Retro Bistro blends quiet elegance with fantastic French fare in Crystal Lake
Mount Prospect-based Retro Bistro has befriended many diners during its 26 years of serving classic and contemporary French bistro fare.
Now, with the recent opening of a second restaurant in Crystal Lake, the popular family-owned restaurant is capitalizing on an opportunity to further expand its customer base. The menu at the new sister restaurant basically mirrors the menu at the flagship locale, offering diners classic dishes such as a charcuterie and artisan cheese board, confit of duck salad and flamed steak au poivre.
The new venue offers quiet elegance but not a hint of stuffiness. The tables are covered in white linens and the walls are exposed brick on which hang a display of artwork depicting rustic scenes.
While studying the extensive beer, wine and cocktail list from the full-service bar, we enjoyed listening to the recorded music of Ray Charles, Ella Fitzgerald, Nat King Cole and other vocalists.
Chef Chris Barth, who polished his culinary skills in Paris and ran the kitchen at the original spot, keeps things humming at the new location.
If you prefer to go with the traditional menu, appetizers include such favorites as duck liver mousse pate and escargot de Burgundy served in a golden puff pastry with garlic Pernod parsley butter. There's also the more modern yet crowd-pleasing braised short rib won-tons and tuna tartare deviled eggs.
Entrees include roasted chicken breast Dijonaisse, beef carpaccio and other popular dishes like New York strip steak frites Parisian and Provencal Merguez sausage with pancetta pasta. Also check out the daily specials, which include a few drink specials, like half-price wine on Wednesdays.
If you prefer to go a different route, Retro Bistro's prix fixe three-course dinner, a bargain at $35 a person, offered plenty of choices. I strongly recommend it.
After placing our order, fresh bread was brought to the table along with a tasty house-made garbanzo, asiago, olive and pepper tapenade for dipping.
And then came a seasonal treat: chilled gazpacho. The flavorful soup captured the season in a bowl - a perfect melding of tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, garlic, oil and vinegar with a smattering of chopped cucumbers and onions adding texture.
My dining partner's meal got off to a promising start with a potato pancake given star treatment with a topping of delicious smoked salmon and a smoky tomato sauce.
Among the entrees, you can't go wrong with the special summer salad: a generous serving of falling-off-the-bone duck confit and six skewered shrimp intermingled with zucchini and red onions resting atop mixed greens. Also perfectly cooked was my wife's rainbow trout with pineapple relish.
Among the desserts were profiteroles au chocolat, creme brulee and flourless chocolate truffle cake. If it's available, don't hesitate to try the warm cherry clafouti with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or the limoncello cake. The flavors will have your taste buds standing at attention.
Making the meal even more enjoyable, the service is spot-on thanks to a well-trained waitstaff that knows its business and isn't just going through the motions.
Because Retro Bristo has many reasons to recommend it, reservations are advisable, especially on weekends.
<i>Restaurant reviews are based on one anonymous visit. The Daily Herald does not publish reviews of restaurants it cannot recommend.</i>
Retro Bistro
83 N. Williams St., Crystal Lake (815) 893-4465,
Cuisine: Features the same classic and contemporary French dishes as its flagship restaurant in Mount Prospect
Setting: Charming rustic decor with plenty of booth and table seating
Prices: Appetizers: $7.50 to $10; entrees: $17.50 to $23.50; sandwiches: $10 to $13; dessert: $7.50 to $9
Hours: Lunch: 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Tuesday through Friday; dinner: 5:30 to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday; 4:30 to 8 p.m. Sunday
Also: Full bar; open for parties of 30 or more on Sunday by arrangement