Little Goat
It was very difficult to walk past Au Cheval but for once I had enough willpower to not ruin my dinner. Every time I go to Little Goat I swear that I will try something different, yet inevitably I stick with my favorite. Maybe next time….

Parathas Burrito – Indian flatbread, sunny side eggs, avocado-bean salad, chili pepper sauce, sheep’s milk cheddar

Balena
Pre-dinner drinks

Alinea
I so look forward to every trip to Alinea and then feel so sad when it’s over. There is always a new dish that I am wowed by and the service is always impeccable. But what I often love most are the fantastic people who work here. I had heard such great things about the corn dish and it was indeed the highlight of the meal. I could have eaten four, a few black truffle explosions and called it a night. The other highlight of this menu for me was definitely the urchin. There are few foods that I don’t like and most of them present textural issues. I have tried and tried to like sea urchin, but I admittedly just don’t. To date the best uni course I’ve had was at 42 grams where it was on top of brioche and the textural contrast helped dramatically. This urchin course went a step further turning the urchin into a cake. For the first time I was able to just enjoy the flavor.

Ostera

Salsify

Urchin – cake, nori, vanilla

King crab – melon, lardo, honey

Skate – brown butter, lemon, herb stems

Tomato – ashed goat cheese, pistachio, licorice graffiti (on concrete)

Corn – truffle, manchego, sherry

Rhubarb – celery root, celery branch, licorice
(Somehow I missed a pic of this one)

Sweetbreads – orange, ginkgo nut, cinnamon chop sticks

Matsutake – pine, huckleberry, tapioca

Lily bulb – rambutan, distillation of caviar lime

Pork belly – parsnip, black trumpet, kombu

Hot potato cold potato

Duck – foie gras, lobster mushroom, dragon’s breath

Black truffle explosion

Blueberry – bubblegum, lilac, sorrel

Balloon – helium, green apple

Tropical fruit – rum, allspice, kafir lime

Three Dots and a Dash
Post-dinner drinks! Thank you Paul McGee for the always amazing hospitality!
Jet Pilot – dark Jamaican rum, gold Dominican rum, ovenproof rum, lime, cinnamon, grapefruit, falernum, absinthe, angostura bitters
Don’t Touch My Bikini – genever, coconut, lime, hellfire shrub, angostura bitters

Nico
I have probably said this before but Nico continues to be my new favorite in Chicago. It’s equally great at all times of the day and is one of the few places open for a late breakfast/early lunch.

Black currant scone (with honeyed whipped ricotta not pictured)

Wild king salmon belly – fermented chile, black lava salt, green apple

Heirloom tomato salad

Juno
My first trip to Juno was unfortunately shortly before it was forced to close when a fire broke out in the building. So happy for Jason Chan and BK Park that after many months it has finally re-opened. I’m looking forward to a return trip for omakase. And really enjoyed Sam McDermott’s new hot dishes (but wet naps are a necessity for the wings!). Unfortunately I didn’t get a photo of the menu so my photos are unlabeled. Apologies!