Benjamin's is located in the old Mimosa restaurant location at 1849 Second Street in Highland Park. We were very disappointed when Mimosa closed, but we hoped that Benjamin would surprise us.
When we arrived we noticed the entire restaurant had been changed, the basic structure was the same, but it had more of a European flare. It reminded us of a recent restaurant we visited on our last trip to Copenhagen. We were greeted at the door and shown directly to our table. Most of the tables are against two benches that follow the wall on both sides of the restaurant. For the most part we detest this type of seating, we want to enjoy each others company, not be bombarded by the people sitting next to us. On this occasion we were not so annoyed since they put plenty of space between the tables. Unfortunately the two people to our right were having a rather heated, loud discussion during the entire meal. Don't let this stop you from enjoying everything else this restaurant has to offer, it is really just our pet peeve. Our word of advice is to request a table in the center of the restaurant (which are made for four people) or request a corner table against the wall. At least then you can only be annoyed with the people to one side of you.
The menu is creative and fresh. Even if you did not read the write-ups on the restaurant you could tell that they had to be using only the freshest ingredients. After our dinner we did some more research on Chef Benjamin Brittsan and found that he has a "farm to fork" philosophy and it really shows in the menu selections.
For our first course we had Veal Sweetbreads and a Chilled Crab Salad. The sweetbreads were cooked just right and the pairing of flavors and textures were right on. The Crab Salad with the accompanied mango gellee was shockingly good. If you had to pick between one of the other I guess we would go for the crab. I hope we can get back before the chef changes the menu, because we would like to try the Gnocchi starter (Small Plate).
For our main course, we chose the Local Whitefish and the Pan Roasted Maple Leaf Farms Duck Breast. It has been hit or miss lately with whitefish, it is hard to get fresh this time of year, but we were hoping that the mild winter allowed the restaurant to get something good. We were not disappointed, it was by far the best whitefish we have had all season and we would highly recommend choosing this entree. Matched with the purple potato puree, fennel and everything else, the flavors just exploded in your mouth.
The duck was cooked perfectly and we loved the celery root puree. The only complaint would be with the chutney. It was just too cold and it cooled down the duck too fast. Also, the nuts on top, were just too hard for me, my wife loved them.
We did not go for a desert, but from what we saw on others plates they looked great.
If you really want to experience a different flare to fine dinning and get it all for a reasonable price, then don't miss another opportunity to enjoy Chef's Benjamin's fabulous restaurant.
Reservations can be made on OpenTable, or by going to Benjamin's website.
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