Dear Margaret

Dear Margaret is permanently closed.

When I was asked how I’d describe Dear Margaret, I struggled to come up with something more clear and concise than “sort of French, just really good.” Now, as I’m expected to write something more illuminatory, I realise that may in fact be the best way to describe it: sort of French; really good.

Dear Margaret describes itself as “a love letter to Midwestern ingredients, written in honest and elevated French-Canadian cuisine,” which gives one somewhat more of a picture. The food is obsessively from scratch, extremely focused on seasonality and local produce, with touches of French influence that, when one learns the chef’s Quebecois inspirations, become more clear. The wine list is a puckish romp to France and back, with great examples of food-pairing inspiration, and most bottles under $100.

At the end of the day, after you enjoy their exceptional house-made charcuterie, their dry-aged duck breast, magnificent cheese course, and the angelic desserts (oh, and don’t skip the pommes frites), you’ll likely agree with me: it’s sort of French, and really good.