In Chicago, Chef Grant Achatz Is Selling Tickets to His New Restaurant

[olicollett]

Nice. I would do Aviary at least once. And then ask if you can get into the Office (downstairs speakeasy) on the 2nd visit.

Try to grab a reservation in advance. I think they are taking them via email 2 weeks in advance now. Any party size, for 6pm, 8pm, or 10pm.

Thanks Kathryn, we'll be in town for around 5 days so hopefully we'll pop in a few times and they might take pity on us and let us downstairs

[KD1191]

They're holding back one reservstion per evening to auction off for charity, so if cost is no object...

Those tables were made available tonight via Dutch Auction, with the starting prices in the $4-5,000 range for a table for 2. 16 of the 73 available tables have already been sold, raising $76,000 for charity.

[olicollett]

They're holding back one reservstion per evening to auction off for charity, so if cost is no object...

Those tables were made available tonight via Dutch Auction, with the starting prices in the $4-5,000 range for a table for 2. 16 of the 73 available tables have already been sold, raising $76,000 for charity.

Wow! Great to see

[edsel]

For anyone still hoping to get into the elBulli menu at Next, I can tell you that persistence pays off! A friend scored same-day tickets this weekend. We found out at 1:00 PM Eastern that it was a go for 7:30 Central the same night. Talk about a mad dash from Cleveland to Chicago...

It really is an incredible experience. I never made it to el Bulli, but at least I got to enjoy the retrospective at Next.

[bmdaniel]

I made it to both, and enjoyed the Next version substantially more (but I think we had a bit of a "lemon" at El Bulli).

[olicollett]

Wow. Only a few days til I go, slightly excited...

[olicollett]

Well, that was epic. Pics/report to follow...

[Mjx]

For anyone still hoping to get into the elBulli menu at Next, I can tell you that persistence pays off! A friend scored same-day tickets this weekend. We found out at 1:00 PM Eastern that it was a go for 7:30 Central the same night. Talk about a mad dash from Cleveland to Chicago...

It really is an incredible experience. I never made it to el Bulli, but at least I got to enjoy the retrospective at Next.

What on earth is that?! I'm fascinated...

[bmdaniel]

Frozen blue cheese sphere. Very blue cheesey.

At El Bulli I had a coconut version which was inedible.

Edited April 13, 2012 by bmdaniel (log)

[olicollett]

Yes it was cheesy indeed! My friend who was eating with me is not a fan of blue cheese and struggled!

[edsel]

Has anyone had success selling tickets to Next? Posting on their Facebook page appears to be the "official" way to do it, but I wonder how effective it is.

[huiray]

Has anyone had success selling tickets to Next? Posting on their Facebook page appears to be the "official" way to do it, but I wonder how effective it is.

 

I've never done it, but I believe that is the only way to do it that Next recognizes as a "proper way".  I believe they also require the transaction to be verified/confirmed by them.  They want the transfers of "ownership of the tickets" to be registered in their computer system - I think you can still call them, but account holders would do so in their "Manage Account" page on the Next website, after logging in, at the bottom of the "Tickets" section on that page, by hitting the "Transfer Tickets" button and going through the process that is called up there. 

 

My understanding is that the transactions on Facebook are quite effective.  I've heard/read about highly desired tickets from individuals being snapped up within the hour, sometimes within minutes.  Selling tickets on the "black market" or on other forums (e.g. Craig's List) is discouraged by Next, and (after the very initial period years ago) have stated that they may invalidate tickets sold for a premium if they become aware of it.

[hll]

If anyone is interested, we have a 2 top this Saturday evening (April 4) at 5:45pm that we can't use. 

 

hll@well.com