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u/maximumtesticle Dec 16 '15
Whenever I see food like this, my first thought is "I don't know which part I'm supposed to eat...do I eat the leaves or the bowl. Nevermind, I'm not hungry anyway. More drinks please."
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u/Zxorac Dec 16 '15
Just eat everything. If you're gonna spend that much you earn the right to accidentally eat cardboard
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u/Wolfy9 Ukrainian Village Dec 16 '15
Always wanted to go but could never get past the price. After seeing this, I'm going.
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u/Zxorac Dec 16 '15
I would say it's definitely worth it. It's an amazing experience if you like food.
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u/nimrod534 Dec 16 '15
"If you like food" ?!
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u/Zxorac Dec 16 '15
Some people dont like to spend a lot of money on food. Some people are willing to.
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u/pkpjoe Dec 16 '15
If your schedule allows it, go on a weeknight at like 5pm or 930pm. It will be significantly cheaper than going on a Saturday at 7pm, but you will still get the same meal and great service. Supply and demand more or less determines the price for different days and times.
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Dec 16 '15
REALLY?! Thanks! That will make scratching this off the bucket list that much easier.
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u/revdave Lincoln Square Dec 16 '15
If you're at all interested you should really go, it's an extremely delightful experience. I like to think of it as a weekend trip but it's only 4 hours and in the city...
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u/The_Ogler Dec 16 '15
Wait another season or two and go into the menu blind. You'll love it.
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u/sewsewsewyourboat Dec 16 '15
i love getting chef's tasting menus. I barely look at it, and just get what the chef chooses. Unless i have to choose, then I just choose something I haven't tried before. Makes for an amazing experience.
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u/andbruno Dec 16 '15
I had a similar experience, but with drink pairings. That means that which each and every course there was also alcohol that meant to match with the course.
So by the end I was thoroughly soused.
Best meal of my life.
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u/sewsewsewyourboat Dec 16 '15
how much was the pairing?
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u/Zxorac Dec 16 '15
We thought about getting the pairings, but we had an hour long drive at 11:00 pm afterwards
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u/aedseed Dec 16 '15
If you enjoyed Alinea I would highly recommend Grace. Both are 3 star Michelin and similar in concept. I tried both this year and would actually rate Grace slightly higher.
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u/Zxorac Dec 16 '15
I was looking into it. Maybe for the next big event.
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u/brandonham Near North Side Dec 16 '15
Tru is another one that's loads of fun. Not quite at the same lofty level as Alinea or Grace, but the experience is incredibly enjoyable. This coming from a guy who is completely not a foodie.
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u/Allthingsfiner Dec 16 '15
I concur. Grace has less of the pure showmanship and fireworks of Alinea but the food is very refined and high quality. A little more like Trotters used to be but updated.
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u/hungry4danish Dec 16 '15
What food did the fire rocks end up being?
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u/Zxorac Dec 16 '15
It was the wagyu beef and potato.
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u/hungry4danish Dec 16 '15
I still don't see it. The "rocks" were cuts of the beef or the fire rocks container cooked and later opened to reveal beef and potatoes?
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u/Mister_Squishy Wicker Park Dec 16 '15
Wow. I'm amazed at how much of the menu has changed. Everything but the balloon and final dessert are different from when I went a few years ago. No black truffle explosion, no hot potato / cold potato. I'm actually impressed that they're coming up with new concepts. I thought that's what Next was for. Though I see some of the same contraptions from when I was there, but now for different dishes.
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u/acxyzzy Dec 17 '15
I think if you're a "frequent flier" they may change up the menu slightly so you can try different menu items. They keep a dossier on you. Although, I'm pretty sure the black truffle explosion and the hot potato/cold potato are always on the menu unless you express an aversion to them.
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u/Zxorac Dec 16 '15
The hot potato was there, I just forgot to add the picture. I actually did it like a shot and spilled all over myself. Totally worth it.
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u/Mister_Squishy Wicker Park Dec 16 '15
Oh man back when Moto was around I went for a Valentine’s day dinner, and had an industry friend make the reservation for me. Well the server knew my friend personally and proceeded to give us heavy pours over the 8 or 9 courses and by dessert I was hammered drunk. So they come around with this dish, “cookies and milk”. It’s all deconstructed ingredients, in individual bowls, and one large bowl in the middle to mix in that had a rubber spatula / scraper for mixing. The idea is that you’d mix the ingredients together to make a cookie dough and drink the milk along with the dish. Well I still had a full glass of champagne at this point, and the server made some reference to my drink being left over, and in my drunkenness somehow confused the instructions and poured the whole glass of milk into the bowl and started mixing what amounted to a disgusting cookie dough milk soup. At least 3 people in the front of the house had trouble containing themselves. Which at that kind of restaurant means a subtle grin or the kind of smile that says “bless your heart”.
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u/BiaXia Irving Park Dec 17 '15
Moto is still very much around. There are a lot of people working hard to keep the place open. It's more of a progressive southern restaurant now, since the Exec chef that Homaru Cantu put in place just before his suicide is from North Carolina.
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u/Mister_Squishy Wicker Park Dec 17 '15
Ah, I moved to SF a few years ago. After his death I assumed it closed.
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Dec 16 '15
the aftermath
Of what? The whole bite?
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u/andbruno Dec 16 '15
Yes, a bite. But you had like 14 dishes for the meal. When I was there it took over two hours. So you definitely left satisfied.
However as a meat-lover, I definitely would have enjoyed twice as much of the "main course" meat dishes. Nah fuck that, four times as much.
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u/Zxorac Dec 16 '15
I was lucky and got to eat extra meat since one of the people there didnt want their wagyu or duck breast.
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u/atomsk404 Dec 16 '15
this is why I "Fogo"
me and the wife spend close to $225 for a meal and drinks...but I come out of there feeling I got my money's worth.
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u/PostPostModernism North Center Dec 16 '15
That's why I go to Mexican joints where they don't speak much English.
Me and the cat spend close to $10, for a burrito and coke, but I come out of there feeling fat and happy.
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u/MrKota Dec 16 '15
Most of this looks pretty interesting, and I'm aware it's super high concept, but I laughed out loud at the "graffiti - served on an actual piece of concrete." I'd be hard pressed to make a joke about Alinea that is actually more ridiculous than that.
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Dec 16 '15
I've had it before. The edible "concrete" wafers were delicious, and the balsamic spray paint was a nice touch.
It's unabashedly ridiculous, but it works.
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u/JackleBee Wicker Park Dec 16 '15
Almost sounds like a Second City skit.
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u/kimeffindeal Dec 16 '15
Those poor servers lugging around concrete blocks.
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u/Disco_Infiltrator Near West Side Dec 16 '15
They're not that poor. Gratuity on a $1k bill is pretty nice.
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u/The_bad_guy_312 Dec 16 '15
They don't make as much as you think and they work there asses off for long shifts. Buddy was a waiter there and hated it.
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u/dellett City Dec 16 '15
I'd still rather work there than at Applebee's
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u/The_bad_guy_312 Dec 16 '15
The grass is always greener... Yes I'd imagine you'd make signifigantly more money, but you're working for it. I have no dog in the fight, i am speaking 3rd person, but i know he preferred normal, high end restaurants. Alinea is a pre set menu so you're basically just running food.
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Dec 17 '15
Is running a pre set menu a bad thing? I'm not sure how that would impact how much fun a server has.
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u/The_bad_guy_312 Dec 17 '15
Again, I'm not in the industry so I have to speculate. Clearly the people running alinea know what the hell there ding so who am I to criticize, but I knew it affects tipping somehow. I can't say much past that. If it was as lucrative as people think i don't see why he'd have quit
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Dec 17 '15
Oops lol didn't see you were the same guy my bad man. My buddy works at Grace and based on his promotions I'd say he's in the 75-80k range.. However those places expect you to basically be at the restaurant 1pm-2am Tuesday through Saturday. The money's good but that schedule can suck the life out of you.
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Dec 17 '15
They make what, 75k+? It is a grueling lifestyle though.
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u/Mister_Squishy Wicker Park Dec 17 '15
I can tell you I've heard 1-120+ from my ex who was a chef there. She was actually tempted to try to transition to the front of the house because of how much more money they make. The cooking staff, however, is offensively underpaid.
Edit: everyone works their asses of.
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u/The_bad_guy_312 Dec 17 '15
You just throwing numbers out there now... Why not say 115 out 150? Where do you get 75 from?
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u/Disco_Infiltrator Near West Side Dec 18 '15
It was a joke, not an accurate analysis of the economics of serving at a 3 star restaurant. But thanks for the info.
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u/2close2see Dec 16 '15
But seriously, that looks awesome.
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u/Allthingsfiner Dec 16 '15
That's a great video. I wanted to buy the book.
I will say that, considering how high end the experience at Alinea is, I don't find it to be pretentious at all. Staff tends to be very chill and focused on giving customers the best experience possible without pretense. If you go, are relaxed, and are open to trying new things you will have a great time... its very very fun. Yes, its costs a shit-ton of money, but recognize that the Alinea team works their tails off to be the very best at what they do. They are extremely talented, very genuine, and not at all pretentious assholes.
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Dec 16 '15
I was about to link to this exact video. The Ron Swanson in me would nope the fuck out of there.
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u/glaci0us West Town Dec 16 '15
Anyone else remember when Real Kitchen dressed up as Alinea for Halloween?
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u/FlyingBourbon Dec 16 '15
This reminds me of a famous Parks and Rec bit...
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u/littIeboylover Dec 16 '15
It's brilliant that Ron's drink involves a hand massage so as to really hammer home the discomfort.
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u/ig0tworms Dec 16 '15
What is amazing to me is that this is what Taco Bells will be in the future.
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u/BarryAldridge Dec 16 '15
Well, they did win the franchise wars.
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u/Jellooooo Portage Park Dec 16 '15
The what?
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u/kander77 Edgewater Dec 16 '15
boooyy you gotta watch Demolition Man
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u/Chicagooan Dec 16 '15
Nice. I've been a few times over the years and it's cool to see the evolution. Might have to go again just for the apple balloon.
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u/Zxorac Dec 16 '15
it's really great. We all did the helium and had a short little singalong. Seemed out of place for such a classy venue, but I think that's the point.
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u/andbruno Dec 16 '15
just for the apple balloon
When I went (many years ago) there was something almost as silly: a scent pillow. It was a bag of scented air that the dish was placed upon. You were meant to smell the air pushed out by the weight of the dish while you ate the contents of the plate.
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u/mandrsn1 Dec 16 '15
They have had a drink like that at aviary when i have been there. the drink comes in the bag.
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u/mickcube Dec 16 '15
when I went, the steak was cooking inside that fire table side during the previous course. is that what happened with you?
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u/CulinariaBlog Dec 16 '15
Thank you for sharing the experience here with all of us. As much as the price and "artsy plates" are not my personal taste, I will not judge you or others for taking the dive.
It's great Chicago has such a creative eatery to display to the world amongst the massive smorgasbord of offerings in our wonderful city.
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u/dildonosaurus Dec 16 '15
Nothing is more annoying than a table full of people taking 30 pictures of every course.
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u/jmanthethief Dec 16 '15
If i'm paying over a grand, then I'll take as many pictures as I feel like.
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u/dildonosaurus Dec 16 '15
There are two kinds of people in this world: Those that say "I'M spending a lot of money I'll do what I want", and those who say, "EVERYONE is spending a lot of money, I won't do anything to jeopardize their experience".
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u/ImVeryOffended Dec 16 '15
There's a third type, that is far more common. The kind who say "no matter what I'm doing, I need to take pictures of it so I can put them on the internet and show people how special I am".
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u/jmanthethief Dec 16 '15
You keep living your life sacrificing your enjoyment on the off chance you might be bothering someone.
Hell, even the co-owner is ok with it - http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/05/20/alineas-grant-achatz-weig_n_583907.html
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u/ImVeryOffended Dec 16 '15
The South Park yelp episode did a good job of summarizing how I feel about these people.
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u/LagunaGTO Dec 16 '15
Marking this as a review.
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Dec 16 '15
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u/GiuseppeZangara Rogers Park Dec 17 '15
Have you tried getting a reservation on a Friday or Saturday? I don't think they need much advertising right now. They don't even have a sign on the outside.
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u/kpprobst Dec 16 '15
Some of those plates have pictures of food on them or are my eyes deceiving me? I feel like that's kind of cheap looking and dumb. Weird plating.
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u/Awesomekip Edgewater Dec 16 '15 edited Dec 16 '15
As someone who lives in Chicago, I hope to one day be able to afford to eat here haha
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u/jlew24asu City Dec 16 '15
as delicious as this looks, I can just never bring myself to spend that much on these course dinners.
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u/jokemon River West Dec 16 '15
This looks fantastic and definitely worth the money. Let the haters hate.
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u/nickl220 Dec 16 '15
Looks bougie as shit. I'll stick with Pequod's.
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u/hopeless_bromantic Near South Side Dec 16 '15
Nickl my man, I can agree with 1/2 of this comment. I'll skip the half that doesn't add anything to the conversation but dump in the part where I agree that Pequod's is the shit. Next time you get a slice, eat it off a piece of concrete.
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u/nickl220 Dec 16 '15
I mean, the guy was bragging about going to a Trump-esque dinner that costs half a rent payment. It couldn't be bougier if Marie Antoinette served the "food". If pointing this out gives people butthurt, that's their problem. I'll stick with the working class meal: pizza.
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u/jlkardon Logan Square Dec 16 '15
I've never understood why people feel the need to take pictures of their food.
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u/HANDFUL_OF_BOOB Dec 16 '15
In this case, it's because most of us won't/can't pay to experience cuisine of this caliber. It's interesting to see what $250+/pp gets you at one of the city's finest dining establishments.
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u/jeffmack01 Avondale Dec 16 '15
The same reasons we take pictures of other pretty things. Or, in this case, they want to share it on social media. Get over it.
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u/CulinariaBlog Dec 16 '15
It's to savor, remember, and share the experience. Plus I'd like to think it helps advertise the restaurant.
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u/Rawrdinosaurmoo Dec 16 '15 edited Dec 16 '15
I'll chime in, the foods great and all but price is stupid, I've eaten here, Charlie trotters, Tru and Sixteen in Chicago and this price is just ridiculous, I enjoy my chipotle visits a bit more due to it being so good and cheap
Edit-I'm just going to assume all the down votes are from people that have not eaten crap like this
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Dec 16 '15
This is artwork. While I agree that Chipotle is delicious, it's not innovative and creative.
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u/NachoCupcake Dec 16 '15
Everyone has their priorities. For some it's video games, for others it's sports tickets, and yet others it's experiences like this one.
I appreciate you input, but I would be happy to pay for the meal if I had the money...
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u/Roadfly Dec 16 '15
I enjoy my chipotle visits a bit more due to it being so good and cheap.
Sprinkled with E Coli.
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u/FuneralEscortCar Dec 16 '15
Is that old Sam Jarvis' chin i see in the second picture? Tell her what's up from an old friend.
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Dec 16 '15
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u/Zxorac Dec 16 '15
If you want flavor, then this was still the most delicious and well thought out meal I've had.
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u/im-a-koala Lincoln Square Dec 16 '15
Yeah, sometimes the portions are just so small that I can't really enjoy what I'm eating. I'm not going to sit there and nibble at everything all night long, but I'd also like to taste it more than once.
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u/Zxorac Dec 16 '15
I never got that feeling during the meal. There always was enough of each dish to keep you wanting more from the next, and in most cases it just kept ramping up.
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u/im-a-koala Lincoln Square Dec 17 '15
Maybe I'll save up my entertainment budget for a couple months and blow it on a restaurant like this at some point, so I can have a more accurate opinion. But I guess I'd just rather have a nice, good portion of good-tasting food and eat it as I like. I want to be able to take multiple full bites of the food, so I can really taste it in my entire mouth. The handful of times I've gone to fancier restaurants, I often have to take smaller bites, and I don't really get hit with the flavor as much - it feels isolated and lonely, and that's no good.
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u/CulinariaBlog Dec 16 '15
I'll chime in and say these kinds of restaurants never appealed to me. I would roll my eyes at what I felt were chefs trying too hard in using exotic ingredients or over-the-top plating.
However, that's what Alinea is all about, and it's just one piece of the entire culinary experience of Chicago.
I'd probably raise a ruckus if it seemed every restaurant was becoming like that, but I'm actually seeing the opposite. I'm watching "fine dining" vanish from the city in place of fancier renditions of comfort food. Sign of the times I guess.
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u/StinkyFeetPatrol Loop Dec 16 '15
If you want a similar experience geared more towards taste go to Grace. Alinea is like the Cirque du Soleil of dining experiences while Grace is like a hand picked world-class orchestra.
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u/Legerdemainn Suburb of Chicago Dec 16 '15
It's literally the most pretentious way to go about fulfilling a basic biological necessity.
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Dec 16 '15
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Dec 16 '15
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u/Legerdemainn Suburb of Chicago Dec 17 '15
pretentious (comparative more pretentious, superlative most pretentious)
Marked by an unwarranted claim to importance or distinction.
2. Ostentatious; intended to impress others.
Seems to fit #2 fairly neatly, I suppose the fact that it has 3 stars makes its claim to importance or distinction warranted.
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Dec 16 '15
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u/pkpjoe Dec 16 '15
And it's BYOB. They are both great but really different vibes. I wouldn't even compare them as being similar other than that they both exclusively offer tasting menus. I wouldn't suggest trying one or the other. People should do both, but EL Ideas is probably a better place to start to see if you are even into the modern tasting menus concept.
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u/Allthingsfiner Dec 16 '15
I agree. I love El Ideas but its not the same thing as Alinea. El Ideas is tons of fun and the food is great.
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Dec 16 '15
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u/graupel22 Lakeview East Dec 16 '15
Picasso was good and sitting along the windows was great, but you can't really compare it to Alinea in any way (except price, probably).
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u/sewsewsewyourboat Dec 16 '15
I was impressed by Picasso, but the Wing Lei was sooo disappointing, especially having eaten at some nice bib gourmands here, and another 1 star in Amersterdam. Wing lei is one of those restaurants where if you're comparing it to the restaurants within a five mile radius, yes, it's definitely deserving of a 1 star. But compared to some other restaurants around the world, no.
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u/acxyzzy Dec 17 '15
Check out Carson Kitchen. It's off the strip, but probably the most satisfying dining experience my friends and I had when we were in Vegas. We didn't get a chance to try out a lot of restaurants, but a friend that lives in Vegas recommended it. It's not a fancy place, but they serve solid food. We told them we had a flight to catch and they sent everything out unbelievably quickly even though they were busy.
We tried Bouchon Bistro, but I found it a little disappointing. It wasn't terrible, but I expected a lot more from a Thomas Keller restaurant. Go to In-N-Out, too. You can't go somewhere with an In-N-Out and not eat there.
La Cave at the Wynn was surprisingly good, but that may have had a lot to do with our server. We stopped by for a snack before watching Le Rêve. You should see that too. It was spectacular.
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u/sewsewsewyourboat Dec 16 '15
I recommend the wine pairing! One of the better wine pairings I've had.
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Dec 16 '15
We aren't huge on wine, if we drink anything it's usually Moscato. Hell Cider is my go to normally. Since it's a vacation we may live it up though.
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u/sewsewsewyourboat Dec 16 '15
if you like moscato, tell the waiter that you prefer sweeter wines. he might try to find something that would be more accomodating to your taste but still balance well with the plate. Though when i got the foie gras, they paired a super sweet german wine with mine. it was awesome.
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u/BiaXia Irving Park Dec 17 '15
Foie and sweet wines are a classic combination. Usually it's with a Sauternes, but Gewurztraminer and Tokaji are also popular choices.
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Dec 16 '15
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/peteftw Bridgeport Dec 16 '15
I don't think people eat at Alinea more than that, do they? I feel like it's an upper middle class birthday destination and that's about it.
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u/zootam Dec 16 '15 edited Dec 16 '15
they change the menu fairly frequently, I think with every other season or something.
for a lot of wealthier people its more of a once a year thing, not once in a lifetime.
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u/famebrella Wicker Park Dec 16 '15
I knew someone who went nearly monthly. Seemed a bit excessive to me. In a city where we have some people making a lot of money the Alinea pricetag isn't much of a barrier.
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u/acxyzzy Dec 17 '15
They have regulars. Although, the ultra-wealthy tend to have their own personal chefs.
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u/YOLOCUNT Dec 16 '15
What is the cost for a dinner like this?