La Tache
Categories: French, Breakfast & Brunch [Edit]
Neighborhoods: Andersonville, Edgewater1475 W Balmoral Ave
Chicago, IL 60660 (773) 334-7168
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 5:30 p.m.-10:00 p.m.
Fri-Sat 5:30 p.m.-11:00 p.m.
Sun 10:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
Sun 5:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m. - Price Range: $$$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: No
- Good for Kids: No
- Takes Reservations: No
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: No
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: Yes
- Alcohol: Full Bar
99 reviews
Neighborhood: Lakeview
"Coobah is amazing! Great food and good music! They have Bossa Saravah playing live bossa nova classics on wednesday nights and saturday…" read more »
27 Reviews for La Tache
Very average. Lyonnaise salad was good, onion soup scalding and mediocre. My burger came out well-done instead of medium rare, so my little studmuffin was completely finished with his meager chicken paillard before my new burger came out ten minutes later. Hell, the chicken breast was so small, he was practically finished before I sent the burger back. As a result, we were both inconvenienced and for our troubles, the waiter knocked a whopping $6 off my prix fixe. He shoulda comped the add'l 2 glasses of wine we ordered as the meal took considerably longer than it should have thanks to the over-hot soup and over-cooked burger. Shoulda, but didn't. The result? We won't be back...
Went there on a heterosexual man date with my friend, Jefferson. His old lady was out of town so we decided be "among the company of men" and get hamburgers. It came down to La Tache and Kuma's. Well, I've never been to La Tache, so that's where we went. I think our waiter thought we were a charming couple.
I know: it's weird to go to a French restaurant only to get hamburgers, but homeboy had been raving about it so much, so that's where we went. The burgers are very good, but it's no Kuma's. HOWEVER, I think we stumbled upon a common thread that makes for a great hamburger. It's the pretzel roll. Kuma's and La Tache's bread is very similar. I'm about ready to source those out for my own summertime throwdowns.
Otherwise, the bacon on the burger seemed to be burned. I think they overcooked the meat a bit. My freedom fries were nothing special (I've had better frites at other French restaurants). I might give 'em another shot for their straight up French food, though.
People thought this was:
Funny (1)
We have dined at La Tache in the past for both brunch and dinner. The brunch menu is nice but also a little limited. Some of the entrees are small comparable to so brunch places that pile it on. Everyone in our party of 4 enjoyed their meal and said everything tasted great. I personally enjoyed the Croque Madam and would go back for brunch to specifically have that again.
We have been in for dinner before but went last night with 2 others for their Pre Fixe meal that is available on Mondays. The Pre Fixe can be a little confusing as the menu lists 3 Courses for $28.50, since I have had this before I knew that was not necessarily the case. Some appetizers and entrees are an additional $2 or $5. Either way I am fine with it because if I want something I will order it regardless but just pointing it out.
I started with the Steak Tartar which was excellent. Very good flavors and I enjoyed the condiments the added to the plate as well. There was no quail egg on top but if may have already been incorporated in the tartar. I enjoyed the softer rye bread they provided instead on the crisps other restaurants offered. For my entrée I selected the Hanging Tender MR with the Bleu sauce with a side of fries. My steak was cooked perfectly and the bleu sauce was a very good compliment to the meat and didn't over power the meal. For desert I had the Chocolate Mousse which was also very good.
The other dinners had the tomato soup (which was a special for the evening) beef stroganoff, the halibut and another steak. All of them expressed that they were very happy with their meal.
I did not pay for this meal but just doing the quick addition I would round it to about $40 per person (with tax and tip included) which included 4 pre fixe meals, 3 Stellas, 2 Ice Teas and one port.
One other quick side not is that our dinner was not rushed in any way. The courses were brought out with perfect timing. At no point did I feel full or stuffed when the next course would arrive. We sat down at 7:30 and left at 10:15. The restaurant was busy but not crowded so this experience may change depending on the day.
If you are looking for a great tasting meal at a pleasant pace you should try La Tache on Mondays.
I've only been here for brunch, and while it was perfectly serviceable, it didn't stand out. The last time, I had the steak and eggs, both of which were properly cooked, and the bearnaise sauce was a nice accompaniment. I was kind of surprised there was no toast or other bread-like product -- the menu did not indicate there would be -- but this is a minor quibble.
The restaurant is gorgeous. This is perhaps its best feature. There are two rooms, a small dining room and a smaller bar area. The dining room is small, with a long banquette and several free-standing tables. The lower part of the walls are paneled, while the upper portion is painted a soothing cream. There are several mirrors and other accents, including a huge clock. It feels very clean and upscale. the bar area is darker and woody, with a working fireplace. Very nice.
I feel like I missed La Tache's best years. I never even made it in while Dale Levitsky was the chef. The service is certainly friendly, but a little too laid back. While the restaurant is a perfectly serviceable place, it's a little pricey for me to consider it a place to just "drop in." And if I'm planning to spend money, I'll probably go some place nicer.
People thought this was:
Useful (3)
Cool (3)
I love the brunch! Well done, and none of the service problems I've read about in other reviews.
So why 3 stars? Have not tried dinner yet. And frankly, I am not wasting my time on a so called French menu that has burgers on it.
I've only been here once--for brunch, last summer--and I doubt I'll be back. There are too many other great places in the neighborhood to frequent.
The food took forever to come out (we were the only patrons in the dining room although the (not overly large) patio was full). The service was really poor (and having worked in the service industry for many years I'm pretty forgiving of "hands off" service when things are busy, which was not the case). Lastly, the food was really mediocre.
I will say that the busser kept our glasses of water full.
I go for the salad lyonnaise and dirty martinis. The onion soup definitely isn't all that spectacular
. Wine list ain't bad.
Don't have the escargots.
Pot Au Feu is goood.
The salad lyonnaise is reallly very good.
Been here a couple times in the past few months. Once for dinner and once for their brunch.
Lets start with something positive - the atmosphere is nice and it is in a great neighborhood for walking. Dinner was a grilled portobella mushroom entree and it was okay. I find that cleaning out the gills with a spoon first helps to reduce some of the earthiness (read as "grit") but for the most part it was decent. The appetizers we shared (a group of seven) and every one was decent. The cocktails were strong, also a positive. Overall, from the first dinner visit, it was worth returning to in the future.
Well, the future came yesterday for brunch. We shared a breakfast appetizer of pancakes with bacon and carmelized onion that came with real maple syrup. One of the pancakes was charred (burnt) so badly on the outside I was shocked that they would even serve it. It was black. I had a sinking feeling this was not going to go well, but who could complain? Not us. The waiter had been missing for over 15 minutes. Another ten minutes passed before she managed to make it back to our table, at that point, what is the use in complaining? Finally the breakfast entrees were served. We all got something different and apparently they cook one person's breakfast at a time and wait until all of them are ready for service. I assumes this because the french toast was so cold, the butter would not melt on it. For the quality of restaurant they are supposed to be, IHOP does a better job with breakfast. The brioche was apparently coated with the egg mixture long enough to get wet and nothing else. The center was literally dry brioche. The egg mixture wasn't soaked in at all. This was served with a side of "in season" fruit... cantaloupe, honeydew, and one bite of pineapple. None of the fruit was actually ripe. One bite of the cantaloupe and it was hard and lacked flavor. It might have been worth saying something to the waitress, but she couldn't be found, at least not anywhere near our table.
Breakfast isn't hard, but it can tell if a chef has the most basic skills. A fry cook at IHOP does better. So what did I learn from these two experiences? 1) If you go, go for dinner 2) If you want brunch - try Olde Country Buffett - I hear they have dried out cold french toast as well.
I enjoyed a perfectly adequate Sunday brunch of quiche with sun dried tomato, mushrooms, black truffles, and leeks. It wasn't huge or extravagant or over the top, as other Chicago brunches tend to be, and it may be that's what I'm looking for in a brunch. I'm not sure that even makes any sense. I ate at a French restaurant for brunch, and it was too French for brunch? Anyway, I'd like to go back for dinner, but I don't plan on becoming a Sunday morning regular.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Eh.
I was expecting a really nice meal, and got mediocre.
the Artichoke fritter was bland. and too strong on the lemon zest.
I had the Chicken paillard, and that too was really bland and kinda just tasted like breaded fried chicken. No seasoning, nothing too unusual--and cold. The haricot verts were nice though. And the wine selection was good.
The atmosphere is great. Really cozy, yet sleek. But the table are so insanely close together that you can barely squeeze in between them to sit down.
I miss the Dellwood Pickle.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
I really want to like this place. I walk by it all the time, and each time I look in, I think it has such a lovely bistro feel to it: dark wood, clean white hexagonal floor tiles, and cool giant-shade hanging lights turned down to a romantic low dim. Plus, there's a charming looking outdoor seating area for summer dining.
But as much as I keep trying to like it, there's one main problem: the food is just mediocre. My husband and I tried it a few months after it opened and left thinking it was pretty good but not great, and the last time we went (this past weekend) we were even less impressed.
While I applaud the fact that they now offer more than one vegetarian option, I was disappointed with the results. The entre that was billed as a 'grilled vegetable ratatouille' was actually just plain, dry grilled vegetables. We shared an appetizer of artichoke fritters that was heavy and oily and rather bland. I'd be tempted to just write it off as a French restaurant not being particularly good at making non-meat fare, but my husband reported that his veal entre was just plain mediocre as well.
On the bright side, the bread we were served was delicious, as was the herbed butter that accompanied it.
Service was pleasant and efficient, although we were charged for 2 glasses of wine we didn't drink (which they removed once we brought it to their attention, of course).
Since three glasses of wine, one bad appetizer, and 2 so-so entrees came to a little over 90 bucks (including tip), my advice is to save your money and go somewhere else. For what you'll spend here, you should be able to get a great meal, creatively prepared, using fresh ingredients in unexpected ways.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Cool (2)
I have never eaten dinner here, but their brunch is just DELICIOUS.
We love Laura the waitress. The owner just doesn't seem to into the hospitality end of the business though. Food can run from very good, to a big miss. Sometimes you wait a long time between courses, But I love the atmosphere and they have a nice little wine list.
I've had 2 good dinner experiences at La Tache. Nothing out of the ordinary, but stellar service, good drinks, and good food. The Sunday brunch, however, should not be missed. The food is excellent - right along with the mimosas. I was surprised at how inexpensive the menu was -- definitely worth checking out!
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
La Tache is an upscale neighborhood bistro with a comfortable atmosphere, attentive and friendly service and an appealing menu.
We did not have a reservation but were in early on a Saturday night and we were promptly greeted and seated. While we don't normally order a beer with an appetizer before dinner, it seems we were just in a mood. Unfortunately their selection (that night at least) was limited to Stella Artois and...Stella Artois. I like Stella, but we might have preferred an ale or at least an option. No matter, we ordered it and shared an order of the Marsala Mushrooms with Manchego Toast, which was very rich, mushroomy and delicious with the manchego cheese.
They had cassoulet on special that night and it's always hard for me to pass up cassoulet. There were some excellent things about the dish - the flavor was deep and satisfying, the beans were cooked perfectly and the sausage was flavorful and plentiful. Unfortunately, we each (we ordered the same thing - really, who can pass up cassoulet?) got two small pieces of lamb in our bowls and no duck confit was to be found. I found some shreds of meat that may have once been confit and I could taste the confit spices in the cassoulet, but no actual confit. I was sad. Unfortunately the dish was beans and sausage, which again was nice in itself, but I had expected so much more - especially for $18.
I will go back because I liked the space, I was pleased with the service, they had a good wine list with very reasonable options, and I think overall the food was very good. Hope to bump the star rating next time.
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
First of all, I ordered the classic French Onion soup as an appetizer. It came out lukewarm, no joke. I informed the waitress and she said, "I'll reheat that for you." I thought that she was joking, but no...the same soup "warmed up" came back.
The Cordon Bleu was fair, but nothing tremendous. The wine was great...a white from Bourdeaux, forgot the actual kind. The waitstaff seemed okay, but nothing extraordinary.
Will not go back.
Another trip or two to this place with the same experience I had my first time and I'll revise my review to 5 stars!
I absolutely hate Saturday night crowds- service tends to suffer and atmosphere tends to be hectic and weekend people tend to irritate me. But with a friend visiting from out of town, dining out on a Saturday night was not to be avoided.
La Tache was an absolutely perfect choice. We arrived just after 7 on a Saturday and were immediately seated! As a cozy Andersonville neighborhood French bistro with an extra dash of creativity, it's just off the beaten path enough that weekend dining here was civilized.
The interior is classic- clean white tile floor, soft amber lighting, small bar area and best of all- a nice little sitting area near the door with a fireplace where guests can wait for their table. Since they do not take reservations (unless you have a large group) this is a thoughtful touch.
The food was perfect. I like my French bistro fare, and messing around with it is a dangerous proposition. Get the basics right and everything will be good. Add a dash of creativity and you either take it to the next level or wreck it. Everything our group got was just great, even the creative interpretations hit! I'd recommend everything we ordered- but I picked the best stuff of our group:
The wine list was heavy on French wine (as expected) but a nice range of price options are included. For dinner I started with a great Salad Lyonnaise- the use of French fries in lieu of red potatoes was a yummy twist, that's for sure! My main dish of Chicken Cordon Bleu was not the type of thing I'd normally order, but it was fabulous- breaded and fried just right, and delicious ham and cheese on the inside. The Swiss chard and mashed potatoes on the side made for quite a large meal! For dessert I ordered a maple butter stuffed pear in wine sauce. Yeah, it tasted as good as expected- hard to beat, eh?
Our waiter was impeccable. He told us about his specials up front, the food arrived hot, and he checked on us enough without being a pain. Service shouldn't be that hard to get right, but rarely do I find it so. Our guy was a professional and low key- so nice!
I'll be coming back here for sure. If subsequent visits prove the same in terms of food and service, this review will get bumped to five stars- all indications are it can be that good!
People thought this was:
Useful (4)
Cool (3)
I took some friends here for dinner on a recent Saturday night. Upon sitting down, my friends immediately commented how we were the only patrons in the restaurant under the age of 40. We weren't sure what to make of that, though I did make a mental note not to tell any vulgar jokes (at least not too loudly).
Older folks aside, the restaurant was excellent. We started with the charcuterie, which consisted of house made pate and salami. I'm usually not a huge fan of pate but theirs was quite delicious. In terms of entrees, we each ordered a different dish, as there was a lot to choose from. I ordered the stuffed trout, which was terrific -- the fish was very flaky and the flavors were wonderful. My friends ordered the quail (tasty, not too gamey), the pork chop (very good, huge portions, very tender) and the lamb chop (a bit small but still very delicious). For dessert, we ordered the molten chocolate cake (moist and sweet) and some sort of pear dish with pistachio ice cream (liked the ice cream, not a fan of the pear).
They have a nice wine list with a decent selection and a wide range of prices. Service was very good -- attentive without being obtrusive. The restaurant is very conversation friendly and good for couples or groups. I would definitely recommend La Tache to anyone looking for a good place to eat in Anderonsville.
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Cool (1)
This restaurant has a perfectly composed atmosphere and replicates the french dining experience down to the closely packed tables and slow but expert service. There are bound to be some older people, but also look for the awkward first date and occasional minor rock star. Scallop appetizer was amazing, my stuffed trout decadent, but my darling's steak frites was good but not impressive - just a bunch of meat on a giant pile of fries (what i expect from Moody's but not exactly the presentation I had anticipated here). That said, visit La Tache (kind of a bizarre name in french - I think stain not spot), plan to spend at least 2 hours and 100 bucks, perfect for an intimate dinner and you can indulge after with a drink and a smoke around the fireplace.
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Cute little neighborhood restaurant. Went with a large group of friends for a birthday party and it was perfect. Everyone enjoyed their food and the atmosphere was very nice.
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Expect a very rich meal when dining at La Tache. The food preparation is very good, and the bar has great fun-size martinis and a good wine selection.
People thought this was:
Useful (3)
I enjoyed my dinner, everything came pretty fast and it wasnt crazy busy on a friday night.
The only things i would change are that my dinnner could have been a bit warmer, and the creme brule should be served warm.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
LOVE this restaurant, so delish. The outdoor cafe was an excellent addition, but the dining room is nice too. A perfect, unpretentious French bistro. Everything on the menu - yum! The outdoor cafe was made for drinking champagne outside in the summer, but the jewel of the place is the cozy little bar. Great place for getting all morose, listening to Edith Piaf and sipping more champagne on a snowy Chicago night. Ah yes, this city rules.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Intimate atmoshpere, warm lighting and a less than traditional French menu offer a lovely dining experience. Very romantic.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Whoo hoo, first review!
Really wanted to like this place. Went there on Saturday, 8/4/2007. Wife's birthday, and thought we could try a joint that was new to us. This one was reccomended by a friend whose culinary chops we admire, and though she'd never gone, she'd heard good things about it. So we went. The bread at the beginning, great. The eponymously named martini, awesome. The rest of the meal, just busted, yo. My main squeeze ordered the steak and frites deal with the blue cheese. The meat came out London Broil style, which she didn't expect, and the fries were not the thin crispy frites that you'd expect, but thick, homestyle fries that reminded me of Tasty Dog in Oak Park--not bad, but you expect more from this level restaurant. But they tasted pretty okay with the blue cheese liquidy sauce they served with her meal. My meal was the pork loin with peppercorn sauce and capers. I really like spicy food, but the seasoning here completely overwhelmed the tenderloin--I could barely taste anything except pepper. Just not a good experience. Loved the look of the restaurant though, and the server and other employees were very kind and attentive. Really wanted to like it. But we didn't. Much prefer Kiki's Bistro, or Hemmingway's Bistro, or the dear departed Tournesol in Lincoln Square.
People thought this was:
Cool (1)
We ate here on a recommendation from the shopkeeper at Scout down the street, and it was a great place to go on the fly. The food was fresh and delicious. We tried the special starters--chilled asparagus soup and heirloom tomato salad--and they were delicous. I had a traditional ratatouille (I had to ask what, exactly, it was...), and my fella had the special pasta with artichokes, sun-dried tomatoes, and olives, which he thought was great. We split a creme brule for dessert, and each had coffee (of course) and it was all divine. Our server was excellent as well; she recommended two terrific French beers (one had a gnome painted on the bottle, which we both loved for the gnome as well as the taste), and was helpful but not overbearing. By the end of the evening she was waiting on seven full tables, but still had our check in a timely manner, and with the help of the bus-boys (men?), we were never lacking for service or the ever necessary water refill. Highly recommended!
Haven't been there, but hear great things...am planning to try soon.
People Who Viewed This Also Viewed...
Related Lists
-
Best of Andersonville
Great independently owned businesses in my fave…
Hot and New
- Violet
34 reviews
Neighborhood: Lakeview
- Zed451
58 reviews
Neighborhood: Near North Side
- Mixteco Grill
27 reviews
Neighborhood: Lakeview
- Cafe Laguardia
85 reviews
Neighborhood: Bucktown
- Angelina Ristorante
81 reviews
Neighborhood: Lakeview