Back when Daniel Rose left Chicago for Paris in the late ’90s, becoming a chef, much less a celebrated chef of French cuisine, was not part of the plan. But that’s exactly what happened, first with Spring, where his modern take on classical French cuisine caught on big with Parisians, followed by the upscale bistro La Bourse et La Vie. Rose became known to a wider American audience after partnering with Starr Restaurants to open the MICHELIN-starred Le Coucou in New York City, and more recently Café Basque at the Hoxton Hotel in Los Angeles.
For his latest project, Rose has come home. Enter Le Select, a new brasserie Rose debuted with Chicago’s famed Boka Restaurant Group (the James Beard Award winners behind Girl & the Goat, Boka, and Momotaro). Boka Group founders Kevin Boehm and Rob Katz first met Rose eight years ago, but the project only began to materialize in 2020.
“He’s from Chicago, so the narrative wasn’t contrived,” Boehm says. “He was a legit Chicagoan who wanted to come home and share his food.”
At Le Select, Rose embraces what he does best: French cuisine. Rose spotlights brasserie food rather than the refined French fare of Le Coucou.
“[Brasserie] does not mean less than or less serious,” Katz says. “It’s just a different register.”
Take, for instance, the hors d’oeuvres service, presented tableside from a cart. The six-item spread for the entire table includes duck rillettes, deviled eggs topped with smoked pike roe, and pain d’epi, the French bread that resembles a wheat stalk.
The choucroute Strasbourgeoise, a version of the Alsatian sauerkraut and sausage dish, is another highlight. The Le Select version comes with three different kinds of sausage including veal boudin and knockwurst. “It’s a dish where Chicago meets France with sausage and sauerkraut,” Boehm says, of the meat-centric dish.
Expect more brasserie favorites on the menu including roasted beef bone marrow glazed with cherry liqueur, onion soup topped with Emmental and aged Comté cheeses, and roasted half chicken served with bacon and prunes cooked in Armagnac, a brandy produced in southwest France.
Like the food, Le Select’s wine list is French and showcases familiar producers from the Bordeaux and Burgundy regions as well as lesser-known appellations from the Loire Valley and Roussillon. Cocktails follow the theme, including an exciting section dedicated to kir, a French aperitif typically made with blackcurrant liqueur and white wine. You’ll find five different variations of the cocktail at the restaurant, including creations with Alsatian beer and fresh lemon soda.
The expansive space most recently occupied by Bottled Blonde (and SushiSamba before that) seats 200 people in the dining room and an additional 68 in a cocktail lounge. Boka tapped design firm AvorKO, which was inspired by French train stations and brasseries, to redesign the restaurant.
A mirrored ceiling, terrazzo floors, and plush red booths welcome diners as they first walk into the space. The striking dining room, anchored by a central skylight and sculptural light fixtures, lies just beyond. Framing the space are two giant arches and arched windows on either side, reminiscent of the Grand Central Oyster Bar in New York City.
“We were looking to do a big, exciting, punch-you-in-the-face kind of dining room,” Boehm says.
On the second floor is Bar 504, decked out in “Kubrick red,” Boehm says, with the rich hue featured in the curved velvet chairs, half curtains, and a banquette along one way. Overhead, a mural depicts a moody sky, clouds and all, adding to the intimate vibe. Unlike the dining room downstairs, Bar 504 doesn’t take reservations or offer food, ideal for a weeknight outing.
Le Select is open Sunday to Wednesday from 4:30 pm to 10 pm, and from Thursday to Saturday from 4:30 pm to 11 pm. Brunch will join the lineup soon.
Lisa Shames is a writer focused on travel and food culture in Chicago, IL, and is the U.S. contributor for Sogoodmag. Find her on Instagram.
