The town doesn’t lack for good piano bars, cabarets, or restaurants, but not many venues offer a sophisticated mix of the three. You can count such spots on one hand, and when you do, three of your fingers identify Bob D’jahanguiri’s supper clubs, Toulouse, Yvette, and Yvette Wintergarden.
The dapper Iranian, who worked as a waiter and captain in smart venues such as Arnie’s and the old Mr. Kelly’s before striking out on his own in 1979, has a similar passion for elegant cabaret music and keeps a string of local players working through good times and less than good times.
Best of Chicago voting is live now. Vote for your favorites »
Good as that was, I preferred my salmon, a thick, bone-free, steaklike chunk studded on the outside with peppercorns in the manner of the classic beefsteak dish ($16.50). What a fine contrast between the sharpness of the crust and the sweet, rare interior. It was all brought together with a light butter sauce with tomatoes melted in and a few capers adding the right acid.
My companion did well with five slightly small grilled shrimp, done nicely with an external char that added flavor, though the centers were not overdone ($6.95). The relish was a mix of tomato, cucumber, and the unusual touch of fried capers, which we found delightful.
Facing away from the fountain toward the bandstand, you first encounter glass and wrought-iron tables and chairs that constitute the cocktail and cafe terrace. OK, if you really like gigantic atria. I prefer to move inside, to the other side of the bandstand where Wallace Burton’s bright, swinging trio holds forth most evenings. This calmer, not quite intimate bilevel setting has cozy booths lining the mural-covered walls and freestanding tables in the center.
Much more satisfactory was a roast fillet of striped bass, one of those lovely fish that doesn’t get on many menus ($15.95). The cooking process put a terrific herb-laden crust on the flesh side and left the inside juicy as an orange. The sauce, based on manila clams, was a lovely foil.
