Well-Known French Chef Closes Bistro Monet in Downtown Glen Ellyn

Photo credit: Bistro Monet Facebook page

GLEN ELLYN, IL - After ten years in downtown Glen Ellyn, Bistro Monet has closed its doors. 

The French restaurant, owned by Chef Michel Saragueta, opened in 2007 and has received high praise from its customers since. 

“Eager to explore the next chapter of his life, Chef Michel (Saragueta) has decided to close his beloved Bistro. After 56 years of cooking, Chef Michel is looking forward to traveling and enjoy a more leisurely pace,” according to a May 31 post on the Bistro Monet Facebook page. 

Bombay Joes, an Indian fusion restaurant, is expected to open in Bistro Monet's place at 462 N. Park Boulevard, according to Suburban Life Publications. 

Prior to opening Bistro Monet, Chef Michel worked as the leading chef at some of the finest restaurants all over the world, according to the Bistro Monet Facebook page.  

“His résumé brought him fame and acclaim in the “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous Cookbook” as Executive Chef at the Beverly Hills Hotel, ut in the end it was right here in Glen Ellyn that he wanted to finish his career with his very own Bistro …” according to the Facebook page.

Over the years, Michel has catered to celebrities, including Frank Sinatra who once turned away a lobster the chef had prepared and requested a Reuben sandwich instead. 

"It's never been easy because you have to be always ready with no attitude, ready to jump, to please these people, ready to serve them what they want to have," Saragueta told the Daily Herald. 

The village of Glen Ellyn interviewed Michel in 2015 and included an extensive interview with him on the village’s YouTube channel. 

More via the Daily Herald and Suburban Life Publications

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