Cafe Matou

After reading restaurant reviews for 3 hours, I chose Café Matou for Father’s day. Ironically, my father also read reviews for 3 hours and chose the same restaurant… like father like daughter!
Turns out we made a great choice. The food was fabulous, service was wonderful and drinks were unusual and tasty. I’d be happpy to return!

Five of Unilocal’s sexiest, most scintillating people met here for a a very exclusive evening of enjoying each other’s company, eating some delicious food, laughing a lot and imbibing a few cocktails.
I’m sort of sad I came to know Café Matou so late. By the time I met CM, it was no longer possible to consider him boyfriend material. Because he was leaving for points unknown in the morning. I had to be content with a one night stand only. Ah, sweet trials of life — if this is the way it had to be, I’m glad for our brief rendezvous. I wish I could have made you my own, but I’m okay, really. Really. .. I’m *sobs quietly* fine, really. *sniff*
Like the enchanting Brett D. mentioned in her review, I was saddened to see there were no garlicky escargots (I do love those little bastards) or traditional steak with frites. Ah, but there was much to be titillated by anyway on this menu.
For my appetizer, I had the pâté, and then you slipped me your baby gherkin alongside the silky smoothness of that liver goodness. Your baby gherkins were large on taste despite a diminutive size. Yummy pâté spread on toast and covered with brown mustard. .. nothing like pâté. That’s what I like. I could make a meal out of this appetizer alone. Yummmmm.
My entrée found me in a poisson mood. .. I had the Whitefish. I was surprised to see it breaded, a la a fish fry more often found behind the cheese curtain in the land of my birth, Milwaukee. But this whitefish was buttery and flaky and delicious. Okay, breading! In this instance, I loved it.
I had a few bites of my dining companions entrees — the Bistro Beef (yum), the Salmon (delicate), and they were all very good.
And then, sadly, our evening was over — never to be repeated. I reapplied my lipstick, and stole out the door.
A brief but passionate foreign affair, Café Matou, I’ll never forget you…
But my companions, ma cheries, we were certainly rendezvous again. Viva!

I had my last meal at Café Matou on Saturday, and I’m very sorry to see it go. It pains me that I did not eat here more often, but I believed it would always be here, and you often do not know what you had until it has moved on. I’m glad I had one more night here, though. The foie gras and rack of lamb were delicious, and what’s more I will dearly miss Charlie Soucher’s wine list — the Les Argiles Bleues Rasteau from my favorite year, 2003, was earthy perfection highlighted by leather and tobacco notes.
Here’s hoping that Chef Soucher will soon establish a destination restaurant in Wisconsin. I’ll be sure to make the trip.

Maybe if the Unilocal map had been right, Chef Charlie Socher would not have decided to close his doors on November 14^th. I just got the email the other day, and am horribly crushed. This is one of my favorite restaurants in the city, and I only had a chance to go there about 5 times, which is 100 times less than I really wanted to go.
You should get there while you still have a chance!

I’ve had this bookmarked* forever and finally got to Café Matou with some friends last weekend. I had made a reservation for Friday at 8pm a few days ahead of time, but we probably didn’t need one since there were only a few full tables. Not sure why there weren’t many peeps because I found this food and overall experience to be quite good!
After devouring half a loaf of their soft French bread I started with a chilled corn soup– oh so refreshing on a hot summer night. For my entrée I had chicken covered with breadcrumbs. The portion was way too big for me (and I’m eating for 2!), but super tasty. For dessert I was excited to try the bread pudding that so many Unilocalers have raved about, but it wasn’t on the menu for that particular night. Instead I went with their chocolate cake, which my husband remarked looked like a debbie’s swiss cake roll. Perhaps, but it sure tasted better than anything you could buy in a grocery store!
Their menu changes daily and they also have an extensive wine list. I even indulged in a tiny bit of wine myself — first time since getting pregnant. Starting the kiddo young!
There are some other great French restaurants in the area (ex: Le Bouchon**), but I’d be up for trying this one again sometime soon!
— — — — –
*Bookmarks:
**Le Bouchon:

We absolutely loved this restaurant! One of my favorite restaurants so far! It was quite & intimate with great food! We ordered the $ 29 pre fix menu, which was absolutely amazing.
mussels — good
salad — wow with mushrooms & flowers.
veal wrapped in puff pastry — good
bread crusted white fish — absolutely fresh & melt in your mouth
lavender ice cream with fresh strawberries — amazing!
I really loved how the staff was attentive but not overwhelming, and am looking forward for the monthly wine pairing.

For French food this charming but relaxed restaurant is the best I’ve had in Chicago.
The service and atmosphere were fantasticly friendly and my dining partner and I both thoroughly enjoyed our meals including the delightful rhubarb cake for desert.
We went on a quiet Sunday night and it was just a very good time.

I’m a sucker for good French food. I’m a sucker for snobby French-​anything. Snobby isn’t a word that I can pair with Café Matou. They have some of the nicest servers ever. They are always very knowledgeable about the menu. The last time I went in, the chef actually came out to ask how the tables were enjoying their meals. The chef is great and takes pride in the food that he creates.
Everything on the menu always sounds wonderful. I always want to order at least 3 or 4 of the entrees. Each time I’ve gone, I’ve had either escargot or mussels as an appetizer. I’ve come here and had a delicious steak, salmon, rabbit and pork. No matter what I order, the flavors are always succulent and complex.
The wine list is amazing. I can get overwhelmed by French wines. I know what I like in a wine, but don’t necessarily know from what regions I like wines. So I’ve always been able to describe what I like and have given the sommelier the freedom to suggest something. I have always been thrilled with what I’ve been served.
I’ve been here several times and have loved it each and every time… however, Café Matou is special to me because it’s where I came the night my now-​husband proposed to me.

The husband and I have been here several times on a «date night». I love the food, the simple menus, the service, the layout —a separate room for the bar.
Reservations truly are recommended for this place.
Street parking can take a while to find, but it’s not as hard as near Wrigleyville!
The wait staff is very attentive and knowledgeable about the food and the wine.
It’s small, intimate, and truly a special experience without being pretentious or overpriced!

My friend had been raving about this place and said we had to go during the cellar raid night ($ 17 a bottle of wine)! I am up for trying new places so I thought… why not?!
This place is really quaint and cute inside. Their bar is a nice size and the tables in the dining room are far enough apart so that you are not tripping all over eachother. They even take your coats for you so that is a major plus for Chicago winters! We had great service and were seated even before our 7:30 reservation!
Now on to the main event… the food! The food was delicious and has something for every one (I am what some consider a picky eater and I found many choices that I could like). We started with the ravioli of sweetbread and moules a l’indienne. My only food complaint would be that the raviloi was small in size compared to the mussles. 2 pieces of raviloi for $ 11…I didn’t know pigs feet meat was so expensive! But the sauce the musscles were in was fabulous. Who would have thought a sweet curry sauce would be so good for bread dipping!
For our entress we got the porkchop, steak and braised short ribs. I have to be biased and say my entrée, the porkchop, was the best! So tender and glazed with a sauce that had some apple flavor to it YUM! I tried a little bit of the others and those were great too. You couldn’t go wrong with either.
Now last but not least… DESSERT! I had the banana chocolate bread pudding that was out of this world. It took all my might to not devour it in 10 seconds! My friend had a thyme tart and that was really good too if you are looking for something without chocolate. My boyfriend had the crème brûlée and he had no complaints about it!
Ohhh…and not to forget we had 2 bottles of pretty decent wine!
This place was great and I could see myself coming back. You get a good amount of food and drinks for your buck… but it is a little on the pricey side for me anyway. About $ 120 for 2 people with tip. What’s great is that they change their menu all the time so it’s never a dull moment!

We’ve been to Café Matou six times since my last update a year ago — time to restate my passion for the place.
Café Matou is truly a bistro. That means small, that means casual, that means a limited menu, that means overworked waitstaff that don’t fawn on you. It means the chef brings out entrees on a busy night. It means a half-​loaf of delicious bread, wrapped in paper, for you to break apart and serve yourself. If you want your wine glass never empty, then have them leave the bottle on the table and pour it yourself.
If you are looking for a menu with all the «authentic» French dishes you learned to pronounce in high school French, go to one of the tourist traps focused on the Michigan Ave. shoppers. It won’t be bad there — it just won’t be outstanding. Or go to Café Matou and have outstanding combinations of flavors and sauces that you’ve probably never tried together before — authentic French cooking, that makes you close your eyes and hum as you savor the second bite. Occasionally there will be recognizable French dishes, like coq au vin, but it’ll have its own distinct tastes and ingredients. As it should in a chef-​owned French bistro. Chef Charlie is an artist. His menu is limited, but he always uses fresh ingredients and has enough choices to please everyone.
Even desserts can be a thrill. This visit, because it was part of the Chicago Originals prix fixe menu, I had a fabulous bread pudding. I don’t like bananas with chocolate, but Café Matou’s banana and chocolate bread pudding with caramel sauce was like no other — light on the bananas, not soaked in caramel, and with a smooth rich consistency that did not taste like chucks of bread. Really delicious.
And occasionally he does follow someone else’s recipe. I started with a soup made from a La Tour d’Argent recipe — Great Northern bean soup with fresh tarragon and Cognac. A definite close-​your-​eyes-​and-​hum taste on a cold Chicago night.
As I’ve said before: Le Bouchon for traditional bistro fare. Café Matou for creative French bistro cooking.

People have been telling me to come here for about a year and a half. I don’t know why I brushed Café Matou off for so long — I guess I just never thought about it when it came time to pick a new place to go. The day after Christmas, my boyfriend and I were looking for a nice place to have a good meal, so we were checking out the Chicago Public Radio Member Card list of restaurants and up pops Café Matou. We decided to try it and — of course — forgot our member card at home, but I’m certainly not disappointed with our choice.
The atmosphere is definitely très romantique, which is how I like most restaurants. There’s two dining areas, one near the bar and one in the back. Tables are far enough apart that you don’t feel like you’re on top of the other diners, which is really nice. The colors are dark, rich and very simple which makes the dining experience really enjoyable. They have a pretty nice drink list that includes beer and cocktails, so we decided to sample some winter ales. Our server was very knowledgeable about the libations, though, so definitely ask for wine pairing suggestions if you wish.
The food was absolument fantastique. I started the meal with the endive and beet salad which was pretty good, but kind of plain. I did enjoy the beets, though, and it was served chilled which made me happy. Good portion too and not super filling. However, that was the only real disappointment of the evening. The beer went well with the gnocci à Paris that I chose. This gnocci plate was utterly delicious. The gnocci were baked in a casserole dish with copious amounts of cheese and mushrooms until everything melted together into a yummy dish of excellence. The flavors were excellent — I just had to wait a bit for everything to cool down. The gnocci was fresh and delicious and clearly made by the chef, who creates some very fine dishes.
My boyfriend had the pork dish and it was superb. I don’t usually even like pork, but the loins were cooked so well that they tasted great. The sides of stuffed mushrooms and a potato pancake added a lot to the meal — I am kind of jealous I didn’t order that instead!
All in all, a really great dining experience. A little hard on the wallet, which is a concern to me, but it’s definitely worth coming back again and again. Café Matou also does a monthly regional French dinner menu for $ 24/​person, which is a fantastic deal. There are wine pairing specials with every menu, so it could turn out to be a really great deal. I’m definitely spending my 2010 coming to sample Chef Socher’s fine regional cuisine!

Café Matou is the perfect spot to enjoy a glass of wine, a well prepared dinner, and to be served by servers who know their stuff and are proud of the food they serve.
First of all– a big thanks to Brett D. for pointing Café Matou out to me– for prior to her review– I had missed this place for all the years it’s been open. Since finding it– I’ve been here 3 times and each time I have enjoyed something new on the menu that changes each time I go.
First of all, the location. It’s just far enough north on Milwaukee to escape all the craziness that exists just a few block south. Street parking is plentiful and I have never had a problem finding a spot.
From the time you push open the door– you know you are in for a special night. We took a seat at the bar and had the bartender suggest up a sparkling wine. She sold us on a sparkling rose that while a bit pricey ($ 17 a flute) was the perfect way to begin our evening as we were in a celebratory mood.
Soon our table was ready and we were shown into the dining room. Our server greeted us, welcoming us back and explained some of her favorites on the menu that night. We ordered simply– the beef bourguignon for him and the pork chop in mushroom cream sauce for me. Both were outstanding! For our starter– they had a sort of warm fish spread covered in cheese and green onions and while it sounds odd. . was simply amazing.
Finally, on to dessert. Along with a couple of glasses of tawny port we enjoyed a wonderful chocolate torte that was the perfect ending to a perfect evening.
Dinner including several glasses of wine, dessert and tip ran about $ 156 (not including the two glasses of champagne we had up front) Not a cheap dinner by any means, but worth every penny.
The next time you are looking for the perfect place to celebrate that special occasion or to just enjoy a nice dinner out– check out Café Mantou. Il est tres bon!

After last night purr-​fect dinner (yes I know — I am thriving on cheesy lately), time to give the naughty Matou his 5 star.
(for an explanation of why I qualified the lovely kitty of ‘naughty’ — read the first review below…)
Flawless Sunday dinner from start to finish: service (Erin was a great ‘garçon’, and not at all the Parisian style, thank you very much. Even after we tried on two different occasions to order a bottle of red and actually pointed at white wines — no comment — he stayed gracious and professional. I told him that if he was butchering the dish names enough we would be equal), the décor and ambiance (I love it, and the train just adds to the charm) and of course… the food.
Nom de dieu, c’etait bon!
— Poelee de champignons sauvages au coulis de bettraves: chanterelles and blue oyster mushrooms sauteed in butter and shallots, topped with thin slices of aged white gouda and an arugula chiffonade, and surrounded by a beet reduction drizzle.
I was reminded of my childhood days when I would go mushroom hunting in the woods with my grandpa. He was preparing them for his breakfast — when he was coming back from his night shift. I was totally grossed out.
Not this time, peeps… it was just amazing. Great flavors and textures, it was so sad to swallow the last little one that I almost cried.
— Bavette grillee, sauce balsamique et oignon farci au fromage de chevre:
Hanger steak, cooked rare (no other way possible, especially in a French restaurant) and served with a balsamic sauce, a braised onion stuffed with goat cheese and a potato skewer.
Do I really have to say it was scrumptious??? I felt at home… perfectly executed. My favorite cut of meat EVAH.
— mousse au chocolat blanc avec coulis de chocolat amer:
soooo…white chocolate mousse with a bitter dark chocolate sauce. Wonderful combination… incredible balance. I thought I would only have a bite but ended up eating three quarters of it.
So yes. Cats usually make me happy but this particular one tops them all. Catnip quality all the way.

So very torn on my review for Café Matou… I’m hovering between 3 and 4 stars, but in the spirit of generosity I’m allowing the bump since my dinner was honestly very, very good. An authentic French experience however? I’m left feeling quite unconvinced…
Longing for my days in Paris, I set off to CM in the hopes of satiating my cravings for all things Français right here in my very own city. Thoughts of crusty baguette with beurre echire, terrines and pâtés, garlicky escargots, sinful steak frites and flaky mille feuille were dancing in my head relentlessly for days. Shame on me for not initiating my Matou experience with a check of the website to ensure my desires would go fulfilled… had I actually done so, my due diligence would have quickly rendered the fact that none of these items in fact reside on their menu. Le Cry. Le Sigh. Le Sad. Le Freak Out. Aaahh Freak out! Le Freak, C’est Chic.
The offerings at Café Matou were more of a loose interpretation of the authentic encounter I was so hopelessly wishing, praying and hoping for. While they do boast rillettes, charcuteries and mussels on their menu the buck stopped there for me. The bread was basic at best, no EU butter in sight and the Poulet rôti en crapaudine (read: roast chicken stuffed under the skin with a panade of butter, tarragon, garlic, onion, and cognac) which I thought could certainly pull out a win for me, had been changed that evening to a boneless/​skinless chix boob with chorizo and fennel. Harrumph.
I was getting ready to write off CM entirely, but the morsels I tried (albeit begrudgingly) were nothing short of phenomenal. God, I hate when I’m wrong! Short ribs dripping in a thick, hearty jus nestled up to velveteen puréed potatoes, crispy sea bream in the most amazing, fragrant and savory broth and, yes, even that chicken/​chorizo concoction. Delicious! All of it.
Three cheers for absolutely flawless — although not quite French — execution… those mouthwatering dishes (oh, and my lovely bottle of Côtes du Ventoux) offered more than a revival… they were an absolute bail out of my not-​so-​Escoffier-​evening.

We saw this place on «Check, please!».
My boyfriend & I decided to go for our anniversary. Ugh
As soon as we walk in we are greeted by what I could only assume was the manager. He basically made a joke out of us for not having a reservation even though the place wasn’t even halfway to capacity at what should have been the busiest time for them on a Saturday night.
Our waitress then proceeded to look down her nose at me for the wine I ordered with statements like «you know that’s a rose, right?» when i first sat down. «can i pick something out that will actually go with your meal?» came after she was visibly shaken that we felt we didn’t need multiple appetizers.
I probably should give this place more stars for all of the laughs it inspired for our trip home that night.

Meow! Meeeooowww… meow.
I couldn’t stop saying «Meow» at Café Matou. Heeeeeeere, kitty kitty kitty kitty kitty kitty kitty. Ha ha.
It’s a cute place: with or without the cat motif (but cuter with it). The service was very good. Our server was sort of jokey and fun while still maintaining a level of class appropriate to the venue and price point.
I enjoyed all of the food. Starting with the beet salad… but wait – this isn’t a «beet salad» but a salad with beets arrayed around the edge. I assume that the bitter greens are meant to offset the sweetness of the beets. I liked the salad, but I was disapointed that there weren’t more beets. I love beets. Give me more beets! Beets. Beets beets beets. Almost as much fun to say as «Meow.»
We shared the scallop, and although it was undercooked, it tasted great. We loved the savory bacony sauce so much that we sopped up all the extra with our bread. FYI – the little apostrophe of red sauce on the edge of the plate is HOT HOT HOT.
I had the halibut for an entrée, which was a little boring. It tasted good and was cooked well, but it’s a plain dish. However, on the OTHER side of the table was a heavenly pork chop with a sweet, earthy, peppery sauce that elevated the dish. Delicious. There was also a sort of endive slaw which I also enjoyed. (Thanks for letting me clean your plate, Patti.)
Dessert was another hit. Between my top two choices, our server strongly recommended the corncake, served with blueberries and honey ice cream. Boy, was she right. Amazing dessert – sort of simple but absolutely perfect. Delicious again. A great way to end the meal.
We skipped cocktails or wine, but they had some interesting choices. Next time! (I will be back because this is a very strong contender in a city full of great French restaurants.)

Once again the art of fine dining is lost on me.
Came here New Year’s Eve with a couple of friends. My friend had mentioned they had a special fixed price menu for NYE, but it ended up being more than we expected ($ 70 instead of $ 50). We elected to order from the menu.
AMBIENCE– this place is pretty cozy. When you enter, you see the bar first, followed by an entry way to the main dining area. This place probably holds about 30 – 40 people at most. We had a party of 6, and were seated comfortably at a round table in the corner. The décor was pretty minimal, but still had a touch of elegance to it.
SERVICE– our server was fairly attentive, and very knowledgable about the menu. She even had the wine list down (not that I drink, but a good sign for others that may come here). As the night wore on, the place got busier, but her service remained the same.
MENU– not a whole lot to choose from. As with most finer dining places I’ve been to, they really try and focus on a few key dishes. Selections included cheeses, cured means, salads, and mussels for appetizers, and a few meat, poultry and fish dishes for entrees (I know not very specific, but our party covered most of it).
FOOD– for appetizers, our table went with the mussels in a curry sauce, a meat and cheese plate, and some scallops. The mussels were decent, the curry sauce really carried the flavor. As for the other two appetizers they were good, not great.
For dinner entrees ordered at our table included lamb chops, a three meat stew (duck, chicken, beef), a vegetarian pasta dish, and a steak of some sort. While most of the table seemed content with their dishes, there were some that seemed a bit disappointed. My friend who ordered the stew wasn’t qutie expecting what he got, and was at a bit of a loss for how it tasted. My lamb chops seemed a bit tough, though that was my own fault for not ordering them medium instead of medium rare.
OVERALL– I wasn’t blown away by anyone dish, and for me, in the rare instances that I do fine dining, that’s what I’m looking for. If I’m not mistaken, they have a rotating menu, so perhaps they are better at certain times of the season. I doubt I’ll be making any repeat visits on future Chicago trips.
Movie Star Rating– Gwenyth Paltrow (some people get her, and like her, I’m more «bleh» towards her)

This is a great bet for a date or special occasion. There were five of us for dinner. We started with several appetizers and champagne which really set the mood.
As the evening wore on, we had a nice time tasting each other’s seafood and steak. I had the beef shoulder, and it some of the tastiest cow ever. As I predicted, we noticed some Chicago anchorwoman or other. Dessert was rich and soporific.
The only thing I wouldn’t recommend is the scallops (make that «scallop» — $ 12 for A little scallop… I don’t usually comment on the portion size, but a mediocre, solo scallop for that price almost merits a bitchslap) — a little too chewy.
Anyway, it’s a nice bistro with good service and an ever-​changing menu. In the end, about $ 375 for the quintet.

Came in with 3 girlfriends to enjoy the $ 17 Cellar Raid. So glad we discovered this place! The restaurant has a very nice atmosphere, it’d be great for date night or some friends getting together.
The $ 17 was okay, there’s not a huge variety of wines to choose from that list, so even though the price was right, you may not find the perfect wine to go with your dinner. Also, the wine on this list sells out as the evening goes by, so you really have to step up your wine ordering pace.
As soon as we started reading the appetizer menu, we were hooked! The chef clearly makes huge efforts to make unique dishes. We had roasted beet, a salad with duck liver, mussels and clams. All were unique and delicious. My friends liked the meat entrees (lamp and beef) a lot, I liked the lobster and scallop better.
Then here’s the best part: the dessert! We had 4 desserts: flour less chocolate chestnut cake, apple something, figs something, and mango something. Sorry that I can’t put the exact name here, they were in french! All were presented very well and tasted divine!
And then there’s the worst part of our meal: the sommelier, cost them a star. He has the biggest cork up his you know what, and we are not trying to be whiny here. When we first walked in, we were 10 mins late and he made a snide comment #1 to my friend. When he poured wine, we were at a point of conversation that we did not stop to pay much attention to him, he mad snide comment #2. When we placed an order of wine that we knew would not go with our dinner very well, but ordered it anyway, he made sure to show his disapproval by comment #3. All were unacceptable to me and I normally am not that picky. He went out of his way to show his snobbishness to us. And our waitress confirmed with us that we are not the first one to complain about him. This is what I want to say to him: Wine guy, you work at a restaurant. Please learn some people skills!