Some restaurants you just really want to love. The warm modern room at Duchamp and the contemporary French cuisine cooked up by Michael Taus late of Zealous had us rubbing our hands together eagerly, but things got weird right away when we were seated at a communal table elbow to elbow with a pair of strangers. They were decent enough sorts and we chatted amicably with them but it wasn’t what we would’ve chosen. Nor were any of the other diners offered any choice, for Duchamp is all communal seating. Unless your party happens to have exactly the right number of diners, you are likely to be seated shoulder-to-shoulder with strangers.
Communal tables are the hot new trend and when done in an ambiance that lends itself to the concept, such as a German restaurant or a chowder house, they’re okay. But an intimate French restaurant is not the place to be pushing strangers together. A couple came in and took the seats to our left, fidgeted a bit, briefly discussed how this was not what they had expected and bolted. I’ve got to believe that this is going to hurt Duchamp, which is a shame because some of the dishes they offer are very good and should not be missed.
The mini braised duck rillette tartines & chilled cauliflower puree is out of this world, one of the best small dishes I’ve had this year. The lobster bisque is captivating. And the citrus-roasted beet salad is so much more than a beet salad; it’s a wonderful medley of mâche, marcona almonds, mint and a particularly tasty French feta. The only problem with these exquisite small plates was the lack of adequate space to put them in.
Given the heavy emphasis on small plates, the communal seating idea is a hindrance. We were grateful that the other couple had left. Our three small plates and bread dish had advanced well beyond the confines of our narrow frontier and were well into their recently abandoned territory. Had that space been unavailable I cannot imagine how we could’ve accommodated everything. And the thought of our neighbors jockeying a like number of small plates invited images of border skirmishes.
The problem could be avoided by skipping the small plates and concentrating on the large plates, but that would be missing the best part of Duchamp. Our large plates didn’t measure up. A pork shoulder was good but all the flavors just kind of fused together and left nothing much to get excited about. The French ham & gruyère croque monsieur with housemade giardiniera lacked distinction. The bread was soft and crumbly, not toasted and crunchy as one would expect, and the gruyere was somehow working at cross-purposes with the ham, producing something bland and rather a chore to eat.
Yet the house recommended wine was first rate and the service was decent. Moreover, the prices were good given the type of fare being offered. But the inconsistencies in the level of quality and the discomforting communal seating arrangement prevented Duchamp from being all the restaurant we had hoped for. We had gone in hoping to love it but came away discussing ways that it could be improved. Small plates with a French flare is a great concept, and Duchamp has all the elements to make it work. Now they just need to provide a comfortable setting in which to present it.
Duchamp
2118 N. Damen
773-235-6434 / Reservations Not Accepted
Hours: T-Th 5pm-10pm, F-Sa 5pm-11pm, Su 11am-3pm & 5pm-10pm Closed Monday
Features: Outdoor Dining
Avg price of a meal for two including tax $99
Chef: Michael Taus
Website: www.duchamp-chicago.com
Comments