Bistro One West brings Fresh American cuisine to the banks of the Fox River in St. Charles

George Guggeis, a restaurant industry veteran with more than three decades of experience, is proud to launch a new restaurant, Bistro One West, along the shores of the Fox River in Chicago’s western suburbs. Bistro One West, opening in St. Charles, Ill. December 14, features fresh American cuisine by another culinary expert, Doug D’Avico, formerly of Trattoria No. 10.

“I am happy to return to the restaurant industry,” says Guggeis who took a brief hiatus to operate two cruise ship operations after successful gigs at popular Chicago restaurants Mango, Grapes and Rhapsody. “I am confident that Bistro One West brings the fresh, high quality food that St. Charles needs.”

Of course, Guggeis settled for nothing but the best when it came to selecting an executive chef for his new restaurant. D’Avico himself boasts more than 20 years of experience in the kitchen having been professionally trained at the Culinary Institute of America before helming numerous kitchens.

“George has a great vision,” says D’Avico. “The menu at Bistro One West uses fresh ingredients with simple, artisan techniques to create a number of flavor profiles for a high quality, modern American cuisine.”

The menu includes a number of appetizers and entrée selections, and will offer sandwiches for lighter options on the riverside deck in the spring and summer. Starters include White Polenta with Crispy Pork Belly with red mole and heirloom radishes ($10); Shaved Roasted Beets with Nopales salad, pickled jalapeno with feta cheese ($8); Jumbo Prawns with garlic, chili threads, shallots and grilled ciabatta ($12); and Deviled Eggs with Maine lobster salad ($12).

The entrée selections feature Berkshire Pork Cutlets, spicy snap peas and roasted corn pudding ($20); Organic Irish Salmon with roasted cauliflower, applewood smoked bacon and mint ($18); Herb Roasted Amish Chicken with roasted carrots, lemon, cinnamon and pearl onions ($17); Braised Veal Short Ribs with caramelized onion relish and natural reductions ($21); Lake Superior Walleye Pike with radicchio coleslaw, shitake mushrooms, green onion butter sauce ($19); and Roasted Poblano Pepper with spicy lentils, red shallots, spinach, feta and tomato ($18). Bistro One West offers sandwiches during the warm months on its outdoor riverside patio.

Dessert features a number of selections, including Caramelized Roasted Banana, baked cinnamon wonton and Nutella cream ($7); Chocolate pot e Crème, roasted pumpkin seed brittle ($7); Bread and Butter Pudding with poached berry compote ($6); and French Butter Cookies, with lemon curd, raspberry jam and chocolate sauce ($7).

Bistro One West also offers an expansive all American wine list with more than 100 selections. Open for lunch and dinner Tuesday through Saturday, Bistro One West offers affordable dining with lunch averaging $12 per person, and dinner $25 per person.

The restaurant has a 66-seat main dining room with 30 seats at the bar. Private dining space is also available, with an additional 70 to 90 seats. During the warm months, Bistro One West opens its 60-seat riverside patio which will also feature live music.

The interior, designed by Vicky Tesmer of Tres Jolie Art, Inc., offers an inviting dining experience with dark woods and exposed bricks. The converted factory building has a “loft-feel” that is “woodsy, yet modern” according to Tesmer. The comfortable, clean environment is ideal for friends, family and business dining.

About Bistro One West
Bistro One West is a contemporary fresh American Restaurant located at 1 W. Illinois St. in St. Charles, Ill. The restaurant is open for lunch Tuesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dinner hours are Tuesday through Thursday, 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. The dining room bar is open from 11 a.m. to close. The restaurant is closed Sunday and Monday. For more information, contact Bistro One West at (630) 444-0600 or visit http://www.bistro1west.com/. Follow Bistro One West on Twitter at @Bistro1West, or "like" them on Facebook. 

Sneak Peek: Shochu food photos now available from Kurman Communications.

Photo credit: Cindy Kurman

We've been getting a ton of requests for Shochu photos so I'm happy to announce that I photographed the food and room yesterday. The photos are great! Everyone can pick up high resolution photos at our site, http://kurman.mycapture.com/. Or, you can give us a call at 312-651-9000. Shochu is an American lounge and restaurant featuring the popular liquor from Japan by the same name, shochu. Conveniently located at 3313 N. Clark in Wrigleyville, Shochu (pronounced show-chew) is offering reasonably priced and great tasting small plated foods with an Asian-edge. There's a full bar with a lot of creative Shochu based cocktails as well as a terrific beer and wine list. For information and reservations call 773-348-3313 or visit www.shochuchicago.com). Check out my photos!