[CHI] Alinea – Grant Achatz – Reviews & Discussion (Part 2)

[jesteinf]

Apparently you may not have had to leave Australia to eat some of the items on the Alinea menu...

[ronnie_suburban]

Apparently you may not have had to leave Australia to eat some of the items on the Alinea menu...

←

In case anyone is confused, I think this is what Josh is referring to.

=R=

[BryanZ]

It would be interesting to hear what chefg has to say about the recent controversy over interlude. inventolux apparently made some posts, but they were among a group of posts that got taken down by a mod.

It's amusing to note that some people in the other thread said that it would be nearly impossible to come up with over 200 dishes a year and that some borrowing/copying is inevitable. While this may be true to some extent, Alinea has proven otherwise.

[ulterior epicure]

Yeah, for those of you who haven't seen the "Interlude" website, took a look. It's quite shocking how many of those dishes I've had at a couple U.S. restos...

Apparently, "Interlude" has pulled some of the photo links from the menu, but the ones embedded in the flash are still up (as of last check yesterday).

u.e.

[little ms foodie]

I had an amazing meal at the restaurant on Sunday night. Luckily I was with another eGer who has some friends in the kitchen so our 12 course menu was expanded a bit. Wines were exceptional also.

Spendy? yep! worth it? to me absolutely!

our table display- honey comb

Hot Potato, cold potato, black truffle, parmesan- loved this!

Pine nut, radish, balsamic, Olive oil - excellent

Lamb, akudjura, nicoise olive, eucalyptus veil- one of my favorites of the night

Chestnut, too many garnishes to list- we had such a good time with this

Salsify, parsely, smoked salmon, steelhead roe- again, excellent!

Pear, celery leaf, and branch, curry- we thought this was very fun and there were no explosions, haha! I ate it before I remembered to take a photo.

Dungeness Crab, mait, chanterelles, dried apricot- not my favorite but still good

mussel, chamomile, cucumber,mint- I thought the mussel flavor got a bit lost but the other flavors were great!

Pork, grapefruit, cornbread, ohio honeycomb- excellent!

Sweet potato, bourbon, cinnamon fragrance- another of my favorites of the night!

duck, persimmon, onion, pillow of mace air- this was sooooo RICH! and the pillow was fun!

kobe beef, yogurt, squash, smoked paprika candy- although the flavors were great, this was a tad sweet to me. I liked the yougurt with the beef the best.

Applewood muscovado sugar, fenugreek- eaten without the use of hands, FUN!!

hazelnut carrot, raisin, melted butter- like the best carrot cake ever! and again, ate it before i shot it.

Sable, jasmine, toffee, banana- yum!

Chocolate, kola nut, chufa, date- this was good but really rich for me

more chocolate, five aromatics- lavendar and licorice were the favs

a little kitchen tour

all courses came with expert pairings which I'm happy to name if someone wants to know a specific.

thanks again to my very fun dining companion!!!

Edited March 18, 2006 by little ms foodie (log)

[soupsister]

I had an amazing meal at the restaurant on Sunday night. Luckily I was with another eGer who has some friends in the kitchen so our 12 course menu was expanded a bit. Wines were exceptional also.

Spendy? yep! worth it? to me absolutely!

thanks again to my very fun dining companion!!!

We did have a fun time, didn't we? I hope your husband wasn't too green with envy once he saw the pictures. I am still debating which course is my favorite- the chesnut with garnishes or the duck dish. I may have to eat them again, purely in the name of research.

Edited March 17, 2006 by soupsister (log)

[little ms foodie]

I think your favorite is the chestnut, you had soooooo much fun with that!!!

Hey I tried to kick Rocco at the charity event but he handed me a plate of braised short ribs on truffle scented polenta so I couldn't

[ulterior epicure]

I just posted all of my Alinea photos from my last trip on my flickr account.

u.e.

[greensNbeans]

I just posted all of my Alinea photos from my last trip on my flickr account.

u.e.

←

that was a great play by play! thanks, i have no time to visit so i have to live through you all - thanks

[ulterior epicure]

greensNbeans

You're welcomed. I'm thrilled that all of my time spent posting and commenting isn't a waste (although I'd do it for my own personal records anyway).

u.e.

[Simon_S]

Well, Hazel and I are just back from Chicago, where we visited Alinea last Thursday night.

I’ll admit to being a little nervous about going, mainly because I was so excited about going! In many ways I didn’t think the experience could possibly live up to my expectations, and I was worried that a combination of the fantastic reviews and my imagination would just set the bar impossibly high. In addition, I was concerned that I wouldn’t “get” it, that I just wasn’t a sophisticated enough diner, and that I wouldn’t appreciate the technicalities of what was being done. It sounds obvious, but my over-riding aim in going to any restaurant is to have a good meal, and I thought that in all the art and creativity, that might be lost.

I need not have worried.

We arrived half an hour early since our intended stroll around before dinner was cut short by snow. We were shown to our table and told that we could start straight away if we were ready or we could relax with a glass of champagne first. We decided we were ready to start and after a brief discussion with our waiter and with the sommelier we gave ourselves over to them without looking at menu or wine list. We had already decided we were going for the Tour with the wine pairings, and after a brief discussion we decided to go for the wine “upgrades” where appropriate. Once we had chosen sparkling water we were all set, and the meal began in earnest.

And what a meal it was. The first course (hot potato) persuaded me straight away that I was in good hands. Indeed, that first course was one of many highlights of the evening. Without going into too much detail (because I can’t remember them all right now) I would say that the courses that stick out most in my mind are the “meaty” ones – the lamb, the bison, the kobe beef, the duck. The lamb and the bison in particular were some of the most enjoyable flavours I have ever had in my mouth. That’s not to say that the others were anything less than spectacular. The chestnut, yuba, skate, lobster were most memorable. Obviously, I enjoyed some a little less than others, but even when the courses weren’t to my taste, I appreciated them and admired them. For example, I really don’t like celery, but the madras curry ball with the pear juice and celery leaf and branch was enjoyable for lots of other reasons. There was not a single course of the 26 that I didn’t enjoy on some level, and that’s quite an incredible feat in itself.

The full meal ran as follows:

Hot Potato cold potato, black truffle, parmesan

Pine Nut radish, balsamic, olive oil

Salsify parsley, smoked salmon, steelhead roe

Lobster malt, chanterelles, dried apricot

Mussel chamomile, cucumber

Skate caper, lemon, and brown butter powders

Pear celery leaf and branch, curry

Lamb akadjura, nicoise olive, eucalyptus veil

Bison braised pistachios, sweet spices

Idiazabal maple syrup, danish salt

Applewood muscovado sugar, fenugreek

Hazelnut carrot, raisin, melted butter

Yuzu pine, black sesame

Yuba prawn, miso, orange

Pork grapefruit, cornbread, ohio honeycomb

Chestnut too many garnishes to list

Duck persimmon, onion, pillow of mace air

Eggplant sugar, white poppy seed milk

Kobe Beef yogurt, squash, smoked paprika candy

Pineapple tamarind, thai basil, chinese sausage

Sweet Potato bourbon, cinnamon fragrance

Sablé jasmine, toffee, banana

Argan oil white chocolate, sumac

Chocolate kola nut, chufa, date

Coffee mint, buckwheat, passionfruit

Peanut five other flavors

The wine pairings (which I can detail if required) were fabulous across the board. Not only were the wines themselves excellent and varied, but each complemented the food and added something a little bit extra, a new insight on what we were eating. The effect was that the total was greater than the sum of its parts. The sommelier was incredibly knowledgeable, and was comfortable talking not only about the wines being served, but any other wines we mentioned or expressed an interest in.

In fact, all aspects of the service were faultless, and the attention to detail superb. Fair enough, I expected this in a restaurant of this calibre, but what I perhaps didn’t expect was the friendliness, warmth and general banter that went with the service. One or two waiters in particular were really great fun and we had a good laugh with them. To marry polish and professionalism with warmth and wit is no mean feat, but it was achieved here in spades.

On the whole then, the food was incredible, and it was not at all necessary to be into the technical aspects to enjoy it. Curiosity and a willing palate (coupled with a healthy dose of hunger!) is enough to ensure that you will enjoy this meal. The service was the best I have ever experienced. If you’re thinking of going, then go – you will not be disappointed.

Lest this turn into a totally gushing review, we had one small criticism (and we’re really nitpicking here). We both felt the breads weren’t up to much and, given the rest of the menu, were surprisingly pedestrian. Now, I have yet to have what my Irish palate considers really enjoyable bread in the US, so maybe this is a cultural/taste thing. To be honest though, with this menu the bread is pretty irrelevant, so we didn’t feel too cheated!

Aside from this, I would recommend going to Alinea on an evening where you’re NOT jet-lagged. By the end we were totally exhausted and I think our appreciation of the last few courses suffered a little because of that. In fact, looking at the descriptions of some of the later courses on the menu I have hardly any memory of them, which is pretty unfortunate. Next time we’ll leave our visit until later in the trip!

At the end of our meal we were shown the kitchen and Chef Grant kindly came over and spoke with us for a little while. I really hoped to be a cool and say something sensible, but all I managed was to heap paeans of praise on him, and sound like a gibbering idiot. Twenty-six courses and thirteen wines will do that to you! In any case, it was really a great end to a fabulous evening.

The only problem remaining now is our trip to El Bulli at the end of April. Has Alinea spoiled it a little? Can it possibly attain such dizzying heights? Time will tell…

So, I’d like to express our many thanks to all the team at Alinea, and our thanks to the good people of eGullet for giving us the heads up on this fabulous restaurant in this first place.

Si

[jesteinf]

Glad you had a great time Simon. I'm going on Saturday night and this has only gotten me more excited.

[docsconz]

The only problem remaining now is our trip to El Bulli at the end of April. Has Alinea spoiled it a little? Can it possibly attain such dizzying heights? Time will tell…

←

Nice review, Simon. For what is worth I was at Alinea and El Bulli last year and both were amongst the very best meals of my life so far. I think one helps appreciate the other even more. Enjoy!

[Elrushbo]

Well, Hazel and I are just back from Chicago, where we visited Alinea last Thursday night.

I’ll admit to being a little nervous about going, mainly because I was so excited about going! In many ways I didn’t think the experience could possibly live up to my expectations, and I was worried that a combination of the fantastic reviews and my imagination would just set the bar impossibly high. In addition, I was concerned that I wouldn’t “get” it, that I just wasn’t a sophisticated enough diner, and that I wouldn’t appreciate the technicalities of what was being done. It sounds obvious, but my over-riding aim in going to any restaurant is to have a good meal, and I thought that in all the art and creativity, that might be lost.

I need not have worried.

We arrived half an hour early since our intended stroll around before dinner was cut short by snow. We were shown to our table and told that we could start straight away if we were ready or we could relax with a glass of champagne first. We decided we were ready to start and after a brief discussion with our waiter and with the sommelier we gave ourselves over to them without looking at menu or wine list. We had already decided we were going for the Tour with the wine pairings, and after a brief discussion we decided to go for the wine “upgrades” where appropriate. Once we had chosen sparkling water we were all set, and the meal began in earnest.

And what a meal it was. The first course (hot potato) persuaded me straight away that I was in good hands. Indeed, that first course was one of many highlights of the evening. Without going into too much detail (because I can’t remember them all right now) I would say that the courses that stick out most in my mind are the “meaty” ones – the lamb, the bison, the kobe beef, the duck. The lamb and the bison in particular were some of the most enjoyable flavours I have ever had in my mouth. That’s not to say that the others were anything less than spectacular. The chestnut, yuba, skate, lobster were most memorable. Obviously, I enjoyed some a little less than others, but even when the courses weren’t to my taste, I appreciated them and admired them. For example, I really don’t like celery, but the madras curry ball with the pear juice and celery leaf and branch was enjoyable for lots of other reasons. There was not a single course of the 26 that I didn’t enjoy on some level, and that’s quite an incredible feat in itself.

The full meal ran as follows:

Hot Potato cold potato, black truffle, parmesan

Pine Nut radish, balsamic, olive oil

Salsify parsley, smoked salmon, steelhead roe

Lobster malt, chanterelles, dried apricot

Mussel chamomile, cucumber

Skate caper, lemon, and brown butter powders

Pear celery leaf and branch, curry

Lamb akadjura, nicoise olive, eucalyptus veil

Bison braised pistachios, sweet spices

Idiazabal maple syrup, danish salt

Applewood muscovado sugar, fenugreek

Hazelnut carrot, raisin, melted butter

Yuzu pine, black sesame

Yuba prawn, miso, orange

Pork grapefruit, cornbread, ohio honeycomb

Chestnut too many garnishes to list

Duck persimmon, onion, pillow of mace air

Eggplant sugar, white poppy seed milk

Kobe Beef yogurt, squash, smoked paprika candy

Pineapple tamarind, thai basil, chinese sausage

Sweet Potato bourbon, cinnamon fragrance

Sablé jasmine, toffee, banana

Argan oil white chocolate, sumac

Chocolate kola nut, chufa, date

Coffee mint, buckwheat, passionfruit

Peanut five other flavors

The wine pairings (which I can detail if required) were fabulous across the board. Not only were the wines themselves excellent and varied, but each complemented the food and added something a little bit extra, a new insight on what we were eating. The effect was that the total was greater than the sum of its parts. The sommelier was incredibly knowledgeable, and was comfortable talking not only about the wines being served, but any other wines we mentioned or expressed an interest in.

In fact, all aspects of the service were faultless, and the attention to detail superb. Fair enough, I expected this in a restaurant of this calibre, but what I perhaps didn’t expect was the friendliness, warmth and general banter that went with the service. One or two waiters in particular were really great fun and we had a good laugh with them. To marry polish and professionalism with warmth and wit is no mean feat, but it was achieved here in spades.

On the whole then, the food was incredible, and it was not at all necessary to be into the technical aspects to enjoy it. Curiosity and a willing palate (coupled with a healthy dose of hunger!) is enough to ensure that you will enjoy this meal. The service was the best I have ever experienced. If you’re thinking of going, then go – you will not be disappointed.

Lest this turn into a totally gushing review, we had one small criticism (and we’re really nitpicking here). We both felt the breads weren’t up to much and, given the rest of the menu, were surprisingly pedestrian. Now, I have yet to have what my Irish palate considers really enjoyable bread in the US, so maybe this is a cultural/taste thing. To be honest though, with this menu the bread is pretty irrelevant, so we didn’t feel too cheated!

Aside from this, I would recommend going to Alinea on an evening where you’re NOT jet-lagged. By the end we were totally exhausted and I think our appreciation of the last few courses suffered a little because of that. In fact, looking at the descriptions of some of the later courses on the menu I have hardly any memory of them, which is pretty unfortunate. Next time we’ll leave our visit until later in the trip!

At the end of our meal we were shown the kitchen and Chef Grant kindly came over and spoke with us for a little while. I really hoped to be a cool and say something sensible, but all I managed was to heap paeans of praise on him, and sound like a gibbering idiot. Twenty-six courses and thirteen wines will do that to you! In any case, it was really a great end to a fabulous evening.

The only problem remaining now is our trip to El Bulli at the end of April. Has Alinea spoiled it a little? Can it possibly attain such dizzying heights? Time will tell…

So, I’d like to express our many thanks to all the team at Alinea, and our thanks to the good people of eGullet for giving us the heads up on this fabulous restaurant in this first place.

Si

←

You did a very good job of describing a great experience, please start a new thread comparing Alinea to El Bulli when you get back, it would be nice to see what you had, how you liked it, especially with Alinea being relatively fresh in your mind.

[Simon_S]

please start a new thread comparing Alinea to El Bulli when you get back

←

Will do!

Si

[Elrushbo]

please start a new thread comparing Alinea to El Bulli when you get back

←

Will do!

Si

←

What part of Spain is El Bulli in?

[ronnie_suburban]

What part of Spain is El Bulli in?

←

el bulli

=R=

[Elrushbo]

Well, Hazel and I are just back from Chicago, where we visited Alinea last Thursday night.

I’ll admit to being a little nervous about going, mainly because I was so excited about going! In many ways I didn’t think the experience could possibly live up to my expectations, and I was worried that a combination of the fantastic reviews and my imagination would just set the bar impossibly high. In addition, I was concerned that I wouldn’t “get” it, that I just wasn’t a sophisticated enough diner, and that I wouldn’t appreciate the technicalities of what was being done. It sounds obvious, but my over-riding aim in going to any restaurant is to have a good meal, and I thought that in all the art and creativity, that might be lost.

I need not have worried.

We arrived half an hour early since our intended stroll around before dinner was cut short by snow. We were shown to our table and told that we could start straight away if we were ready or we could relax with a glass of champagne first. We decided we were ready to start and after a brief discussion with our waiter and with the sommelier we gave ourselves over to them without looking at menu or wine list. We had already decided we were going for the Tour with the wine pairings, and after a brief discussion we decided to go for the wine “upgrades” where appropriate. Once we had chosen sparkling water we were all set, and the meal began in earnest.

And what a meal it was. The first course (hot potato) persuaded me straight away that I was in good hands. Indeed, that first course was one of many highlights of the evening. Without going into too much detail (because I can’t remember them all right now) I would say that the courses that stick out most in my mind are the “meaty” ones – the lamb, the bison, the kobe beef, the duck. The lamb and the bison in particular were some of the most enjoyable flavours I have ever had in my mouth. That’s not to say that the others were anything less than spectacular. The chestnut, yuba, skate, lobster were most memorable. Obviously, I enjoyed some a little less than others, but even when the courses weren’t to my taste, I appreciated them and admired them. For example, I really don’t like celery, but the madras curry ball with the pear juice and celery leaf and branch was enjoyable for lots of other reasons. There was not a single course of the 26 that I didn’t enjoy on some level, and that’s quite an incredible feat in itself.

The full meal ran as follows:

Hot Potato cold potato, black truffle, parmesan

Pine Nut radish, balsamic, olive oil

Salsify parsley, smoked salmon, steelhead roe

Lobster malt, chanterelles, dried apricot

Mussel chamomile, cucumber

Skate caper, lemon, and brown butter powders

Pear celery leaf and branch, curry

Lamb akadjura, nicoise olive, eucalyptus veil

Bison braised pistachios, sweet spices

Idiazabal maple syrup, danish salt

Applewood muscovado sugar, fenugreek

Hazelnut carrot, raisin, melted butter

Yuzu pine, black sesame

Yuba prawn, miso, orange

Pork grapefruit, cornbread, ohio honeycomb

Chestnut too many garnishes to list

Duck persimmon, onion, pillow of mace air

Eggplant sugar, white poppy seed milk

Kobe Beef yogurt, squash, smoked paprika candy

Pineapple tamarind, thai basil, chinese sausage

Sweet Potato bourbon, cinnamon fragrance

Sablé jasmine, toffee, banana

Argan oil white chocolate, sumac

Chocolate kola nut, chufa, date

Coffee mint, buckwheat, passionfruit

Peanut five other flavors

The wine pairings (which I can detail if required) were fabulous across the board. Not only were the wines themselves excellent and varied, but each complemented the food and added something a little bit extra, a new insight on what we were eating. The effect was that the total was greater than the sum of its parts. The sommelier was incredibly knowledgeable, and was comfortable talking not only about the wines being served, but any other wines we mentioned or expressed an interest in.

In fact, all aspects of the service were faultless, and the attention to detail superb. Fair enough, I expected this in a restaurant of this calibre, but what I perhaps didn’t expect was the friendliness, warmth and general banter that went with the service. One or two waiters in particular were really great fun and we had a good laugh with them. To marry polish and professionalism with warmth and wit is no mean feat, but it was achieved here in spades.

On the whole then, the food was incredible, and it was not at all necessary to be into the technical aspects to enjoy it. Curiosity and a willing palate (coupled with a healthy dose of hunger!) is enough to ensure that you will enjoy this meal. The service was the best I have ever experienced. If you’re thinking of going, then go – you will not be disappointed.

Lest this turn into a totally gushing review, we had one small criticism (and we’re really nitpicking here). We both felt the breads weren’t up to much and, given the rest of the menu, were surprisingly pedestrian. Now, I have yet to have what my Irish palate considers really enjoyable bread in the US, so maybe this is a cultural/taste thing. To be honest though, with this menu the bread is pretty irrelevant, so we didn’t feel too cheated!

Aside from this, I would recommend going to Alinea on an evening where you’re NOT jet-lagged. By the end we were totally exhausted and I think our appreciation of the last few courses suffered a little because of that. In fact, looking at the descriptions of some of the later courses on the menu I have hardly any memory of them, which is pretty unfortunate. Next time we’ll leave our visit until later in the trip!

At the end of our meal we were shown the kitchen and Chef Grant kindly came over and spoke with us for a little while. I really hoped to be a cool and say something sensible, but all I managed was to heap paeans of praise on him, and sound like a gibbering idiot. Twenty-six courses and thirteen wines will do that to you! In any case, it was really a great end to a fabulous evening.

The only problem remaining now is our trip to El Bulli at the end of April. Has Alinea spoiled it a little? Can it possibly attain such dizzying heights? Time will tell…

So, I’d like to express our many thanks to all the team at Alinea, and our thanks to the good people of eGullet for giving us the heads up on this fabulous restaurant in this first place.

Si

←

You did a very good job of describing a great experience, please start a new thread comparing Alinea to El Bulli when you get back, it would be nice to see what you had, how you liked it, especially with Alinea being relatively fresh in your mind.

←

Even though I have not yet had the pleasure of trying Alinea yet, I get the feeling after reading recent experiences that Chef Achatz has taken the criticisms of Alinea to heart. Not saying most reviews weren't stellar, but a few reviews here and there complained of some dishes not hitting the mark, not being as good as others, etc. After seeing this review and others, I feel like trying the full tour at Alinea rather than the 12 courses, where earlier I got the impression that the 12 course menu was a collection of the tour's 'greatest hits.'

[jesteinf]

I'm sitting here trying to think of how I can do justice to last night's dinner at Alinea. Sure the food and service were as good as ever, but last night just felt different. There were several new items on the menu last night that show what a high level both in terms of skill and confidence level that the kitchen at Alinea is working at right now.

Let me try to give you an example, and forgive me on ingredients. I don't have my menu on hand but should have it later and I can post more details then. The Kobe beef course has changed form. The course comes out and looks a bit like a terrine. The bottom layer is comprised of little slices of melon slightly smaller than the size of postage stamps, each sliced impossibly thin. There have to be 20-30 little slices of melon, standing on edge against each other. On top of the melon are about 8 or 10 little nuggets of beef, each seared on one side. On top of the beef is one long thin (translucent) slice of cucumber. On top of the cucumber are some cilantro leaves and lime rock. Some soy sauce is then drizzled over the whole thing. The flavors in this dish are so wonderful and so complex, but none of the flavors on their own are overwhelming. If I had to choose a dish that defines the word sublime, this would be it. I just sat there in awe of what was in front of me.

Other highlights included pushed foie gras with blueberry soda (which marks the debut of the "palm bowl") and an asparagus dish that features the most interesting preparation of an egg you are likely to see anywhere.

Elrushbo - I don't know if you're still trying to figure out whether or not to go to Alinea, but based on last night's meal all I have to say is GO GO GO. Don't worry about all of the dishes not hitting the mark. While not every dish will blow you away, each can and should be appreciated in the context of the entire menu that you will be served.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll go back to thinking about the Kobe beef.

Edited March 26, 2006 by jesteinf (log)

[jesteinf]

Alright, I've got my menu now. Last night we elected to do the Tasting (12 courses) and we asked for 3 or 4 courses of the Chef's choosing to be added to our menu.

Hot Potato - cold potato, black truffle, parmesan. You know it, you love it.

Lamb - akudjura, nicoise olive, eucalyptus veil. The lamb and olive is both good and startling at the same time.

Pine Nut - radish, balsamic, olive oil - Great transitional course. Like an early palate cleanser.

Salsify - parsley, smoked salmon, steelhead row - Mostly unchanged from the last time I had it. The salsify itself was crunchier this time, but it still kept getting stuck in my teeth.

Lobster - coconut, hearts of palm, yuzu. Interesting dish in that it seemed like an evolution of a few dishes that have been on the menu in the last few months. Very delicate flavors.

Asparagus - egg yolk drops. For me this was an exercise in texture. The only thing I'll say is that this was very cool stuff.

Foie gras - hibiscus, licorice, blueberry soda. Again, the debut of the palm bowl. Tasty and refreshing, one of the night's highlights.

Pork - grapefruit, cornbread, ohio honeycomb. Mmm, pork and honey.

Kobe Beef - honeydew, cucumber, lime rocks. I think I've tried to talk about this enough. Really, it defies description. One of my favorite Achatz "substantial" dishes to date, right up their with the quail with foie gras and watermelon.

Yogurt - juniper, mango. This arrived at the table and brilliant me exclaims, "Ah, we've had this before. This is the yuzu." Our server gleefully responded, "No! This is frozen yogurt". I'll be quiet now and eat my yogurt.

Duck - apple, onion, pillow of mace air. When I had this last on New Year's Eve, I was pretty full of both food and wine so I don't think I was able to fully appreciate this dish. Breast, confit of leg, foie gras, and crispy skin...what could be bad?

Hazelnut - carrot, raisin, melted butter. The amazing, exploding melted butter. Mix it all up, good stuff.

Sable - jasmine, toffee, plantain. When I saw this on the menu I thought it was fish. Turns out it was actually a cookie-dough like concoction. I really enjoyed the texture and sweet but understated flavor.

Argan Oil - white chocolate, sumac. Right before this course came out I was thinking, "Boy, I could really go for some argan oil right now. That would be perfect." Sort of an interesting mid-dessert. Kind of sweet, kind of spicy.

Chocolate - kola nut, chufa, date. The original chocolate ribbon.

Peanut - five other flavors. I don't want to spoil this one. All I'll say is after getting the description of the dish when it was presented the thought that came to mind was, "Clever. Very clever."

Again, just a perfect evening. We did wine pairings as usual, but this time went for upgrades on 4 or 5 courses which is a great way to go IMO.

[BryanZ]

How does the addition of those courses work in regards to pricing, if you dont mind me asking? I don't want to inundate the restaurant with eG'ers asking for this semi-obscure request but it does seem like an ideal way to eat for those who can't manage the full tour.

With that said, Lollapalooza is in Chicago at the end of the summer with some pretty sweet bands. A revisit and perhaps a jaunt over to Moto might be in order.

[greensNbeans]

How does the addition of those courses work in regards to pricing, if you dont mind me asking?  I don't want to inundate the restaurant with eG'ers asking for this semi-obscure request but it does seem like an ideal way to eat for those who can't manage the full tour.

With that said, Lollapalooza is in Chicago at the end of the summer with some pretty sweet bands.  A revisit and perhaps a jaunt over to Moto might be in order.

←

I believe Umphrey's McGee will be in town for Lollapalooza, if you can do not miss em! Oh yeah, Ive heard that there is some pretty good food in Chi-town as well

[Collins]

Just finished dinner at Alinea - will post full review (as if it hasn't been done before) and thoughts tomorrow. Was fortunate enough to get a chance to meet chef achatz tonight - absolutely wonderful, wonderful experience that really rounded out the entire trip to chicago.

just a general comment, but no one...and i mean NO ONE....would not appreciate the meal, service and environment that chef has created. it truly is an experience from the minute you walk in the door to the moment you step out and back into the "real world".

[ronnie_suburban]

Not exactly a huge surprise but it is certainly worth mentioning here that Alinea was named Best New Restaurant by our friends at Chicago Magazine in their May 2006 issue.

Congrats to everyone on the Alinea team!

=R=

[ulterior epicure]

I join ronnie in congratulating Chef Achatz and the rest of his crew!

u.e.

[edited to ask: What restaurant won the award last year?]

Edited April 10, 2006 by ulterior epicure (log)