Number of Michelin Stars: Three Michelin Star
City: Chicago, IL. 1723 N Halsted St, Chicago, IL 60614
Reaching as high as the #6 spot on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants, dining at Alinea is definitely part theater and part pleasure. Almost every course came with “instructions” of how to partake of said dish delivered in front of us… which for the record, half the time they wouldn’t even tell us the ingredient until AFTER we ate it. Personally, I prefer to know what the item is beforehand, but I suppose that bias is the very reason they choose to withhold the info in the first place. Chef Grant Achatz is a master at deconstruction, serving up things that were either cleverly re-put back together, or otherwise taken apart. Part of the mystery and fun in his food is that things may not always appear to be as they seem. There were many standout bites, with the one-biter dishes being some of the most memorable. If you enjoy “playing” with your food, before, during and after, Alinea should be on your bucket list.
In the 2017 list of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants, Alinea was ranked 21st in the world. In the 2018 list of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants, Alinea was ranked 34th in the world. In the 2019 list, Alinea was ranked 37th in the world.
OSETRA CAVIAR, MUSSEL, LYCHEE, VANILLA, TAPIOCA
*instructed to hold the bowl in one hand, the spoon in the other, making for a multi-sensory experience, mimicking the texture of the caviar in the hand while enjoying the caviar.
Just decadent, luxurious, and all around a fantastic experience for all the senses.
HOT POTATO, COLD POTATO, BLACK TRUFFLE, PARMESAN
*Instructed to pull the pin back, allowing the pieces to fall into the bowl, them slurp it back like an oyster shooter. Very delicious!
ASHED ONION DIP
*this was pretty amazing. Our hubbies would have licked the bowl clean if we had allowed them.
Light, airy, foam-like ethereal goodness.
ATLANTIC BLACK SEA BASS CRISPS, MINT
Fun play with the Smoked Fish on a Smoking Fish… their version of “Fish & Chips”
*this was pretty amazing
SESAME, WHITE MISO BUN, CORIANDER, CHILI WHITE PEPPERCORN, AUSTRALIAN PRAWN
*instructed to pull the prawn tail, that was still cooking in the hot salt rocks, and roll it around in the sesame mixture on the plate.
SESAME, WHITE MISO BUN, CORIANDER, CHILI WHITE PEPPERCORN, AUSTRALIAN PRAWN
*instructed to pull the prawn tail, that was still cooking in the hot salt rocks, and roll it around in the sesame mixture on the plate.
SQUAB, AIGRE-DOUX
BISCUIT served with POTPOURRI | SQUAB, AIGRE-DOUX
*in the egg were BLUEBERRY & FOIE GRAS spreads for the biscuit
That biscuit was absolutely heavenly. Super flaky, soft, moist and just amazing.
BLACK TRUFFLE, ROMAINE, PARMESAN
*instructed to eat in one bite with your mouth CLOSED… to contain the explosion 😐
Amazing!! I would have like a dozen of these explosions if I could have.
AUSTRALIAN SHORT RIB WAGYU WITH RHUBARB
POMEGRANATE, WHITE ASPARAGUS, JAMEED
ONE-OF-KIND EDIBLE TABLE ART for dessert
FLAVORS OF AN ICE CREAM SUNDAE
*chef created an edible piece of table art, on our table, and it was delicious!
Loved the deconstructed sundae with freeze dried ice cream. 
BALLOON
HELIUM, GREEN APPLE, TAFFY
*instructed to pucker and kiss the balloon and suck out the helium. All parts were edible including the string
Quite possibly the worst decor and least attractive table piece I have ever seen in a fine dining restaurant, much less for a Three Michelin star caliber! Yes, it did serve a “purpose” in one of the later courses, so I get why fresh flowers would be challenging, but these are by far the worst dried flower selection I have ever seen. I had to restrain myself from asking it to be removed. Definitely a detractor for my experience. They could have done better, even for dried!! This was a huge miss IMO.
Peruse other WORTHY reviews: PER SE | ALL’ORO | QUALITY BISTRO | COOKING IN ROME
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