Bistro 110 is one of my favorite spots to dine at, whether it be a weekend brunch with the family, a birthday dinner with the significant other, or a casual lunch with a friend or co-worker. This hearty French bistro is the most unpretentious establishment in Chicago. With a friendly waitstaff and busboys that are always smiling, you can't help but feel that Bistro 110 is a cozy place that treats its guests well and that the staff are proud to be a part of.

I eat at Bistro 110 at least twice a month, and each time I can never pass up their French onion soup. Unlike other restaurants that serve up extremely oily and salty versions of this classic, Bistro 110 has mastered a version that doesn't leave you panting for more water. They do pack on the cheese, so make sure to share the soup with a friend. Along with the French onion soup for starters, I also recommend the mussels in a lime and olive oil sauce. They give hearty portions, so if you'd rather save your stomach for something else, by-pass the mussels, or you could just have them as your main meal. The mussels come with a very toasted slice of baguette and a small bowl of french fries that can be dangerously addicting.

For their main dish, I always go for the scallops on a bed of buttery polenta and spinach. Their scallops are cooked to perfection and the polenta paired up with the spinach add a nice touch to the meal. Also a favorite of mine are the savory crepes filled with chicken, spinach, and covered in a hollandaise sauce. Of course this French bistro wouldn't be complete without the classic steak frites. They're generous with their steak portions and more than generous with the thinly sliced frites which are complimented with a sun-dried tomato paste.

I believe every night they offer specials and at lunch and brunch they offer the chefs quartet which is a tray of four small dishes. Your salad, cheese and crackers, entrée, and dessert come out at one time - in very small portions. I don't recommend it if you're wanting to leave with a full stomach. Although at $19 it's not so bad of a taster platter for those who'd like a nice intro to classic French cuisine.

Now, this is a secret I hate to share, but Bistro 110 also offers a heavenly slice of cake for birthdays, anniversaries, and any other special occasion that your server deems special enough to celebrate. You can't find a cake this fabulous anywhere else. The slice is huge, definitely large enough to share with two or three people. It's a two-layered chocolate cake with chocolate ganache filling and a toffee bar candy crust. The cake itself is so moist, you can't go wrong with it. Overall, expect to spend approx. $40-$60 dollars/person on a glass of wine, and three courses.

Every year, this is rated as one of the top 5 restaurants in Chicago. The bistro fare is authentic as found in Paris. My favorite dish is "The Robuchon Lamb" in Staub Cocette

"Truly a unique dish, our lamb shank is rubbed with a homemade blend of spices, "confit" in its own juices for eighteen hours, and served with a vegetable "pot au feu."

By many professional reviewers this dish is rated as one of the best in all of Chicago! I agree.

Everything else on the menu is top notch. I've been here many times with many different types of people with everyone walking away talking about how they loved it.

The atmostphere is crowded, but not too noisy. Service very professional yet casual. Just off The Magnificent Mile close to Bloomingdales, Hancock Building, and the Watertower.

Great place to go with other adults, not the best for kids.

We found shelter from a nasty Chicago rainstorm in this comfortable bistro. Located near the Water Tower on Pearson Street, Bistro 110 is decorated in dark wood, lots of windows and posters from the Art Institute of Chicago.

I ordered the endive salad with goat cheese with vinergerete dressing(good if you like endive). Another in or party raved about the mussels. Make sure to try their delicious bread which they will gladly replenish (especially good to soak up the juice from the mussel dish).

We arrived just after 5:00 and the bistro had a number of clients for dinner and seated at the small bar. Salads and soups cost $10-15. Entrees such as duck, steak or seafood ran $20-$40.