Chez Francois Restaurant & Touche Bistro
| Address: | 555 Main St, Vermilion, OH 44089, USA |
| Phone: | +1 440-967-0630 |
| Site: | chezfrancois.com |
| Rating: | 4.6 |
| Working: | Closed 5–9PM 5–9PM 5–9PM 5–9PM 5–10PM 4–8PM |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 13
KA
Karen Evans
Id heard of this restaurant through friends and stopped in on a whim to have appetizers on the outdoor patio. The restaurant itself was not very busy, and the patio was full, but we were seated outside right away. I ordered the carpaccio and my friend ordered the meatloaf dinner and a cocktail. All items arrived fairly quickly. The carpaccio was lovely but the beef had no seasoning at all and, while fresh, the taste was easily overpowered by the very pungent cheese (which was delicious; just the wrong pairing for the delicate beef). Also on the plate were tiny arugula sprouts - again, delicious, but strong in flavor - atop a bed of a variety of mushrooms, so gray and flat and monotone in color and flavor I wouldve sworn theyd been marinated in Lake Erie. Each mushroom, regardless of variety (and there were many), tasted exactly like the other, and all tasted like dirty lake water. The dish overall was very disappointing, with the beef - supposedly the star of the show - contributing only texture. I dont know, maybe carpaccio is supposed to be like that, but I somehow doubt it. My friends meatloaf was generous - three big slices on top of mashed potatoes with three miniature (and I mean tiny) baby squashes, all in a pool of gravy, and with what looked to be grass clippings as a garnish. The meatloaf had the texture of having been made in a blender, but tasted fine. The mashed potatoes and gravy were fine as well. Its unfortunate that for a restaurant of this caliber the best compliment I can muster is that the food was "fine". And "fine" as in ok, not the superlative. It was unfortunate as well - and, obviously, no fault of the restaurants - that we were seated in front of a couple where the woman thought it was appropriate and great fun to speak at the top of her voice the entire time, regaling her date with raunchy stories and delighting in being more obnoxious with each tale. We had only five minutes of peace before we finished and left, having spent our entire dinner trapped, having no choice but to hear this woman spew dick jokes and insult a waiters appearance while keeping their (and our) waitress at their table for inordinate amounts of time, trying to figure out how to buy her a drink. It was really an incredible experience. All considered, Im not likely to go back.
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Richard Wood
After making a reservation for two on the balcony (not on the walkway) at Touche for our anniversary well in advance on Opentable, (writing in the notes exactly where we wanted to be seated) calling to confirm twice... again confirming the seating location was understood and available, we were seated exactly where we did not want to be seated. The Maitre D was very unpleasant and short with us about our request and indicated the balcony was available for parties of three or more and acted like our request was unreasonable. Sadly, I have been a patron of Chez Francois for almost two decades now and I do feel as though the service and quality has declined (not the wait staff, they are always pleasant and professional) and the pricing has increased to an unacceptable level. If it was communicated up front the seating was unavailable, we would have made other plans for our anniversary dinner. Im sure I will continue to patronize Chez Francois for spontaneous casual moments, but will take business elsewhere when it comes to anniversaries and reservations.
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Kelly Calderone-Davis
The food was very good, especially the pea soup; and the little amuse-bouche was quite tasty. The wine list is impressive. I had the fish and it was a HUGE portion. We left stuffed, albeit slightly broke...very expensive! The only thing that annoyed me was that we made a reservation yet still had to wait almost a half hour for our table. The waiter was super friendly and joked around with us a bit, which was nice and made the atmosphere a little less hoity-toity. I was very annoyed with the water boy who dripped water on my lamb-skin leather jacket I bought in Italy. Now it has a water spot forever.
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Jason Whitacre
It was Ok. I ordered the duck and had to saw through it. I found the place overpriced and the atmosphere cheesy. Appetizer and dessert were great but disappointing entree. Waitress never once asked how the meal was and my wifes wine glass sat empty for a long time. It wasnt terrible but Ive gotten better food and experiences at multiple French restaurants. Would have given 3 or 4 stars if the prices were more reflective of the food quality in comparison with the other restaurants.
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JAMES PERROTTA
Had a Saturday five oclock reservation. Walked into place at 4:55 and saw every worker either smoking or talking outside. Went inside and the manager told us to wait until their meeting was over in the dining room. Got overall bad feeling about standing there in bad lobby area listening to the meeting staring at another couple waiting and left. I dine well and for a jacket required place I require a little professionalism. Bad first impression leads to bad meals.
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Quincy Miller
Ive been going here for years and it has always been great. The reservation time could be more precise, so I would recommend, at least for the Touché deck, to expect to wait a little bit for your reserved table - their inside bar is very accommodating. Also, dont plan on a quick meal. This is the Vermilion version of "Slow Food" and I mean this in a good way. The courses are served with a solid break in between. The view from the deck are phenomenal at sunset.
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A Private User
We have dined at many of the finest restaurants in the country and Chez Francois ranks with the very best of them. I cannot recall any place in Ohio with their combination of creativity, locally grown ingredients, service, and wine list. There are two reasons we dont dine at Chez Francois more ofter--driving distance and calories. Yes, we are over 50!
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Bob Mack
Was there as guest of another couple Sat.07/18/15 ordered a Delmonico steak $34.00...What I got was a 1/2" fat under cooked piece of meat, there was no juice, no flavor. I didnt want to embarrass my host so I didnt send it back but I also didnt eat it either...I guess the French cant cook steak...
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John harrington
Went to the 6 course wine tasting dinner with three other couples july 10th and it was the best! The food, the wine,everything was perfect! We are from connecticut and my wife and I can not wait to visit our friends in cleveland again and go back to Chez Francois!!!
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James Gilroy
Courtesy by the staff was outstanding. Nice to dine on linen table cloths with an attentive but not obtrusive staff. The only distractions from this fine establishment is parking which is challenging to say the least and easy access for handicapped patrons.
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Shelby Jenkins
Most amazing food and service youll ever have. The lobster bisque has whole pieces of claw meat. The wine pairings with the chefs dinner are spot on. Gordon Ramsey would love their food. He would definitely say it is "seasoned perfectly"
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Brad Sharp
Amazing food! The lobster bisque is fantastic as well as everything else I have ever tried here. The atmosphere is formal (wear a jacket gentlemen) and the wine selection is vast. Great French place and the bar upstairs is great as well!
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Cris Cas
The food is orgasmic. Theres no other word. The waiters, the helpers, the hostess, the presentation, the ambience... everything is impeccable. Thank you for making my anniversary unforgettable!
