Restaurant Michael: Great Food But Stepford Setting (Chicago Area Restaurant Review No. 92)

We hadn't tried a new restaurant for a while, so after consulting opentable.com we picked Restaurant Michael in Winnetka because the menu items included a cheese course and interesting appetizers. The food exceeded our expectations (which our readers know is hard to do). Nonetheless, we probably wouldn't go here again because we didn't enjoy the experience overall. The evening started well enough when a man who looked like he might have been the chef/owner came out to greet us as we pulled into the parking lot. The first thing we noticed about the restaurant, however, was that even though the website referred to the dress as casual, the least dressy patrons were still, for the most part, wearing sport coats or suits (for the women, add pearls) straight out of the Brooks Brothers catalogue.

Next, we both noticed how cold the restaurant was, even though it was a semi-warm day for March in Chicago. Unfortunately, we were seated at the table closest to the door and most in line with the cold air sweeping in. Nonetheless, when we asked for a different table, as there were many empty ones, we were told a change wasn't possible. (All the tables did fill later, but the more vehement complainers offered the table next to ours were moved.) The other issue with the tables was that the one we were at was one of four that felt as if they were afterthought auxiliary tables, such as those you'd stick kids at for a big family gathering, stuck in front of more cozy booths, and pushed very close together. Those who have read our blog from the beginning know that we usually don't take decor and atmosphere much into account, but here it really colored our experience, which is particularly unfortunate since the food was quite good. The experience was not helped for us by the fact that all the patrons looked they had roman numerals after their names and the wait staff was a bit unfriendly overall (though not just to those of us who do not have numerals after our names).

Our amuse bouche were cheese puffs, which were light with a creamy cheese filling and which we really loved. For a change of pace, we ordered a bottle of Croatian Zlatan Zinfandel. This could have been problematic since, unbeknownst to us, this is a dry red, and we generally don't like dry wine. But it turned out that this one had a nice bouquet and was not overly tart. For appetizers, Steve ordered the smoked salmon. It was good but not great, largly because it came with something a bit sweeter than the creme fraiche we normally like with smoked salmon. Steve really liked the toast accompaniment, however. Lisa ordered the pate plate, which included pate, sausage and mousse as well as olives and tiny dill pickles. She loved the sausage, olives and pickles (especially the pickles which were crunchy and had a strong dill flavor). The rest she didn't like as much, but she's not that big a pate fan and ordered it mainly to try something different.

The salads were average. Steve had the salade nicoise, which he found interesting albeit a bit too tangy for his taste. He particularly didn't like the egg at the top. Lisa had the baby field greens salad with Roquefort cheese, walnuts and pears. It was a bit heavy on the pears and the cheese was a bit strong for her, but it was an interesting mix of flavors.

The entrees were where the dinner really began to shine. Lisa had the beef tenderloin and short rib combination. The short rib was excellent, with great flavor, cooked medium rare, and extremely tender. This was the first time she really understood why Steve so often orders short rib if it's available. Steve also thought it was some of the best short rib he's ever had. The beef tenderloin was excellent as well, cooked perfectly and full of flavor. Steve ordered the guinea hen and duck combination. The hen was heavenly -- with a perfect flavor and perfect spices -- and the duck was good but not great, a bit rare for his taste and also a bit too moist. We also loved the whipped potatoes that the servers spooned onto our plates after serving the entrees. The potatoes were very smooth and buttery.

Dessert was also a highlight. Lisa had the chocolate trio. The flourless chocolate cake was dark, rich and dense. The pudding was dark chocolate with whipped cream, and the souffle was dark as well without the eggy taste Lisa usually dislikes in souffles. Steve had the cheese course. He liked all the cheeses, but only the goat cheese, which Lisa also loved, was particularly noteworthy. The dessert amuse bouche, served in a little takeout bag, was two very dark chocolate cookies, which Lisa thought were fantastic (Steve donated his).

The bathrooms were both singles and were very nice. Both smelled like an antique store at Christmastime (a cinammon spicy smell). The Women's was nicely decorated, including with drawings of fancy red shoes and red purses. The Men's Room was also nice and both were very clean. But both were far too cold, which prevented them from obtaining a perfect rating.

Dinner for two, with a bottle of wine, was a very reasonable $230 for four courses, no less, and would have been only $180 with wine by the glass. The food here is so good and the price so reasonable given the quality that we might normally have rated Restaurant Michael much higher. But the atmosphere, the attitude and homogenous Stepford-like clientele really make it hard for us to fully recommend the place or to want to go back.

Our ratings for Restaurant Michael, 64 Green Bay Road, Winnetka, Illinois:

7.5 of 10 Steak Knives; 2.5 of 3 Bathroom Brushes