Alinea reopened in May after a five-month closure in which the restaurant was completely remodeled, a seven-figure project that involved moving a flight of stairs from the back of the restaurant to the front. The entrance is dramatically different than it used to be, no longer so cold and austere but rather warm and inviting while still adhering to a modern, mysterious aesthetic.
Much of the crew spent their downtime with Alinea’s traveling roadshow, which made stops in Miami and Spain. They’re all back, and they are as great as ever. Chef Grant Achatz wasn’t actually in the restaurant for this visit, but that didn’t make any difference. From the greeting on the sidewalk outside the front door, through every dish and change of wine, the staff was the absolute epitome of grace and professionalism, with a sense of humor to boot.
In keeping with the restaurant’s sense of adventure and surprise, I won’t go into a lot of detail about the dishes. I’m just going to list them here as they were listed on the menu. Rest assured, every bite was even more delicious than it was beautiful, especially with the มะพร้าว, which is one of the kitchen’s newest dishes.
Alinea
1723 N Halsted St
Chicago, IL
(312) 867-0110
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