ronnie_suburban

I'm guessing that the pours were each about 2-3 oz. Each course doesn't necessarily come with its own pairing. Some pairings are intended to accompany more than one course. All in all, I think we had about 15 different pours, (IIRC) over the span of our 28 courses. And when one of us happened to finish a pour in advance of its final course, we were always offered another splash to get us through. Our experience was that empty stems are either refilled or removed from the table immediately. =R=

It should come as no surprise to anyone here that I am acquainted with the Alinea crew and they do know who I am as we worked together on this project. But I'm not sure if that played any part in our dining experience. In the room where we ate, at least 2 other couples ordered the full Tour and were served the same courses we were. Like us, they seemed to delight in many of them -- even chatting with each other and laughing as the evening went on. Did they enjoy their experiences as much as we did? They seemed to, but who really knows? As for the tour (small "t"), my experience is that pretty much anyone who asks for one is given one -- not just at Alinea but at any restaurant. But I especially can't imagine anyone being refused such a "perk" at a place like Alinea, where customer service is a critical component of the overall experience. We were not offered a tour but we asked if we could take one after our meal was over and were obliged. And on that note, I find it hard to believe that a restaurant which strives to be one of the best in the world, would intentionally provide varying levels of service to its customers. To do so makes very little sense to me. The Chicago Tribune's Phil Vettel wrote that he dined at Alinea under a pseudonym. The eGullet Society is a great place populated by a very knowledgable membership (and we, as individuals, may even have a little influence), but 800,000 people read the Chicago Tribune everyday. If anything, Alinea should be reserving the "VIP" treatment for those in the restaurant whose true identities they don't know. From a business perspective, that makes far more sense. If there was anything that differentiated my Alinea experience from someone else's it may have simply been incidental. But, beyond saying "hello," to a couple of people in the restaurant, I'm not sure my familiarity the Alinea team changed anything about my experience there. We knew our server Scott, from his days at Trio and he is a great server, but I'm sure anyone would have taken just as good care of us (or tried to). We had the same courses and wine pairings as everyone else (as far as I could tell), we paid the same price as everyone else (as far as I know), and we left a tip. Did I think every dish was perfect? No. But I really did enjoy them all, but not equally. I think most everyone who's posted here has made it clear that they had a few favorites. I've posted plenty of negative comments on this forum over the years and I'm not shy about doing so. But there isn't a whole lot of negative that I can come up with regarding Alinea. The stuff we encountered was minor . . . one of my wife's hearts of palm pedestals toppled over on our table and needed to be re-plated. That took about a minute. One time I made it back to the table before my napkin had been refolded. There wasn't a whole lot more. One has to allow for the fact that everyone's perception is going to be different. Even if our experiences at Alinea were physically identical, we're not all going to share the same reaction to them. I know you're not saying that you didn't enjoy it but if someone told me they didn't, I'd respect that. I wouldn't think "oh, you are so wrong, let me explain why." I'd just drop it and figure that Alinea wasn't for them. Perhaps the little problems that came up during our meal would have really irked someone else. For us, they were so minor I didn't even think they were worth mentioning. It's quite possible that your standards (or anyone else's for that matter) differ from mine. But in the end, based on what Alinea is trying to acheive, I do expect that the positive reviews will far outnumber the negative ones. =R=

Thanks, John and gaf for sharing your terrific accounts. Reading them both made me want to go back to Alinea asap. In fact, before Alinea opened I wondered whether its success hinged on its ability to draw repeat local diners. After all, part of the fun at Alinea is being surprised by the courses and the pairings as they arrive at the table. But after just a few weeks, I'm already eager to go back and I can't wait to take some friends who haven't been there. Part of the fun will be seeing our friends' reactions to the seemingly endless parade of creations turned out by chefg (and his team) another part of it will simply be our joy in experiencing it -- in a slightly different way -- all over again. I also wondered how dependant Alinea would be on out-of-town diners but now I don't think Alinea needs that segment to thrive. Don't get me wrong, I believe that the out-of-town market will absolutely be there (especially if this first month is at all representative) but I don't think it'll be necessary for Alinea to succeed. Chicago's fine food devotees and business diners will likely fill Alinea's 65 seats for a long time to come. That Alinea is likely to evolve into an important culinary destination is basically (deconstructed) gravy. =R=

Thanks for the heads up. The menu looks great. Congrats! =R=

Yes he definitely has. And in the back (on the right) is John Cho from Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle. =R=

The letter raises a lot of interesting points. I think these 2 lines best sum it up: =R=

I agree completely with this. Our biggest disappointments in this area tend to involve people with whom we are trying to "get started." Sometimes it works out and sometimes it doesn't. But I think I've experienced another side of this dynamic as well. Shortly after we moved into our current house, our neighbors invited us and a few other folks from the neighborhood over for dinner. We were asked to bring a side dish. I made big batch of creamed spinach; nothing special (no doubt), but it still was the best thing on the table. At the end of the meal, everyone was very eager to take home the leftover creamed spinach while the rest of the leftovers went unclaimed (sadly, the host was not a great cook and served what I believe was boiled turkey with gravy that came from a pouch ). A few months later we reciprocated by hosting our own dinner; inviting (among others) the neighbors who'd initially hosted us. They came, they were pleasant and they brought a nice zucchini bread for dessert. But, a few months after that, we learned through the neighborhood grapevine that they were hosting another dinner. Only this time, we were not invited. Did my creamed spinach show up the chef? Did we smell bad? Did they just not like us? I'm not really sure, but we've never been invited to their house again. Perhaps we over-reciprocated. In either case, it was quite amusing listening to our neighbors who had been invited again, complain about having to attend. I guess every gray cloud does have a silver lining =R=

I'd recommend heading over to NoMi asap, as its heart and soul, chef Sandro Gamba is leaving. I'm sure what's coming next there will be great, but it certainly won't be the same. According to this week's installment of Chicago Magazine's Dish, Gamba's not yet sure where he's going next but his last day will be July 15. =R=

Without discussing varietals, hybrids, etc., lemons from California and Mexico generally have a higher brix level (soluble solids) than lemons from South America or Arizona. This means they will taste sweeter than their counterparts. They contain less moisture and more fruit solids. That said, there are also seasonal issues that will affect flavor. Lemon trees in the U.S. typically have 3-4 blossoms a year with the late fall blossom period (which translates into an October-November harvest time) producing the sweetest fruit. With limes, the standard variety available in the U.S., persian (aka tahitian) come primarily from Mexico. While limes do come into the U.S. from Mexico year-round, the peak season for them is June-September. During these months, soluble solids are generally higher and the fruit is therefore, generally sweeter. =R=

Wow . . . what a tale! And that particular detail sounds a bit like divine intervention. =R=

I found this while googling around earliar this week - a pretty positive review but not too OTT. http://www.toomanychefs.net/archives/001428.php Restaurants of this type often seem to polarize diners, I have noticed - I have read many reviews of the Fat Duck (many by very experienced diners), for instance, that seem to convey a really extreme dislike of the place, sometimes verging on the personal. At the same time, it seems to be doing pretty well and those that like it, often like it A LOT. ← From the linked review: =R=

I don't know if I agree with this assertion completely. That certainly wasn't the case at Trio as chefg was finishing his stint there last July. Yes, I agree that there will be some modifications, but in the end, he will continue to be true to himself and push the manner in which dishes are presented to the diner. =R=

May 18, 2005... From today's Chicago Tribune - Good Eating section: Passport to Chicago's immigrant tables...Robin Mather Jenkins files a great piece which details Chicago's ethnic neighborhoods and how they contribute to our outstandingly authentic culinary diversity. Wine stalker...Think it's impossible to find the right grape to pair up with asparagus? Bill Daley takes the time to prove you wrong. Tasting notes are inlcluded. Teens can take the heat...Brian McCormick reports on the Cooking and Hospitality Institute of Chicago's Future Chef of America competition, which took place last weekend. Morel mushrooms...Robin Mather Jenkins with a brief take on one of the midwest region's greatest seasonal offerings. TV chef Tyler Florence cooks up an empire...Robin Mather Jenkins recaps his recent appearance in Chicago. ===== From today's Chicago Sun Times - Food section: Cupcakes can be as good -- or better -- than larger cousins...Sandy Thorn Clark interviews "Cake Doctor" Anne Byrn and reviews her latest cookbook: Cupcakes! From The Cake Mix Doctor. Friends let friends learn to cook...Denise I. O'Neal rounds up a bunch of upcoming events and demos around town, including today's seasonal bow of Chicago's Green City Market. Tastings around town...Celeste Busk with her weekly preview of upcoming food happenings. This week's schedule includes events at Carlos, Schaefer's and Enoteca Piattini. ===== From today's Daily Herald - Food section: Put mac and cheese back on your comfort foods list...Don Mauer explains why even after he lost over 100 pounds, Mac & Cheese is back at the top of his "comfort foods" list. ===== And last, but certainly not least, in this week's installment of Chicago Magazine's Dish...Penny Pollack and Jeff Ruby file a genuine shocker: Sandro Gamba will be leaving NoMi on July 15. ===== =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. Please do not reply on this thread. For discussion of any stories which are linked here, please feel free to start a new thread or contact the forum host or digester who will be happy to do it for you.

I'm really looking forward to tonight's installment. And fwiw, I think that 30 minutes (minus "previously on" and "next time on" it's really more like 20) isn't long enough. An hour per episode would be better. For me, it's hard to get a read on who's truly doing the quality work -- we're just not seeing enough of it. That said, from the judges comments last week, it does seem like they feel there are some bona fide candidates in the mix. The biggest disappointment for me has been Katsuji. I went from really liking him at the outset to, well . . . I'll just say that his confidence level and general demeanor seem to far outpace his abilities. I guess we'll see . . . =R=

Turmeric, garlic, saffron, salt and cumin, with the ubiquitous onions under and around the chicken. I didn't use lemon, and next time I think I will. There was some fresh cilantro thrown in with the whole thing, but since it wasn't under the skin I doubt it was the culprit. Maybe the can was "off" at the outset. I think this may be the same flavor I dislike in my husband's chili, when he dumps half a jar of old cheapo chili powder into the mix. Still... I wouldn't have expected it with this brand of paprika, and I don't think it was very long ago that I used it with great success. Edited to correct the seasonings. (If only it were so easy to do so with the cookery!) ← FWIW, I have experienced bitterness issues in the past (with other dishes) that I was pretty sure related to the onions I used. I'm not saying that was necessarily the case with your latest outcome but it might have been. I'm really at a loss to explain it. =R=

Yep. I've had this experience more often than I care to remember but unlike you, I've never had the guts to ask for a new server. One of these days, however . . . =R=

Like this.. I think Ms Pickett is setting herself up as a the straightman a bit. She sets the 'stage' for RR's punchlines in the piece. ← Exactly =R=

I didn't think that Ms. Pickett's voice in the piece was particularly amusing (not even sure it was intended as such) but a couple of those lines from Ruth Reichl (quoted upthread) really cracked me up. =R=

Hmmm . . . I can't say I've ever experienced the bitterness you describe. I doubt it had anything to do with the shelf life of the paprika (6-12 months, depending on how "new" it was when you purchased it) because that can I used when I first made chickeny chicken had been sitting around for a fairly long time from what I remember. That isn't to say that it wasn't the paprika which was bitter, only that the age of it probably is irrelevant. I wish I could be a better sleuth on something like this. Not that it will help me diagnose it any better, but what other spices did you use? =R=

I'm not as concerned about Ms. Reichl's opinion as I am any out-of-towners who might read this account. As the article states, Reichl herself suggested Alinea and moto as possible destinations, so I think she knows the Chicago scene fairly well. And, when it comes right down to it, I think most people who know food, know Chicago has a lot of terrific fare to offer; everything from high-end avant garde to ultra-cheap authentic street food. Our neigborhoods provide an authentic culinary diversity that few major cities can match. The restaurant in question definitely gets slammed in the piece (albeit incidentally) although, I don't have any personal experience there so I cannot agree or disagree with it. On that note, one issue that pops up is "review via hearsay," since we're essentially getting Pickett's take on Reichl's thoughts. Still, there are a few direct quotes from Reichl which clearly lay out her opinion of the place. And I can certainly relate to the "brainlock" experienced by Ms. Pickett. In spite of living here for almost my entire life, sometimes it's hard to come up with a quality pick when a special guest is coming into town. Of course, if she'd merely turned on her computer and visited us here, she could have saved herself a world of embarrassment. Instead, she decided to go it alone and brought great peril and shame upon herself. =R=

In today's Chicago Sun-Times columnist Debra Pickett describes her recent experience of having to choose a lunch venue for herself and Ms. Reichl: Sunday Lunch with Ruth Reichl =R=

LMAO! You are more than welcome to join in for this event and your presence will not bother, but instead delight. From what I can unofficially guess, you will NOT be the only attendee in your age group. I'm nearly 42 and at times, I feel like the baby of this forum. =R=

Hi Nathan, I hope some of our Detroit mavens will chime in with some current info for you. In the interim, here are a couple of older threads (active in the past year) which may of use to you: Eating on the West side of Detroit Anyone from Metro Detroit?, Just checking.... hth, =R=

Thanks, Tammy, for the write-up. I'm glad to hear that you had such an enjoyable time. I absolutely loved that lobster and black truffle risotto. It was probably my favorite dish of our entire meal at Tru. BTW, those canneles were out-of-this-world fantastic. It takes quite a deft hand to turn them out as evidenced by some of the comments (by seasoned bakers) in this thread. =R=

I can't remember ever once feeling like I wanted to add salt to food at a restaurant where salt wasn't already on the table. Perhaps I'm just lucky in that regard. OTOH, I like the idea of carrying my own since I prefer both kosher and sea salt to the iodized table salt that's usually offered. I have been known to hoard (in my glove compartment, desk drawer at work, etc.) a couple packets of fine-grind fast food salt because it adheres to french fries so much better than the larger grain salts. =R=