For generations downtown dining was defined by the three Bs: Berghoff, Binyon’s, and the Blackhawk. Today only Berghoff remains intact. Binyon’s, sold a decade ago, is a shadow of its once wonderful self, and the Blackhawk is long gone (though its proprietor, 82-year-old Don Roth, still operates an eponymous spot in Wheeling, featuring great prime rib and a legendary “spinning salad bowl”).
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Doug worked several years for his father Don–who took over the Blackhawk in 1944–but wasn’t much interested in the business at first. “I wanted to be a doctor,” he says with a sheepish grin. He went to work for United Airlines before plunging into the family enterprise in the early 80s, when his father tried opening additional Blackhawks, including one on Pearson where Bistro 110 now stands.
The place was a winner right from the start, with its smart but casual decor, lively atmosphere, and wood-burning oven turning out aromatic roasted meats and veggies and full heads of garlic you can spread on your bread. The kitchen is now led by Rene Bajeux, who deftly combines classic bistro fare with contemporary flourishes, as in his semolina-based tart bearing onion confit ($5.95) or a recent special of pan-roasted oysters mated with leeks, wild mushrooms, and bacon in a chardonnay broth ($7.95). Giant grilled scallops–done just a shade too long for my taste–were embellished with a delightful garlic cream sauce and accompanied by roasted tomato, sweet peppers, and spinach ($17.95). A traditional steak au poivre, encrusted with peppercorns, was served perfectly rare as requested and enhanced further by a satiny cognac cream sauce ($18.95), accompanied by a heady, garlic-strewn potato cake.
Binyon’s was sold in l986. Jack’s father, now 87, retired to Florida. His brother stayed on six years, then went into the travel business. Jack bought a horse-breeding farm, which he still maintains. Then, in 1992, he corralled some friends, and they took over the terraced State Street restaurant known as Melvin’s. Jack added his last initial and dubbed it a truck stop.
–Don Rose
