This story began several months ago, when I read "Behind the Scenes at Alinea" on CHOW.com. The article takes you step by step through the creation of a dish which on the menu is listed as SHORT RIB - beets, cranberry, Campari -- but in execution is so much more intricate. Soon I started hearing about Alinea everywhere, as if the universe were taunting me that I needed to get there asap. Coincidentally, I'd been wanting to get to Chicago for some time to visit Candace and Dana. I also had an August race to do (I've committed to doing one per month this year), so why not do one in Chicago?
So as soon as Alinea's booking window opened, I made the call and got us a table for the Sunday night of my race, the Chicago Distance Classic (see CDC Race Report post).
When we arrived, we came through the front door expecting the usual reception area with maitre d'. But since this is Alinea (which is an old-fashioned symbol denoting a new paragraph or a new way of thinking), instead we came upon a dimly-lit, fun-house-inspired hallway. Hmmm...how do we get in? Just as I said these words, WOOOSH! a glass door slid open and we were in. Very Willy Wonka.
We were escorted upstairs to a lovely dining area which reminded us of our favorite living rooms in Arch Digest. Muted tones, beautiful artwork, and furniture that's elegant but not stuffy. In fact, no white tablecloths here. Your silverware is presented on little pillows in order to expose the beauty of the wood tables beneath.
We settled in for our 12-course tasting menu and decided to go for the wine pairings as well. With a menu as inventive as the one we were about to experience, the dishes deserved their perfect partners instead of a couple of bad blind dates.
Usually at this point in my restaurant review post, I'd go through each dish and eventually struggle to come up more and more synonyms for "delicious" and "beautiful." Thankfully for you, dear readers, I've overcome my fear of snapping photos of my food in restaurants, so now the pictures can do the talking for me, and all I have to say for Alinea was that everything was delicious and beautiful. Keep in mind I'm still a food photography newbie, though, so my photos will reflect that for the time being. I'm taking the pictures, but it's a bit on the sly, not deliberately waiting for the perfect light and poses from the food. If good food photography is a Helmut Newton nude, mine is Hustler in a brown paper bag.
If I have one gripe about Alinea, it's that we were given the menu after the meal, instead of having it to refer to throughout. Though of course the servers would tell us what each dish was, I like having the menu to refresh my memory while I'm eating a dish (what was that ingredient again?), remind me what I've had (which course are we on? six or seven?) or of what's coming up next. However, when we were given the menus to take home after then meal -- complete with the wine pairings which was a nice touch -- they simply noted the three or four main ingredients and gave no details of preparation. So you'll have to see make a trip to Chicago to see and taste for yourself. I highly recommend it. It goes beyond dinner into the realm of an ultimate dining experience. Actually, the staff all know it, too, and it comes through in little comments peppered throughout the meal. They know you've read all the reviews and that their reputation precedes them. If the food and wine weren't so good I'd find this attitude more annoying. Speaking of annoying, get to the food already!
Amuse: ARTICHOKE - parmesan, red pepper, basil
Paired with Szigeti Burgenland Welschriesling Sekt with Elderflower
Served chilled, like a mini ice-cream sandwich. There was a very thin layer of something orange and cheesy. Must have been the parmesan, but it reminded me of Cheese-Its.
Course #1: SURF CLAM - nasturtium, cucumber, shallot
This was the first of a few "audience participation" dishes. We were handed the small bowls with the fork precariously balanced within them and told not to put the bowl down until we'd eaten the clam and drank the soup underneath - otherwise the whole thing would do a Humpty Dumpty.
Course #2: AYU - watermelon, kombu, coriander
Paired with Fukucho "Moon on the Water" Junmai Ginjo Sake, Hiroshima Prefecture
The beige, bony critter on top is actually the fried spine of the fish, and it tasted like a fishy, salty little potato chip. the fish was outstanding. The bottom layer looks like salmon but it's actually the watermelon.
Course #3: PORCINI - cherry, ham, toasted garlic
Paired with Mas d'en Compte Blanc, Porrera, Priorat 2004
The dish arrived in a glass "sleeve" that was lifted....
...and voilá!
To cleanse the palate: APPLE - horseradish, celery
The first of several "explosion" dishes. For this one, the apple juice and horseradish were encased in a spherical shell of cocoa butter. I think the celery was in the juice below.
Course #4: DUCK - mango, yogurt, pillow of lavender air
Paired with Rudi Pichler Grüner Veltliner Smaragd "Hochrain," Wachau, Austria 2003
It's difficult to see in this shot, but the plate is actually resting about three inches off the table on pillow of lavender-scented air.
Course #5: SHORT RIB - Guinness, peanut, fried broccoli
Paired with Franco Martinetti Monferrato Rosso "Sul Bric," Piedmont 1998
The Guinness is actually the square-shaped film that serves as the canvas for this work of culinary art.
Course #6: BLACK TRUFFLE - explosion, romaine, parmesan
Course #7: LAMB - peas, consommé, morels
Paired with Clarendon Hills Grenache, Clarendon, S. Australia 2003
Course #8: BACON - butterscotch, apple, thyme
Yank it off its little trapeze and pop it in your mouth!
Course #9: GUAVA - avocado, brie, key lime juice
Paired with La Spinetta Moscato d'Asti "Bricco Quaglia," Piedmont 2006
The limes that had served as our table's centerpieces (see them in the background of the bacon photo above) were squeezed over the dish, followed by a dousing of guava juice.
Course #10: LICORICE CAKE - muscovado sugar, orange, anise
More high-end cotton candy on a stick with a creamy licorice center than cake, per se. Our waiter instructed us not to hold the serving piece, so we put our hands behind our backs and gave it a whirl...
Course #11: CHOCOLATE - passionfruit, lemongrass, soy
Paired with Gianfranco Furlan Castelcosa Schioppettino, Venezia Giulia 2005
The chocolate was nice and spicy, and the soy was actually soy-flavored marshmallow. Sounds weird, but it was soooo goood.
Course #12: CARAMEL - meyer lemon, cinnamon perfume
The final explosion of food fireworks. The liquid caramel is encased in a fried shell, sitting lollipop-style atop a cinnamon stick.
For more Alinea photos (including the kitchen and the ladies' room!) check out my "How I Spent My Summer Vacation 2007" album on Webshots.
Last but not least, my prayers go out to the mastermind behind this amazing meal, Chef Grant Achatz. (Shortly before our visit, Achatz was diagnosed with a severe form of mouth cancer.) Thinking of you and wishing you a full and timely recovery.
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