Nellcôte
WHAT: Nellcôte
WHERE: 833 W. Randolph St.
OUR RATING: Do It!
It seems that every week we bring you something European in Chicago, and this week is no different. One of the newer additions to the Randolph Street corridor in the West Loop, Nellcôte was modeled after the Villa Nellcôte, leased by Keith Richards in 1971 for the Rolling Stones to use as a recording space for Exile on Main St. Storefront City crashed a Chicago bloggers event held here the other week and liked it so much we came back for brunch!
(nellcoterestaurant.com)
Enter Nellcôte: a French-style industrial villa with a punky elegant personality, and connected through its kitchen to famed RM Champagne Salon. The food, with all wheat products deriving from chef Jared Van Camp’s (of Old Town Social) in-house mill, is diverse yet simple, and provides a welcome comfort to the more gastronomically challenging fare offered in similar locations elsewhere.
(nellcoterestaurant.com)
Alicia: A little bit vintage, a little bit rock ‘n’ roll and a lot 1960s French chateau. Crown molding, herringbone flooring, custom chairs, silk drapes and antique mirrors are contrasted against exposed cement pillars, Italian marble tables, and punches of rich and crazy colors through handcrafted Hermes orange Tolix bar chairs and a series of art installations. Even the bathrooms were reminiscent of said French opulence, but of course with some pictures of Jagger and the like on the doors. Oh, and don’t forget a 12-foot-wide, eight-step white Italian marble staircase near the back of the restaurant and 18-foot-high Art Nouveau wrought iron gates at the entrance. It’s an elegant eclectic-chic pastiche that defies the overdone ‘rustic’ decor concept pervading the city. It was almost like Gaga’s “Paparazzi” video had a baby with Andy Warhol. Almost.
With a mix of Spanish, French and Italian influences, the decor matches their melange of European-influenced food, and one is nostalgically greeted to an $18 prix fixe brunch menu offering a variety of entrees and a charcuterie/cheese/pastry plate for the table to share. In addition to a sampling of a cheese and a meat, the plate also came with preserved figs, mini brioche and nutty madeleines, along with some homemade strawberry jam, clotted cream and deliciously creamy lemon curd.
But on to the main event, the pain perdu: crispy french toast with chopped apples (the fruit garnish changes with the seasons), crème Chantilly, and caramel sauce. Not at all what you might call a “light” breakfast, but as you can probably tell by now, I am definitely a baked goods at brunch kind of girl. Anyways, I have to admit I was a bit disappointed by this dish. After my first bite I wasn’t sure if I wanted to take another one, as most of the flavor seeping into my taste buds was actually of oil and the fryer the bread must have lived in for a good while (they soak day-old brioche in caramel custard and fry it), and which came out looking perhaps a bit too overdone.
But I let myself take a few more bites and once I got into the center I was able to appreciate the airy brioche (soaked like a sponge in cream and still retaining its caramel custard it was slathered in prior to frying-time) with caramel and apples, with only pieces of the charred and oily outside that added flavor, rather than overwhelming the bite. An okay dish, definitely an off fryer day, but really that pastry plate in the beginning and the ambiance of the place both redeemed the whole experience.
Adam: When we initially came to Nellcôte, as has been mentioned above, we were attending a bloggers event in celebration of the Oscars. For this, we were privy to three interesting and diverse cocktails from their beautiful long bar. While not regularly available, if you jot down the ingredients, we’re sure they’ll put them together for you (in the kitchen, which is where they make all their drinks).
“The Silver Lining”
First was the Les Mis, a combination of Moët Imperial Champagne, Grand Marnier, Angostura bitters and, yes I’m serious, gold. Other than feeling that it couldn’t be further from representing the revolutionary world of 1830s Paris, I felt that it had decent enough contrasts to recommend it. Providing a classic base, the Moët Imperial essentially makes this a sparkling cocktail, with hints of other flavors. While the bitters were a tad overpowering, this is a solid pre-dinner drink.
“Zero Dark Thirty”
Then, it was onto the Zero Dark Thirty, consisting of Hennessy VS, rum, Rare Tea Sellers Earl Grey, Blood Orange, Cherry Heering, and Moët Imperial. Perhaps the most confusingly named (I can’t think of anything that links the ingredients to the film), it presented an extremely odd taste that will not be up everyone’s street. The Hennessy and rum provide a harsh duet, while the tea and Cherry Heering give the entire drink a cordial flavor that makes one think this was intended for a 19th century British India officer suffering from some incurable tropical malady.
The sure winner was The Silver Lining, of Belvedere, Combier Grapefruit, lemon and Yellow Chartreuse Rinse. Delicate and delicious, the Belvedere provides a decent base, while grapefruit and lemon give all the appreciated sour needed. Chartreuse is obviously fantastic, and I was convinced that the monks who made it would have been pleased with this cocktail.
But, enough on drinks – food is paramount here. After hearing plenty about the supposed best choices (complex pizzas vs. simple pastas), I chose the Sunnyside-Up Egg Pizza, complete with organic fried egg lovingly positioned atop a bed of arugula tossed in a lemon and olive oil, along with fontina and mozzarella cheese on the pizza itself. It is essentially a salad on a pizza, which is such a nice change from the greasy norm you get elsewhere. Highly recommended for brunch, it shows Nellcôte can do both modern and classic admirably.
((nellcoterestaurant.com)
Final Thoughts: Nellcôte is new, chic, and amazingly fun. Not too loud during the day, it hots up at night and becomes a full-scale bar, complete with DJ. Perhaps the perfect combination of classic and modern, you are sure to be pleased with what you find. And, if you are a little strapped for cash, let us recommend the Savant Special for starving artists. Monday to Friday from 5-7pm with a pizza and a beer all for $10.