Alinea Part One: Lighter Beginnings

As promised, I am writing today to try and convey to you, my dear dozens, what exactly went down on June 8 at Alinea.  In line with my expectations, it was without a doubt the most entertaining, surprising and expensive meals of my life.

I should note before we really begin that neither Tom nor I took any notes or photos while dining. It was a conscious decision we both made, opting instead to just enjoy the damn meal and concentrate on every bite. Hence, none of these photos below are mine. I took them all from the public sharing section of Picasa. Thanks to Pat King for finding many of them first!

To set the scene a bit: Tom and I had reserved a room downtown at the Knickerbocker for our last evening in Chicago. We checked in early, hung around lazily that afternoon getting hungry and excited, and then got ourselves all dressed up. We hailed a cab who took us the short way to this mysterious black brick building, unmarked but for the valet parking sign that sometimes adorns the sidewalk. We are greeted like celebrities, and seated immediately, despite arriving 15 minutes early.

COURSE 1: Steelhead Roe

The base is this tart and creamy grapefruit and rutabaga soup, with the roe scattered through it. Those little white things that look like scallops were actually these pillows of dijon mustard flavored custard. The textures were amazing, and the flavors were unlike anything I have ever had. Bright citrus, earthy mustard and the little pops of salty fish eggs. Our spoons scraped the bottom, and I had to restrain myself from sticking my finger in the bowl to get the last bits (not knowing that soon, all such reservations would be gone). It was a bold opener. Game on!

COURSE 2: Yuba

Tom and I are calling this the most amazing bar snack ever.  The dish is about 8-10 inches long, and stands straight up with a little help from the savory sauce below it, in a pretty ceramic dish. What you are actually looking at is a crispy yuba stick (yuba is the skin that forms when you make tofu) wrapped in shrimp that are coated in black and white sesame seeds. You just grab the stick and eat, re-dipping into the dish of sauce frequently. Miso and togarashi were also main components of this dish. It was a little salty, and very forwardly umami/savory. And again, the textures were so amazing. The shrimp, of course, were perfectly cooked. Give me a dozen more, and a cold pint and I'm good!

COURSE 3: Oyster Leaf

This was one of those moments where we were amused, and perhaps a little perplexed. The serving team sets courses 3-5 in front of us at the same time, and again, no silverware. They were a beautiful and striking trio of dishes. We take the Oyster Leaf first, which appears to be a single piece of baby spinach toped with traditional mignonette (you know: shallots, salt, citrus, etc), served in an oyster shell. Not impressive Achatz. Something must be up, and our server soon fills us in: There is a plant called oysterleaf, and of course, this uncommon beauty grows only on the wild cliffs of Scotland, where they bask in the salty sea air. Also, when you eat it, you will notice a pronounced fresh oyster flavor. I have been to New Orleans four times in my life, and on each occasion have eaten no fewer than a dozen fresh, raw oysters (not to mention the countless other dozens that were barbecued, baked, etc). So, not expecting much, I shoot it back. Shut my mouth. It does, indeed, taste like fresh oysters. But I am missing the creaminess and strongly oceany taste of the real thing. I also cannot get over the texture (a common problem when eating oysters I am told, though I have never experienced it until this point.) Despite the prevalence of foams, liquid nitrogen and other tricks throughout the meal this seems like the most gimmicky, and least satisfying dish of the night. 

COURSE 4: Scallop

Before I start, I want to say this is one of my favorite dishes of the night. It is one of the more simple preparations (after all, that is just a perfectly cooked sea scallop, served in a sea scallop shell) but the flavors were so ingenious that I fell in love. And, if my dear bestie Camilla had been dining with us, I have no doubt this preparation may have awoken a few distant food memories for her. Okay, so the food is simply a slightly cooked sweet sea scallop with a hitachino weizen foam (this is a wheat beer) and Old Bay infused oil. But oh my god is it good. 

COURSE 5: Razor Clam

I can't find a picture of it opened, but inside here you will find (grilled?) razor clams, with carrot, soy and daikon. It's a great combination. The sauce that coats the whole mixture reminds me, in the best way, of Eel Sauce. The clams are just the right amount of chewy, and it's fun to watch your partner use their finger to slide the contents down their waiting gullet. Yes, we are at the restaurant recently named the best on the continent. Yes, we are eating with our fingers... a lot.

COURSE 6: English Pea

This is considered a single course by the kitchen, but is made of three distinct dishes/experiences. They set a spherical, multi-level white ceramic dish in front of us which contains a different dish in each level.  Let's call it an exploration of temperature. 

I don't particularly love peas, but the first dish will prove to be my favorite of the trip, and will put me in a good mindset to experience the rest. It is a warm pea puree, with pea tendrils and pea vinaigrette. I am wondering to myself how in the heck they got fresh pea shoots so late in the season, when I remember that while pea season may be long gone in Austin, it is still spring in the Midwest. The puree is so nicely salty, it balances the pronounced sweetness of the peas. The tendrils are delicate and crunchy, and it is just a satisfying and savory few bites. The flavors are really pleasing. Bring on more peas! 

Or maybe not. This is my least favorite dish of the entire evening. This course is served room temperature, and it contains a crazy and beautiful mess of stuff inside, including freeze dried peas, chamomile gelee, something I would call a pea cracker (I am guessing dehydrated pea puree) there are also some dried pea leaves maybe? And something that probably began as greek yogurt. Guys, it tasted so gross to me. The freeze dried peas are so sweet as to taste like candy, which just doesn't work for my palate in conjunction with the other flavors here. Everything else was fine as far as flavors go, but I couldn't get passed those sugary peas. We all have different palates, so I wont argue that this is probably a delicious taste for some, but for me... yuck. 

Pea redemption is a dish best served very cold. Here we have pea soup which is frozen to the walls of the vessel, so it becomes sorbet-like in texture. It is topped with frozen crumbles of greek yogurt and a little apple something to round out the flavors. This dish is quite yummy. It's a nice exploration of the sweeter side of peas, without going so far into candy land as with the middle dish. And the fact that it is served ice cold is so genius. The temperature really compliments the clean and crisp flavors of this dish. Also cool how it all becomes liquid shortly after hitting your mouth.

We end up 2 out of 3 for the pea exploration, so good on you, Grant. 

COURSE 7: Hamachi

The service team sets these funny little service vessels in front of us which hold some manner of fried puff that has been skewered with a warm vanilla bean. We are told it is hamachi with banana and ginger. The fish itself is very mild and buttery, and the tropical flavors paired with it are perfection. The bite itself has been lightly fried, so obviously that is yummy. The smell of the warm vanilla bean while you take your bite makes the whole thing seem very indulgent. This course was most definitely a hit. Who wouldn't love food that is served on your very own vanilla bean pod? Maybe we will put this (along with the yuba dish) on our bar menu. 

With the introduction of these rich flavors, I can tell we are moving into heartier territory. Jump to Alinea Part Two to learn about the portion of the meal I like to call Meat and Truffles.