wine, and a decadent Godiva-liquor-spiked sundae with fresh berries.

The Chocolate Ooze Cake certainly excited me, the supple warm cake and crisp almond sugar cone landing on my tongue like an exclamation point. Make that a double exclamation point as I started on that chocolate martini, which was split into two smaller portions so that my companion and I could indulge and still drive.

Not as decadent (though nonetheless enjoyable) was the apple-and-brie-filled cinnamon crepes topped with toasted walnuts - a wonderful complement to a crisp fall evening.

Speaking of crisp, Maish says he plans to introduce a comforting crisp to the winter menu, something with caramelized pears or huckleberries.

The chocolate martini was not our only libation for the evening. David's Bistro has a very global and affordable wine list with none of the glass selections reaching the $10 mark.

While our meal was flawless, that doesn't mean everything was seamless. Our waiter masked the fact that he was two days on the job with his menu knowledge and attentiveness, but the bussing lagged behind. An appetizer glass was still on the table when the entrees arrived and water was not replenished.

I was also surprised we didn't see Maish wander briefly from the kitchen and work the dining room as chef/owners typically do. He's a personable, well-rounded family guy - he studied improv at Second City and plays guitar. Perhaps next time.

• Restaurant reviews are based on one anonymous visit. Our aim is to describe the overall dining experience while guiding the reader toward the menu's strengths. The Daily Herald does not publish reviews of restaurants it cannot recommend.

David's Bistro

623 N. Wolf Road, Des Plaines, (847) 803-3233, www.davidsbistro.com

Cuisine: Seasonally changing, contemporary French-American

Setting: Warm dining room with dark paneling and striking mural

Price range: Appetizers: $7 to $9; salads $15; entrees $19 to $26 (add soup or house salad for $2); desserts $6; cheese tray $12; wine $6 to $9 by the glass, half bottles and bottles available

Hours: Seatings from 4:30 to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday; 4:30 to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday

Accepts: Reservations; major credit cards

Also: Private parties; catering and cooking classes