annak wrote:The one lower note was the chocolate pot de creme - it seemed more on the gelatin side than the creamy side, but I've definitely been spoiled by the incredibly rich one at Floriole.

I agree. (My standards for great pot de creme are the one on Shaw's Sunday brunch and a homemade one.)

I went to Alinea this week. (I had previously dined there three times, as well as getting carryout three times during the pandemic.) How was it?

As a restaurant meal, it was very good. Some of the dishes were incredibly delicious. Some of them were, well, less so - although when you're presented with 6-10 different items as a single course, you may not like all of them, but you're bound to like some of them.

As an experience, it was unique and it was awesome. The presentations continue to amaze. SO MUCH FUN!

Photos:

I saw a great write up with some nice pictures, that I wanted to share.

https://www.insider.com/what-its-like-e ... -dining-20

I didn't realize that the whole room is served together. When I went there, it was the whole table that was served together and if someone at the table had to go to the bathroom, then service was halted while they were gone and the next course did not come until everyone at the table was finished. I would find that awkward.

lougord99 wrote:I didn't realize that the whole room is served together. When I went there, it was the whole table that was served together and if someone at the table had to go to the bathroom, then service was halted while they were gone and the next course did not come until everyone at the table was finished. I would find that awkward.

It looks like they do two seatings a night in the first floor gallery section, one at 5pm and one at 9pm. When I went eleven years ago, it was a more traditionally staggered seating and every table in the restaurant was on the same prix fixe menu with the only difference being the beverage pairing choice.

I am finally going to Alinea at the end of October. Found a fourth person to round out our table. We are looking forward to it.

Alinea Group co-owner Nick Kokonas sells ownership stake

at chicagobusiness.com, Brandon Dupré wrote:Nick Kokonas, co-owner of The Alinea Group, the team behind three-Michelin-starred restaurant Alinea, announced the sale of his ownership stake in the restaurant group in a post today on X.

Kokonas, who co-owns The Alinea Group with chef Grant Achatz, said he sold to an investor group led by Chicagoan Jason Weingarten, co-founder of recruiting startup Yello. He will “remain a minority, passive investor,” according to the post.

“I look forward to seeing Grant and Jason build on the amazing organization and experiences TAG has in place,” he wrote on X. “Personally, I'm excited to work on new ventures and stay as uncomfortable as I dare. That usually leads to the best results.”

Kokonas declined to comment further on the transaction, and terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Alinea, the flagship of the Chicago restaurant group, is one of only two restaurants in the city to have three Michelin stars. The other is the West Loop’s Smyth.

“20 years of innovation in hospitality, book publishing, and reservation software — along with making 1M+ diners happy and full of wonder — has me feeling very thankful for the many team members who helped make all of that happen,” he wrote in the post.

=R=

Michelin 3-Star Alinea Is Bringing Its Immersive Dining Experience to Restaurants Across the U.S.

https://robbreport.com/food-drink/dinin ... 236222532/

I've gifted this article:

Alinea celebrates 20 years of modernist fine dining in Chicago, but our critic says it’s time to let go of the balloon

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/05/ ... ewnsse0wcr

On Saturday night, I ate the Gallery menu at Alinea. All of the dishes were interesting, and many included clever presentation techniques. A few had the "wow" of being amazingly delicious (e.g. the arctic char), but more were just okay to pretty good. Shout-out for the amazing dishware the food was served on, some of which was custom created specifically for Alinea. Overall, it was very entertaining, and an enjoyable experience.

Last night - yes, back to back - I ate at Next, which is featuring the menu "Alinea - Year 1". Almost all of the dishes had the "wow". My two least favorites were the two dishes common to both nights - the explosion and hot potato cold potato - although that could just be because both dishes featured truffles, with which I am not enamored.

I agree with the Tribune critic that there was too much truffle. I also agree that it's time to let go of the balloon - not just because the flavor (green apple) was so-so, but also because it's an absolute mess (I was careful with my hair and sleeves, but my hands were so sticky that a trip to the restroom to clean up was imperative). However, I also feel that Alinea offers a unique experience combining enjoyable theatrical entertainment with a meal that is sometimes delicious. It's worth going (and spending the money) if you've never been there. I would go back to the Year 1 version in a heartbeat; I'm glad I also tried the current version, but I would hope the menu would change substantially before trying it again.

Dave148 wrote:I've gifted this article:

Alinea celebrates 20 years of modernist fine dining in Chicago, but our critic says it’s time to let go of the balloon

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/05/ ... ewnsse0wcr

What has a higher budget - the Alinea review or every other review Louisa Chu does this year combined? So far she's reviewed Minyoli, Mariscos San Pedro, Petite Vie, M'daKhan, and Funeral Potatoes so presumably Alinea is comfortably in the lead right now. 8 months to go.

Ouch. 2 Stars.

I read the review carefully. I don't have the time or the energy to write a detailed post addressing the issues raised item by item but I will say that I simply did not find the review, taken as a whole, to be convincing. I believe what she said and she is, of course, entitled to her conclusion. I just don't think that the review presented a convincing argument for two stars.

Why I'm glad I'm not a restaurant reviewer. I remember Achatz from Trio, when he was trying out ideas. Loved him ever since. Don't know that I'll ever again be able to afford dinner at Alinea, but my memories are so fond (including of hot potato/cold potato) that I can only still admire him. And can't say that I think the meal described seems lacking. That said, I'm certain there is more competition now than there was 20 years ago.

Cynthia wrote:Why I'm glad I'm not a restaurant reviewer. I remember Achatz from Trio, when he was trying out ideas. Loved him ever since. Don't know that I'll ever again be able to afford dinner at Alinea, but my memories are so fond (including of hot potato/cold potato) that I can only still admire him. And can't say that I think the meal described seems lacking. That said, I'm certain there is more competition now than there was 20 years ago.

It's hard to keep yourself fresh and also to keep the experiences surprising. We spaced our visits out to avoid diner fatigue (you can't do too many highfalutin' meals with frequency, at least I can't). It's also hard to recapture that first experience; I had so many memories of previous "hits" that I was a bit disappointed with new offerings. We tried to get in recently but they strongly discouraged the reservation when we asked for an accommodation for a vegetarian (due to the presence of pork gelatin in many preparations). I don't recall them being as unaccommodating in the past.

My strange analogy to dining at Alinea or NeXt is when I decide to upgrade myself at O'Hare to business class for an overseas flight. I'm wowed during the flight itself, but upon landing I'm thinking, '...did I really have to spend all that extra money?!"

I dined at Alinea once, in 2018, so the current courses are changed at least 75%--and Louisa's descriptions with Chef's backstory on each course are excellent reading for sure. Then it was new and fresh and pretty much wonderful. Never had had anything like it. We also did NeXt last year for the Julia Child thing. That was really nice, at I think a better price point as well.

I have mild interest at returning to Alinea, but only if it's with people that have never been. Chef Achatz is a genius at food drama, but when I can have four $150/pp meals for what I paid at Alinea...that's what gets me thinking...always a bad sign.

I've never been one to dissect a check. I look and say yes or no as to its worth. I was @ the opening wkend of Alinea... have done Next a few times and also was @ the great Moto roadkill dinner. For me the molecular gastronomy is a crayon in the box- not the be all end all, but nice to pull out here and there. I've found it more style over substance and don't feel the need to go again. It just doesn't resonate, particularly @ that pricepoint. That said, while a different cuisine entirely, the chef's table @ Arzak was worth every cent.

To clarify, when I said I'm glad I'm not a reviewer, it's not that I get weary of the food. It's that I have a great fondness for chefs and know how hard they work, so I would struggle with the idea of saying something unkind. So it's just my personality that would make it hard for me to critique anyone's food. (Unless it's really horrific.)

As for not going back, that is solely based on Social Security not paying enough for such luxuries.

As mentioned in the Opening and Closings post:

Alinea is closing their Fulton Market restaurant Fire on June 28th after less than a year:
https://chicago.eater.com/closings/1597 ... inea-group

Crain's story has an interesting tidbit that says a lot:

Fire, located at 951 W. Fulton Market, will close on June 28, Alinea announced today. "We're at the end of the lease, and there aren't enough seats to capture the demand," Weingarten said.

Weingarten said he expects a rebirth for Fire in a new location soon, with potentially more to come. He said real estate developers from across Chicago and elsewhere have reached out to him about hosting Fire. "I could see it in the suburbs here; I could see it in some of the new developments that are coming in the city right now," he said. "But I also wouldn't be surprised to see it in the mountains or at a resort in other countries. We're very bullish on this concept."

Eater commented on how much asking rents had gone up in the area but unless I missed something did not mention the end of lease although they said the closing was purely tied to real estate.

Innovation, Artistry, Resilience: Looking Back at Two Decades of Alinea

https://www.eater.com/dining-out/896104 ... nniversary

I've gifted this NYT article:

20 Years Ago, Alinea Electrified Chicago Dining. Does It Still Matter?

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/16/dini ... =url-share

Dave148 wrote:

Innovation, Artistry, Resilience: Looking Back at Two Decades of Alinea

https://www.eater.com/dining-out/896104 ... nniversary

Dave148 wrote:I've gifted this NYT article:

20 Years Ago, Alinea Electrified Chicago Dining. Does It Still Matter?

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/16/dini ... =url-share

There seems to be a difference of opinion!

Grant Achatz reports lower Michelin rating.

https://chicago.eater.com/restaurant-ne ... ant-achatz

scottsol wrote:Grant Achatz reports lower Michelin rating.

https://chicago.eater.com/restaurant-ne ... ant-achatz

Michelin stars are a tired concept.

You’d be tired too at 95 years old.