Paleo Friendly Restaurant: Bistro Campagne (Chicago)

Sunny, mild and warm weekends are the time to enjoy patios, porches, decks and rockets launching.

Although you won’t find a NASA approved launch pad in the Lincoln Park neighborhood, you will find many venues that can propel you to another level. Bistro Campagne is a culinary venue in Chicago where you can go to experience this rush.

From Lincoln Park to France

The front door at Bistro Campagne welcomes you with a beautiful winding layout of tables with some outdoor seating that faces the hustle and bustle of Lincoln Park.

Brickwork and windows couple with well-placed lighting, transforming where I am to a locally-famous French bistro. The smells alone are enough of an amuse bouche.

Prepare for Liftoff

Since this is a French restaurant, I decided to start the gastronomy rocket with a Charcuterie plate (subbing pickled veggies for toast).

Ignition for this trip into the culinary cosmos is some thinly sliced salami topped with a pickled salad. My taste buds quickly move to the salty and tart musical.

During liftoff, a glance off the horizon is a reminder of earthy bitterness brought about by comforting complexity. There is something about this salad. I can’t put my finger on that button, but it is tasty.

Then the trip hits the sound barrier. The sonic boom of flavor from the pickled radish is amazing. Like the massive amount of smoke from a launch, this tantalizing and mouth-watering flavor fills my mouth.

A Last Look at Earth

The chicken liver mousse is like heaven on earth. The view gets you at the dividing line of space and sky.

At this point the duck and pistachio’s mildness balances the savory pork. It leaves me longing to return to the thrill of the mousse.

Exploring Space Through Soup

Like the dark side of the moon, the next dish leaves me looking into the openness of the food universe. The cold cauliflower soup is thick, but ironically smooth and comforting in flavor.

Although this is intended to be a subtle dish, it could still use some salinity. I’d suggest some bacon because bacon makes everything awesome.

Uncharted Salad

This explorer is going somewhere uncharted. Onto the salad I venture.

My tongue is splashed with the delicious mixture of sweet and sour. These bitters make my landing much closer to earth in its finish. And like the crowd that welcomes the astronauts home, the nutty flavor pops and claps its way to the back of my mouth.

A Traditional Midwestern Entree

What better way to welcome a midwestern astronaut from the depths of the universe than with meat and potatoes? That’s what the next course in this dining adventure is: steak with pomme frites.

This is what you get when you have a Frenchman trained in the art of meat and potatoes: succulent protein perfectly prepared. It’s the star of the plate and the menu. Butter adds creaminess, herbal bitters up the ante, and the sauce is mild but does its job.

Then, all of a sudden, the lights go out while in full mastication mode, but that doesn’t stop this guy from his meal. Truthfully, even when the lights come back on, it won’t matter. I will be either enjoying every bite in the dark or moaning in a well lit room with my eyes closed.

A Bit of France in Lincoln Park

Bistro Campagne is a romantic place in the middle of the busy streets of Lincoln Park. The food is wonderful and the restaurant is committed to only providing local and organic foods when the season allows, and West Coast organic foods during the winter. Have a few bites and let us know what you think.