Thank you Chez Paul

When I was a student at The University of Chicago, Chez Paul was the second oldest French Restaurant in the city.  It was open from 1945 to 1995 (I was in Chicago in the 70's and early 80's).

It was here that classic French food met with the modern food movement of getting food that was local, that was fresh, and that was organic. It was here where a fine meal was served to you and it might take you hours to eat a small portion-- but you left feeling satisfied and happy.

Here is where I learned that food was to be enjoyed, not consumed.  Here is where I learned that the best food is served in small portions, and it is taste, not quantity, that make a fine meal.

Chez Paul closed its doors two years after Bill Contos (son of the original owner) died. But Chez Paul provided many fine memories of great food, and lessons about what it was to eat well.