Get fresh at the Bistro: Bistro One West brings Chicago dining to St. Charles

The Tri-Cities boast a robust market for fine dining and gourmet cuisine, but George Guggeis and Doug D’Avico believe there’s always room for one more.

The two have had Bistro One West up and running in downtown St. Charles for nearly two months now, and the early results are encouraging. Each weekend has been markedly busier than the previous, evidence that word of mouth is doing its job among St. Charles and area residents.

While Guggeis is well known for his restaurant work in Chicago – he is the creator of Mango, Grapes and Rhapsody – this is his first real project beyond the big city. Living in Naperville, Guggeis said he is familiar with the area and potential patrons he hopes to attract. Executive Chef D’Avico, a 13-year resident of St. Charles and former chef at Trattoria No. 10 in St. Charles, is in charge of the kitchen.

With so many successful fine dining establishments in the area, there is clearly a market for top-notch cuisine. And while these restaurants are of course competitors in one respect, there is also somewhat of a symbiotic relationship shared, Guggeis said. The better one such restaurant does, the better they all do, he said.

“St. Charles is becoming more and more a destination for food,” Guggeis said. “Everybody’s looking for a quality experience, whether downtown or in the suburbs.”

As Guggeis and D’Avico put it, the only difference between a restaurant such as Bistro One West in Chicago and one in St. Charles is the price. In the more value-driven market of the Tri-Cities, the price entry point is significantly lower than in the city – something that directly benefits those who take advantage of the meal right in their own community rather than traveling to the city.

D’Avico still buys food from the same purveyors he’d use were he in the city and Guggeis is focused on delivering guests a dining experience with no regard to geographical factors. With this in mind, D’Avico and Guggeis are set in their mission to disprove the myth that a truly great meal can only be had in Chicago.

“You can have a great dinner right in your own backyard,” D’Avico said. “If we can equal the experience that you’re going downtown for, then I think we’ve done our job.”

Guggeis initially was concerned the space was too small, but he was able to make it work with his mission to deliver a personal dining experience to each and every patron.

“I’m a little bit more intimate – I don’t want people to feel like just another statistic in my restaurant,” he said. “It’s important that we’re not robotic.”

Not robotic means his staff will be focused on building relationships with customers. In this way, he feels long-term success can be achieved.

As for the food, D’Avico describes it as fresh American bistro fare, blending all the influences that have been brought to the U.S. over time.

“To me, American food is just all the wonderful cuisines that are here,” D’Avico said.

The menu will change daily, with set specials featured each day. The feedback they get from customers will help shape their evolving menu, for which fresh is the main criteria.

“We’re hoping to have some diners that want to learn and have fun, as do we,” D’Avico said. “As we grow, we can grow with our customers. That’s the fun part of the food industry and cooking – everybody gets to enjoy it.”

Bistro One West

1 W. Illinois St., St. Charles

www.bistro1west.com

630-444-0600