Petite Vie - Western Springs
Chef Paul Virant made his mark with Vie, the celebrated farm-to-table restaurant in Western Springs. Now, Petite Vie carries on that fine dining, French-forward tradition; it's restaurant that is as comfortable as it is sophisticated.
In Chicago Magazine, Anthony Todd wrote that, "At first glance, the menu at Petite Vie is about as typical French brasserie as a menu could possibly be. From pâté to escargot to duck confit to steak frites, it is a menu of classics, without much obvious innovation. That’s an intentional choice. 'When I opened Vie, I was 34 years old. At that age, you want to create your own unique food,' explains [Chef Paul] Virant. 'As I’ve gotten older, I have so much appreciation and respect for the classics done well.'”
The classics are foregrounded on the Petite Vie menu, which begins with oysters, escargots and foie gras, exactly the kind of starters you'd expect in a traditional French brasserie. French onion soup, steak frites and whitefish in papillote are familiar -- and beloved! -- brasserie dishes, and Chef Paul Virant shows off his background in French cuisine with beautifully executed dishes that leverage, as have his other restaurants, the quality and deliciousness of locally sourced ingredients.
But there are some surprises, the roast chicken is bathed in a sauce of vin jaune, the intentionally oxidized "yellow wine" of Franch, and the Petite Vie hamburger is a beautiful composition of high-quality beef, brie, mushrooms, caramelized onions, and truffle corinchon aioli and yes, pomme frites come with that.
You might be pleasantly surprised to learn that, unlike the menus at many brasseries in Franch, Petite Vie has a brilliant selection of craft cocktails. For instance, Petite Vie 75 is a delicious combination of Citadelle Gin, Giffard pamplemousse, Aperol, fresh lemon, and sparkling Wine; and Le Bon Capitaine is a delightful sip of Cognac, Giffard mango and fresh lemon. There is also -- of course! -- a very well-curated wine list.