Bistrot Margot

Earlier this week I went to Old Town for dinner with my family.  For those of you not from Chicago, Old Town is a really fun and hip neighborhood in the northern part of the city.  They have all of these quaint little shops and some of the best food in the city.  For dinner, we chose French restaurant Bistro Margot for its delicious prix fixed menu.  For only 20 dollars, you get a three course meal with a beautiful atmosphere.  Definitely one of the city's steals.

One of my favorite things about Bistrot Margot is the decor.  You feel like you walked into some French bistro from the 1950s when you walk inside.  The lighting is soft and the era's premiere crooners warble in the background.  

                         

Of course, a restaurant can have all the decor and atmosphere in the world, but if the food isn't good you won't want to go there.  Luckily, Bistrot Margot proves to have both a pleasant atmosphere and phenomenal food.

I started off with the Bistrot Salad.  Typically, I find starter salads pretty boring, but this one completely blew me away.  I could have eaten only this for my entire meal and have been a happy camper.  The best parts were the large chunks of bacon.

For my main course I ordered the Tilapia au Noix.  I was going to get the Steak Frites originally -- I was at a French restaurant, after all - but changed my mind.  Oh boy, am I glad that I did.  The tilapia was served over a mound of diced beets, carrots, celery and asparagus.  The dish was finished off with a drizzle of balsamic reduction.

I paced myself during the first two courses by only eating half, which left me with more than enough room for dessert.  I ordered the Bread Pudding, which was amazing.

My mom ordered the Chocolate Terrine, which looked good, but I'm glad I went with my bread pudding.  I'm not a huge raspberry fan, and the terrine was studded with raspberries.

My dad ordered the profiteroles, because if they are on the menu you can bet the man will order them.

Overall, it was an absolutely delicious meal.  And for only 20 dollars?  You really can't go wrong.

Visit the website for more information and a complete menu.