Alinea
At the forefront of the groundbreaking molecular gastronomy movement, Alinea offers meals that are quite simply unlike any others. Dedicated followers eagerly await chef Grant Achatz’s scrupulously deconstructed innovations, which are always as delicious as they are surprising: venison is served atop a pillow of scented air; tiny spheres explode with familiar flavors in the mouth; and bite-size courses of sweet potato and bacon are served on a spike. The staff, as expertly choreographed as the Bolshoi Ballet, instructs patrons on how to eat the exquisitely constructed and artfully presented concoctions (the serving ware is created by an accomplished sculptor), while offering hints as to ingredients. Although this is clearly a temple to experimental cuisine, the atmosphere in the elegantly converted, dramatically lit town house is decidedly laid-back. You won’t find starchy waiters or icy attitude here, where all that’s required is an interest in extraordinary dining and an open mind.
Tip: The optional wine pairing, featuring glasses from bottles specifically chosen to complement the courses, further heightens the one-of-a-kind gustatory experience.
As Featured In...
From Food & Wine, Dec 2006
“Grant Achatz, the 32-year-old chef at Chicago’s Alinea, has a hyper-experimental cooking style that’s put him in the vanguard of American cuisine, and earned him a slot as an F&W Best New Chef 2002....” MORE>>
From Travel + Leisure, Jul 2006
“Achatz likes to atomize, spindle, and otherwise manipulate food, so expect flavor-packed combinations of powders, foams, and globules—and custom-made pins and prongs with which to consume them. In one course, sweet potato–bourbon tempura is impaled on an aromatic cinnamon stick, to be nibbled off lollipop-style....” MORE>>
From Travel + Leisure, Jul 2005
“At press time, high-flying chef Grant Achatz, formerly of Trio in suburban Evanston, had just opened 2005's most anticipated restaurant, Alinea, at No. 1723....” MORE>>
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