yellow truffle

The Alinea Quatrain.

Sugar: A Dessert Bar is closed. Although not a restaurant, more like a bar/club, this establishment has been lucky for far too long. Since 2002, Sugar has probably been more successful as a bar rather than for its sweets.

Having been inspired by Mr. Suburban's post, a few of us went to apple and pumpkin picking this weekend. Sunny and in the high 60's brought out everybody. There was a line to get tickets for the hay ride and another to get on. Sadly there was not a great selection of apple for the picking as this was their last weekend for said activities. This abundance of people caused a line to get into the grocery store. We were waiting 20 minutes to get in. Hopefully things will have died down with temps getting to their normal and entry into the store is quick and painless. Also inspired by rs's thread on Mazos Burgers in Milwaukee, we took a trip there to see all the fuss. But darn-it, they were closed on Sunday, so instead we went to Kopp's.

FYI, they are closed on Sunday.

CONCLUSION In at 1836, out by 0100. No seven and a half hour meal here, of course we were lacking a few courses. We could have done it much quicker if we did not take multiple breaks. Our extracurricular activities include stepping out for a breath of fresh air (or nicotine) and a trip around the block. This was done three times and the wait staff (and I'm sure the kitchen) was accommodating. As a person not trained in the culinary arts I found it difficult to write a play by play account of each of the dishes. Difficult in that I lack the ability to deconstruct each dish's ingredients and preparation technique. But I don't care. I'm here to enjoy the aesthetic experience. Not everything was memorable, not everything was on par, but in total it all added up to be a superb meal. One would be smart if they waited for the transition phase to the fall menu to cease, and they had it solidified set meal. But Alinea is ever dynamic, and I think it will always be in transition. It's what keeps the diners coming back. It's what keeps me coming back.

NOTES The starter course, PEAR, is a ball of waxy plastic curry flavored shell, with a liquid pear center, floating on celery liquid. Subtle flavors and strong presentation, but not as heavy as it looks or sounds. Pommeau is served with this dish. The liquor is a complementary starter and hints at the weight of the dishes to come. There are two mushroom dishes to be had, MAITAKE and MATSUTAKE. This first dish is light and airy, but stands strong in palate. The second mushroom dish is quite interesting. It is served in a glass mini dutch oven. Cream is poured into the bowl and you mix it up before indulging in the flavors. It's a little strange, in that, it has the consistency of bread pudding, and one can almost pass it off as such, except for the slight mushroom flavor. The MANGO dish pushes heavily its Asian ingredients. It starts with the sesame oil, in taste and aroma (strong stuff), and finishes off with a hint of a tropical fruit flavor. Reading the name/description of dish, one would have a different expectation of the end product, at least I did. DOVER SOLE's mosaic of mostly traditional flavors is all in powder form (lemon, banana, parsley, capers). The fish was a little over done. Perhaps, the chef intended to create the solids (banana, fish and citrus cauliflower) as a weighty items and generate a contrast in the lightness of the granules. That evening, three dishes purposefully push aroma to its diners. The ONAGA uses a steam bath of flower petals and leaf scent. I found this a little strange, as I associate these scents and colors to spring time. But wait. In the next dish, PHEASANT, the Chef does a 180. He brings out a branch of oak leaves that is burning (sidebar: to not overwhelm the space with smoke or burning branches, only one of dishes was burning). A complete reversal in presentation and taste. This was a solid tasty one bite dish, one of the better one bite items on the menu. The last of the super-scented dishes is the LAMB. An air pillow is placed in front as a place mat to the lamb and fig plate. Once again a strong juxtaposition to your senses, a light scent and a heavy tasting dish. Bread sponging is something that Miss Manners might not approve of, but at table 14, we needed a few more slices (cracked wheat, pumpernickel, ciabatta, and raisin something were the selection for the evening) for the SQUAB. The drippings of foie, licorice, squab and watermelon is a magnificent combination for a sauce. Prior to our indecorum, the staff made us sample a small gelatinous cube of fennel and fennel pollen. Itself, a wonderful palate cleanser, we had them bring out another round. For a modern twist on the cheese puff try the IDIAZABAL. It has the appearance of a headdress, brought out on a custom holder, and a color combination of an iPod. What's not to like. Nice touch on the maple syrup (note to self: drizzle some Karo in bag of Pirate's Booty). After the 'shroom pudding, a palate cleanser is brought forth. The BURDOCK, with the bitters, dark beer and sassafras was a smashing success. It was great. I found that the ingredients work well together. All the ingredient's flavors were at a level plateau, you can capture each distinct taste in every bite. A great edible aperitif. The OPAH was capped with a charred piece of ham and drizzled with honey centerpiece. The inclusion of the grapefruit tied in the flavors. I found this dish heavy, but not as much as the next one. The BISON, with the pistachio and truffle sauce, was a meal in itself.

24. DRY CARAMEL salt

23. CHOCOLATE avocado, lime, mint

22. PEANUT frozen pedro ximénez

21. ROSEWATER PUFFS passion fruit, saffron

20. RASPBERRIES orange blossom, cream

19. BACON butterscotch, apple, thyme

18. BISON truffle, pistachio, sweet spices

17. DUCK SKIN cranberry, grapefruit, clove

16. LAMB fig, pernod, pillow of anise star

15. OPAH endive, ohio honeycomb

14. CRAB chanterelles, ravioli of coconut powder

13. TROUT ROE pineapple, cucumber, coriander

12. PUSHED FOIE GRAS tart apple marshmallow

11. QUINCE cumin, shiso, sour cream

10. BURDOCK dark beer, bitters, sassafras

9. MATSUTAKE pine nut, mastic, rosemary

8. IDIAZABAL maple syrup, smoke

7. SQUAB watermelon, foie gras, licorice