rhinopias

One of my favorites is to pan fry 1/2" cubes for a few mins until brown, then add 1/2 cup of water and cover until done. Uncover until mositure is gone, add good balsamic keep on heat until balsamic glazes. Meanwhile, boil greens in salted water for appx. 2 mins, drain. Serve cubed balsamic glazed bulb on own greens.

docsconz - I would be very interested to read about your experience of interacting/observing the chefs during your dinner. Every time I've been to Schwa I leave feeling so inspired having watched these two boys cook on their terms, in their space. J

I will try all of the above. Nothing like smuggling a bag of cold rice into a $300.00 per person dinner. Thanks, Jim

I have reservations for Alinea's one year anniversary dinner this evening. We have friends flying in from New York to join us, unfortunately I have become ill. After taking lots of medication I am feeling better, however my palette is very cloudy and somewhat numb. Any suggestions for clearing or awaking it would be appreciated as I've been looking forward to this for a few months. Jim

Great idea!! ← I sent an email this morning.

I blanch the beet greens, squeeze the excess water out, toss with roasted beets, orange segments, sweet onions, a red wine vinaigrette, and chill for one hour. Yum! Found this on Epicurious, and now I make it once a week.

This menu shows 22 courses, the anniversary dinner was originally 17. Any idea as to why/when it was changed? Not that I'm complaining! Nine days seems so far away.........................

We usually bring a Loire white with mineral/stone qualities and Pinot Noir for the meat courses.

Alinea - so looking forward to their anniversary dinner! Schwa - I fear Schwa in it's current state will not be around for very long - meaning bye-bye humble BYO. North Pond - what a location for seasonal food Blackbird/Avec - I'll take either place at any opportunity I can get Le Colonial - upstairs or on the terrace in the summer, good food(not great), however great atmosphere. Worst destination restaurant for ME - Tru. Ugh - can't stand the pretentious service and have been hosed by the wine stewart. Never again.

We really enjoyed Elephant Walk, it's French/Cambodian. When we were there I believe they had a special three course dinner for $40. per person that had many dishes in which to choose. It's been a few years, unfortunately I don't remember the details.

I have reservations for the anniversary "retrospective". Any speculation as to what dishes will be chosen as best of the year? I missed the squab, watermelon, foie gras dish in the summer, and I'd love to see this on the menu. I think the hearts of palm will make a showing considering all the press and talk about it when the restaurant first opened.

I had braised short ribs with kumquats at a restaurant last night, they were outstanding. The aromatics from the fruit were wonderful. Any idea of a recipe thats published or that I can modify to make this dish at home? Jim

Ditto North Pond for brunch as you will be in town in April. The resaurant is located on a lagoon in Lincoln Park. Beautiful location with great food, which is perfect for after meal spring walk.

For after dinner drinks, NoMi at the Park Hyatt. It is a stunning and chic space with a good wine list and great drinks. I also agree that the 95th floor is worth a stop - service is usually slow, however the view is memorable. If your looking for live music, The Green Mill. It's going to be a cab ride, however the oldest jazz club in the city - the real deal.

I made cardamom butter cookies with an espresso and dark chocolate drizzle this year, and I would also recommend using the fresh ground spice. The flavor and aroma is incredible. You shouldn't need to cut back on the amount, infact I increased mine a little. Fantastic.

I made pizza. I put a good layer on a crust and topped with chicken sausage, red onions, and spooned small dollops of fresh goat cheese. Thought it turned out great. Jim

Jealous Mary's would be a surprising twist with the salmon. They are exactly the same except for cucumber juice instead of tomato juice, and they are delicious and interesting! You can find a good one on Epicurious.

babern - I don't think dining at S&S the night before Alinea would be to much. Also, there is no dress code, this is a very casual experience. I believe it is worth eating at both as the at at opposite ends of the rainbow. If you go to S&S request the Truffle ice cream!

Handle that truffle with care. I also brought mine home, and after an early 11:30 am Saturday lunch of braised Moroccan root vegetables I bit down in to the truffle. It about knocked me over, I was reeling. I saved the second bite for after dinner. It was great , but a bit much that early in the day. I gave my other two away just to watch the expressions on two friends faces-pricless.

I went to S&S again last evening, which was the fifth trip in six weeks. We did not do the Truffle tasting, however we were treated the white truffle ice cream along with four other desserts and a white truffle truffle. The ice cream is paralyzing. Thirteen courses in all. I sometimes think David and Paul want to see just how much I'll eat if they keep sending out food. I crawled home.

Two weeks ago we went to Sweets and Savories for the first time. During a great seven course dinner they told us they were having a special white truffle night in a few days, sadly we could not make the date. Last night we were deciding on what to do when my partner called Sweets and Savories to see if by chance they had any fresh white truffle left over. The response was yes and that the chef would be happy to make something for us; we never asked a price! Now, I've only had a fresh white truffle once, and it was an add on to a twelve course dinner we had at Trio with Chef G. I swooned. Fast forward, last night after the third course our server arrived with a whole truffle and a slicer and set them on the table and said " This is yours, handle it, smell it, what ever you like." I didn't even process the "This is yours" part. It was the most amazing smell ever - I was completely high. Gone. He then arrives with a foie gras risotto, and proceeds to shave the truffle on top, however he doesn't stop....................ever! He topped each plate with appx. 30 shavings each. I don't think I have to explain the aroma or the flavor. I was dizzy. I couldn't speak because my head and nose were completely saturated with that truffle. I spent about 20 mins on this one dish. A few other dishes came, they were great, however I was still covered in the truffle so I didn't eat so much of them as I was to busy smelling my fingers(sorry) and reveling in the lingering aroma. Later, the final course came out - a white truffle ice cream. OMG! They ground up the remaining truffle and made ice cream. I wish I was a better writer and could truly do this experience justice. Fantastic. Then the biggest shock of my life. During after dinner drinks our server told us our entire bloody truffle was a gift from the chef and had been COMPTED!!!! Why? I have no idea. The entire seven course meal was fifty dollars per person including the whole truffle. We moved to the bar and a friend met us for another drink where she was also given a scoop of this fresh white truffle ice cream for free. This was not going on at any other table, I swear. After my first white truffle at Trio I've read and dreamed about going to Italy for the truffle season. Well, I no longer have that desire. This was the pinnacle. I will remember it forever. Please go to Sweets and Savories. Support them. They are what dining in small neighborhood Chicago is all about. I know no one at this restaurant, however to say I was treated like a king is an understatement. Jim

I don't think I'll ever know true happiness until I try the new squab course. I'm booking my second dinner tomorrow.

I have been anticipating Alinea's opening since Trio's last days. This coupled with being happy but not thrilled with a dining experience at Moto lead to some anxiety for me in the days approaching my reservation at Alinea. Entering the space is incredible - the hallway, follwed by that staircase, the kitchen to your right, and then there's Chef G. I was already calmed and excited at the same time. We choose the twelve course, mainly because it was a week night. I wish I had the ability to describe what the food tasted like. I agree with a previous reviewer that the crab with cashews is one of the best things I've tasted. It was a totally unexpected flavor. I'm sure we all looked like this . Our server even commented on our reaction to the dish. The rest of the dishes were all as exciting and executed perfectly. Our dinner took appx. 4 hours and that was incredibly too short. I was shocked it was over. I will never be afraid to experience the Tour, no matter what night. The desert courses, for me, were far and away more enjoyable than Trio or any other restaurant I've dined. I'm not a big fan of sweets, and these creations were sublime. The service was great. I normally prefer if the servers are a little more relaxed and talkative when answering my endless questions about how and why, and our the service at Alinea picked up on that quickly and were attentive and interactive, but not obtrusive. We had a few small problems that would of upset some patrons or a critic for sure, but I was to dizzy from the flavors to care. I'm sure these issues will be worked out quickly. The one thing that surprised me was how easy and natural this all seemed. I had been reading on this site about the dinnerware and contraptions that would be used and was concerned about it coming off some what pretentious. Instead it all makes perfect sense. It's harmonious and natural. Thank you and Congratulations to Chef G. and his team. I'll be seeing you very soon. J

Has anyone had one of the smaller menus? I have reservations for Thursday and I think I would feel a bit rushed on a week night ordering the tour. Previously at Trio I've experienced both an eleven course and the tour and I was astonished both times. The anticipation is killing me. My question was just answered - Thanks!