David's Bistro serves fine favorites in new Antioch home

You know that feeling you get when you bump into a treasured old friend on the street. Your eyes twinkle and your smile widens as you catch up briefly before promising to get together again soon and then departing with a hug that you hate to break from.

For me, David's Bistro in Antioch is that old treasured friend.

I didn't think I'd ever run into chef David Maish or dine on his finely crafted contemporary American cuisine after he suddenly closed his beloved Des Plaines eatery in 2008. So when I heard he opened in downtown Antioch I knew I had to make the trek. And like that dear friend, David's Bistro greeted me with warm hospitality and familiar food, leaving me with the feeling that we'd been together just yesterday.

In reality, it had been more than two years since I'd savored Maish's food. High rent and a struggling economy drove him away from the restaurant he ran for 10 years, and he admits some dark days followed.

"I thought I was never going to run a restaurant again," Maish said. "I took eight months off."

As he was walking through downtown Antioch (the burg he calls home) he spotted a quaint, brick storefront for rent. It was a perfect fit. With the support of the village leadership and his landlords, a new incarnation of David's Bistro opened in May 2009.

The new setting and cheaper rent allowed Maish to serve the same high-quality, seasonally changing menu at lower prices. He's also broadened the menu of meat- and seafood-focused, globally influenced fare (New Zealand lamb chops and chicken Vesuvio) to include pasta (rigatoni with spinach, portobellos, sun-dried tomatoes in a garlicky Romano sauce) and inventive pizzas (spinach, wild mushrooms, goat cheese and hazelnuts). The restaurant has become more family friendly as well; not only does the name of his 7-year-old daughter, Madison, appear on the adjacent awning, but he offers a kids menu with homemade mac and cheese, meatballs and corn dogs.

Maish and longtime sous chef Eddie Barbosa haven't skipped a beat with menu standards like maple-glazed salmon and pear and Gorgonzola salad drawing raves from the new customers.

The bistro sampler appetizer platter provides a fine introduction to Maish's culinary prowess. I would have happily consumed a dinner portion of his filet Gorgonzola bites: a just-off-the-grill aroma wafted from the plate and the tender, juicy beef enveloped my mouth with smokey flavor. The stuffed mushrooms and crostini were equally pleasing. French-influenced fare like baked brie and escargot share space on the appetizer menu with Asian-tinged options like calamari tempura and crispy chicken wontons.

Soup and/or salad are included with entrees and are treated as stars, not sidekicks, by the kitchen. Maish's soups have a loyal following and are available online for overnight shipping. (He also has a soup cookbook and instruction DVD available.)

The soup on our visit was a velvety sweet potato potage that was surprisingly refreshing on a summer night. The house salad of mixed greens holds its own while you could make a meal (literally, just add chicken for a $3 upcharge) of the apple orchard salad of greens tossed with sweet dates and candied pecans and drizzled with Dijon vinaigrette, a specialty of the house.

I was glad to see the pine nut-crusted tilapia still on the menu; a mango salsa complements the sweet crunchy coating and the accompanying mound of parmesan risotto carries the nutty theme and proves a worthy partner.

The stuffed bistro steak continues to prove a customer favorite (I spied it on plates other than my own) and it won't disappoint.

A six-ounce filet gets split and filled with a tasty trio of spinach, onions and tomatoes; the steak was cooked to my liking (a wee bit pink) and served with a fluffy mound of butter "maished" potatoes. Should you desire the evening's risotto or other starch on the side, just ask.

Jumbo sea scallops perfectly seared and swimming in a silky basil cream sauce were an evening special we were certainly glad we didn't pass up.

Even though our bellies were pleasantly full, we wouldn't dream of skipping dessert. Chocolate Ooze Cake and crepes filled with apples, walnuts and brie are desserts I've happily devoured during previous dinners, but the evening's warm temperature called out for something lighter. Raspberry sorbet lost a close race to the pineapple crunch, a simply elegant dessert of bruleed pineapple topped with toasted nuts and served with a scoop of bean-flecked vanilla ice cream.

Maish has become quite a mixologist, developing a number of martinis for the bar. The chocolate martini - a decadent cocktail served in a sauce-coated glass - could be a dessert by itself. My favorite aspect of his beverage menu is that all the wines (mostly California and New World vintners) are available by the glass ($5 to $10) and no bottle will put you out more than $36.

While I wouldn't have called the Des Plaines restaurant stuffy, the Antioch spot exudes a more relaxed vibe. A couple of bistro tables on the front sidewalk invite alfresco diners, and the exposed brick walls and soft lighting in the main dining room provide a warm and welcoming retreat. A second dining room handles overflow and private parties.

The service is equally warm. I could see that the spirited and attentive staff has built relationships with regular customers and aims to forge connections with first-time diners - making new friends and reminding older ones why they felt so comfortable in the first place.

David's Bistro883 Main St., Antioch, (847) 603-1196, davidsbistro.comCuisine: Contemporary AmericanSetting: Well-appointed brick-walled dining roomEntrees: $11.99 to $22.99Hours: Opens at 11 a.m. Tuesday to Saturday; no firm closing timesFalse20001354Sea scallops are served over a spinach mushroom risotto at David's Bistro in Antioch.Gilbert R. Boucher II | Staff PhotographerFalse