Fodor's Travel Talk Forums - Alinea Restaurant

Fodor's Travel Talk Forums (https://www.fodors.com/community/)

- United States (https://www.fodors.com/community/united-states/)

- - Alinea Restaurant (https://www.fodors.com/community/united-states/alinea-restaurant-538634/)

Alinea Restaurant

Has anybody been yet? This opened in mid-May. Is it comparable to Tru or Charlie Trotters?

I'm going in July. Get your reservations soon. Check chowhound.com Chicago board for reviews. They are loving it.

If you've read the reviews, you know it's a lot more experimental than TRU and especially Trotters.

Amazing pictures and commentary here:

http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=66997

This is really different than either of the restaurants you've mentioned.

fyi I was reading the posts on eGullet today and one of the recent last ones if from Chef Achatz himself

Thanks for posting the link to the review. It surely looks interesting but I now think it is not for me. I'll stick with Tru.

DMG - I would be interested to know why you'd stick with TRU. I haven't been to either of these and am very intrigued with Alinea so I'd like to get your views of TRU.

Thanks

I have not been to Alinea but I checked out the link in a previous posting. While everything looked "interesting" and may be delicious, there were too many courses with ingredients that I don't think I would like. And it sounds like the chef decides what will be served. At Tru they do have degustations, but they also have three course meals (plus extra surprises)
where you can order what you like. Everything I have had there (and I have been a number of times) was been wonderful, creative, and with gorgeous presentations - without being too "way out." The servers are all knowledgeable and personable. The room itself is lovely and grand in a contemporary way.
Please understand that I am not a "foodie" and not into cutting edge. And I am not totally adventuresome so I'll stick with Tru.

I should add that I have been to Charlie Trotter's once. Though it was excellent, I prefer the mood and food at Tru.

Okay, I made me reservation!!!! 5:45PM. (I called on the first day they were taking reservations for Sept. and it was either 5:45 or 9pm). I want to get the total experience, but I am worried about gettting to full by entree #15 or so. Any comments on this?

Wow, I feel fortunate to have my 6:30 res. I am planning to do the 8 course menu, only. Partly because I think it is possible to get too full and partly because I don't want to be there 4-5 hours. Perhaps you could try that. I hear that you can add an extra course to the 8 if you feel you are missing something you specifically wanted. I'll be there this Thurs, so I'll try to remember to post a reivew.

The menus now are either 11 courses or 20.

I'm going in March and am very excited!

I went last week for a birthday dinner. Absolutely incredible, although the prices are definitely guilt-inducing. I think reservations are already easier to get than when it opened(we booked for a Thursday about a week and a half in advance), at least in the current off-peak tourist season.

I see that I failed to review.

Alinea is an amazing place. SOme bites that you will always remember. I highly recommend that you go once. I think I could probably go a long while in between visits, but it's certainly a great experience.

I think the decision to delete the 8 course menu was wise. My husband and I both chose the 8 course. He had become very sick that morning, continued to worsen on the plane to Chicago, and didn't really realize just HOW terribly sick he was until we got to the restaurant. He ate two bites all night, and I mean that literally. Two. Bites. I ate all of mine and most of his. I grant you, I was stuffed to the gills...but still. I'm petite, and if I can eat all $300 worth, a grown man is going to be HUNGRY after dinner. Had my husband not been sick, I can guarantee he would have stopped for a pizza on the way home.

The food, and the presentations thereof border on the ridiculous....it's almost a Saturday Night Live skit. BUT it stops just shy of ridiculous, and sticks with sublime.

I did a detailed review for the Chowhound Chicago board, I don't know if you could search and find it or not. It was last July.

I had an amazing meal at the restaurant last week. Luckily I was with another person who has some friends in the kitchen so our 12 course menu was expanded a bit. Wines were exceptional also.

Spendy? yep! worth it? to me absolutely

My full report with photos is here:

http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?...97&st=570#