It appears the world-renown Le Francais restaurant in Wheeling has closed and will not re-open. Chicago Tribune restaurant critic Phil Vettel reports on his blog site that current owner Michael Moran quietly closed the doors of the restaurant last week. A voice greeting on the restaurant's answering machine said the restaurant was "temporarily suspended service", but a number of people who have inside information said the restaurant will more than likely not reopen.
Once the gold standard for all other Chicago area restaurants, Le Francais opened in 1973 under the leadership of the noted chef Jean Banchet. The restaurant went through a series of ups and downs, most recently with Moran buying the restaurant back in 2004 and trying to make a go of it again.
But with the proliferation of world class restaurants that have popped up in the downtown area of Chicago, people staying downtown on business weren't quite willing to make the 25 mile trip out to Wheeling to get a five-star meal like they used to in years past. 
Even with Moran bringing former Le Francais chef Roland Liccioni (right) in as a partner, Le Francais just couldn't make a go of it.
I drove by the restaurant one evening recently and it looked like it was closed then. No cars in the lot, no activity at the door. And it was only 7 p.m. on a Thursday night. I wasn't quite that surprised to hear that it had gone out of business.
One of the earliest posts I had on this blog was in regard to Le Francais and the two times I had the fortune to dine there. (Click here to read.) I've eaten at some top notch restaurants, but none of them have come close to the presentation, the taste sensations, and the classiness Le Francais exuded.
Thousands of people have eaten at Le Francais over the years and I'm sure many will have tons of memories of what was once one of the finest restaurants, not only in Chicago, but in the U.S. It will be missed.
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