Oh Alinea it has been far too long. Still one of my absolute favorite places.
Tag Archives: Grant Achatz
Chicago – 8/25/17 – Roister and Alinea
Roister
If you haven’t been to Roister and live in Chicago we probably can’t be friends. Always excellent and dishes that are so much better than they read on the menu. The spicy cucumber salad I could easily eat once a day forever. And those grits may not look like much…but the scallop XO….amazing. Some others told me that the foie gras toast was too sweet. But as dessert is is perfect and evoked so many amazing childhood cinnamon toast memories.
anson mills grits, scallop XO, egg yolk sauce, parmesan
avocado toast, english muffins grapefruit, everything butter
spicy cucumber salad, pineapple-fish sauce dressing, lots of herbs
Foie gras, cinnamon toast, strawberry jam
Alinea
Still my favorite restaurant a decade later. Somehow I am missing a few photos because I was enjoying myself too much to be bothered. Always an an amazing experience and always something new that is a complete surprise. On this visit, the spud. Perhaps not the prettiest dish in the era of instagram (despite best efforts which gave me a good laugh) but absolutely delicious.
spear | avocado, coriander
paper | langoustine, bouillabaisse, olive oil
crunch | rouille, nori
ink | olive, artichoke
garden | orange, sherry, tomato
black bass, shellfish, kuzu
kaffir lime, tropical fruit
coconut
chicken, rice
steam | hamachi, rosemary, kombu
glass | blueberry, lapsing soughing, maitake
spud | truffle, midwest dairy
toast | gruyere, black truffle, pumpernickel
smoke | veal cheek, pineapple, hearts of palm
rock | sweet potato, chocolate, miso
nostalgia | bubblegum, candy bar
Chicago – 5/13/17 – Next Hollywood
Hollywood was absolutely the most fun Next menu. The presentations were all fantastic and perhaps too much fun as I have never had so many missing photos.
Movie Quotes – Gone with the “Caviar”
Popcorn – meyer lemon, fennel, guanciale
The Breakfast Club – bento box, sandwich, soup, pixie stick
Cool Hand Luke – trout roe, kiwi, young coconut, turnip
The Wizard of Oz – fave bean, golden raisin, romanesco
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea – octopus & scallop
Blade Runner – noodles, duck, pickled ginger
Jurassic Park – madeira, jambo, brioche
Star Wars – frog, Ethopian spices, yellow split pea
Ratatouille – byaldi
The Godfather – taro root, ricotta, olive
Horror – smoked pork neck, beet, garlic
Pulp Fiction – bulgogi big kahuna burger
Honey, I Shrunk the Kids – foie gras, chamomile, sunflower
Marie Antoinette – rhubarb, raspberry, black tea
Missing: “Life is Like a Box of….” and Mary Poppins
Chicago – 1/28/17 – Alinea Kitchen Table
There are a multitude of reasons that Alinea continues to be my favorite restaurant. As many times as I have been there I am always completely surprised by something new. And I always think back to my first visit quite a long time ago which was the first time I dined alone at a ‘nice’ restaurant. I was so nervous that my hand shook until I had finished my initial glass of champagne. But the experience was perhaps the beginning of my career as a ‘professional’ in conquering a very long tasting menu and I have never felt uncomfortable dining alone since.
I am not sure that I will be able to return to the dining room after this dinner at the kitchen table. I saw the space on my last visit but seeing it and sitting in it are quite different. Just completely fantastic especially with a great group of friends. I very much enjoyed again the dishes that I had previously – especially the scallop, corn, butter that I want several bowls of. While it is not a substitute for black truffle explosion, the gruyere/black truffle/pumpernickel was delicious and filled the void. And perhaps my favorite of the night was the very understated parmesan/pea/jamon iberico. Until next time….
osetra, king crab, condiments
quince, parmesan, date
scallop, corn, butter
cornbread, nori
cider, orange, maple
yuzu
parmesan, pea, jamon iberico
kuzu, pompano, shellfish
pork belly, curry, banana
rosemary, hamachi, kombu
blueberry, lapsang souchong, maitake
mastic, concord
*foie
gruyere, black truffle, pumpernickel
short rib, bitter cocoa, cassis
wagyu, rice, myoga
sweet potato, chocolate, miso
bubble gum, cake, banana
chocolate, cherry, bourbon
sesame, brown butter, gold
Chicago – 9/2/16 – Alinea
I knew that my first trip to the newly renovated Alinea would feel very strange but I was hoping that the Miami pop-up would have somewhat prepared me. I tried my best to be in the moment and not compare to the past. But while I understand the desire and need for change, as I rearranged my bedroom constantly as a kid, I still love the old space. I think it is much better to experience the Gallery without knowing what to expect so I am going to keep this very brief. I will say that it started off amazingly well, as all good things should, with caviar and champagne. Looking through my pictures and thinking back through all of these courses, this was a much much better meal than I may have given it credit for at the time. But I attribute that to my consistent feeling of immediate depression whenever a meal at Alinea ends. The redesigned table dessert course was fantastic and someday I hope to live in a home with a wall worthy of a Thomas Masters piece.
Communal – osetra, king crab, condiments
Shaker – gin, green tomato, chartreuse
Roll – cucumber, feta, caper leaf
Paper – scallop, corn, butter
Crunch – shio kombu, nori
Contrast – tomato, watermelon, parmesan
Sangre – blood peach, green peanut, iberico
Swirl – apple, yuzu, lemon verbena
Fry – icefish, daisy mandarin, radish
Yellow – pork belly, curry, banana
Glass – maitake, blueberry, lapsang souchong
Petal – onion, purple allium, black pepper
Toast – gruyere, black truffle, pumpernickel
Bon Bon – mango, almond, cinnamon
Chicken – palo santo, pineapple, mezcal
Bone – wagyu, rice, myoga
Cloche – cheeks, chamomile, melon
Nostalgia – fennel, dark chocolate, lemon, strawberry
Paint – cherry, white chocolate, bourbon
Gold – sesame, brown butter, feuilletine
Miami – 2/20/16 – Blackbrick Chinese & Alinea Miami
Blackbrick Chinese
I loved this place so much on my first visit and couldn’t wait to come back. For once I did not have to do any of the ordering which was completely amazing as it is always my role. Because of that I have no idea really what any of these dishes are. Perhaps I knew a month ago but now I haven’t a clue (well except for the beans which I insisted upon and which I could eat every single day).
Alinea Miami at the Faena Hotel
Perhaps it has taken me so long to complete this post because I haven’t been able to sort out what to even write. I was prepared to be completely disappointed by this dinner as when Alinea popped up at EMP in NYC I was completely thrown by having Alinea food in a different space. Until then I had not realized how much the physical space was a part of the experience. Also looking at some pictures from the pop up a month prior in Madrid many of the dishes were ones I had already had. But I do often say that its best to have low expectations so that you can only be pleasantly surprised. Then of course there is the Faena hotel which is completely over-the-top in every way. And I must digress for a second to note that the service is truly fantastic. Before beginning dinner I visited the hotel ladies room which had a multitude of stalls and every garbage can was empty and all toilet paper folded into perfect points. Alinea standards and suddenly it somehow all made sense. I love how the dining room light fixture reflects in the majority of my photos as it perfectly sums up the experience and in a way was good preparation for Alinea 2.0. I was completely surprised by how local parts of this menu felt as I simply didn’t think there was time to reinvent too much. Of particular note, of the many versions of this menu’s beef dish that I have had, this was far and away my favorite. I truly hope this wasn’t my last BTE or hot potato/cold potato, but if so they went out in style. Very much looking forward to the next chapter.
Hot Dog – welcome to Chicago
Osetra – plantain, papaya, rum
Guiso De Maiz – chorizo, tomato, pumpkin seed
Snapper – bouillabaisse, miro june 2, 1973
Moqueca – tiger’s milk, coconut, citrus vapor
Crab – cucumber, vanilla, green curry
Pig Ear – tamarind, watermelon, szechuan
Siam Sunray – lemongrass, chili, soda
Hot Potato – cold potato, black truffle, butter
Duck – ginger, yogurt, gold
Rose – on roses
Beef – chimichurri, lettuce cores, red onion
Black Truffle – explosion, parmesan, cabbage
Bacon – butterscotch, apple, thyme
Balloon – helium, green apple
Chocolate – banana, fernet branca, dulce de leche (Photo truly not representative of how this looked when plated but we got to talking and parts started to melt before I was able to take a picture)
Chicago – 10/4/15 – Next Terroir
I tend to have the highest expectations for the final menu of the year, likely as they always have the highest price tag. And while I try hard not to compare menus, this was overall one of my favorites. I don’t think that there was a stand out dish, but I genuinely really enjoyed every course which has not been the case on every menu. Unfortunately I didn’t get photos of all of the wine but I assume much has changed by now (and there was a lot of it!). I’m always somewhat sad when a year ends after having these meals to look forward to for 10 months but on to 2016.
Char roe with rye and creme fraiche
brussels sprouts with beer and flax seed
caramelized onion with chicken skin and heart
prosciutto with honey and lemon
crostini with nasturtium and parmesan
Sturgeon with scallions and iterations of peanut
Consommé of barley with arugula and montasio
Squab with beets and fennel
Pear with blue cheese and fresh moss
Potato chips, caviar, popcorn
Lion’s mane, bison, truffled soil
Hamachi, ginger, fermented gooseberry
Snail, artichoke, eucalyptus aroma
Lamb, olive, valley wind
Molasses cake, cottage cheese, bay
Tea cookie, flan, caramelized white chocolate
Chicago – 10/3/15 – Nico Osteria, Green River & Alinea
Nico Osteria
I’m pretty sure I swore I’d stop blogging about my trips to Nico because there have been way too many. But I just can’t help it. Still my favorite brunch in Chicago with consistently fantastic crudo, pasta and cocktails. And it is always lovely to see familiar faces.
Rock fish crudo
Rigatoni with a northern ragu
Gem lettuce, caper berries, fig-balsamic vinaigrette, parmesan
Salumi & Cheese – La Quercia ham, mortadella, milano salami, goat cheese
Green River
This was only a brief stop for pre-dinner cocktails which of course were fabulous. More comments on our lunch two days later in a future post. 
Alinea
I’m fairly certain that I’ve been to Alinea more times than any other restaurant. First world problems my brother would say. I suppose I am fortunate but also need to stay home long enough to become a regular anywhere in NYC. Still my favorite restaurant in the US and I can’t imagine that anything will knock off black truffle explosion as the best bite of all time. On every visit I’m completely blown away by something and wonder how they will top it the next time, but they always do. This meal Chef Davies’ trout dish was my favorite hands down. I can’t wait to see what Alinea 2.0 has in store.
Peach – basil, murray river salt
Bocadillo – bread, jamon iberico, manchego
Gilda – guindilla de ibarra, anchovy, olive
Jamon iberico – cantaloupe, salt, espelette
Tortilla – potato, onion, egg
Patatas Bravas – paprika, chile, garlic
Strawberry – tomato, pumpernickel, burratta
Char Roe – english pea, olive oil, chamomile
Brook Trout – uchiki kuri squash, thai banana, blis
Graffiti – matsutake, maitake, parsley
Unagi – pickled plum, white sesame
Corn – uni, nori, togarashi
Totoro Kombu – hamachi, ice fish cracker
Percebes – smoke, seawater, ash
Chicken – shishito, lily, kombu
Hot Potato – cold potato, black truffle, butter
Wagyu – matsutake, ginger, black garlic
Black Truffle – explosion, romaine, parmesan
Olive Cake – extra virgin olive oil, black pepper
Lamb – caper leaf, grapes, olives
Bacon – butterscotch, thyme, black pepper
Parsnip – honey truffle, vanilla, orange
Balloon – helium, green apple (missing a photo)
Tropical Fruit – rum, vanilla, kaffir lime
Chicago – 2/15/15 – Next : Bistro
2015 is certainly off to a good start for Next. I was super excited about this menu when it was first announced. As I started seeing photos pop-up online from my many friends who were able to get there before me I knew I was going to love it. I think the menu substitutions were a super smart idea from the restaurant’s perspective. There are very few Next menus that I have done more that once but I left this meal already trying to figure out when I could return because there were too many dishes I desperately want to try. The beef tenderloin was amazing….four of my favorite components on one plate is hard to beat. And I very much enjoyed the beverage pairings for this menu…perhaps next time I can just have a dish of the armangac soaked prunes please??
Ceuf a la Beran (chicken custard with crispy chicken skin and chives)
Soupe de Poireaux et Pomme de Terre de Jules Gouffe (jules gouffe’s potato and leek soup)
Foie Gras Au Torchon (foie gras with brioche toast points, huckleberry, murray river salt, and black pepper)
Aile de Raie Meuniere avec des Capres et des Choux de Bruxelles (skate wing with capers, brown butter, lemon, and brussels sprouts)
Tarte a l’Oignon Caramelisee avec Gruyere et des Anchois (caramelized onion tart with gruyere and anchovies)
Tournedos Rossini aver use Puree de Pommes de Terre (beef tenderloin with foie gras, black truffle, and potato puree)
Escargots de Bourgogne avec du Pain et du Beurre Maitre d’Hotel (burgundy snails and herbed butter topped with bread)
Champignons Sauvages (wild mushrooms)
Prune Armangac, Punt E Mes, Angostura
Pear brandy, Cocchi Rosa, Grapefruit
Patisserie du Jour
Assiette de Fromage
The Betty
A huge thank you to the consummate gentleman John Schafer for escorting us down the street to the Betty in our inappropriate heels on extremely snowy and icy sidewalks. Very big shoes to fill at Next! I love all of the new additions to the West Loop. Love the space and the vibe at the Betty and my drink was quite good. Looking forward to going back!
Life During War Time – genever, green tea syrup, aperol, fennel bitters, bitter lemon soda
iwillmakeualist 