Paris Club on ABC 7's "Fresh Approach to French..."
The big-scale French addition to the landscape comes courtesy of Lettuce Entertain You. R.J. and Jerrod Melman have followed up their Hub 51 by taking over the old Brasserie Jo space, and turning it into Paris Club.
"What we really wanted to do is create a menu that was fun to share, great for groups and even lighten up French and kind of take the stigma that French is heavy and elegant at the same time," said R.J. Melman.
Charcuterie plays a big role here: from tartines and pates to cured meats, with all of the usual acoutrements like pickles and mustards. Steak tartare is a must: featuring worcestershire, Calvados and fresh herbs.. but a thinly-pounded chicken paillard also fits the bill. In some cases, heavy standbys like croque monsieur sandwiches have been transformed into bite-sized "fingers" with an eggy dipping sauce.
See complete video here.
"What we really wanted to do is create a menu that was fun to share, great for groups and even lighten up French and kind of take the stigma that French is heavy and elegant at the same time," said R.J. Melman.
Charcuterie plays a big role here: from tartines and pates to cured meats, with all of the usual acoutrements like pickles and mustards. Steak tartare is a must: featuring worcestershire, Calvados and fresh herbs.. but a thinly-pounded chicken paillard also fits the bill. In some cases, heavy standbys like croque monsieur sandwiches have been transformed into bite-sized "fingers" with an eggy dipping sauce.
See complete video here.
Fresh approach to French food in Chicago (March 18, 2011)