I don't understand why anyone would be surprised or upset that cocktails (or wine) would be rather expensive at a restaurant whose standard dinner menu is $185 per person.

nsxtasy wrote:I don't understand why anyone would be surprised or upset that cocktails (or wine) would be rather expensive at a restaurant whose standard dinner menu is $185 per person.

These were cocktails with dinner at the bar, where it's reasonable to assume that prices and average tickets are not as high as they are in the dining room.

The GP wrote:We hit the bar at Acadia last night for dinner.

=R=

ronnie_suburban wrote:These were cocktails with dinner at the bar, where it's reasonable to assume that prices and average tickets are not as high as they are in the dining room.

Average tickets, certainly, assuming you're not getting the full tasting menu. But is it customary for restaurants to charge different prices for the same drinks (cocktails, wine, etc) at the bar vs in the dining room? I wouldn't expect the prices to be any different, but I honestly don't know what the prevalent practice in the industry is (or whether it's any different for fine dining restaurants vs the more affordable places). What's typically done?

Or perhaps the cocktail-bar-attached-or-adjacent-to-a-Michelin-star-restaurant is officially a thing. Kumiko's drinks are between $18-28; Aviary is roughly $20-31. I agree that there's still a bit of sticker shock seeing a $20+ cocktail, but the precedent is there.

Went on an impromptu west loop bar crawl early Friday night and here are some data points.

Moneygun - 11.75 for all their cocktails. I love this place and would consider it a hidden gem.

Kumiko - 16 to 21 and worth every penny for the quality of service

Lone wolf - 14 to 16. The place is what it is but the drinks were good

Cocktail prices are like beers at entertainment venues. Sticker shock and annoyance at first. But I'm a sucker and still not high enough for me to abstain

Going on 5 years since Darren72 noted service issues and the restaurant switched to Tock (and back out again?). Any recent dining room (not bar) experiences here?

Enjoyed a luxurious stay-at-home dinner thanks to curbside pickup from Acadia. We ordered the lobster wedge salad, lobster pot pie, a Malaysian lime martini cocktail kit, and banana cake. The cocktail kit gave my martini-loving husband an opportunity to try a new style and upgrade our home bar. It included a bottle of Russell Henry Malaysian Lime Gin, Ferdinand's Saar Dry Vermouth, Lemon & Lime Dashfire bitters, and a dozen black limes for grating. The salad came with a sunny-side up egg that was a tad undercooked so perfect once briefly reheated, in addition to iceberg, bacon, guacamole, blue cheese, and a side of ranch. The pot pie was deconstructed, with two broken-down, butter-poached lobsters, mashed potatoes, roasted fingerlings, pearl onions, baby carrots, lobster bisque, and a puff pastry crown. We paired this with a 2009 Bouchard Père & Fils Puligny-Montrachet we purchased pre-shelter-in-place from The Wine Cellar, a gem of a wine store in Palatine. For those desiring fine-dining at home during the COVID-19 crisis, I highly recommend Acadia

We did their meal last week.

Lobster roll - delicious.

Noodles - also delicious.

Fries - deep into “why bother” territory. Pasty white and limp with no crispness at all. I known it’s hard, but after our five minute drive home they were stone cold. Right in the trash.

Timing - we arrived spot on our 6:15 time. Got in a huge line of cars. Our order emerged at 6:45. Clearly they can’t keep up so maybe cut orders off??

We tried Acadia for the first time last week; unfortunately it was pretty disappointing, and it seems like their transition from dine-in to take-out has been tough. They forgot to pack part of our order (one of our two entrees, which they comped when we called to mention it) and the dishes we got were fine, but pretty unmemorable.

Love,
John

Accusations regarding chef/owner Ryan McCaskey

js03618 wrote:Accusations regarding chef/owner Ryan McCaskey

Hmmm. The website says that they’re closed today and tomorrow due to “unforeseen circumstances.”

email from Acadia wrote:Subject: An announcement from Acadia
Date: Aug 7, 2020 5:45 PM


Thank you Chicago. We’ll be back very soon, but for now, due to the pandemic’s impact, we have had to make the difficult decision to close Acadia for the next month. We are going to take the opportunity to regroup and concentrate on the future when the picture is hopefully clearer. We eagerly anticipate being able to open our patio and inside dining again and are excited to unveil Acadia as we move into the future!

Acadia has had an amazing twenty-one week run through the pandemic and we are proud that we have been able to serve our community during these uncertain times by cooking for hospitals, the police force, the national guard, and also providing free markets for the less fortunate. We look forward to the next phase for Acadia. We have adapted to a number of adversities over the years and we look forward to returning better and stronger.

Thank you,
Acadia Management Team

The chef and owner of Michelin-starred Chicago restaurant Acadia was ordered this week not to contact a former employee who alleges that the chef created a website, multiple email addresses and fake online reviews to “harass and stalk” him, court documents show.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/dining/c ... story.html

Acadia chef Ryan McCaskey sues former employee and lawyer who alleged cyber harassment.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/dining/c ... story.html

Michelin-Starred Acadia Officially Closes in Chicago’s South Loop

https://chicago.eater.com/2021/10/22/22 ... n-mccaskey

McCaskey's lawsuit against the former employee, Cody Nason, got dismissed back in 2023, which means that even if everything McCaskey claimed was true, no law was broken.

Background: Nason sent some stuff into that @the86dlist Instagram Account that was popular at the start of the pandemic as a place for people to report racism and other kinds of abuse in the restaurant industry. McCaskey responded by going scorched earth, with publicly alleging that Nason was a pedophile and child sex trafficker being the most shocking claims.

Nason filed a counter-claim, which was not dismissed and didn't settle. The jury came back a few weeks ago and found in Nason's favor. Now McCaskey owes Nason $4.5 million.


It could be appealed or they could settle to avoid appeal or McCaskey could file for bankruptcy and get out of some of the debt.

McCaskey appears to be the chef/owner of Pilgrim's Inn in Maine these days. Anyone inclined to rush out there to try his food one last time before financial ruin potentially ends that place should know they close for the season on October 12.

Tribune has more on the story, including the fact that there was previously a $3.5 million default judgment against another defendant that I suspect will never get collected.

I'm sure it's a total coincidence that the Trib waited until today to report on a a jury verdict from September 20 and they found out about it somewhere other than here because they definitely would have given LTH credit otherwise.