West Loop never ceases to amaze me with how quickly new restaurants pop up. Every week I feel like I'm learning about a new spot. I was excited when I heard that Creepies, a French-inspired bistro, was opening up on the far end of Randolph, a little off the main West Loop stretch. The name definitely threw me for a loop, as I imagine it did for many others, but it certainly had my attention. There are actually quite a few good spots on that end of Randolph, and Creepies is a great addition to the developing area of the neighborhood.
Getting a reservation was no small feat, even months after its September opening. So when I was able to grab an early 5pm Friday reservation, we treated it more like a happy hour than a dinner. The menu is filled with shareable dishes that were perfect to split, so I'm glad we went that route. I loved the design and branding of the restaurant. Our waitress told us the owners are a husband and wife duo, and the little faces that make up the Creepies logo were inspired by her personal doodles. I would say this is more of a date-night spot as opposed to a group dinner setting. The space itself is full of French accents, fun artwork, dark wood, and black and white checkered tiles and had a moody ambiance. Here is everything we ordered:
Cocktails - Dirty & Is/Was Creepies Elderflower Bitter Orange Saison: We absolutely loved the drinks we ordered. I asked the waitress for a recommendation that wasn't my usual go-to (a dirty martini), but she actually told me if that's my go-to, I should definitely try their version. The Dirty had this great orange oil vodka and I really loved it. We also ordered the Is/Was Creepies Elderflower Bitter Orange Saison, which is a beer style we hadn't tried before. We were pleasantly surprised by the taste and it was really refreshing. The bottle itself was pretty great too.
Warm Brie Gougères: Speaking very honestly, the menu at first glance was a little overwhelming with a lot of dishes I wasn't familiar with. Our waitress did a great job walking us through the menu, and one of the first suggestions she had was the Warm Brie Gougères. These were light, crispy puff pastries filled with creamy brie. I loved the contrast of the crispy the outside with the cheese, although I wished the brie had been a little warmer. Overall, I thought this was a good dish.
Saucisson w/ Puff Pastry & Pistachio Mustard: This dish was my favorite dish we ordered. Saucisson is a French-style cured sausage and this was sandwiched between a thin layer of flaky, puff pastry. The Pistachio Mustard on the side was the perfect pairing and so flavorful. The best combo bite: a small piece of the Brie Gougères and the Saucisson. It looks like a heavy dish, but it was honestly pretty light. I would definitely order this again.
Roasted Carrots w/ Almonds, Sultanas & Fig Leaf: I love a good roasted carrot, and I often feel like finding a restaurant that does them really well can be hard. These carrots were firm on the outside, not overcooked on the inside, and packed with bright flavor. The almonds and sultanas added a nice sweetness without overdoing it. I can see why our waitress said they're one of the more popular dishes, we loved them.
Tarte Flambé, Tavern Style: I love mushrooms, and while I liked the thin, crispiness of this dish, this was my least favorite out of everything we ordered. I personally was expecting it to have a little more flavor, and I really only tasted the roasted mushrooms. I think I would pass on this dish next time and try something new.
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