Conscious Choice: Bistro Campagne: An “All Organic” First

October 2003 | Conscious Dining

Bistro Campagne: An “All Organic” First

by JoAnn Milivojevic

The beautiful dark oak woodwork inside Bistro Campagne conjures up fond memories of my Ravenswood apartment; I felt at home the moment I stepped inside this Lincoln Square eatery. Adding to the "neighborhoody" vibe was the matre d’ and the folks gathered around the bar. It was easy to chat while I was waiting for friends to join me — which precluded the awkward loitering one must sometimes do before being seated. This sort of informal dining is the essence of country French cuisine and Bistro Campagne captures that feel quite well.

Moreover, and importantly, at press time, the restaurant was applying to the Global Organic Alliance to become Chicago’s first certified organic restaurant, with the goal of having the certification by October.

Actually, most of their ingredients are already organic, so why take the time, trouble, and expense to get certified? "We get frustrated because people talk the organic talk," says owner/chef Michael Altenberg, "but don’t walk the walk." According to Altenburg, there are only a handful of certified restaurants in the U.S. and his will be the first in Chicago. The certification requires that 95 percent of the ingredients be organic including meat, chicken, dairy, and, of course, produce. But that’s not all. "We’re changing all our dried spices and flour too," says Altenburg.

The Ambience

Bistro Campagne has three indoor rooms seating a total of 42, and additional outdoor seating in a lovely garden, weather permitting. A large bar dominates the main dining room and what immediately caught my eye were the beautiful lanterns above it. They were handmade by a Tomas Aguirre, a waiter from sister restaurant, Campagnola in Evanston. His Asian-inspired design features hand painted fabrics hung with beaded and bejeweled chains. The lanterns add a whimsical flair to the angular prairie style space. The smaller backrooms have tiled wall mosaics and are perfect for more intimate dining.

Though the service was impeccable overall, there were no bread plates. The crust flaked all over the table and it’s gosh darn awkward to butter your bread then have to set it down on the tablecloth. And while dishes were cleared away between courses, crumbles and bits of food remained for the rest of the meal. It would have been nice to have this stuff swept away before our delectable deserts arrived.

The Menu

You’ll find traditional French country favorites on the ala carte menu such as steak frites ($17), croque monsieur, and croque madame (both $9), and French onion soup ($7) — a touch too sweet for my taste. The trout in brown butter with capers and lemon ($16) achieved perfection in its balance of flavors and the flavor-packed heirloom tomatoes provided a wonderful crowning flavor. My friend polished off his steak frites enjoying the hint of garlic that permeated each bite. The raviolis au pistou ($14) with ricotta pistachio and pesto rivaled the trout as, what I thought was, the most outstanding dish.

Deserts include profiteroles ($6) — hazelnut pastry shells with espresso ice cream and (yum) Valrhona chocolate sauce with cherries; as well as lemon-raspberry clafoutis ($6) — a bit of a disappointment — with too much tart and not enough filling.

Clean Food Factor

Extra virgin olive oils predominate and they use cold pressed peanut, macadamia, and kerbis oil (pumpkin seed oil) which is reported to be excellent on raw and cured meats. Altenberg buys some imported non-organic European products (the continent as a whole shuns hormones and genetically-modified foods) because some items just aren’t available organic (for example, certain vinegars and Italian cheeses).

But it’s not just about organics here. As much as possible, Altenburg, a Wisconsin native, keeps his eye on local products — even in the cold Midwest months. "We have cellar vegetables through February," says Altenburg, "for example, rutabaga, turnips, and winter squash. We’re not running a spring salad in October but perhaps a salad of winter greens. We’re trying to train our customers to anticipate the new season and to try veggies that aren’t common anymore."

Final Word

Bistro Campagne has been such a success that Altenburg took the concept to his Evanston location, renaming the downstairs eatery Bistro Campagne Nord. It has the same menu and same attention to detail as this location. Of course, Altenburg takes pride in serving good food made with quality ingredients but he has another reason for his dedication to organics — his kids eat there.

Bistro Campagne, 4518 N Lincoln Avenue, Chicago; 773-271-6100; Open nightly for dinner Monday through Thursday from 5:30 to 9:30 and Friday and Saturday from 5:30 to 10:30; Sunday Brunch from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm.

JoAnn Milivojevic is a Chicago based freelance writer whose articles appear in magazines nationwide.

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