A Restaurant Closes, and Everyone Asks Why

06.27.07

Le Francais, once called the best French restaurant west of Paris, quietly closed, not in a remote village in France but in a suburb 30 miles north of downtown Chicago. Conflicting reports quote the current owner, Michael Moran, claiming that the restaurant will reopen, while insiders say it’s gone for good. Jean Banchet, the hottest celebrity chef back in his day, opened Le Francais in 1973 in the relative middle of nowhere, yet close to a small airport where diners could easily fly in by private plane, as they often did from across the country, just for dinner. Le Francais enjoyed a revival under most recent chef/partner and Banchet protégé, Roland Liccioni. His menu featured classics, including Chicago-contraband foie gras (sautéed, served with quince and fig confit, and Armagnac sauce) as well as Paupiette de Homard (scallop and lobster ravioli wrapped in rice paper with Vietnamese foam), reflecting Liccioni’s Corsican/Vietnamese/French background. A local suburban official speculated that the restaurant’s demise was due to the fact that diners today don’t want dinner to last more than two hours. Ridiculous. Neighboring Bob Chinn’s Crabhouse has lines out the door, despite its 650-seat capacity. Up the road, Rick Tramonto and Gale Gand reign over four restaurants that are always packed. In the city my last dinner at Charlie Trotter’s flew by in five hours, and I have friends who’ve spent a staggering seven hours at Alinea. For whatever reason, Le Francais lost its draw, but it has also closed twice before in its 34 year history. Perhaps, like the phoenix, the restaurant’s signature rooster will rise again.

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