The new four-course prix fixe menu at Cyrano’s Bistrot in downtown Chicago is something of a snip at $5. But before diners head for the French restaurant they might want to take a closer look at the dishes on offer.
Grilled steak haché should fit in with the rest of the establishment’s offerings. But bone-marrow gateau is not renowned as a classic of the Bergerac region in which the bistro specialises.
For the prix fixe menu is, to be blunt, a dog’s dinner. Cyrano’s Bistrot, according to the Los Angeles Times, is shaping a canine menu in anticipation of a new city regulation that, if passed this month, will allow canines to dine with humans. ”I see this as being a special occasion, a night out for people and their best friends,” chef Didier Durand told the paper. ”The people could come here and find a girlfriend or a boyfriend. The dogs could meet someone to go play fetch with in the park.”
The measure was promoted by a local politician and dog owner in an attempt to cash in on Chicago’s status as the nation’s most dog friendly city, as determined by Dog Fancy magazine.
”When spring comes, everyone wants to be outside with their pets,” said Alderman Walter Burnett. ”It seems ridiculous that people can’t stop off at a cafe for a sandwich and get their pet some water to drink or something to nibble on too.”
Chicago is not alone is planning for canine diners. Last week Florida governor Jeb Bush signed a ”doggie dining” Bill allowing local governments to decide whether to allow in dogs for dinner. – Guardian Unlimited Â