We love going in summer when the garden is in full bloom, including the towering trees that offer ample shade. You can sit on the stone-covered patio among the statues and water features or within the small structure in the middle of it all. String lights create a beautifully calming atmosphere that quickly make you forget a busy street sits just beyond the fence. You settle in with a martini, a manhattan, or a glass of Chablis as you await your warm baguette with soft butter.
But it’s equally, if not more, charming during the winter, when you can tuck into the rustic room, all dark wood and delicate lighting that transports you to the French countryside. The Art Deco vibe welcomes you into the front bar with its handwritten chalkboard menu highlighting wines by the glass. Walk deeper into the space, with its yellow painted and mosaic tiled walls and vibrant Van Gogh-like mural, and get enveloped by its quaint simplicity.
What makes Campagne truly special — on top of the food and decor — is the staff, its heart and soul. Founding chef-owner Michael Altenberg, who sadly passed away suddenly in 2012, set the tone. He always led with a warm, magnetic smile that said come in, sit down, relax. He was an early pioneer in Chicago’s farm-to-table movement, sourcing organic ingredients when possible, for his simply prepared French bistro fare. After his death, his team stepped up, carrying that energy to this day.
“Michael was bigger than life in so many aspects,” said general manager Alex Uribe, who started working here in late 2009. “He wasn’t the chef, he was the mascot. He was the embodiment of what we do.”
Dining and Cooking