Gavroche Brings French Fare (and a Little Mischief) to Old Town
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If it were up to longtime Chicago restaurateur Jason Chan, everyone would connect with their inner Gavroche. “I grew up on the South Side of Chicago, then the North Side, and everywhere in between, so I was googling French words for ‘city kid’ and a bunch of things came up,” says the former owner of Butter, Juno, and Katana about early research for his latest restaurant concept. One of the first results was “gavroche,” the famous young street urchin in “Les Misérables,” which is also French slang for a mischievous child. “It was more me than ‘street kid,’ and I think everybody’s got a little mischievous child in them,” he says.
After a space in Lincoln Park fell through, he landed in Old Town when a restaurant connected to A Red Orchid Theater became available, and the theatrical name was a go for his 24-seat neo-French bistro. Helmed by chef Mitchell Acuña (of North Pond Cafe, Roister, and 16) and pastry chef Christine McCabe (of Charlie Trotter’s and Joël Robuchon, and who Chan worked with on Sugar Cube in the now shuttered TimeOut Market), the now nearly two-year-old bistro serves dinner and brunch, and offers a more sophisticated vibe on bar-heavy Wells Street.
One of Chan’s early ideas for the concept was “French steakhouse with a speakeasy,” and while steak isn’t the focus now, there are speakeasy vibes with up-lit white brick walls, glowing red lanterns, and a black garage door façade. The vibe feels intimate enough for date night; though greenery, florals, and white tile floors brighten things up enough for a fun weekend brunch or pre-theater dining option (or comedy, given that Zanie’s and Second City are right down the street). Here’s everything else you need to know.
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French bistro food, but make it “neo”
Chan knew he wanted a menu of French classics, but refused to copy and paste the traditional format. “I wanted to do a French restaurant that dared to be different,” he says. “But it had to have familiarity, especially for Chicagoans who love French food, specifically bistro food.”
To that end, Chan and Acuña work to reinterpret classic favorites. The hand-cut beef tartare features prime New York strip loin with cured egg yolk jam dollops on the side and a pillowy topping of sunchoke espuma on top. The gnocchi Parisian is made with pâte à choux dough and comes with a lemon black truffle cream and bourbon-barrel smoked trout roe. The French onion soup features veal onion broth poured tableside over Gruyère mornay foam and a gluten-free cracker, and the deconstructed ratatouille has “knife & fork” in the name for a reason—it’s served as a seared half eggplant, half zucchini entrée, surrounded by tomato coulis. The very cute oeuf Arpège has become a bestseller with freeze-dried corn, corn custard, grapes, and caviar that are delicately scooped out of an eggshell stamped with the restaurant’s name (they opt for porcelain eggshell-shaped vessels on busier nights).
For French bistro purists, there are a few classic options like a New York strip steak frîtes with beef fat fries and a highly acclaimed King Louie burger with a brisket and short rib-blended patty, Gruyère, and black truffle aioli. But for the mischievous, even those items can be upgraded—to A5 wagyu in the steak frîtes, and to a “Royale” burger loaded with raclette, caviar, seared foie gras, and black truffles. “I fly the Wagyu in from Japan every Wednesday,” says Chan. “We usually get 10 to 15 pounds, and we always sell out.”
An oasis in the heart of Old Town
Gavroche stands out in a sea of Wells Street bars and beer gardens with colorful florals inside and out, and a dark, sexy vibe inside. Chan’s wife Heather Blaise designed the space, which features Italian tile floors, red lanterns adorned with plants and florals, antique mirrors on the bar, white exposed brick, retro wrought iron and seats at the small bar, and a Belle Epoque-inspired tin ceiling.
Chan says Blaise let him pick out the tables and wallpaper, so he went for palladium granite-topped bistro tables and green wallpaper imported from Berlin. “It depicts French aviaries in the basilicas, where were the centers of neighborhoods in France,” he says. The garage door opens up mostly on nice nights in spring or fall, but Chan says they’ll stay closed at the humid height of the season. “Our guests want the option to sit in air conditioning when it’s full-blown summer.”
But there’s a patio if you want to be in the thick of it
For those who’d rather bask in hot summer nights and be in the center of the Old Town action, the 10-seat patio features umbrellas and a Secret Garden-themed gazebo draped in more florals. The outdoor menu is petite, with cold dishes including the steak tartare, Lyonnaise salad, and yellowtail Niçoise crudo, but the fully French wine list (the Sancerre rouge, which Chan describes as “the most amazing pinot noir you’ve ever had,” is a bestseller ) and cocktails like the Parasol Spritz and a refreshing Spa Water with tequila and cucumber soda are served inside and out. What you won’t find is the draught beer or Red Bull for mixers that might appeal to Old Town’s younger crowd. “We sell a tremendous amount of wine, and I would have to say the average age of our guests is probably early 40’s. It’s their clubhouse,” says Chan.
Brunch fit for a queen
Chan describes the Sunday brunch at Gavroche as something Marie Antoinette might enjoy. “It’s just really decadent, where you’re going to need Lipitor and a nap after,” he laughs. Decadent is definitely a good way to describe items like the “Bourgeoisie Benedict” served on crispy potato pavé and topped with whipped truffle Brie, pata negro, poached eggs, and lemon esplanette hollandaise. The foie gras French toast is equally as opulent. with foie gras crème patisserie-stuffed brioche, foie gras mousse, and lavender orange marmalade. Chan’s version of chicken and waffles comes in the form of fried poussin with a tempura crust, Far Breton (similar to a flan or pudding) with dates, and cinnamon date syrup. “It was a long runway to get here for brunch, but it’s been very robust and busy,” Chan says. “The neighborhood flocks here but it’s also become a destination.”
Liz Grossman has been a Chicago-based writer, editor, and storyteller for 25 years. She’s the former editor-in-chief of Plate Magazine and co-founder of the nonprofit storytelling series, Between Bites. She regularly contributes to Chicago Magazine, Flavor & the Menu, FoodService Director, and more. Follow her on Instagram. Follow Resy, too.
