For my birthday, my husband flew me into Chicago for dinner at Alinea, which was the one place in the US I really wanted to try. Even with my high expectations, I felt this was the best meal of my life, better than the Michelin 3-star French Laundry, Paul Bocuse, and Le Louis XV. It had the highest ratio of outstanding dishes for a meal -- many high-end tasting menus have many good dishes, with a few outstanding dishes and a few so-so dishes. However Alinea had a steady progression of mind-blowing courses, each so intricate and unique that I absolutely enjoyed my meal despite being unwell that day.
The restaurant is very discreet, sleek, and modern -- the entrance is unmarked, and we drove by it a couple times without finding it. In the end, the presence of the valet parking person tipped us off to where it was. Inside is a progression of rooms in grays and blues, interspersed with muted purples, glass, and sharp-angled art. We were seated in an upstairs room with only two other tables -- the amount of space (more than 15 feet separated us from our nearest neighbor) was unheard of for any restaurant I've dined at.
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Course #1:
Liquid nitrogen frozen peas w/ fried peas, honeydew gelee, chinese rice wine gel beads, etc.
So many textures and flavors of peas. Sometimes light & springy, sometimes rich and deep, sometimes warm, sometimes ice-cold. A great start, but the blue background to the dish seemed pretentious.
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Course #2:
Salt cod shad roe wrapped in bacon, tempura battered. Superb, can't go wrong w/ bacon.
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Course #3:
Yuba w/ shrimp in miso mayo. The sweetness in the shrimp was a perfect combination with the hint of sweetness in the miso, and the yuba (dried tofu skin) and sesame seeds added texture and reined in any chance of too much sweetness .
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Course #4:
"Chao Ton" -- play on Vietnamese shrimp on sugar cane. The sweetness of the former was balanced by a light touch of fish sauce and cilantro.
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Course #5: Distillation of Thai flavors
This liquid palate cleanser of lemongrass, kaffir lime, cucumber was a bit disappointing after the splendors that came before.
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Course #6:
Rice paper roll w/ marigold, pork belly. Garnishes of red pepper coulis, microgreens, red onion, banana, cucumber, hawaiian black sea salt, cashews, lime segments. Super delicious. Similar to a Thai spring roll but filled with pork belly goodness.
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Course #7:
"Lobster Parfait". Lobster foam, pistachio ice cream, grapefruit, lobster gelee, etc. Tad spicy, tart, lobstery. Excellent.
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Course #8:
Lobster Salad. Poured over broth with drained into bottom bowl. Ate w/ chopsticks. Mung bean seeds, mustard, cilantro, lobster.
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Course #9:
Lobster parsley Chai soup. Strained. Too salty.
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Course #10:
DIfferent cuts of duck: foie gras, gizzard, tongue, thighs, etc. Chamomile tea foam, asparagus, honey, morel mushrooms, english peas, lettuce.
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Course #11:
spicy dried peanut butter
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Course #12:
applewood smoked bacon wrapped in butterscotch w/ thyme. Nice play of sweet & salty flavors, pronounced thyme.
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Course #13:
salzerac. Kumquat w/ rye whiskey gleee. Not my favorite, rather bitter with a sweet aftertaste.
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Course #14:
pear rings w/ pushed foie gras. White wine gelee, pear <>
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Course #15:
house smoked sturgeon -- applisheat? parsley, <>, potato & leek. celery strip.
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Course #16:
hot & cold potato soup. hot soup, cold pistachio, truffle, parmesan reggiano. pull out pin to drop cold items into hot soup, eat asap. So turffley! Contrast of temps.
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Course #17: Escoffier's "Beef Godard"
A5 nishima beef, cocks comb, beef tongue, panko sweetbread, duxelle, mushroom (in puff pastry?). While fine, not exciting. Didn't seem to fit into rest of dinner.
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Course #18: Black Truffle Explosion
Black truffle infusion, pramesan cheese, romaine lettuce. (radish?)
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Course #19:
birch w/ squab. Burnt strawberry & framboise. Hazelnut crumble, eucalyptus jam, olives. SUper tender squab, aLmost like foie gras
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Course #20:
Fresh (barbi?) date stuffed w/ lemon. maple soup w/ cognac foam.
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Course #21:
lemon soda. Melts on your tongue.
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Course #22:
hibiscus gelee. vanilla cream. BUbble Yum bubble gum infused raspberry gelee tapioca. Suck it like a straw.
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Course #23:
Raspberry chip. Sweet tart raspberry, kind of tastes like a raspberry lollipop / candy / Jolly Rancher like but not as sweet.
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Course #24:
Creme of earl gray scent in pillow. Earl gray cookie. Lemo curd in ball. HOney gelee. Pine nut praline. Carmelized white chocolate noodle. Rose. Bit too sweet.
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Course #25:
Mint chocolate. Frozen coconut mousse, frozen dark chocolate mousse. Menthol. Chewy coconut. Coconut milk. Warm chocolate pudding. Chocolate menthol crumbs. Menthol ice.
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Birthday Surprise
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Alinea Restaurant
1723 North Halsted
Chicago Illinois 60614
312.867.0110
http://www.alinea-restaurant.com/
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