 Cafe des Architectes Restaurant Review: The oh-so-architectural all-day café in the Sofitel Chicago Water Tower hotel reflects a more-is-more mentality with a cherry-red banquette curving along slanted full-length windows, chairs that look like they come from a Milanese showroom and massive toque lampshades hanging from the soaring ceiling. The menu from executive chef Greg Biggers includes such starters as the lovely --- though very rich --- celery root velouté, offset by brown butter cream, and the oxtail tortellini in roasted chicken jus. You can’t go wrong with a follow-up like Berkshire pork tenderloin served, perhaps, with fava beans, and poached sweetbreads in sherry-coconut gastrique. If you’ve saved room, finish with the Valrhona chocolate box, or keep things light with fruit soup. Then again, the design-your-own cheese flights are hard to resist, especially with their locally-sourced accompaniments. Three-course and dégustation menus are available, as is a set-price executive lunch. Consider coming for brunch as well, when savory meets sweet and dishes like a lingonberry waffle with honey-whipped ricotta, shaved foie gras torchon and mint chiffonade are on offer. The wine list, as one would expect, is très chic.
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