Vie’s chicken three ways represents Chef Paul Virant’s experimental approach. Photo: Janine MacLachlan
Vie’s chicken three ways represents Chef Paul Virant’s experimental approach. Photo: Janine MacLachlan
Vie, the upscale spot tucked into the sleepy, charming enclave of Western Springs, is named with the French word for “life.” Indeed, under the guidance of chef/owner Paul Virant, Vie brings life-affirming food to the burbs with an emphasis on hand-crafted, locally-grown, sustainably-produced food.
It’s evident that Virant wants good food to be accessible to people who might not know a lot about farms and ingredients. His menu calls out the names of some of his suppliers, like Gunthorp, Kinnikinnick and Green Acres Farms, all producers who’ve achieved spots in my personal rock star-farmer hall of fame. And the menu has a glossary at the bottom, explaining that a burrata is fresh mozzarella wrapped around a mixture of shaved mozzarella and heavy cream, and that kasha is roasted buckwheat that has a toasty, nutty flavor. And the flavor backs up all the attention to detail.
Local and Seasonal
None of the food came off as marginal. For starters, we liked the yukon gold potato gnocchi, chanterelle mushrooms, sweet corn, bacon, herbs and red wine vinaigrette ($10). Also in the running was a Lake Superior whitefish panzanella ($11), a bread salad with tomatoes, onions and cucumbers.
For main courses, I loved the wood-grilled sturgeon from the Columbia River in the Pacific Northwest, chickpeas, rosemary, wild mushrooms, summer beans and smoked tomato mayonnaise ($26). But the runaway star of the night was the vegetarian option, the house-made ravioli filled with summer squash, ricotta and basil served with roasted tomatoes and marinated grilled squashes and chanterelle mushrooms ($20). The flavors were bright, with a sit-up-and-take-notice seasonal appeal. It’s always a good sign when a chef pays as much attention to the less-expensive veggie option as the higher-price protein offerings.
Virant uses his special three-course $30 menus not only to showcase the best ingredients of the season, but to experiment with new foods and innovative combinations. Different styles of sausages are staples on the menu, including a starter of Merguez sausage, a Middle-Eastern lamb sausage, Spanish olives, crispy panisse and smoked paprika aioli, a garlicky mayo ($10). While the sausage got two thumbs up from my dining companion, it was the panisse that blew me away. Panisse is a traditional savory cake from the south of France made from chickpea flour, using the same technique as polenta, then sliced and deep fried. Even with today’s fear of frying, it’s a nice punctuation in a portion-controlled environment on a restaurant plate and shows attention to detail in all components of the dish, not just the center of the plate.
Virant does indeed have a fun time mixing it up with the center of the plate also. His chicken three ways makes humble poultry an interesting adventure. First there’s a braised leg or thigh with herbs and butter, then a roasted breast piece stuffed with mustard butter, tarragon and house-made pickled peppers and another slice of breast meat breaded and fried and punctuated with garlic puree.
The 85-selection wine list offers an interesting mix that demonstrates a willingness to take a chance. Even up-and-coming wine regions like Illinois get a place at the table.
You Won’t Have Room, but Order Dessert Anyway
Pastry chef Todd Feitl does a nice job of echoing Virant’s commitment to seasonality. My favorite was the warm gooey butter cake with a center cut out and filled with lemon curd, served with a double whammy of blueberry sorbet and blueberry compote. But I also was tempted by the apple charlotte with calvados ice cream, apple puree and brandied raisins. The molten Venezuelan chocolate cake with pistachio ice cream, candied pistachios and chocolate sauce clearly made the grade. Desserts are $7 each and come with recommended dessert wine pairings.
The Final Word
The trip to Vie can be a fun excursion for urbanites, and we city folk don’t need to be put off by the traffic — it’s only 20 minutes on the express train from Union Station and 40 minutes return on the local. The restaurant is a block from the train station and the neighborhood perfect for a post-dinner stroll before returning to the city.
Vie, 4471 Lawn Avenue, Western Springs, 708-246-2082. Monday through Thursday 5-10 p.m., Friday and Saturday 5-11 p.m. Closed Sunday. Smoke-free.
Janine MacLachlan is a freelance writer, cooking-school owner and food enthusiast whose search for well-raised food is a passion.