One of the Best Restaurants in the Chicago Suburbs
As rare as date nights are between my husband and I, we always try to make an event out of them. Recently we escaped to the North Shore to have dinner at Restaurant Michael in Winnetka and chat with Chef Michael Lachowicz.
We arrived at the restaurant at 5:30 pm and the dining room was already filling up, a sign that we were in for a good meal! The host greeted us right away and luckily for us Chef Michael was already in the dining room greeting guests, score! We were seated in the main dining room and joined by Michael for a quick chat. Now I don’t know what was more
delicious our chat or the food…ok I lie, the food was pretty damn amazing so it was definitely more delicious than the juicy tidbits that Michael shared with us, he was an open book. We spoke candidly about his weight loss, to date he has lost about 200 pounds with diet and exercise. Anyone that has lost a large amount of weight before knows how much focus and hard work it takes. Chef Michael has mastered moderation, six days a week he is committed to a diet and exercise plan; however, on Monday’s he allows himself to have a meal at Walker Brothers Pankcake House that includes an omelet with American cheese. We also talked about the trip to Costa Rica that he took recently with his wife, he shared pictures of the exotic animals that they courageously held. The trip was in celebration of their wedding anniversary and a much needed chance for them to unplug. Looking at pictures and listening to stories about the trip, made me feel like a guest in his home; a feeling that I believe other patrons also experienced that night as he spent time with each table.
Restaurant Michael is approaching its 10th anniversary in October of this year and restaurateur/chef Michael has big remodeling plans. Currently the main dining space is filled with rich wood tones and champagne colored linens, the plan is to brighten the space, add new art work, and switch to striking white linen for each table. Just listening to Michael describe the vision for the new main dining space has me excited to see the changes! In addition to a remodel, the Chef is also cooking up a new concept where he will feature a degustation menu in the formal dining room that was added just three short years ago. It will be a restaurant within a restaurant if you will, another thing that will bring me back to Restaurant Michael over and over again. Seasonal Menus, Two concepts, One restaurant, in the Suburbs? I’m totally in!
The restaurant specializes in French country cuisine done with a modern flair and is open for dinner service. The menu can be ordered ala-carte or in a 3 or 4 course prix-fixe fashion, there is also the choice to order the 7 course Chef’s tasting menu, available Sunday – Friday. The food was delicious, the service was spot on, and just a tip, if the waiter suggests a specific type of wine with a course do yourself a favor and please, please take their advice. The suggestions made by our server took some of our courses to a whole new level of awesome. Although each course was delicious, some of our favorites were the tuna and salmon tartare, grilled foie gras, and the duo of lamb. The ragout served with the lamb dish was so friggin’ good and the lamb chops were done a perfect medium rare. The desserts were equally as fantastic as the meal, especially the Hot Banana Rum Souffle’ topped with a passionfruit creme anglaise, just spectacular!
Restaurant Michael is the perfect place for date night, a celebratory meal, or a nice evening out with friends. The menu changes seasonally, so there is always something new to try, and more importantly, they focus on quality ingredients. If you haven’t been there yet, be sure to check it out soon, you’re in for a treat.
Address: 64 Green Bay Rd
Winnetka, IL 60093
*my meal was complimentary, I was not compensated for this post. All opinions expressed herein are my own
