Paris in Chicago

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I have to rave about my quick trip to Paris! Actually, I only had to drive about 45 minutes to get to Paris in Chicago, so that made the experience even better. I drove down to 3310 N. Halsted to meet a French friend, Sarah, for brunch. We nearly had the place to ourselves and were able to enjoy some getting-​to-​know-​you conversation. The owner, Jean-​Claude, came to chat with us after taking our order for a plat de charcuterie (meat/​paté plate). His story of how he arrived in Chicago is almost too cute to include in this post. But I will anyway. His Chicago-​based wife was on vacation in Paris 2 years ago. They met and it was a coup de foudre (love at first sight). He moved to Chicago a year later and the rest is history! Something else spiced up our lunch: a man living in one of the upstairs apartments put his cigarette out in a flower box and the fire department had to come to put it out! I guess that just goes to show that it’s a new «hot» destination!!!
Enjoy Paris in Chicago with its light, fresh, and delicious food selection as well as outdoor seating. Boystown just got a bit more French!!!
As a side note, the French in Chicago meetup group has their monthly apéritif at Paris in Chicago every second Tuesday of the month. It’s a good time for all!

My friend and I came here in search of macaroons. What we found was a bit disappointing. This place did NOT remind either one of us of Paris. The pastry selection left much to be desired. Maybe we were being snooty, but we were longing for a real French patisserie.
While we were there, we did buy some croissants to go. Based on my initial feeling of the establishment, I was surprised at how good — buttery, flaky, fresh — these croissants were. I would definitely purchase these again!
I believe in second chances, so I’ll give Paris in Chicago another shot. Maybe I’ll try eating in and give the café a test drive.
Stay tuned…
(BTW, the three stars is for the croissants!)

After finding out the place where we wanted to get late-​afternoon lunch was closed, my girlfriend and I saw the menu for Paris in Chicago in the restaurant’s window. It was then that I realized I wanted a relatively light meal consisting of French food.
The restaurant itself is set down several feet from the sidewalk, with a high ceiling. The decoration lends the restaurant a casual and relaxed atmosphere, with books placed periodically on a ledge along the wall, and pictures all around. The kitchen is in full view of the few seats, where you can see the owner prepare your order.
I got a coffee and Quiche Lorraine, with the quiche being as good as any I had in France. Having the owner actually serve our order added to the intimacy of the small restaurant, and I felt more like a guest than a customer. My girlfriend ordered a Camembert and butter sandwich, which came on a baguette. While there was no way a combination of these ingredients could be bad, I feel that I have to specify how fantastic it actually was. We both got side salads, which were topped with what I believe to be a raspberry vinaigrette. The dressing led me to finish the entire side salad, which I would not normally do. The coffee was good, and relatively strong, though it would not be the main draw to the place.
In summary, this restaurant had excellent food and even more excellent (and personal) service, with the service being what I believe sets it above the crowd.

UGH! I’ve never been so surprised to see a place with many stars and think it deserves NONE. Usually I totally agree with fellow Unilocalers. Not here, not ever.
The décor is… strange. Perhaps trying to be chic and eclectic, but it fails miserably. The black color scheme in a downstairs, small location just adds to the depressing vibe of the place. Our waiter was also very odd, but I was willing to overlook that because who doesn’t love odd people. But when he lied about how much the dish I wanted was, and served it to us half cold half warm, I no longer wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt.
I agree wholeheartedly with those who say this is not French food. I’ve been to France and the food is sublime. This was subpar, disastrous and, honestly, bordering on disgusting (none of us finished what we ordered).
The flies buzzing around the food prep area didn’t help either. We all left feeling glad we’d never have to return.

This is a good place for coffee, and probably a good place to hang out as if it’s a coffee shop. But the food lacks.
My croque monsieur sandwich was mediocre, at best. It was odd, served on square white bread, and reminded me of something I would’ve made when I was a kid and didn’t know how to look up recipes. And at $ 7.75 for what it was, obnoxiously overpriced. This sandwich would be laughed out of Paris. The sandwiches at Wally & Agador’s were so much more interesting, and better.

Some days, I love Unilocal.I just needed to lounge on a Sunday, with some wifi, get some work done and eat some good food. What better place to do it than a leisurely Parisian setting, run by people who know how to hang out at cafes all day.
The staff, the environment, and the food is simply charming.

What a fantastic little place. If I lived nearby I’d be in there every week. Jean Claude takes his favorite recipes from his home country and brings them to Chicagoans to enjoy in a tiny little shoppe at the bottom of a set of stairs. The atmosphere is warm and friendly and it’s BYOB, which is always a plus.
Excellent coffees, pastries, sandwiches, dinners and desserts. A real treat for a low price. Be sure to try his soup and special of the day.

Met Keri H here for brunch/​lunch this past Saturday and while this was her pick, I had also wanted to give this place a try after reading all the great reviews.
I arrived and while the place wasn’t what I was expecting, it was still charming nonetheless. I felt like Gigi walking into this quaint space. Most of the restaurant’s seating was taken up by a large party, but I was able to snag a table in the back.
I was waiting and the owner, Jean-​Claude, came by and gave me a couple of menus. I looked at my phone to see if Keri called or texted me to say she was running late and my phone was totally dead. I was a bit panicked that maybe she had cancelled and tried to get ahold of me but there was no way to know without a usable phone (what did people do before cell phones?). Anyway, the sweet owner of PIC very graciously allowed me to use his phone and said a beautiful woman should never be kept waiting by a man. I smiled and said I was being kept waiting by a beautiful woman, not a man. And right on cue Keri walked in. Jean-​Claude immediately got bonus points for his charm and wit.
She joined me and we started perusing the menu. It’s a small menu, but what they offered all sounded delicious, making the choice difficult. We both ordered the quiche lorraine and I also ordered a hot chocolate.
The hot chocolate was quite unique; it was not at all sweet, and you could taste the quality chocolate used — this was by no means Swiss Miss. I thought it was a tad pricey for the portion size, but nothing to get my panties in a bunch over.
Our quiche arrived and was plated with a mixed field greens salad on the side that also had some strawberries tossed in, which I thought was a nice touch. A balsamic dressing topped the greens perfectly.
The quiche. Wow, some of the best quiche I have ever had. I am not one to order quiche very often as it often sits like a lead balloon in my belly, but something told me that PIC’s quiche would be on the light side. It was anything but heavy; almost custard-​like, but full of cheesy goodness and pieces of ham and a flaky crust. We gobbled our quiche in record time. I now wish that we had ordered the other quiche, which was a chevre, and split them, instead of both ordering the same one. We both agreed though that next time, we’re going for the all-​you-​can-​eat quiche since it was so scrumptious.
The desserts all sounded promising and when we asked what the best thing was, the ever-​charming owner exclaimed «Me!». He was a typical French flirt, and who doesn’t love a side of flirt with their lunch?
He talked us into a cinnamon apple tart. This was a different take on a tart than I’m used to. Almost like the quiche, this was light and custard-​light and you could most definitely taste the cinnamon. Most apple tarts I’ve enjoyed have sliced apples on a puff pastry type crust, but this one had a crust similar to the quiche. As Keri described, this was almost an apple quiche.
Other than the large, boisterous group talking and cackling at decibel levels equivalent to an airplane hanger, it was a most enjoyable afternoon.
We will surely be back to try the rest of the menu.
C’était très magnifique!

Got a quiche (that word feels weird to type), got a charcuterie plate with pâté and a bunch of toast bread, and even got a 1 Euro coin — they were sitting on the sill and Jean Claude said take it, just take it, I had it in my pocket … or something like that. Next time I’ll bring a French dictionary because those classes I had in High School did nothing for me.
I don’t think he realizes where he’s at because the prices are ridiculously cheap and the food is ridiculously good. When everybody finds out about this place, he’s going to have to surrender (or whatever French people do). Until then, I’ll stop by when I’m in the area. Ciao for now!

Quelle surprise! Paris in Chicago, je l’adore, je l’adore. This divine, Parisian café may be nestled into the heart of Boystown but beware, once you open the door and descend the stairs to the lovely café, it’s goodbye Chicago and bonjour Paris!
PIC has been on my radar for some time now and clearly for good reason. The soft spoken owner, Jean Claude, greeted my sister and I with a heavy French accent and quite literally had my ass at hello.
It was Tuesday evening and PIC was already quite intimate; there was only one other couple dining when we arrived.
We chose to sit near the wall adorned with books and I’ve just got to say: as a writer, reader and lover of (almost) all poetry, the copy of Emily Dickinson’s complete works was a welcome surprise amidst the collection of French cookbooks. Perhaps next time I’ll offer to donate one of my many used Charles Baudelaire books. Paris in Chicago is just the place I’d love to slowly sip coffee and delve into the pages of Les Fleurs du Mal. But I digress…
I started with the goat cheese quiche which came with a salad. The quiche was fantastic — light, fresh, savory, like little bites of Parisian air. The spring mix salad that accompanied it was perfectly paired with one of the best dressing (s) you’ll ever taste; think a flavorful yet somehow subtle raspberry vinaigrette. Now I must mention the portions of this dish, healthy, healthy and healthy! The quiche was probably the size of my palm and the salad looked like one well-​spread out handful. I ate the entire dish, true story! And when I finished I was both full and satisfied — and dear friends, please note that yes, those are two very different things.
After the meal, and not wanting to leave Paris just quite yet, I opted for a cup of coffee (Intelligentsia) with a splash of caramel syrup and a lemon tarte, both fantastic! Unfortunately I couldn’t finish my tarte, I barely made it half way but I was happily satisfied with everything I’d already tried.
The atmosphere of PIC allowed for a 2+ hour dinner with my sister, which trust me, is always a plus — once we get to talkin’ there’s no stopping us. I loved that Jean Claude worked on his laptop a few tables away when he wasn’t waiting on patrons. Paris in Chicago isn’t just a delectable café, it’s a welcome escape to France.
Until we meet again…

Delicious. Delightful. De-​wonderful. De-​maaahvelous!
Jean-​Claude is the owner, chef, waiter, and head dishwasher of this quaint little coffee shop. His Parisian influence is in everything and it shows.
The quiches are custard-​like and comforting. The salads are divine. The coffee is delicious. And the company… well, you never know who you will strike up a conversation with in Paris!

Oh, Jean-​Claude. What a lovely little space you’ve created here. Just a few steps down from Halsted Street, but a world away.
With spring in the air, a petit brunch Parisienne is exactly what was called for. Some coffee, some tea, perhaps a mimosa or 12 (bring your own champagne), a little bread and butter, a slice or two of quiche. Ah.
Unfortunately, it was the day of the Shamrock Shuffle, and everyone else in the neighborhood had the same idea, turning this quaint bistro into an overcrowded lunchroom, but I can’t blame PIC for that. Quelle fromage!
Expect leisurely service, because this is a two man (well, one man and one woman) operation. So if you’re a hurried American, get your food to go. The croissants are the best I’ve had in the city: so light and flaky, they’re practically air. And the quiche are like custard, rather than the leathery eggs you may be used to it. So good.
The bathroom is a bit like a whorehouse — check it out, you’ll see — not that there’s anything wrong with that. Perhaps it’s a tip of the hat to «La Dame aux camélias.»

Hello and welcome to this month’s episode of… 3 Pickles, Mr. Pants, a Vajayjay, and Mr. Cucumber’s ethnic dining!
In this episode we lose a pickle (I wouldn’t say lost so much as misplaced) but the rest of us go to Paris, wewe (No, not a wee wee Pickle#2) really oui oui! That is, as close to Paris as we can get in Chicago. Ironically called Paris in Chicago, it’s owned and operated by Jean Claude who has only been in the states for around 6 months or so. Since then Jean Claude has transformed a small store front space into a European Café. What I loved was that it’s not just the décor or the food but the overall atmosphere. Even if you have never been to Paris, this café gives you a feeling as though you have. It’s very relaxed and very romantic. I almost expected to find a man and a woman making out in the corner… wait, it’s in boys town so correction a man and another man making out in the corner.
The five of us sat around and chatted… well, at least most of us were chatting, some of the pickles and the Vajayjay were ogling over Jean Claude and his broken English. Most of us ordered brunch which consists of Fresh Pain de Mie with Butter or Marmalade, Intelligentsia Coffees, Might Leaf Teas, Unlimited Quiches & Cakes, Coulis de Fromage Banc, and Orange Juice all for only $ 15.95. Not a bad deal plus Jean Claude had makes the Quiches and Cakes himself. I sure everyone will agree the quiches and croissants were excellent and very filling. Based on this I must go back for one of his sandwiches, salads, or the other few items he has on the menu. It was a nice way to start the afternoon, the mimosas didn’t hurt either. That’s right they are BYOB.
Now keep in mind when going, service is a little slow but that’s just how it is, so don’t go in staving. Jean Claude is very smiley and does speak enough English to converse but it can’t hurt to know a little French. We believed that the woman working there was his mother and she doesn’t speak English at all but is smart enough to figure out what you want. Very nice selection Vajayjay, though we all know the REAL reason you picked Paris in Chicago.

I’m noshing on a to-​go tuna sammie and I have nothing to say (because my mouth is full :)…
Seriously though, I wasn’t expecting much from this simple sandwich, but what I realize is that the simplicity allows for the quality of the ingredients to shine! And shine on they do…
At least one star for never refrigerating their tomatoes! How do I know? I can taste the difference for sure! Great tuna, great mayo… om nom nom nom…
Can’t wait to get into the mouse and rice desserts I couldn’t pass by.
The adorable owner, Jean-​Claude, makes a lot? everything? himself. I asked him if he made the desserts and said with simple pride, «Yes, I make everything myself»…
Now if only I wouldn’t feel so ashamed when pronouncing «croissant…» I’ll have to work on it, because J-​C was out of chocolate ones for the day…
see you soon!

Conversation au telephone entre deux amies:
— OK, on se retrouve au PIC a 11:30 alors?
— Oui, oui, pas de probleme. A tout a l’heure!!!
: — -: — -: — -: — -: — -: — -:
This conversation could totally take place in the City of Lights if the name of the place was not PIC. Paris In Chicago. Hint, hint: we are not on the right side of the Atlantic.
But by the look of things you would never guess: Jean-​Claude really managed to bring a little piece of France in the heart of Chicago. I walked in — or down, it is an ‘underground’ spot — and felt immediately at home. And now only because I was greeted by kisses on the cheeks by the owner. No, this little place breathes Paris. Elegant but subdued, pictures, mirrors, white walls and black edgings. A touch of red. Cute little tables, matching chairs. Le Marais is within reach again.
And of course Jean-​Claude does a lot to add to the atmosphere. His English is hesitant but adorable, his enthusiasm, contagious. We talked in our native language of course, and I translated for my partner in crime. Freshly arrived in the States (ahh…love…) Jean-​Claude does everything by himself, and does it well: impeccable quiche lorraine (and I am from Lorraine, so I would know. Right!!!), nice greens, yummy looking desserts (chocolate mousse, rice pudding, lemon tart… ask and you shall receive)
I was impressed.
Free wifi, free reading, free taste of Paris — I’d say we have a winner!
P. S. — Did I mention that JC is a bodybuilder???

This cozy subterranean café is overspilling with Parisian charm… want to forget the city’s hustle and bustle for a few hours? You’ve found your spot.
Tête-​à-​tête with your lover? Sure… it’s the type of place Olivier Martinez would nuzzle Diane Lane à la ‘Unfaithful’. Paris in Chicago is also a fantastic place to catch up with a friend. Or, show up alone and grab one of the French books owner Jean-​Claude has propped up against the wall for your enrichment. Need a quiet spot in which to work? Bring your laptop: the wi-​fi is free.
The coffee– courtesy of Intelligentsia– is of course superb and the menu is simple and perfect. Think quiche, croissants (bien sûr!), tarts, and sandwiches in addition to cheese and charcuterie plates. I absolutely loved my goat cheese quiche. The serving is quite generous and the flavor? Decadent. It’s served with a green salad simply dressed with balsamic which complements the rich flavors of the quiche very well. The prices are very reasonable (oui, oui!)… finally, an affordable French eatery opens!
Please, please go get your little piece of Paris in Chicago. For I want it to succeed as I envision many cups of coffee and good conversation transpiring in my little retreat. By me, by you… yes, I’m actually willing to share this gem!
PS: It’s BYO. You’re welcome :)

Jean Claude — the owner — of this establishment is a nice guy. And real easy on the eyes to boot. Just watching Jean Claude in the kitchen is worth the visit.
However, the place is cute as a button. Nice atmosphere, cute music, sweet treats. You can have a coffee and dessert. Or bring a bottle of wine and have lunch or dinner.
I have been in several times and am always delighted when I go in. I recommend this place very highly.
Get your a – es over there, Lakeview.

I walked into this restaurant (formerly Wally & Agador’s) and was immediately taken by the totally cheesy (but for some reason, totally appealing) new age club music.
The owners were friendly, and food is reasonably priced, and the tomato-​tuna quiche that I ordered was really delicious. I had to fight to keep my roommate’s cat from pouncing on it. I won this fight. Ha!
Tip: get your food to go. It nearly halves the price (!)

Proprietor Jean Claude opened «Paris in America» yesterday.
Wally & Agador’s crashed and burned here.
Paris in America is the Phoenix that arose.
Today I stopped in for coffee, which is all I had time for. YUM. Just an Americano, but with a distinct, non-​commercial taste. And it was $ 1.50
He has a nice selection of pastries, jams, and sweets. I’m not sure what else.
But he gets 4 stars for class, and an elegant feel. I’ll be back to sample more.
Bonne chance, Jean Claude!