[CHI] Alinea – Grant Achatz – Reviews & Discussion (Part 3)

[jesteinf]

20. HALIBUT shellfish, waterchestnut, hyacinth vapor

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This was a really beautiful course, and one of my favorites of the night. The bowl in the center contained an eggless custard with halibut and various types of shellfish. Certainly the best chawan mushi I've ever had.

[jesteinf]

Another dish that really struck me was the King Crab. What I thought was so interesting about it was the fact that the flavors were so different than anything else I've had at Alinea. The crab dish really focused on sour and spicy elements, which haven't been all that present in the other dishes that I've had here.

[molto e]

Absolutely stunning...YT!

[yellow truffle]

As always, fantastic images, Anthony. Thanks for sharing (again). Looking back, which you have facilitated so wonderfully, I really loved the Venison in Savory Granola and the Manchego Transparency. Also, the Orange and Olive Oil dessert was fantastic...

You are welcome, Ron.

Spectacular photographs of spectacularly beautiful food! It is nice to see that both you and Grant Achatz are still very much alive and kicking...not that I had any doubt!

Chef is still creating some amazing dishes, some of which I have not had the time to put up. Every time I come in, there is always something new.

What is particularly amazing about the quality of this photography is that it is done table-side during dinner. Though they look like they could have been, they were not shot in a special photo shoot. It has been too long since I have been to Alinea.

You are correct, sir. These are still being done table side, sans any other equipment. And yes, John, it has been too long since you have returned.

Absolutely stunning...YT!

Thanx Eliot. But I just point and shoot the camera. The amazing part are how the dishes taste.

[yellow truffle]

3. CHANTERELLE carrot, curry, ham

What is the relationship of these three plates in this post?

John. All the images are part of the same course. The first image was a paprika bread roll. Unlike previous bread offerings that were made by local bakery, Red Hen Bread, this one was done by Alinea. They just came by and placed one of these on our plate, no questions asked. It is designed to be complement the CHANTERELLE dish. The second image is what the dish looks like when it arrives at your table. Note the clear cylinder surrounding the ingredients.

The server then pulls up the sleeve and voilà, the following two images becomes the end presentation. Check out the MAITAKE.

[docsconz]

3. CHANTERELLE carrot, curry, ham

What is the relationship of these three plates in this post?

John. All the images are part of the same course. The first image was a paprika bread roll. Unlike previous bread offerings that were made by local bakery, Red Hen Bread, this one was done by Alinea. They just came by and placed one of these on our plate, no questions asked. It is designed to be complement the CHANTERELLE dish. The second image is what the dish looks like when it arrives at your table. Note the clear cylinder surrounding the ingredients.

The server then pulls up the sleeve and voilà, the following two images becomes the end presentation. Check out the MAITAKE.

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Gotcha. Thanks to you and Josh for explaining it. I will likely be taking my son to Chicago for a college tour sometime before the end of the summer so I will hope to do something then if not before.

[ronnie_suburban]

Both the spherical roll that was served with the Chanterelle dish and the 'cracker' base for Morel dish were made with Spanish, smoked paprika (not sure what variety), which provided a very distinctive note.

=R=

[yellow truffle]

34 at 34, some thoughts.

Chef takes on a more Asian/Pacific Islander inspired set of dishes.

A new item, BONITO, is sort of like a dried sardine. Now while it may be easy to dry a sardine, creating a dried product out of a product out of bonito (dried fish flakes) seems like a challenge. This candied treat scores one under sweet column. If Asians had this as a dessert, I would have never left the continent.

KING CRAB was an Alinea-interpreted deconstruction of crab sushi. The crustacean was flavored with wine, and the rice was mixed with vinegar. Sounds pretty normal, right up to where the crab was suspended on a rice wine gelée with some complementary garnishes, on top of both items. Very Alinea-esque.

The COCONUT ribbon texture was nothing like a coconut, but it sure tasted like one. Sort of like a coconut cream that has been formed into a solidified strip, this sweet course makes for a wonderful start to final series of toothsome dishes. I for one am a fan of this dish.

Although not specially an Asian thing, PERSIMMON might be more regarded with cultures from the far east. This cool thick custard was fairly robust in flavor and the addition of the ginger tea ball added to the complexity (without loosing focus) of this dish.

Some Alinea favorites made its way back onto the menu.

The explosive BLACK TRUFFLE seemed a little thicker than usual (not that I am complaining). The HOT POTATO dish tasted the same as before, but I noticed that my soup had a little more color than usual. And of course the you can't have a birthday dinner without a touch of BACON.

The maturation of certain dishes.

The APPLE has the juice in a cocoa butter shell. Previous renditions of this were PEAR, PEACH, CARROT.

Previously known as the TURBOT, the HALIBUT arrives with hyacinth vapor in tow. This time a bountiful presentation of the lilies. IMHO, this is the definition of Alinea comfort food.

What started as the TARRAGON, then became the IDIAZABAL, and now the MORELS, the direction seems to be moving towards a heavier course. Note that Chef is adding dimension to the puff and creating layers of flavors. Although tasty, I feel that it is not reminiscent of the characteristics of the "puff."

CHESTNUT is always a wonderful one bite dish that acts as an intermezzo, as does the YUZU. The LAMB and the SKATE are fairly solid savory dishes and will satisfy most epicureans.

OCTOPUS was presented in a sphere (it's always a seafood with this dish), which acts as both a holder for the utensil and a vessel for some sort of fluid. I thought the flavors were pretty good, although I thought the serving dish required a little more hands-on by the guests than the other serving pieces. Instead of eating the ingredients on the fork and then drinking the fluid at the base, I would have liked to have seen both of these elements combined.

EGG YOLK is back with a smear of meyer lemon (another Asian ingredient) on the plate. With asparagus season around the corner, it is only natural to have this dish on the menu.

Revisiting Trio, at Alinea.

The tripod makes it way through the doors of Alinea with the HIBISCUS lollipop. Fun and playful, ahh the good times.

The BLUEBERRY and soda combination, along with the blueberry strip at the bottom of the five gelée flavors (?, fennel, cream with smoked salt, chocolate, hazelnut) is a wonderful way to celebrate spring. As the height of blueberry season comes around this will evolve into a richer dish. I would like to see this on the menu for a while.

TRANSPARENCY deconstructs manchego cheese. There is a skin of cheese and a few chunks strategically placed on the plate. To complement the flavors there are some red and yellow peppers, with some arugula. The flavors are there, but I don't care much for the texture.

Previously at Trio, both these dishes were know as the Mountain Huckleberry Soda and Manchego Textures.

Some of the new guys.

The CROQUETTE starts the evening off with this wonderful deep fried creation. The core has a soft creamy texture with hints of salmon. The roe garnish (which I assume is from BLiS) provided a highlight to this one bite'r. I love the way Chef is playing with the warm soft center of the croquette and the cool fluid center of the roe. This encapsulation theme seems to be carried through in more of the dishes that evening. This was a winner by everyone at our table that evening. I foresee this on the menu for a while, I hope.

The CHANTERELLE course brought out a special, in-house Alinea-made, bread roll as a complement to the dish. The roll had hints of smoked paprika that worked well for me in cleaning the plate of mushroom purée.

MONKFISH was sure winner in my book. I loved the juxtaposition with the texture of the fried nuggets and the liver mousse. Tasty, just tasty.

The previous one bite course of NIÇOISE OLIVE and OLIVE OIL, have transformed itself into the multi bite course called the ORANGE. A cleaner approach (read. finger free) to tasting the flavors make the addition of other ingredients easier. Now Chef is able to add some more liquids to this once dry course.

VENISON, as odd a combination as this sounds, this really works. The meat (cooked sous-vide, I believe) breaks a part nicely and the granola makes for a soft crust. The parsnip puree garnishes nicely.

LICORICE CAKE (aka. tumbleweed), was an odd looking item. <Sidebar: If Michael Ruhlman is not a fan of the antenna, how might he react to this dish. Note to Martin on upgrading the antenna: Have really tiny camera mounted at the base of the antenna so as to catch the reactions of the diners. And then print out image on edible paper...ohh sorry wrong thread.> The hairs are sugar strings that just melt in your mouth, you don't even need to press down. The licorice flavor was a slight one at first, but builds up to a comfortable level. As this flavor is the finish, you gotta like licorice.

How To Finish A Meal.

So after sampling 31 dishes, we still had it in us to go for ten more. Until the BIRTHDAY came around. I believe this is usually given to just the person celebrating the bDay, but in this case the call was made to be given to everyone at the table. The dish is like opening a gift given by the restaurant. The hot (heavy) buttercream melts the chocolate ball, and presents you with a little mini cake. As we each consumed about a half a cup of the heavy cream, that pretty much put us over the top and were now starting to think "uncle."

And the kitchen does not stop there. FOH bring's out the squid, which could mean only one thing, a fried item. CARAMEL was a nice sweet ending to meal, or so we thought. Now it is Joe's turn to finish us off. He brings out a wonderfully rich and thick digestif. Appropriately know as the NIGHTCAP, a pear floating in sherry and tequila that compensates for any after dinner beverage. All that was needed was a cigar and a fireplace.

There are probably close to 200 different ingredients and a few dozen techniques used to create this meal. With 34 courses, one starts to see patterns emerge from the a seemingly un-chaotic presentation of ingredients. One that particularly stands out is how Chef loves to encase a liquid (or something less viscous) in a shell. I would not have said this of dinners early on in Alinea, and I am sure I would not say the same of the restaurant a couple of years from now. This continual evolution is just one of the reasons that keeps me coming back.

Edited March 22, 2007 by yellow truffle (log)

[notbatgirl]

Just came across this string for the first time -- my husband and I eloped to Chicago in September 2005 and ate our elopement dinner at Alinea -- a truly amazing experience. We had the 12-course meal; pictures are up on our Flickr site, http://www.flickr.com/photos/ginkat/sets/889944/

Moderator Note:  For an in-depth look at Alinea's pre-opening development, please visit The Alinea Project forum.

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We were the first table sat at Alinea on opening day......words can't describe what It's like to eat at this restaurant

Alinea will change the way people look at restaurants forever.......I can't even imagine what this restaurant's future will hold, it is almost scary to think about

A completely flawless meal on opening night with a 28 course format, very few people can pull that off..... it will be a very long time before a restaurant of this caliber surfaces anywhere in the world.......

an amazing experience to say the least....alinea has raised the bar to unreachable heights!!!!!!

the kitchen is amazing and the new plates and serviceware are really cool as well

congratulations to chefg and the team at Alinea....I can't thank the entire staff enough for the mindbending experience and I am looking forward to my next meal (if I can get a reservation)

I have pictures of every course and will post them soon>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

seaninnashville

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[hathor]

Did anyone else see the announcement that Alinea will close on May 6?

That's a shocker. Seems that Chef Achatz wants to pursue a career in acting.

Here's the blurb from Michael Ruhlman's blog.

edit to fix link

Edited April 1, 2007 by hathor (log)

[docsconz]

Did anyone else see the announcement that Alinea will close on May 6?

That's a shocker. Seems that Chef Achatz wants to pursue a career in acting.

Here's the blurb from Michael Ruhlman's blog.

edit to fix link

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Alinea's anniversary is May 4th and May 6th is a Sunday.

[hathor]

Did anyone else see the announcement that Alinea will close on May 6?

That's a shocker. Seems that Chef Achatz wants to pursue a career in acting.

Here's the blurb from Michael Ruhlman's blog.

edit to fix link

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Alinea's anniversary is May 4th and May 6th is a Sunday.

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So, you're thinking this press release comes from someone at The Onion?

[gingerpeachy]

April Fool?

[Christopher Haatuft]

[jenn37]

While I'm flattered by the Onion reference, it was indeed an April Fool's joke that Grant and I played on Ruhlman. There are a few subtle hints within the release, the last line in the boilerplate being the most obvious. Nice catch on the anniversary date, Docsconz!

[docsconz]

While I'm flattered by the Onion reference, it was indeed an April Fool's joke that Grant and I played on Ruhlman. There are a few subtle hints within the release, the last line in the boilerplate being the most obvious. Nice catch on the anniversary date, Docsconz!

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That was an easy one as Alinea and I share the same birthday!

[hathor]

Got me good!! Ever since my uptown Manhattan ob/gyn quit his practice, joined the Marines and moved to Japan....I'll believe anything!!

[ronnie_suburban]

There's a nice, informative piece in today's Chicago Reader about Alinea's fantastic expediter, Trinna Schramm:

TRINNA SCHRAMM HAS never cooked in a restaurant kitchen, nor has she ever aspired to. But how you enjoy your dining experience at Alinea -- the best restaurant in the country according to Gourmet's most recent list -- depends heavily on her. As Grant Achatz's unglamorously titled "expediter," she does a job that at most other restaurants falls to the chef or sous-chef, coordinating the kitchen and dining room staffs to make sure your meal is perfectly paced.

She Makes Alinea Run

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[Gabe Q]

Congrats to ALINEA for making their debut at the World's Top 50 for 2007 at #36. For such a new restaurant and considering the other places on the list that is a big honor.

[docsconz]

Congrats to ALINEA for making their debut at the World's Top 50 for 2007 at #36. For such a new restaurant and considering the other places on the list that is a big honor.

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While the owners and staff of Alinea should rightfully be proud of all that they have accomplished, I'm surprised that it wasn't ranked even higher! While the restaurants on the list are formidible,, I don't think that it would have been too much of a stretch for the restaurant to be in the top ten.

[Gabe Q]

I do agree Doc, Alinea is definitely up to par wih many of the top 10 places. I'm sure next year there will be a big jump for them.

[docsconz]

I have been to eleven of the restaurants including all of those from the US that were ranked ahead of Alinea. Of those, the only one I would rank ahead of Alinea is elBulli even though I think all those restaurants are excellent.

[markabauman]

There was a very nice mention on a recent episode of Gourmet's Diary of A Foodie program on PBS:

Diary of A Foodie

[edsel]

I found the complete Top Fifty list online on Wikipedia.

There are six US restaurants listed ahead of Alinea, including one from Chicago (Charlie Trotter's at # 30). Has anyone dined at both recently?

EDIT: Here's a page listing 51-100 from a more official looking site. The North American voting panel is headed by John Mariani.

Edited April 24, 2007 by edsel (log)

[gfron1]

Well tonight was our night. We're in town for the Fancy Food Show so we thought we would take advantage. We did the full tour with upgraded wine pairings. While there were maybe two so-so courses, it was absolutely amazing. I haven't had a chance to digest the meal (mentally and emotionally) yet, but I wanted to thank the previous posters. I would never had taken such a plunge without your comments. Its true! Its all true! Absolutely amazing. Enjoy!