Le Colonial ( 937 N. Rush St.; www.lecolonialchicago.com ) is one of the places you might pass by a thousand times ( as I literally have ), and not enter because it's seemingly inaccessible.
I don't mean that it's physically inaccessible, of course, but that this French-Vietnamese restaurant seems to have the air of a place where the one-percenters go.
Well, I'm here to tell you to set your fears aside: While Le Colonial is definitely elegant ( and you certainly feel like you're in another world ), the other 99 percent of us can feel pretty comfortable there as well. ( The hostess was particularly amiable. ) And don't worry about not being able to pronounce the dishes; the server refers to menu items by their numbers.
As for the food, it's as impressive as the ambiance. The cha gio ( crisp, fried spring rolls ) was a step above the rolls I usually have, filled with shrimp. pork and Asian mushrooms. This was also true of the banh uotgrilled sesame beef rolled in flat rice noodles. The ca bam xuc banh trang ( wok-seared monkfish ) had a definite kick, thanks to the accompanying chili.
If there was one dish that didn't quite work for my friend and me, it was the goi bun so ( grilled sea-scallop salad ), with the mollusks having a grittiness we didn't expect. However, the bo sate ( sauteed, diced filet mignon ) redeemed things, coming across as exceptionally tasty. Lastly, the banh pho xao ( rice noodles with soy sauce, bean sprouts, green onions, red peppers and garlic chili sauce, with a choice of meat or tofu ) was as savory as you'd expect that concoction to be. Easy-on-the-eyes server Mehdi skillfully led us through every aspect of the menu, and answered our questions thoroughly.
Also, if you have room, don't skimp on dessert, as the chocolate mousse cake and banana wontons were exceptional.
Now don't be fooled: As one might expect, the fare in this Gold Coast eatery is a bit pricier than the items you'd find in the Vietnamese restaurants in Uptown. However, for a fun time in an elegant atmosphere, Le Colonial is certainly worth a visit ( or two ).
The German restaurant Prost ( 2566 N. Lincoln Ave.; prostchicago.com ) recently had what one might call a "MEAT-and-greet" recently when Fortune Fish & Gourmet invited media professionals to try the eatery's latest introduction: Chef Martin's Alpine Brand Sausages.
Among the wursts Prost has are kasekrainer ( pork, veal, Swiss ), currywurst ( veal, curry, ginger ), thuringer ( beef, pork, garlic ), Sheboygan brat ( pork, veal, lemon and herb ) and chicken wurst ( chicken, garlic ), among others. As for what else the restaurant offers, there's everything from a pork belly Reuben to the traditional German fare of schnitzel and pretzels.
Also, as one might expect, there are many different varieties of beer on tap. However, the one this non-beer drinker gravitated toward was the Schofferhofer Grapefruit, a concoction that's 2.5 percent alcohol by volume and that tastes more like juice than beer.
By the way, there's one note: Don't expect German chocolate cake here, as my friend requested. That dessert was actually started in the United States, and named after Sam German.