Ms. Smarty Pants Know It All

Bistro Monet
462 N Park Blvd.
Glen Ellyn, IL 60137

The suburbs of Chicago are not like the city itself. It can be quite a challenge to find good and interesting independent restaurants.

I did my research online or else I would have never found this place. Like many places in the ‘burbs, it’s hidden in a corner of a strip mall. The outside is extremely unassuming.

Luckily, all that changes when you step inside. The place still looks and feels very new, but it’s clear that they have tried to take their patrons into another world.

There are no windows except for one. In my opinion, they tried to pick the most picturesque view they could, but the window still looks out onto the Metra railroad and a brand new condo building.

The music is understated, which I appreciated, and the ambiance is relaxed.

This isn’t a place to go right before a movie or if you want an in-and-out meal. My party of four was there for two hours. The service is attentive but not prompt. You’re there to enjoy a dining experience with your friends or family. I think the point is to slow down and linger.

Since this was my first time there, I wanted to try some of everyone’s dishes. Here’s my run down of everything.

Wine: I think many French food lovers are going to be disappointed at the limited wine list. The night we were there, they were out of the Cabernet. They suggested the Cotes-du-Rhone, which I had never tried before, and I’m glad there was the substitution because I much prefer the lighter, less-sweet taste of this red.

Although, I can’t drink much at all so the smaller wine list is not going to make that much difference for me.

Appetizers:

• Chicken liver pate—Complementary from the chef. Mmmm.
• Lobster bisque—Very rich and creamy but too salty for my taste.
• Duo onion soup—Way too salty for me.
• Seasonal salad—Yummy. The raspberry vinaigrette had real raspberry in it. The bitterness of some of the greens was a nice touch.

Entrees:

• Pork tenderloin—So good. The wild mushrooms and the sauce were fantastic. The pureed squash had everyone coming back for another fork-full.
• Rack of Lamb—I think this was just ok overall.
• Halibut—Very light with interesting sides. I might try this one next time.
• Cassoulet—I’m not a big fan of beans, and that much meat kind of makes my stomach turn so I can’t comment too much on the entire dish. The bites I tried were fine.

The final tally, with tax and tip, came down to about $45 a person.

Chef Michel came out later in the night and shook hands with every table. Overall, the entire staff was very gracious and charming with their French accents.

I hope more people in the western suburbs discover Bistro Monet. It would be a shame to lose this place. It’s just the spot to go and enjoy a nice, leisurely, relaxing weekend evening.

Tags: Food by Ms. SP
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If you haven’t noticed, I haven’t been posting frequently lately. It was only the other day that I realized I’m only now coming out of the Battlestar Galactica doldrums.

I didn’t even know I was in this funk. The show ended fairly satisfactorily. I went onto other things.

I just didn’t feel like I had the thoughts or the time to sit down and write stuff.

Then the other day, as I walked the dog, I was thinking things out by mumbling to myself (as I often do) when I realized that I broke into a “gods damned idiot” in Tigh’s classic growl. (OK, so it would by my poor version of his classic growl.)

That’s when the light bulb went off. I haven’t referenced or quoted the show since it went off.

Ah, the truth will set me free. Now, perhaps I can really continue on.

And really, I pretty much have to because the Caprica movie is at “Long Wait” over in my Netflix queue.

Tags: TV by Ms. SP
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When I reread The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, I wanted to slap Tom Sawyer for being frighteningly immature during life and death situations. But I knew he served a different purpose in that work than in his own story. In Finn, Huck was that nature boy hero struggling against the civilizing influence of society, of which Tom was a symbol.

In his own book, Tom is the magic of boyhood set up against the hypocrisy of adulthood.

The novel is laugh-out-loud funny and relatable to any child—boy or girl. Tom is full of imagination and mischievousness.

As with every reread so far, going through Tom Sawyer again brought back many details I did not remember ever existed.

I now understand why this title is sometimes banned. While I wouldn’t forbid any child to read this book, I think I would caution parents against leaving a young reader with it without any supervision.

Although, the issues that are controversial—church is boring, school is a punishment, virtuous members of society are scumbags, people are mean to outsiders and those who are different—children already know the truth of all this instinctively.

I don’t remember this book shaking my world as a child. These mini-stories are much more shocking now that I’ve had more socialization.

Tags: Books by Ms. SP
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