Prix Fixe

I heard this place is closing at the end of February. Glad I was able to get in there before that.
Dined here on New Years Eve. I wanted to go somewhere that took reservations. This was perfect, somewhere we had wanted to try.
We chose a wine pairing. Our waiter was knowledgeable about the food and the wines. I’m glad we did the pairing.
My partner and I share the pork rillettes and the loaded potato soup for our first courses. I enjoyed both, but liked the soup more.
I enjoyed the simple beet salad — little cubes of beets and a bit of cheese.
I think I had duck and my partner has pork as our entrees. Nothing stood out to me but it was good.
We shared the chocolate cake and the crème brûlée. The chocolate cake was disappointing, nothing special at all, but I love crème brule and it can do no wrong.
This was a special occasion type of place for us, not somewhere I’d go on a regular Saturday night. It was perfect for New Years Eve, especially with the wine pairings as at least one was sparkling.

The ambience is very cozy and it is quite droll that the location is so incongruent with the inside. The service is superb and the food delicious. The reason I did not give it the full five stars is because the menu, at least when I was there, was very carb heavy. Even the salad, which was very tasty, was made up of beats. The beer and wine selection is quite outstanding despite being small.
Recommended if you (and your GERD) can tolerate rich foods.

Considering the place is so small and there’s not many tables, I would have expected better service. The food took FOR-​EV-​ER. Maybe it was strategy… I was so hungry an hour and a half after I sat down, I scarfed the beet salad without any regard to the so-​so taste.
The food was good, but nothing spectacular… the chocolate cake was particularly dull and disappointing.
Not terrible but with so many other options in the city I won’t be returning.

The best way to describe Prix Fixe (pronounced «prefix») is «high-​end local ingredients with a European style». But considering the range and quality, it’s also a steal from a value perspective. It pays to do a little research on dinner here, asPrix Fix serves a 4 course meal, with choices from a one-​page menu. And from what I can tell, they aren’t kidding when they say that their menu changes according to the ingredients in season — a soup that was advertised on the website was not the soup offered when we walked in the door. This isn’t a complaint — but one of the joys of the place was that you arent going to be certain what you’re going to eat… Be adventurous!
That said, here’s the review of our meal!
First course: I had the pork rillets (think pâté) and my girlfriend had the wisconsin beer cheese soup. The rillets were delicious and really fun, and a taste of the beer cheese soup was awesome as well. My girlfriend doesn’t eat pork, so the option of having a vegetarian /​non beef or pork plate was fantastic for us. As for me, I loved the pork.
Second course: I ordered the celery root salad while my girlfriend ordered the beet salad. The beet salad had a great mixture of flavors, as it was beets with greens and blue chees while the celery root salad was a fantasic mixture with the vinagrette and what I could best describe as a breadstick croûton.
Third course: Pork belly with bbq sauce, cut potato and sliced apples for me, and duck confit for her. This course was probably the only one that was more of a tradtional flair, but the flavors were deep and rich and did not disappoint!
Fourth course: She ordered the crème brûlée and I ordered the banana bread pudding. Both were fantastic, but the crème brûlée takes a bit of the edge as it was superbly executed.
Beer and wine pairings were avaialble, and I took the beer while my girlfriend ordered the wine. Both had delicious drinks that worked well with the courses at hand and at a non-​premium price.
All in all it was a fantastic dinner and affordably priced which was perfect on a very cold evening. No complaints at all! If you’re feeling adventurous for something different and want to support a local place that does right by its customers, check it out!

I about to let out a big secret… Prix Fixe… rocxs, kicxs, is the shixs (I have no idea what I’m saying). Basically it’s good, really good.
My date and I happened to be the first couple there on a Friday night and for awhile, we were the only couple. That would have probably rocked but Prix Fixe is one medium sized open room. You get to watch the chefs create their magic and all… but that also means if they aren’t business they get to watch you eat or stare off into the window be hide you (But you actually feel like they are staring at you instead. Which gets to be a bit uncomfortable, especially since you think one of them is winking at you… or… that could have just been made up in my head). Anyways the staff takes turns at doing different tasks, so we got to chat with a few of them. Really nice guys I have to say (even the one that was making eyes at me)!!
The décor, the look, just about everything there is very modern and neat. Plain but nice, maybe the word is simple. Which also explains their food, it’s simple but done in a beautiful way. Clean flavors that don’t really explode but more nestle themselves onto your tongue and into you heart. Yes, at least with this menu (they change it all the time) I felt like I was getting all cozy on the couch in front of a fire. It’s like a food hug.
3 Courses and a dessert (which can be paired with wine or beer to your liking)
Started with the best potato soup I’ve ever eaten. The Irish in me was singing because this was heaven.
A nice salad. I love that everything here is fresh and portion size is perfect.
A good healthy dish of pasta with amazing mushrooms and a nice melty cheese.
Finally bread pudding so good that I growled at my date for trying to get a fork full.
So I might not have been blown away by creativity or unique style of flavors but there has to be something said about a place that gives you simple delicious dishes that are prepared with skill. I left being just the right amount of full and looking for a nap.
FYI– Their sign blew off, so be careful not to pass it by.

What a well kept secret! At first, we almost missed the restaurant because there was no sign. At first, I thought it was a speakeasy type of place, but later found out that the sign blew off during a wind storm. They were waiting for the replacement.
Anyhow, the space is quaint and welcoming. As soon as we walked in, one of the chefs approached us and we were sat immediately (We had reservations.). There were 4 male chefs who played all roles (host, servers, and chefs). Holy renaissance men!
As for the food… deeeee-​lish! I started with the squash soup and Nick had the loaded potato soup. Between the slight zing and the sweet cream drizzled on top of my soup, I almost licked the bowl clean! As for Nick’s soup, also yummy! I don’t usually like that kind of soup! Onto the cesar salad. The veggies were crisp, with just a hint of dressing. Now swimming lettuce here! For our main dishes, I ordered the rolled chicken (The stuffing rolled into the chicken?!? Heavenly goodness!) with lentils and warm, pickled cabbage. Nick ordered the pasta with mushrooms and light cream sauce. Again, both meals were seasoned and layered perfectly. Not a crumb left on either plate. Dessert, you ask?!? A piece of bread pudding almost as large as my head and carmelized blue cheese with a fruit smear and crustinis. I died and gone to heaven.
They have wine and beer pairings too, but I only wanted a glass of some yummy vino and was not disappointed.
Two enthusiastic thumbs up! And some toes too!!!

I was really blown away by the level of staff earnestness and interaction at Prix Fixe. It’s a very small space, and was staffed by 4 people the night I was there (including the chef, 2 externs and the proprietor). Our server answered all our questions about the menu (which she had helped create and prepare) in as much detail as we wanted. Similarly, the proprietor gave us a great overview of the regionally sourced wine program. I checked out the tiny open kitchen, and the cooks introduced themselves. Truly unique!
We enjoyed everything about our visit. The room is small and nicely appointed, the music eclectic and not intrusive. (Given the gritty, noisy location on Western Ave, they’ve done a remarkable job of creating a pleasant fine dining space.) It appears that the prix fixe menu changes frequently depending on what’s seasonally available and what the staff comes up with, so I won’t detail our dishes. Everything was very fresh, well cooked and nicely presented. Two minor quibbles: the saltiness of some dishes drew attention to itself, and the bread was pedestrian. I’d also suggest planning to be there for at least two hours on a weekend evening, because things do slow down as the place fills up.
There is a nice selection of regional beer and wine at affordable price points. I’m a red wine fan, so tried a few of those (pinot noir, cabernet franc, and frontenac). I’m glad I did, but they just don’t do it for me – they were «grapey» and lacked the depth and complexity of similarly priced wines from other regions. I imagine the beers would acquit themselves better, though I’m not sure how they’d pair with the food — this is something I can explore on a future visit. The menu does offer a pairing option for wine or beer, as well.
Prix Fixe is a novel dining experience and well worth a visit…

It is difficult for any local neighborhood restaurant to exceed expectations associated with fine dining, but Prix Fixe does so while barely breaking a sweat. I expected to enjoy my dinner here, but I did not expect to swoon over it. Yet I did.
The key to its success is focus. The menu is limited to a four course meal, with merely three options for appetizer, entrée and dessert. You have to give yourself over to the chef, but you will at least know that each dish is prepared with care and a desire to overwhelm the senses. And they do.
The options when we dined here skewed heavily in favor of vegetarians and vegans, but I won’t hold that against them — the two meat selections for this evening — duck confit and pasta carbonara with bacon and egg — were high quality, and that is more important than quantity. Kelly and I had one of each and they were both superb. The bacon in the carbonara sauce was heart stoppingly creamy, and the duck confit was tender and juicy. The potatoes accompanying the duck were roasted in duck fat and the red cabbage was perfectly crispy and juicy. I am continuously amazed at the plethora of quality duck one can get in Chicago.
But I’ve gotten ahead of myself — the soups, how could I forget the soups? We had the sweet corn bisque and the vichyssoise. The sweet corn was a mere two days old and tasted fresher than that — I’ve never tasted a better corn soup, and the vichyssoise was smoky and creamy. Even the salad, often a throwaway course, was memorable in that it featured their housemade ranch dressing, which was lighter and more flavorful than any bottled paste you might find at the grocery store. I’ve always been repulsed by ranch dressing, but no longer.
For dessert, we had the chocolate tart and the blueberry cobbler. The chocolate tart was delicious and overwhelmingly rich, and the blueberry tart was a moveable feast of delight — so hot, when it arrived, that blueberry aromas were steaming out of the dish as we dove into it.
Be warned that Prix Fixe is no longer BYOB, and that you are now limited to their beer and wine list. The selection is all local, which isn’t surprising for beer but is unusual in that the wines are from Illinois, Michigan, and Ohio only. I was not enthusiastic on this point coming in to the restaurant but was surprised to find that a wine from Utica, of all places, had a bouquet reminiscent of the Rhone and a palate that evoked an Amarone in its brick notes and raisin aftertaste. I was pleasantly surprised that our humble midwestern state could produce such quality.
The menu changes rapidly here, but regardless of what John, the owner, dreams up, you’ll be pleasantly surprised; I know I was.

Lawrence and Western? Fine dining? err ok. To some a menu with few selections may not spark interest, and I am one of those said «some». I was not excited about the idea, but my yearning for something new overcame the prix fixe phobia. The everything local element of Prix Fixe was particularly appealing to me.
From the very beginning the service was very very personable, and friendly. This was apparent even when making my phone reservation, so it was a great start. As I walk in, I’m surprised by how small the dining/​host station/​kitchen was. Really, it’s all in one. You could probably fit this whole restaurant in your average 2 bedroom apartment. Even with that said, the space works. Some how there is a good flow of patrons, waitstaff, and bussers, which is surprising.
There seemed to be a lack of «thats not my job» syndrome, and everyone was helping everyone out. This kept the flow of food, water, drinks, removing plates etc working like a fine tuned engine.
There’s no point in going into great detail about the food, cause it probably won’t be on YOUR menu.
For starters, a fishcake (similar to a crab cake in taste) was made to perfection. Exceptionally prepared, plated in front of me at the perfect time. Loved it. Next came the soups. I’m not a cold soup kinda guy, so i was apprehensive. This was my low of the night, but at no fault to the kitchen. It just wasn’t my thing. A liquid caesar salad, hmm, and asparagus soup. Well made i suppose. meh. Entrees consisted of a baked chicken, and braised bison. Bison, perfect. served cold, pink in the middle, charred on the outside. Chicken was fullll of moisture, seasoned like a pro, and a great portion. To top off my meal, cookies and ice cream?! Even the cookies were good.
Prix Fixe was a great experience, and reminds me of why I love eating out. Pleasant night out.

This is my second time at Prix Fixe, and I think I liked it even more this time!
Don’t be scared by its ghetto exterior. It’s in a very random location, but once you get inside, it is very charming.
I saw they got their liquor license, and figured it was no longer BYOB. I overheard another diner’s inquiry, however, and they still allow you to bring your own, they just don’t advertise it. The beer list is limited, but still has some nice local microbrews.
This time around, I got:
–Beer and cheese soup — sounds weird, but intriguing, right? IT IS, GET IT! It’s a nice, tangy, medium density soup with a delicious piece of homemade flatbread to scoop it up. It’s rather salty, but I loved it too much to worry about.
–Bison — I returned to Prix Fixe because I saw they were featuring bison, which I had tried once and really enjoyed. This was excellent. It’s tender and beautifully peppercorned! It was accompanied by some grilled asparagus and potato pancakes which were perfectly soft on the inside and fried and delicious on the outside.
–Chocolate trio — I’m not usually a fan of mousse, but the top layer of my dessert was very good, it was really rich, but not sickeningly so. The whipped cream in the middle layer was delicious. The brownie was good too, but unfortunately I didn’t make it down to the third layer, too stuffed.
I hate to complain about the service, because they are really passionate about what they do. I’m just not someone who likes that much attention. They ask very earnestly how everything is at least 8 times, and it’s just uncomfortable for me. Small criticism.
Overall, I really enjoy Prix Fixe. It’s a high quality option that Lincoln Square needs to continue fostering.

I love every thing bout this place. lets start with the food. tonight I had the bacon mushroom soup, Bison butt, and the cheese platter. The soup was fresh light yet creamy and did I mention it had BACON! The bison was so good I wish I was a better «Foodie» so I could describe how fantastic it was. The cheese plate was a great end to the whole meal.
I like how this place uses all local fresh food and waste nothing the menu is simple but the options they do have they do really well. The menu changes every week and in some cases every day. This is how they keep the prices low. I also like how every one who works there is a chef or about to finish culinary school. That means you can ask the guy bussing the table, The guy taking your order or even walk up to the kitchen and they can tell you every thing about your meal from where the fish came from to how your cheese was made no mystery.
I can’t wait to try this place again next week.

Unfortunately, my experience here was not as fantastic as many of the other reviewers.
We went just after it opened, so i was willing to forgive certain things, however there were a lot of little things that ended up leaving us with a less-​than-​satisfied feeling.
The restaurant is tiny. But there was still something strange and uncomfortable about having the server’s butt literally in your face as he bent over to talk to the customers as the next table…
We had a reservation and were seated about 10 minutes after we arrived. Our first interaction with the server was great, she was friendly and welcoming as she left us with the menus and opened our wine. I observed her at a neighboring table as she gave her «spiel» about the restaurant’s philosophy, etc… However, a few minutes later, we were approached by a different server who did not provide any of that info. He just asked what we wanted to eat. Granted, I had done plenty of research on the place, but my SO might have liked to hear about their commitment to local produce, etc.
The meal itself was OK. My boyfriend was a little surprised at the tiny portion of soup he was served for his first course. Especially when he looked over at a nearby table and saw that they were enjoying servings at least twice what he’d been given.
Overall, I felt that our experience was too inconsistent. While I would be willing to try it again, my boyfriend definitely will not come back.

Why is this turning out to be one of the hardest reviews I have ever had to write? I guess it’s because I know what it is like to be on both sides of the coin. While I have worked in the service industry and know all the ups and downs of completing a transaction, I am also a consumer who wants all the pomp and circumstance a business has to offer.
When we arrived, we were greeted by a friendly staff, to a charming little dining room outfitted in pale neutrals and dark woods. The layout was a little unusual, as the kitchen was not hidden in back like you would normally see. Instead, it looked almost like someones home, where it was right out in the open with just an «L» shaped counter separating the kitchen from the dining space.
The staff explained how they all took turns rotating different jobs, such as cooking, serving, hostessing, etc and how all of their ingredients are locally sourced as much as possible. This is also why the menu can change daily, depending on what is available.
The menu is set up in a prix fixe style (obv) — 3 courses consisting of a starter, entrée and dessert. I started off with a salad of frisée, poached egg, bacon, croûton, and mustard vinaigrette. The salad was undeniably fresh, with a perfectly poached egg, and enough of each accoutrement to make each bite work perfectly. The entrée I selected was a winter vegetable stew, with carrot velouté, and vol-​au-​vent (basically a puff pastry). Nice, hearty, rich — a good choice for a chilly March evening. For dessert I had the profiterole, that came with vanilla ice cream, sour cherry sauce, and chocolate crème anglaise. While this was very, very good, it paled in comparison to Andy’s dessert of pears and blue cheese.
I was enjoying my BYOB wine, and therefore not really paying attention to the fact that Andy had given his credit card more than a half hour before. Apparently their machine went down and they were having issues trying to fix it. They did explain and apologize, but after 40 minutes with no success, they told us the meal was on them. We scraped together all the cash we had on us (which was maybe half the bill) and left, feeling a bit jarred from the unexpected ending.
I guess my advice would be this: if you want to check out this place (and you should), bring cash just in case. And to Prix Fixe: if a problem arises, address it immediately and don’t make the customer wait. You are in walking distance from our house and we want you to do well!

I am so beyond jazzed that this place has come to our neighborhood. We ate there on Friday, ¾/​11. The staff is so kind, the atmosphere is wonderful (everyone seemed so happy to be there), and the food was delish. I love that the chefs are waiters, busboys, and dishwashers on top of chef-​ing.
Can’t wait to go back.

This is truly a great addition to the neighborhood! The food and the service were EXCELLENT!
We started with two small plates — a tarte flambee and a browned cauliflower with tapenade dish. Both were excellent, but the tarte flambee was delicious. Just yummy.
Moved on to the the potatos soup as a first course. What an incredibly light, flavorful soup. Not the typical heavy potato soup you are used to getting.
Ordered the fettuccine Alfredo as my main course. i don;t usually order alfredo dishes, but this was excellent. Creamy, rich, pasta perfectly cooked. However, as hard as i could try to finish, it was too rich to finish. This is not a complaint! It was outstanding.
Finished with a carmelized blue cheese, pear and grilled bread dessert. Wow! A perfect balance of sweet and savory.
I would give them 5 stars (especially as this is a «neighborhood» place), but the table are really, really tight. Almost uncomfortable tight and they only give you a spoon for dessert and both desserts really needed a fork. However, this are minor complaints!
Go, go, go to this restaurant!

I first visited Prix Fixe on a Wednesday night around 7:30pm. They weren’t very busy and were very focused on the service. It was one of the best restaurant experiences I’ve had in Chicago. The service and food were comparable to fine dining. The food was absolutely perfect and delicious!
The second visit was still good but not as great. It was a Friday night at 9pm for their last seating. The service was still good but not AS good. The food definitely wasn’t as good. The sauce in the risotto was watery. The veggies served with the fish and sweet potatoes were EXTREMELY salty. I just set them aside and finished the fish and mash because it was SO delicious. I mentioned the salty veggies to our server who immediately apologized and offered some small plates to make up for it. We couldn’t eat any more so we passed, but the gesture was appreciated. From the first review and response from the owner it seems like their figuring out that the best response to a complaint is to just apologize and fix… regardless of who is right.
The only drawback to me is that every time the door opens there is a huge draft and the entire restaurant chills. It’s warming up now and wont be an issue over the summer. Hopefully they fix this before next winter though!
This restaurant is wonderful! The food is delicious. The service is attentive but not annoying. I also LOVE that it’s BYOB. It seems like they’re still working on consistency but that’s easy and given the talent in the restaurant I am sure it will be perfected in no time. I will go back and am looking forward to another dinner at Prix Fixe.

Who knew this place existed? Not I! The location is so unassuming and easily overlooked and I’ve driven past it so many times. I guess it’s because they are really new. Went here for Restaurant Week with the hubby. I was nervous with his selection because he’s not a planner — but he did well. Called in advance to make reservations and even told the delightful owners that I was allergic to seafood! For me, I ordered the French onion soup, braised chicken and apple tatin for dessert. He got the beet salad, whitefish and crème brûlée.
I have never had chicken this soft and so tender! I tore it up! The menu here changes often as they only use local ingredients to plan meals. The owners are sooooo unbelievably nice and accommodating — such a breath of fresh air. The ambiance is really nice — and seats about 25 people. I’d totally come back here again!

What a treat that this restaurant popped into our neighborhood– it’s one of those places that you’re torn about writing a great review for– you want to keep it your secret!
We arrived for our first dinner in ages since my wife gave birth to our first son– we needed more than a night out– we need a intimate, quiet time to reconnect. Prix Fixe more than fit the bill. We were waited upon by one of the owners, who described the offerings on the menu with delight and pride. Throughout the meal she was chatty and attentive, but never intrusive or overbearing. We started with two small plates ($ 8 for two) of olives and smoked salmon. The olives were about the only unremarkable thing I ate all evening, while the trout was subtle, and not overly salty.
For our salads, my wife ordered the beet salad, which was solid. I have the cranberry bean soup. I was blown away by the delicate broth. For our main courses I had the chicken which had a tasty reduction sauce. But the real showstopper of the entire evening was the whitefish that my wife ordered. I was so used to getting fish that was drowning in butter, that Prix Fixe’s whitefish was an Epiphany– cooked to perfection (not greasy) with a crispy exterior.
All of this takes place to the backdrop of a bustling, open kitchen where you can watch the artistry take place– so appropriate for a place with food so good, it needs to be showed off! We’ll be back, and we’re bringing our vegan friend– they said that with a little notice, they’d have no problem accommodating him!

My friend and I went to dinner here last night. It was yummy. Three courses, $ 35, not bad. I had goat cheese and red beet salad and she had gnocchi. The salad was good, but the gnocchi was better. I had trout with sweet potato purée and zucchini, awesome. My friend got the poussin (chicken) with polenta and roasted onions. Her’s was OK, I definitely made the better choice for dinner. Dessert was crème brule with stewed cherries and cute little shortbread cookies, good, but my friend won that round too, she had a deconstructed apple tart with salted caramel and vanilla ice cream. All in all, it was good, I would go back. The 3 guys working all were cooking, waiting tables and bussing. A little unexpected, but very friendly and helpful.
I feel the need to comment on Elle and Alissa’s exchange. OK, no one was happy with the way things turned out, but are you really arguing with one of your patrons on Unilocal

Great dining experience!
I met my mom and aunt her last night on my way home from work (I walk past this place everyday to and from the brown line and had no clue it was there). The atmosphere inside is very relaxed and comfortable– although I will say there was a time or two it felt a little smokey due to the kitchen being in the corner of the dining room. However, the kitchen location is pretty great on the other hand as you can watch your food being made and are encouraged to ask the chef questions. They also display artwork by a local artist and the bathroom is just decorated delighfully… I know it’s weird to even mention that in a review, but it is really adorable.
I literally tried every item on the menu (minus small plates). Since there were 3 of us, we just ordered each of the prix fixe options and shared. Everything was delicious, some dishes better than others, but we easily cleared all of our plates. The menu changes though so I imagine it makes return trips just as exciting as the first round! Also, it is currently BYOB! Always a plus!!!