LM Le Restaurant

By Victoria Wiedel | Thursday, January 28, 2010

Address: 4539 North Lincoln Avenue
Phone: (773) 942-7585
Website: http://www.lmrestaurant.com

LM Le Restaurant

Sometimes French restaurants can get stuck in a 20th century trap of heavy food and pretentious service. Fortunately, LM Le Restaurant lives up to its philosophy of bringing fine dining in an “upscale yet welcoming environment” where you won’t be sneered at if you don’t pronounce Beef Bourguignon correctly.

Fans of Tallulah won’t be disappointed, unless they miss some of the Asian-inspired menu options. LM serves contemporary interpretations of French classics using high-quality ingredients. While not exactly bold in flavor, the kitchen seems very assured in its delivery even though they haven’t been open long. The dinner bill for two (consisting of appetizers, entrees, glasses of wine, coffees and a shared dessert) came to $110 before tip.

Earlier on during your meal you will asked if you would like to pre-order the Tarte Tatin. Say “Yes” (even though you haven’t seen the rest of the dessert menu) and then wait for the melt-in-your-mouth mound of apples resting on puff pastry to arrive. Dessert service is complimented by coffee and tea selections from Julius Meinl.

Although not as well known as its French neighbor across the street (some patrons walked past several times before locating the entrance) the restaurant was consistently busy despite the cold, and offered a more conversation-friendly sound level. The Old Town School of Folk Music, located across the street, provides both a convenient reference point as well as a source of free entertainment from the dance classes.

It would be easy to nit-pick about small disappointments like the plain bread and missing amuse bouche, but those details only stand out because the rest of the dining experience at LM is stellar.

And that won’t stop us from returning to try the brunch menu, which includes Brioche French Toast, Croque Monsieur, a Camembert-spinach-caramelized-shallot Omelet, and their version of Eggs Benedict (ham, arugula, tomato, and sauce choron), now that we know to look for the orange door.