We love going in summer when the garden is in full bloom, including the towering trees that offer ample shade. You can sit on the stone-covered patio among the statues and water features or within the small structure in the middle of it all. String lights create a beautifully calming atmosphere that quickly make you forget a busy street sits just beyond the fence. You settle in with a martini, a manhattan, or a glass of Chablis as you await your warm baguette with soft butter. 

But it’s equally, if not more, charming during the winter, when you can tuck into the rustic room, all dark wood and delicate lighting that transports you to the French countryside. The Art Deco vibe welcomes you into the front bar with its handwritten chalkboard menu highlighting wines by the glass. Walk deeper into the space, with its yellow painted and mosaic tiled walls and vibrant Van Gogh-like mural, and get enveloped by its quaint simplicity. 

What makes Campagne truly special — on top of the food and decor — is the staff, its heart and soul. Founding chef-owner Michael Altenberg, who sadly passed away suddenly in 2012, set the tone. He always led with a warm, magnetic smile that said come in, sit down, relax. He was an early pioneer in Chicago’s farm-to-table movement, sourcing organic ingredients when possible, for his simply prepared French bistro fare. After his death, his team stepped up, carrying that energy to this day. 

“Michael was bigger than life in so many aspects,” said general manager Alex Uribe, who started working here in late 2009. “He wasn’t the chef, he was the mascot. He was the embodiment of what we do.” 

Current chef Adam Grandt now carries that torch in the kitchen. He honed his craft in small independent restaurants like the once-acclaimed, now-closed Carlos in Highland Park, Vincent in Andersonville, and Wicker Park’s Chop Shop. Uribe said that Grandt shares many of Altenberg’s characteristics, including a desire to source sustainably, organically, and locally. 

Grandt respects the classic French recipes, but also playfully updates certain dishes. Take the decadent pommes pavé, which gets a modern twist with the addition of smoked trout and its roe. Or his savory profiteroles, filled with creamy foie gras. His delicate endive salad gets a boost  with the addition of a tangy whipped goat cheese. “These are fun riffs that speak to his understanding of the French basics and how you can [update] them with a Midwestern sensibility,” Uribe added. 

Grandt and Uribe are just two pieces of the overall service puzzle here. The staff, many of whom have worked here for years, add to the appeal and are in large part responsible for many diners  becoming regulars. (My husband and I felt that warm embrace from the moment we walked in and were greeted with big smiles that helped ease the sharp wintry chill outside.) We were seated at a table in the middle of the bar area and, sensing we felt a little on display, Uribe came by moments after we settled in with two glasses of brut rosé cremant from the Loire Valley to welcome us. That little touch made us feel special, which is something we know was not unique to our table. 

“It’s a beautiful oasis of quiet away from everything else. There’s a stillness that makes you immediately feel at ease,” said Dan Jacobs, who was Bistro Campagne’s chef de cuisine from 2007 to 2010 and now owns DanDan and EsterEv restaurants in Milwaukee. “There’s a magic there you don’t create — it just happens, and you’re just lucky enough to be involved.”

Ari Bendersky, a lifestyle journalist specializing in food, wine, spirits, and travel, is the author of Something Glorious with Ari Bendersky on Substack and the host of the docu-series Family Meal. Follow him on Instagram. Follow Resy, too.