Chicago Weekend Fun!

Marche‘ Restaurant on Randolph Streetis an upscale French themed restaurant that I tried last week. If I rated restaurants for a living I would give it 4 out of 5 stars. The restaurant address is 833 West Randolph Street in Chicago, Phone: 312-226-8399 for reservations. We did not have any reservations and got seated immediately but it was a Wednesday night.

The decor is a combination of carnivals and what Americans think France is like. Lots of big bottles of Champagne hanging around, wrought iron everywhere, velvet covered upholstery, oddly shaped umbrellas hanging from the celing and an exposed kitchen with cooks running around in fancy white outfits.

Despite how the circus feel of Marche’s restaurant design feels a bit fake (Having been to France to compare) the food is very good. I had an amazing trout dinner with green beans, potatoes and tomatoes. The sauce the fish was covered in was absolutely stunning. The flavor was intense but still complimenting the trout perfectly. I would go back to the restaurant again just for that. My boyfriend ordered a chicken dish with pasta and a very dark red wine sauce. It too was very flavorful and amazing. I like this method of cooking where the sauces are reduced to intensify flavors. It really works well and Marche’ has used it to create great dishes.

The service was also very good at Marche’. Our waiter was very patient with us as we tried to decipher the menu in French and asked a lot of questions. There were a lot of non-typical items on the dinner menu like quail, lamb, mussels and other meats and fish you don’t usually see. That may be difficult for some customers to process since you aren’t sure what you will get if you aren’t familiar with the meat. I asked about the trout never having eaten it before and found it was very good. It was also one of the cheapest things on the menu at $18.00. My boyfriend’s chicken dinner was $17.00 and the wine recommended by the waiter was $8.00 per glass. You might think that was a bit steep for wine, but you didn’t taste it! I would gladly pay that again for a glass of white wine that smooth and subtle. (foolishly I didn’t write down the name of it) If you go to Marche expect to pay about $85 for 2 people including drinks, desert and tip.

For desert there were a few choices like the ubiquitous creme brulee but we went with the flour-less chocolate cake. It came with a small scoop of mint ice cream on the side. The mint ice cream must have been made from real mint leaves because you got a hit of the “leaf” flavor in your sinuses in addition to the mint about a half of a second after taking a bite. It as a bit like eating a fresh mint leaf. (that may be good or bad depending on how you like your mint) The cake was divine with a chocolate ganache like sauce over it and a rich chocolate flavor. I would go back to Marche’ just for the flour-less chocolate cake.

Marche’ is a fancy restaurant that tries to be relaxed and playful while providing a fine dining experience in a trendy neighborhood. I recommend it if you have a group to entertain that like a trendy night atmosphere and upscale french food or for special occasions like anniversaries and birthdays. Marche’ is not a new restaurant, it has been on Randolph street for at least 10 years that I know of and has remained a high quality and popular place to dine in that time. (no small feat for a restaurant in Chicago) 

When we were there in August they had a special promotion going that gave us two $50 gift certificate coupons for dinner at the other restaurant they own called Red Light, across the street. (with a minimum qualifying purchase of course) We will try Red Light restaurant next since it is right there in the neighborhood and I have always looked at the giant red flame lit over their front door and wondered what the food was like there.