Candlelight shining through a perfectly prepared martini – how better to show how cool we think Brasserie Jo is. Sadly, we found out at the end of a wonderful dinner that they are closing later this month after a long, long run. Sadly, new leases and new ‘dining concepts’ are trumping classic food prepared beautifully and served well.
In defense of the owners, I can understand that they may have needed to revisit their investment when we were able to walk in on a perfect summer Friday evening and be shown to a table with no reservation and no wait. Still, the place WAS busy; and with such an interesting mix of patrons, too. *Sigh*
When seated at your table at Brasserie Jo, you are offered iced tap or bottled water (we always take the tap – Chicago’s finest – direct from the lake!), a warm loaf of wonderful bread, a touch of butter, and my favorite – carrot strips in a wonderful herb vinaigrette. I found some options to recreate this at home, so watch this space for recipes – you will WANT to have this salad/appetizer/l’il bit of goodness in your back pocket.
Moving on to appetizers, we chose one hot and one cold. For hot, baked brie in phyllo with haricots verts almondine -Rich was surprised to discover that haricots verts were green beans – but liked it anyway. Our cold selection though, was the appie star – smoked salmon coiled on top of a lovely 
horseradish cream and surrounded by crispy fried potato strips and capers. The salmon was like smooth and silky; the horseradish a perfect foil. YUM.
We were both a bit boring with our dinner choices – Rich had his favorite hanger
steak and I a simple steak frites. I didn’t get any shots of our lovely steaks – I was sipping one of my favorite Côtes du Rhône, and, the candlelight was kind of low for good iPhone captures anyway.
We opted for dessert to go – chocolate mousse – to share with friends coming downtown today for Northalstead Market Days – weather should be prefect! So, we have the mousse to look forward to, the fun of the market, and I have a souvenir to remember one of my favorite restaurants – the takeaway bag!
Bon jour!