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ronnie_suburban

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    Trio Kitchen Table

    in The Heartland: Dining

    Posted

    I think Tarka was referring to the likelihood of them being filled off premises--very slim, IMO.

    =R=

    I'm not familiar with this restaurant - but I don't think many restaurants have the manufacturing capabilities to package and seal sterile plastic containers which hold material for any type of human consumption. I sure wouldn't hold it against a restaurant if it had this kind of job done by an outside professional food packaging outfit. Robyn

    I don't think they need to be sterile any more than standard silverware does. They're basically intended for service in the restaurant. Our 'to go' units were probably the exception. I'd bet they were purchased from a lab equipment supplier.

    =R=

    Trio Kitchen Table

    in The Heartland: Dining

    Posted

    i just noticed this. robyn, this is trio we're talking about, not burger king.

    Perhaps the picture doesn't do it justice - but it looks like a cheap plastic atomizer to me. Robyn

    I think Tarka was referring to the likelihood of them being filled off premises--very slim, IMO.

    =R=

    Culver's Frozen Custard & ButterBurgers

    in The Heartland: Dining

    Posted

    Kevin,

    Thanks for stopping in--very nice of you to do so. You folks sure do run a tight operation over there. We will definitely be back and I will, of course, say hi when we return. I've had good success following George's (gmi3804's) recommendations and I appreciate yours as well.

    Over 4th of July weekend a bunch of us were talking about your place. Turns out, your custard is my mom's absolute favorite. :smile:

    =R=

    Trio Kitchen Table

    in The Heartland: Dining

    Posted

    but the whole meal wasn't sprayed into ron's mouth.

    Exactly...28 courses, one of them served via atomizer and I mentioned it specifically to highlight the playful and whimsical nature of our meal at Trio.

    I'm sorry but I cannot put into words my experience at Trio. IMO, the only way to truly (attempt to) understand Trio and Chef Achatz's work, is to eat there...and time is running out (but happily, Alinea is forthcoming) :smile:

    =R=

    Trio Kitchen Table

    in The Heartland: Dining

    Posted

    Throughout our meal, I kept thinking that the experience reminded me of someone or something yet I couldn't quite identify what.  Then, 4 atomizers in a small bowl filled with ice, arrived at our table.  We were told that the course was "virtual shrimp cocktail."  We spritzed the atomizers into our mouths and sure enough, their contents tasted exactly like shrimp cocktail.  It was in that moment when I figured out who Chef Achatz reminded me of--Willy Wonka--and I mean that in the most complimentary of ways.  The only difference being that Chef Achatz is real and possesses an intensity that could boil Wonka's chocolate river with a glance.

    Doesn't remind me of Willy Wonka a bit. It's the process of "deconstructing" food - pure and simple. Similar to deconstructivist art - or architecture. What would you have thought if the entire dinner was sprayed into your mouth? Would you have considered it a "meal"? Robyn

    Robyn,

    Have you eaten at Trio while Chef Achatz has been there?

    Edited to add that I would hate for anyone to base their opinion of Chef Achatz or Trio on my description of 1 course I had there during a 28-course meal; which also included multiple preparations of duck, beef, lamb, pork, etc.

    =R=

    Digest: Chicago Food Media Round-Up

    in The Heartland: Dining

    Posted

    July 7, 2004...

    From today's Chicago Tribune - Good Eating section:

    The scoop on cones...Renee Enna files an in-depth report on ice cream's often forgotten side man--the cone.

    No clouds in your coffee...Janet Helm reports on the health benefits of coffee.

    Tuul Kawa...A 'Cheap Eats' review by Joe Gray of this Japanese Restaurant and Sushi Bar in Lakeview.

    Suburban baker makes the sweet treats of his Middle Eastern childhood...Nancy Maes reports on Skokie's Heavenly Sweets Bakery.

    In the pink...A report, with tasting notes, on Rose' wines which are most popular during the summer months.

    From today's Chicago Sun Times - Food section:

    Let there be sandwich day...Denise I. O'Neal rounds up several Chicago-area food events including Sandwich Night at Ina's and a few planned Bastille Day celebrations.

    Tastings around town...blurbs about upcoming events at Aria and Geja's Cafe.

    From today's Daily Herald - Food section:

    Cooking classes...a comprehensive listing of the week's upcoming cooking classes, tastings and culinary events around town, broken out by day.

    And, in this week's installment of Chicago Magazine's Morsels...Penny Pollack and Jeff Ruby 'break' the story (already broken here by several Heartlanders) about the opening of Hema's new location in Lincoln Park, plug Olivia's Market in Bucktown and report on the opening of Bluegrass in Highland Park.

    =R=

    <><><><><>

    Media Digest Notes...

    Updates from some Chicago media outlets, which do not 'go to press' on Wednesday mornings, will be edited into each week's post as they become available.

    For discussion of any stories which are linked here, please feel free to start a new thread or contact the forum host who will be happy to do it for you.

    Trio Kitchen Table

    in The Heartland: Dining

    Posted

    I would like to know where one would purchase atomizers.

    Anyone know?

    Any perfume department at a high end store (like Neiman Marcus). Robyn

    Here is a picture of one of the atomizers we were served...(we asked to take home our empties and they gave us full ones for the road :smile:)

    Trio.atomizer.smaller.jpg

    The background is a 3x5" notecard and you can see the edge of the notecard at the top of the frame. This appears to be a single-use, micro-unit. Please forgive the poor focus of the photograph (distant macro shot w/out tri-pod). I just wanted everyone to be able to visualize what I was talking about. Still not sure where one might procure these...

    =R=

    Cockroach on the wall - do you never return?

    in Restaurant Life

    Posted

    Roach in the restaurant, I would, and have returned...the one caveat being if I saw many of them (even though seeing one usually indicates the presence of many).

    Roach in the food, I doubt I'd be back, but if I liked the place enough I might be able to look the other way. It's never happened, so I can't say for sure.

    =R=

    Trio Kitchen Table

    in The Heartland: Dining

    Posted

    Some experiences are characterised by an absence of thought, others by an overactivity of it. You can be so in the moment you just experience and can't think through it to make connections. Other times it all just drops into place. Trio was like the former for me. So many things happening, tangents running all over the place. It took me two visits to work out why I loved it.

    I think that's why I especially enjoyed the length of our meal. By the end of it, I was able to gain some perspective (critical distance) on our entire experience--especially the beginning of it.

    =R=

    Staying in Rosemont

    in The Heartland: Dining

    Posted

    So many choices...

    If you're into upscale and your hosts are willing to drive into downtown, I'd recommend Les Nomades or NaHa. I'd recommend Trio in Evanston, but it's closed on Tuesdays. Blackbird's Paul Kahan just won the 2003 Beard Award for Best Midwest Chef and its recent spawn, Avec, is also receiving a lot of positive attention.

    More casual (very casual, actually)...Greek Islands on Halsted is delicious and very casual and Wishbone on W. Washington is a very good (albeit loud) funky, diner-type place.

    Want a meat-fest? Brazilian-style churrascaria, Fogo de Chao, is a real show and the caipharinas, food (i.e. meat) and service are all top-notch. Many also say that their salad bar is the best one in the city.

    If you want to stay closer to Rosemont, you may want to check out Chicago's Edison Park neighborhood (NW tip of Chicago). It's basically just east of Rosemont and offers a lot of fun places to dine. We had a decent meal at Basta Pasta a couple weekends ago and I've heard good things about Moretti's and The Mecca which are in the same 2-3 block area (~Northwest Highway and Oliphant). These are not high-end, fine dining destinations but above average neighborhood joints that have a lot of character.

    If you'd like some more specific recommendations, just let us know what genre you seek. Of course, you can also browse the forum for previous threads as well.

    And, here's a link to a thread being continually updated by another visitor to our city...

    Tarka in Chicago

    I hope some of that helps :smile:

    =R=

    Trio Kitchen Table

    in The Heartland: Dining

    Posted

    I finally had the pleasure of dining at Trio with Chef Achatz at the helm and I was absolutely blown away by my experience there.

    I'm very late to this party and there isn't really much more to say that hasn't been said. Still, I will try to add a little bit (hopefully something new) to the conversation. I will not be providing photos or a course by course description of our meal. Those who've already done so have done a far better job than I ever could.

    Dining at Trio was a unique experience. I want to emphasize that owner Henry Adaniya, Chef Grant Achatz and the entire crew treated us like royalty. The service we received was not only unprecedented in its professionalism but also friendly, focused and highly knowledgeable. There is a passion at Trio that starts at the top and touches every single person who enters the space. The genuine enthusiasm of those with whom my party interacted was delightful, infectious.

    Yes, it was a fantastic meal but it was also so much more. More than any other food experience I've ever had, the meal which the Trio team served us utilized all our senses. We opted for the 28 course Tour de Force and the accompanying wine pairings. Throughout the evening we were amused, delighted, surprised and satisfied on numerous levels. At the core of it, the meal was a 5-hour, glorious ride where the Trio imaginations communicated with our imaginations--over and over again.

    Several courses utilized utensils and serving pieces that were specifically designed for those courses. We were told that the pieces had been designed by an architect friend of Chef Achatz. In this realm, form was not only beautiful, but also followed function with precision.

    Throughout our meal, I kept thinking that the experience reminded me of someone or something yet I couldn't quite identify what. Then, 4 atomizers in a small bowl filled with ice, arrived at our table. We were told that the course was "virtual shrimp cocktail." We spritzed the atomizers into our mouths and sure enough, their contents tasted exactly like shrimp cocktail. It was in that moment when I figured out who Chef Achatz reminded me of--Willy Wonka--and I mean that in the most complimentary of ways. The only difference being that Chef Achatz is real and possesses an intensity that could boil Wonka's chocolate river with a glance.

    Dinner at Trio was a singular experience which changed me. I am truly grateful that I had the chance to eat there before Chef Achatz moves on. What lay ahead for him and for Trio, promises to be wonderful.

    =R=

    Edits: typo, clarity

    TRU - Chicago

    in The Heartland: Dining

    Posted

    I think this thread hasn't had an update since January 2003 because I couldn't search for TRU directly - the name's too short. Ronnie, could you check and see if I'm insane in thinking this, or if that is actually the case?

    Awesome report adoxograph. Tru is next on my list of high-end places to try and I promise to "show mine" as soon as I get a chance to eat there and write about it. But, I went to Trio last night and I still have to figure out how to convert that amazingly tranformational experience into words. I hope it doesn't take me 10 months :wink::smile:

    ...and yes, you are correct. The search function here requires 4 or more characters, so the moral of the story is, if you're opening a restaurant and you want it discussed on eGullet, make sure you create a name for it that's at least 4 characters long. :wink::biggrin:

    =R=

    If eGulleters Ran Taste of Chicago

    in The Heartland: Dining

    Posted

    Oooh - how about the bacon-wrapped dates from Meson Sabika (in Northfield)?

    Yep, Northfield...although they do have other locations (one for sure in Naperville). Their Northfield location is directly below the desk I'm sitting at right now and I've never tried these... :smile:

    =R=

    You wrote that at 11:15 this morning.

    So, how did you like them?!? :biggrin:

    Didn't get down there today. Forgot about a lunch meeting we had scheduled. :sad:

    But...they are a definite for tomorrow! :smile:

    =R=

    Ok! Finally had the bacon-wrapped dates today (along with several other dishes :wink:) at Meson Sabika in Northfield and if they were the only thing served at Taste, it might still be worth the trip. Absolutely fantastic! :biggrin:

    =R=

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