CheekyChicago

During any given meal in Chicago, you can find yourself among unexpected dining companions. Sleeping infants in strollers, businessmen on Blackberries or eager tourists with city guides. At Café des Architectes, the upscale French restaurant in the Sofitel, I noticed something different. At 8 pm on a Friday night, in the heart of the Gold Coast, I was surrounded by an entirely new crowd. Grown-ups.

To my right sat a couple in their sixties, well-dressed and well-mannered, speaking in hushed voices and sharing the seasonal menu. On my left were two women of a certain age, conversing in French as if they were in a Paris bistro. The wait staff could have been trained by Emily Post with politeness that bordered on precision. While the restaurant was full, almost bustling with parties across the dimly lit dining room, the noise level never reached a crescendo and the service never faltered. Without a doubt, it was one of the most adult meals I’ve experienced. Needless to say, my napkin stayed firmly in my lap and I tried valiantly not to spill.

Fortunately, the meal was a blissful distraction from my own table manners. Chef Martial Noguier could be a personal ambassador to spring, with a new menu that pays homage to a season filled with fresh flavors that have you wishing for your own garden (and personal chef). The aptly named Spring Salad featured a hummus-like artichoke puree, Chioggia beets and French radish topped with an oversize crispy beet chip. As appetizers, both the Madagascar Shrimp and Maine Diver Scallops were worthy of entrée status. The shrimp arrived with thin strips of brioche, a light lemon crème fraiche and cucumber gelee. In keeping with the seasonal theme, green was the new black on the table, making a cameo in almost every dish.

Morel mushrooms, white asparagus and Meyer lemon foam enhanced the scallop, although selfishly I wish there were two per plate. Main courses favor fish, but both carnivores and vegetarians are in luck with an egg dish and beef tenderloin. The oven-seared Wild Alaskan Halibut didn’t pack a punch, but delivered subtle flavors and paired well with an English green pea puree. If you can go a la carte for one course, the Yukon Gold Gnocchi is well worth the diversion. In fact, it might have been the singular best dish I tried. Even with dessert around the corner, I devoured it – rock shrimp, slivers of Shitake, asparagus, a generous slice of Pleasant Ridge farm cheese and perfectly prepared gnocchi.

When it comes to pastries, the French do it better. A pre-dessert is purely unnecessary, but who doesn’t love a bite-sized sorbet spoonful? For indecisive eaters, the best option is the pastry platter with an array of indulgent options. Banana crème brulee, raspberry with chocolate mousse, espresso opera cake and a coconut concoction all competed for attention on a beautifully arranged plate, courtesy of the talented pastry chef.  However, the miniature sweets paled in comparison to the Chocolate Pistachio Dome, a decadent mousse covered in a chocolate lacquer. It practically gleamed, almost reflecting the accompanying sour cherry foam and dried cherries.

In contrast to the serene dining room, understated décor and subtle servers, the food at Café des Architectes demands to be noticed. Artfully constructed and undeniably delicious, the cuisine warrants plenty of attention. With a spring menu this good, who needs summer?