The Bristol

This was my second visit to the Bristol, and both times I found a wonderfully well-rounded experience. The food, service, and atmosphere came together to create a very satisfying meal. The only quibble is a policy of no reservations. Since the Bristol seems to be waning slightly in popularity, it wasn't an issue at 7:30 on a Saturday night, despite a small dining room and a crowd that tends to linger as a result of leisurely course pacing and a wide variety of small plates served one or two at a time. That small room is cozily lit and dominated by a long communal table which ends in a blackboard wall, upon which is scribbled some of the specials which are also listed on the menu. The menu is made up of several categories; snacks, pastas and main courses, as well as the option of a cheese board. From the approximately ten snacks, duck fat fries were tasty and served with a complex, not-too-sweet ketchup, monkey bread with dill butter was a bit of a chore, too dense once past the tender, salty mounds of the muffin-like bread, and a flatbread with fromage blanc, bacon hunks and melted onions was fantastic, comforting and rich, though in need of some acidity or bitterness. The shining dish of the night came from the pasta section, shrimp ravioli in cream sauce with trumpet mushrooms. The ravioli resembled dumplings, but much more complicated in flavor. They also seemed to be popular, as the waitress mentioned there were only a few portions left. For the last dish, roast chicken atop miniature dumpling dough and a spicy celery-raddish mixture. The chicken was well-roasted, but this dish lacked the dimensions of some of the others. Roast chicken does seem to be all but required on gastro-pub menus, but it could be played with, re-imagined. Service was excellent, plates were cleared and replaced between each course, recommendations were on target, and the host made me feel as if I was a regular. The Bristol is quickly becoming my favorite gastro pub in Chicago, maybe even one of my favorite restaurants.