As soon as I mentioned "Chicago," Peter instantly thought of one thing, Alinea!!! We booked our reservations a month in advance, I think you can only book it about 30 days beforehand, but we didn't seem to have much of a problem despite us asking for a Friday night sitting on Memorial Day weekend.
I would almost describe the area Alinea is located as somewhat industrious with a few small bars and new lofts built recently as well as a few clubs which are so hidden and unassuming that you would walk right past during the day.
At the door, a gentleman lets you in and checks your name on the list and then lets you in thru another set of doors. We kind of felt like we were walking into a secret society dinner.
Once inside, the lighting was kind of dim but you could still see, just harder for us to capture pics w/o flash--which we prefer not to use anyway.
Here are some long overdue pics from our May 28th, 2010 Alinea Tour :)
*note* please don't drool on your keyboard as you scroll thru ;)
This was brought to our table as we sat down and we were instructed not to touch it, but we would soon learn how it comes to play with our meal.
English Pea iberico, sherry and honeydew--almost looks like feta cheese there but it is similar to an ice-cream melt in your mouth texture we had at Vidalia's 24 and Jose Andres' Minibar (YUMMY--you mix it altogether, tho sadly you really cannot taste the iberico much)
Shad Roe shallot, mustard and bar aroma--this was like a tempura piece, the presentation was awesome, you eat the Shad Roe by picking up the bay leaf which is perfectly balanced between these thin metal picks
Yuba shrimp, miso and togarashi (left)--the shrimp is twisted around this crunchy stick, dipped into a miso/mayo texture sauce (like spicy mayo on spicy rolls) loved it and I'm not usually a huge shrimp fan
Chao Tom sugar cane, shrimp and mint (right)--it was almost like a rice cake gelatin-y texture, tasty but not like out of this world yummy
Distillation of thai flavors--BY FAR MY FAVORITE DISH at Alinea--this is what the rice paper wraps in the very first picture were meant to accompany. You use the rice paper and they place some freshly braised pork and you use all the little condiments to create one of the most delectable "garden rolls Alinea style" you've ever had...still salivating at the thought of this braised pork belly!!
Pork Belly with curry, cucumber and lime--some of the BEST pork belly we've ever tasted, even now I want more!!
A closer look at the condiments you place inside the rice paper with the braised pork belly!!!
King Crab rhubarb, lilac and fennel--this was pretty cool as we didn't expect 3 dishes in one of King Crab made differently...this one is with rhubarb, texture like panna cotta (kind of looks like it too)
King Crab with lilac--juicy and sweet crab salad...
King Crab with fennel, almost like a creamy sauce stew with a yummy roe piece in there :)
Octopus red wine, lavender and fava bean--this was okay, kind of a small burnt piece of octopus, but the foamy sauce at the bottom of the cup was yummy!
Lamb morels, asparagus and chamomile--Peter thought it was delicious, but I didn't have this as I don't like lamb or anything "gamey"
Duck morels, asparagus and chamomile--it was quite yummy and very rich and foamy which i LOVED :)
Hot Potato cold potato, black truffle, and butter--an amazing Alinea signature item, we had heard about this course before and were thrilled to have it! You pull on the pin and everything on it falls into the cold potato soup and you just pick up the little dish and slurp it all up!
Bacon butterscotch, apple and thyme--crispy and tasty :)
Malt english toffee, bourbon county stout and blueberry--not a huge fan, too sweet and nutty/crunchy for me...
Nutella bread, banana and chocolate--tasted like a nutella toffee bar that melts in your mouth with a lil bit of salt...
Kumquat rye, peychaud's, demerara--kind of tart, not LOVED by us
Surf Clam celery, tabasco and oyster cracker--a very special deconstructed dish similar to clam chowder on a shell...very tasty and we thought much better done than previous ones we've had elsewhere!
Green Almond yuzu, wasabi and rice milk--this was like a little asian gelatin dessert, yummy and the assortment of flavors was quite powerful despite its "smallness"
Salad ranch dressing, soup, powdered--interestingly enough, there was ranch dressing flavored powder on this salad! Creative, nice and light...
And here is the soup under the salad :)
Sardine horseradish, arugula flower and tomato--super cool in that it was hands-free and you just open your mouth and eat it :)
Squab charred strawberries, lettuce and birch log--I must admit that from afar, I had seen this dish presented to other tables in the room before, and I couldn't tell (dim lighting and distance lol) what it was but I had gathered my hopes up for a huge dish of sashimi and sushi LOL...not unreasonable right? So when it came and I noticed it was squab, I have to say I was a tad disappointed...I thought the charred strawberries didn't compare to strawberries with whip cream and sugar =X
Black Truffle explosion, romaine and parmesan--this is a signature Alinea dish and was AMAZING, after having this, any other dish with truffles seems "light" in comparison...it was literally an explosion of truffle creme at first bite...
Tournedo a la persane--medallion of beef with some mini peppers, not a huge fan, didn't particularly wow me...
Transparency of raspberry and yogurt--this was like a thin crusty see thru piece of fruityness, we did NOT love...
Bubblegum long pepper, hibiscus, creme fraiche--LOVE creme fraiche and we have noticed this ingredient at just about every tasting we've been to this year, sometimes used more than once at a sitting...nevertheless, they can keep using creme fraiche all they want since I've loved everything with it so far :) You just suck this up all at once, it was super delicious, creamy and fruity (exactly the kind of dessert I LOVE)
Earl Grey lemon, pine nut, caramelized white chocolate--you could definitely taste the earl grey and smell it thru out this dessert, and while I LOVE earl grey, I really didn't love this dessert :( But it was served on top of these earl grey scented pillows and as they deflated, you could take it all in, very calming and soothing...
Chocolate coconut, menthol, and hyssop--I'm not a fan of chocolate, especially fancy chocolates and dark bitter ones, but I think this is a signature dish at Alinea and Peter, who is an okay fan of chocolate, polished it off and liked it a lot--so I'm sure other chocolate aficionados would LOVE this!
In the kitchen at Alinea :)
On Michigan Avenue at the bridge walking back from our Tour of Alinea--super full!!!
Me--Gucci Black Silk Tank Dress with Gold ribbon and grommets, Dolce & Gabbana Black Silk Crepe Bolero, Chanel Lucky Charms Limited Edition 2.55 in Dark Silver, Louis Vuitton Spicy Sandals in Burgundy (these were an amazing find--someone called out to me and said they love my "beyonce shoes" LOL)
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