Back in March, during an unseasonably warm stretch of weather in Chicago, I went to Au Cheval twice in one week. I was inspired to be out-of-doors exploring the new haunts in the West Loop, but realized I didn't need to go farther than the corner of Randolph and Halsted streets.
Occupying a long, narrow, dimly lit space, Au Cheval didn't look like much when I first stepped inside. The long bar and open kitchen give it the ambiance of a 1950s diner. It's charming and approachable. The staff is friendly and the patrons range from hipsters, to neighborhood yuppies, to hard-core foodies, to all of the above.
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Salad at Au Cheval
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On my first visit to Au Cheval, I went with my friend Vicky. She resisted the temptation of rich food and stuck with a salad (herbes and sherry vinaigrette). I, on the other hand, caved and indulged in the toasted open-faced ham and cheese fondue with fried egg. Oh, was it rich! But also delicious. I balanced out my meat and cheese with a side of bread and butter pickles, similar to my mom's recipe. I washed everything down with a pint of wheat beer. Vicky opted for a cocktail.
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| Open-faced sandwich |
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| Bread and butter pickles |
On my second visit to Au Cheval with Z and friends Andrea and Javier, Andrea and I split the foie gras terrine with tart cherry jam. This particular preparation of foie gras was better than the preparation I had Maude's a couple of months ago. I'm salivating just thinking about it.
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| Foie gras terrine with tart cherry jam |
