docsconz

I've had good luck at Chelsea Market, though I have not been there recently.

My wife and I and some good friends flew out to Chicago for a weekend of fun and food. The principle objective of the trip was to dine at Alinea for my birthday, which happens to coincide with the anniversary of the restaurant's opening. Unfortunately to start the meal on my birthday this year was impractical since that day fell on a Sunday and I had to work on Monday. Besides, I wanted to spend my actual birthday with my family. The next best thing was to start dinner on the 3rd and have the Tour, which would extend into the fourth. We came to Alinea from The Violet Hour, where we had some fantastic cocktails. On our way into the restaurant, we ran in to Nick Kokonas, the man who along with Grant Achatz, was primarily responsible for making Alinea a reality. I hadn't met him in person previously, so I was particularly pleased to meet him then. As we entered the restaurant, all but one of us had been to Alinea previously. We let our friend who hadn't been there before go in first. I still find that to be the coolest entrance to any restaurant that I know. Waiting for us at the table at Alinea were Ronnie Suburban and his lovely wife. They were to have joined us at TVH, but couldn't make it there in time. For the rest of the evening, Ronnie and I engaged in dueling cameras as we each photographed every course put in front of us. Our table was in the far corner of the front room on the second level. The meal started with a bang. Along with a cocktail of Louis Roederer Brut with Roussanne, spiced mead and Curacao we had: Steelhead Roe, coconut, lime, vanilla fragrance This dish was attached to the largest and most fragrant vanilla beans that I have ever come across. I thought I had experienced sensational vanilla beans in Kerala, India during a visit to a spice plantation (and I did), but these were simply perfect. The fragrance is one that I can't really get enough of. The overall balance was wonderful, providing an outstanding beginning to the meal. Alinea is know for its unusual serving utensils. The next one continued the theme of the vanilla pod: Lemongrass, oyster, sesame, yuzu Like the vanilla pod preceding it, the lemongrass was present to provide aroma and flavor by close association. It was not eaten. The Asian flavors enhanced the oyster nicely. The cocktail kept us for this as well as the next course. Chef Achatz not only is a master of using and combining non-intuitive ingredients into a cohesive whole, his visual aesthetic is extraordinary. Yuba, shrimp, miso togarashi This dish continued the thread Asian influence, particularly Japanese, that is so clearly integral to much of what Chef Achatz does - beautiful and delicious. The next dish was one of my favorites of the evening. It was paired with Alois Lageder Moscato Giallo "Vogelmair," Alto Adige 2006. White Asparagus, licorice vinegar, honey, meyer lemon Though the plate was not particularly colorful, flavor danced on the palate. The texture of the asparagus was perfect as was the balance of acid and sweet. Spring Garlic, parsley, lemon, chicken This was a lovely bite. to be continued...

Hey Doc, Good points but bound to happen. I have not been to Moto since its first years so I am not to familiar with what he he running at the moment. We also had to change our Short Rib dish a bit because a restaurant in New York pratically matched our same dish...Go figure Thanks for the reply. Jon ← The most important point is that the platings are such that I find them interesting and attractive.

Without bringing them all back to the fore, your criticisms are ones that I think had and may still have validity and should be used constructively by the organization. Clearly, the organization is not perfect, but it has done much good , especially by bringing many worthwhile issues to greater prominence. Those who do not dissect it cafeteria style may be accused of being blind adherants. One doesn't have to agree with everything about the organization to understand that despite its imperfections it remains the best alternative for what it does. What those who agree with its basic premises should do, is strive to improve it and/or make the best of it. This should be applicable to just about any human run organization. ← I agree with you, but there is a problem when the heads of this organization do not understand the grace that can be found in humility or the offense that can be taken from arrogance. The only person I really agree with 100% is me. That's cool! I think the magic of Slow Food has been the individual chapters, not the leaders of the organization, here or in Italy. ← Its the grass roots that really matters the most, anyway, though I do not have the issues with the leadership that you do..

Without bringing them all back to the fore, your criticisms are ones that I think had and may still have validity and should be used constructively by the organization. Clearly, the organization is not perfect, but it has done much good , especially by bringing many worthwhile issues to greater prominence. Those who do not dissect it cafeteria style may be accused of being blind adherants. One doesn't have to agree with everything about the organization to understand that despite its imperfections it remains the best alternative for what it does. What those who agree with its basic premises should do, is strive to improve it and/or make the best of it. This should be applicable to just about any human run organization.

As with any human organization, Slow Food is not perfect. However, as a human organization, it is only as strong as its members and it is up to its members to not forget the underlying tenets and to continue to work for them. People come and go, the organization may be attacked, but what it stands for remains important and worthy of promotion - "Good, Clean & Fair." BTW, Daniel, just because somebody responds to criticism, it doesn't mean that that person is intellectually "blind." He may respond to a particular criticism because that criticism is either unfounded, in error or worse. Criticism is good. It should make an individual or an organization take a look at itself and work to improve. It is not always the case though that a particular criticism is valid. Slow Food certainly can be criticized and should be to help it continue to improve, but it also has more than its share of positive points that should be maintained in focus. It is convenient when unable to adequately criticize or attack the underlying elements that many critics, especially those with a negative agenda, attack the vehicle with ad hominem attacks. There is much on which I personally disagree with Carlo Petrini, however, the over-riding elements underlying the philosophy of this organization are some that I find entirely persuasive, so much so that I have become a convivium founder and president with an eye on emphasizing what makes Slow Food a great organization with an important message. Good, clean and fair is important. It is important for today, but more important for tomorrow. Can anyone really and honestly state otherwise?

As of today, Max London's is also open on Sundays.

Are they mutually exclusive?

Very nice presentations, Jon. The plates are beautiful. What is on the plate with the shortrib? One quick observation, just having dined at Moto, three of your four plates are thematically if not visually or conceptually similar to dishes I had there. One of the opening dishes at Moto was a salmon dish although that one incorporated liquid nitrogen freezing. The duck confit reminds me of the Roadkill of fowl dish at Moto and the Mediterranean salad will likely taste like the Greek Salad at Moto although clearly the dishes are totally different in terms of presentation. This is not necessarily a criticism, but you will most likely be directly compared for better or worse.

I'm not saying that Vegas is not fun, a good vacation or doesn't have some inherently interesting things that originate in Vegas, but to say that it has soul and by "it", I mean the strip where most, though not all, of LV's top restaurants lie, is to say that corporations have soul. BTW, Disneyland has no soul either. Something doesn't have to have "soul" to be fun or worthwhile, but it does need that extra something to make it truly great. The problem with your argument about Venice is that in Las Vegas you have seen a poor facsimile of Venice, but seem to have the impression that it is an acceptable substitute for the real thing such as if one has been to the Venetian, why bother going to Venice since it is so expensive? Taken on its own terms, the Grand Canal at the Venetian is campy and fun, but in no way is it a substitute for the real thing. The same is true about Vegas' corporate restaurants serving food that originated anywhere but Las Vegas. Outside of the natural beauty, there is very little in Las Vegas that is truly of itself. The whole makes for an interesting, original and unique entity, but each individual part, especially those restaurants that aren't one-offs leave something to be desired.

He said it had been the special all week, and that there would probably be a new one next week, but as I was pressing him for details, he explained that they're newly opened (duh) and have just started having specials so they're feeling their way. I'm thinking of, and working on, starting a thread about "A return to 'real' food?" using this meal as an example, so I gotta ask: is this to say that the "Côte de Bœuf 'Rossini' " appeals to you? This is the kind of food I had told you that I would want to eat in Paris; Perhaps I'll have to start the new thread for your answer, but how does this dish appeal to somebody as "molecular" as you? ← I'm not Bryan, but I tend to like "molecular" or technoemotional cooking so I'll take a shot at your question. It looks great, but I see no reason that both approaches need to be mutually exclusive. I like great food- period. What I love about quality technoemotional cooking besides the appearance, texture and the taste is the imagination that makes it extra special. That doesn't mean that I don't also love more primal dining!

A book from Sam would be cool. A mix of sweet and savory would give a good taste of his breadth. Do it, Sam!

This is my understanding as well, though I believe J-G-V brought it to NYC. His technique may be somewhat different than Bras's too.

The egg itself was soft-cooked, probably slowly at low-temp in a waterbath, it had that custardy consistency I associate with that technique, but I suppose it could have been simply poached. That soft egg was then coated in panko and deep-fried to give it that crunchy exterior. The contrast was great, as were the interactions with the other flavors and textures in the rest of the dish. I heard several people say it was their favorite course of the night. ← That is a great dish and a Barber signature (or should be if it isn't generally considered one).

My feelings, exactly.

Thanks for the article, it was very interesting and well-written. ← It is a very good article, but the one from Chicago Magazine that JJ linked to, "Burned", is outstanding. Chef Achatz was one of my heroes before his ordeal. He is an unbelievable human being in so many ways.

My wife and I flew to Chicago this past Friday to spend a weekend to celebrate my birthday. We had done something similar about three (or was it four? years ago with our two eldest sons when we took them to the new restaurants, Moto and Alinea. That first time we flew into Chicago on Friday evening. Of course, our flight at that time was late, so we were late for our reservation at Moto. I had called them once I knew that our flight would be delayed. They were extremely gracious, even as we were a bit frazzled by the time we arrived for our meal. This time, my wife and I flew in on Friday morning and even managed to rest during the afternoon. We took a cab from our hotel, the well-valued Hotel Burnham in the Loop, through a rain shower to the Meat District and Moto. By the time we arrived at the restaurant, the shower had passed. We were seated at a two seat table by one wall and ordered a couple of cocktails. I had a Chorizo margarita, while my wife had The Library. Chorizo Margarita This savory cocktail was delicious with just enough chorizo infusion to give it definition, but not so much as to overwhelm the underlying Margarita. This was the first of a number of outstanding cocktails I would have that weekend. The Library consisted of 8 pipettes containing four different drinks with two pipettes of each. The pipettes were upside down in a glass of ice. One was instructed to suck a little bit from each pipette then plunge the rest in. The contents were good, but this cocktail ultimately fell into the gimmick category. Our edible menu arrived. Composed as a rebus, it wasn't so much a menu with a description or listing of the various dishes to be served, but rather a brief explanation of how the different menu options were constituted, be they the five, ten and "GTM" options along with their prices. Knowing that we would be in for a late night the next night and still a bit tired from our journey despite our afternoon rest, we were scared away from the GTM by the 5-6 hours ascribed to the meal. Instead, we elected to go for the ten course along with pairings. The personalization of the menu was cool, although the legalese above it was somewhat off-putting. The menu itself was a tasty flatbread that was served with ramps prepared several ways, pickled, braised and pureed and a little creme fraiche. Nitro Sushi Roll Our first course was a sushi roll made with the help of liquid nitrogen. Composed of Pacific Northwest king salmon with a tobirashi emulsion, powdered nori, lime vesicles, powdered roasted sesame oil and a yuba skin crisp it was delicious and a great start to the meal. Greek Salad The star of this Greek salad wasf wonderfully tender and flavorful octopus. I have rarely had better. Greek Salad Again The flavor essence of a classic Greek salad, this dish was remarkable for its very simple and minimalist presentation, distilling the myriad of ingredients into a clear liquid with all the flavor - impressive and subtle. Caribbean Jerk Nitro Pineapple These two elements were served on the same plate. The cinnamon-scented pineapple was deeply frozen by the frigid griddle with instructions to turn and "sear" the pineapple on all sides to leave "grill" marks. The halibut was extraordinarily flavorful and perfectly cooked. The combination combining contrasting textures and temperatures along with compatible flavors was the epitome of both fun and flavor on a plate. BBQ Pork and Baked Beans A repetitive theme of the evening's dinner was taking home style American and international foods and elevating them through technique and presentation. These dishes such as the pork and beans, the Greek salad and others, are not considered fine dining items because they lack great flavor. It is more because they are typically prepared in basic ways and are parts of our general culinary lexicon. What Cantu has done at Moto and others like Wylie Dufresne, Ferran Adria, Jose Andres and Katsuya Fukushima have done is taken iconic dishes and transformed them through technique and humor into Eliza Doolittles of haute cuisine. Delicious is a given as the flavors approximate or surpass those dishes they are modeled on, the added value coming from imagination, wit and bravado. This dish did just that as it virtually turned a classic southern American dish into something to amaze. The pork was perfect in every way, the beans tasty, the collard greens amazing and the liquefied cornbread magic. Outstanding! Pasta and Quail Though not as iconic as some of the other dishes played on, this too was a variation on comfort food. It was successful as well though not as memorable as some of the other dishes we had. Roadkill of Fowl One needs to have a warped sense of humor and a strong stomach to appreciate and enjoy this daring dish. Fortunately, my wife and I share both of those attributes. The duck confit was delicious, while the beet "blood" added mild sweetness to cut the richness of the duck. I think the dish would have been better without the additional marshmallow sweetness of the white "viscera." This was one of the most visually arresting and gloriously macabre dishes I have ever eaten. It would be ideal for many a themed Halloween party. Faux-jita This was the dish asked about in a post above mentioning the "battleship" like serving plates. That is an apt description for the serving plates as they resemble the playing fields of the classic game, "Battleship." The food on the plate, serve with beer was another example of the elevation of humble but delicious regional fare into a work of elevated cooking. In no way prepared like a classic fajita, it referenced the original in a playful, but totally imaginative and successful way. Fruit and Bubbles The carbonated grapes and fruit are a long-time signature of Moto and one of the few elements that are a direct descendant of my first dinner here. Grapefruit Despite the warning to put the whole orb in and close one's mouth around it, I was still fooled by the wonderful trompe l'oiel illusion and bit into the liquid centered sphere. The mess could have been much, much worse! Actually, the flavors of this marvelous dish were beautifully balanced and nuanced. Popcorn Ball Another iconic bit of fun. Carrot Cake This was set in front of each of us with the admonition to wait and let it sit. Chili Dog This dish was also a play on an iconic American food, however, unlike others on the menu, it was not evoking the flavors of that iconic food. Rather it evoked the imagery, but played tricks by tasting of something completely different. While well done, the concept is one that has been done in various ways for ages. While flavorful and fun, I found this to be one of the least compelling dishes of the evening. The Progression of the Carrot Cake. Continuing the theme of iconic foods, this was perhaps the finest rendition of this classic cake that I have ever had, with beautiful flavor, textures and balance. All too often a good carrot cake is ruined by insipid sweetness. Not so, this one. It was clever, fun and quite delicious. S'Mores A continuation of the iconic theme, this too was, for me, an improvement on the original. As I mentioned in a previous post on this topic, while I had enjoyed Moto on my first visit, I felt that perhaps too much emphasis was placed on showy technique and not enough on the ultimate goal of the dish. It was not as if the flavors were bad or that they didn't work. Rather, the sense I had was that they played second fiddle, subservient to what brought them together. In this iteration, I felt the opposite. Technique and style certainly remain important, but here they are used to accentuate and elevate the final dish rather than for their own sakes. I welcome this apparent maturation of the restaurant and look forward to returning to experience whatever new wonders Chefs Cantu and Roche and their teams devise.

Unbelievable! I think I would be dead right now had I been there with you! That would have been quite a way to go though!

This menu and approach of Adria's is not altogether new, as I recognize much of it from my dinner there last May with perhaps some tweaks. Rather, it seems to me that this current menu seems like a continuation of what than a departure. This past Sunday marked a year since my last visit. Rogelio, your photos and descriptions brought back many fond memories, not just of that dinner, but of the rest of my Catalan/Valencian visit as well. Thanks for posting it! Are you sure, that the beetroot meringues with yogurt weren't the lighter red balls lightly dusted in white further down your page that you are labeling "shiso caramel?"

I had a similar dish this past Friday night with cilantro in place of rosemary. I will provide more detail including some photos when I can along with the rest of the meal.

You pretty much made my point. Yes, the food is good, but the decor inside and out is much like the restaurants, clones of other places. Las Vegas is Disneyland for adults. It is good and it is fun, but I prefer the originals when I can. I'd rather goto the real Venice than the canal in the Venetian. There is a little more magic. However, Vegas is fun in its own right and on its own terms when one accepts it for what it is. I like it, but it still does lack "soul."

None of this keeps me from being very jealous of what you have experienced there, are experiencing and will experience this week and probably in the future

David, I'm sorry if I am raining on what I am sure is and will be an incredible time. I don't mean to. My last visit to Vegas was great. I am simply bemoaning the trend towrds globalization of high end restaurant franchises that is best represented in Las Vegas. L'Atelier, for example was a great experience, but lacked a little something extra for me just knowing that I could find nearly the same thing in other parts of the globe. Wing Lei, OTOH, was a novel experience for me and Michael Mina at the Bellagio, back when it was Aqua was preferable to me over the original in San Francisco. I am not questioning the quality or the talent, just the soul.

There is clearly no shortage of talent or quality in Las Vegas dining. My biggest issue with it is that with the exception of a few restaurants the landscape is dotted with clones rather than originals. Of course, that doesn't mean that the clones are not necessarily excellent in their own right nor that I don't enjoy the city or dining there, however, that aspect leaves a little something lacking for me in the end.

Fortunately for us, I was forewarned thanks to this topic about the potential difficulties in identifying The Violet Hour, as it has a rather non-pre-possessing entry. Even after making one's way through the door, it is not immediately obvious that this would in fact be the right place, a fine approach to keeping random visitors out. Make no mistake, this cocktail bar is quite serious about cocktails and the dilettante need not open the door, although I suspect that the staff would still be welcoming even if they did. Arriving early, we were led to seats at the bar in front of Michael, a master if ever there was one. Michael proceeded to educate us, entertain us and ultimately provided us with some of the absolute finest cocktails I have ever been fortunate enough to imbibe! Since we would be dining shortly thereafter at Alinea, we didn't want to go overboard and resisted the temptation to order food at TVH. We could not, of course resist the cocktails, which is why I made a point of going there. I mentioned that Michael educated us. He covered a number of cocktilian topics including the origins of bitters as well as the qualities of various tequilas, the compositions of various rye whiskeys, bourbons and other spirits as well as qualities of specific piscos such as the one above, one of his favorites. Having been to Peru and having fostered a fondness for pisco sours along with a number of variations on that theme this was of particular interest to my wife and myself. He provided us with the opportunity to sample the pisco straight - very nice. Michael also assumed the role of department store perfume salesperson as he rubbed various bitters on his hands for us to smell the wonderful aromatics. I think one may be able to make a fortune selling those scents that way! Amongst the four of us we each had a different drink to start. My friend Tom had Sazerac with a few variations from the menu version. His wife, Amy had a Miraflores incorporating the pisco with grapefruit, egg white, orange blossom honey syrup and Miramar Bitters. My wife had an off-menu rye-based drink, the Harlan County, while I was seduced by the Riviera, an amazing concoction of pineapple infused campari, egg white and lemon with a mint leaf floating on top. The Harlan County Michael doing his thing The Riviera After our first round, we were primed to continue for awhile, but time was getting perilously close to the time we would need to leave for Alinea. After discussing so many different drinks and wanting to try them all we settled on getting another cocktail per couple and tasting each. Given that it was Kentucky Derby day and given that Michael claimed to make a particularly great one and we had learned not to doubt his skills, a Mint julep was necessarily on of the choices. The other was the intriguingly named The Art of Choke. Once again, both were outstanding, with exquisite attention paid to every little detail such as the qualities of each ingredient including the ice. The balance of each of the cocktails we had was impeccable. I do not like overtly sweet things. Michael's drinks had sweetness, but that sweetness was perfectly counters with appropriate degrees of acidity, bitterness and alcohol. The Art of Choke Mint Julep The Violet Hour is now firmly ensconced for me as a must visit location whenever I should find myself in Chicago. My very good friend, Tom was kind enough to pick up the tab in honor of my birthday. We grabbed a cab to head off to Alinea, quite happy and looking forward to that next culinary adventure in fine spirits.