La Serre - Chicago
La Serre is the latest from DineAmic Hospitality, which also is the restaurant group behind Bar Siena, Fioretta, and Lyra. As at other location, which may take Italian or Greek as their guiding principle, at La Serre is French.
La Serre is one of the most recent -- and one of the most promising -- of the new wave of French restaurants in Chicago. Inspired by the casual elegance of San Tropez, La Serre abandons the stuffiness and formality of the traditional French dining exprience in favor of a place that makes you feel comfortable while you dine upon beautifully finessed dishes in the French culinary tradition.
Eater Chicago writes, "Located on the second floor of a new building on the corner of Green and Fulton Market, the space is light and airy with the kitchen in the back and a large bar greeting visitors at the front. The terrace, a ledge that flows along Fulton Market, features overhead heaters and the ... windows which open vertically. DineAmic wants diners to feel like they’re in southern France, even when temperatures dip. Stoioff [Lucas, co-owner] says the space looks like 'an old provincial greenhouse that’s been here for 100 years.' The greenhouse design and the resources invested in the HVAC system will allow the restaurant to keep its windows open even on cold fall nights."
So what's to eat? Well, you could start with traditional steamed mussels or roasted escargot, though there are some innovative French inspired dishes -- like truffle tater tot and duck profiterole -- that are worthy of your attention.
For those who can't enjoy a dinner without beef (hey, that's us!), there's 100% all-natural Linz heritage black angus in the prime flat iron, filet, New York strip, cote de beouf, and surf n' turf with a coal-roasted half of a Lobster Thermidor.
There is, of course, an exceptionally focused wine list as well as some French-inspired cocktails that will put you in the mood for a remarkable French repast.