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Category: Restaurants [Edit]
Neighborhood: Near North SideChicago (Red)
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Good god, man, this place a needs a updatin a.
Uno: Curtis Duffy replaced Graham Elliott Bowles last year. He's working with a skeletal staff--from my view of the open kitchen, it was less than both Schwa and Urban Belly--which means he is out there, on the line, working and observing. Saying how refreshing that is is a sad observation on the state of the chef-as-laborer, but the economy should put 'em--well, at least Gordon Ramsay--back in the kitchen.
Dos: The room is still unfortunate; I'm sure the hotel guests think it's the BLT/Arnold Palmer room (they have a room just for that in $400+/night hotels, right?). The view looks straight out at...Nomi (the rich: different from your and I--because they like to look at each other at four stories up?). The place seems to attract...old people. I always love being the youngest person in the room, but Duffy is even younger than me; he needs a wider--and younger--audience.
Tres: 8 courses for $115 is not a bad deal, I think; $150 for 15 looks to be a steal (though see below for a warning); you can even order a la carte, with the items culled from the pre fixe menu. Careful with the champagne cart: with wine, you'll end up spending $300/person.
Cuatro: Duffy has a very nuanced, very mannered take on avant-garde cooking, clearly influenced more by the formalists of the Kinch (Manresa) variety than the playful wizards (Cantu, GEB); if memory still serves me, we didn't have an out and out foam until dessert--though plenty of liquid/solid plays (e.g., gelees, "dirts", cremes, licorices). Highlights: 1) the opening amuse is shiver-inducing play on tradition, with a golden dome of a quail egg and meyer lemon gelee dotted by two kinds of caviar--the veritable math rock of fine dinings, with stops and starts of flavors as the egg dissolved in the tongue; 2) A king crab "experiment" that has African and South seas notes, with slowly revealing set of tastes from the cucumber puree, kalamansi juice, roe,and a few hits of pepper--would make a great summer drink (if, you know, you've got an immersion circulator on your deck); 3) a salmon belly, apple milk, and chlorophyll creme dish that lovingly "cheated" by showcasing its pure and lush fattiness; 4) a Wagyu "cannolini" that I did not order--expecting it to be boring, I ordered the rabbit and morels dish, which was good but nowhere near this--but whose Japanese touches (sudachi and shiso) and avant-garde whims (black sesame dirt, horseradish foam) were academically and gustatory-ily fascinating; 5) a palate cleanser of carbonated cabernet that popped--to climax the savories--but then relaxed the tongue for the sweets. Great stuff, all of it.
Oh, but let's talk dish of the year: a study of spring peas in various forms (fresh, frozen, pureed, as shoots), with herbal and fruity notes coming from a lavender creme and macerated cantaloupe, respectively. Pure spring. Complexity articulated as a sense. One of the most brilliant things I've ever experienced. Sheer genius.
You will have a few misses--such things are inevitable--and you may very well be disappointed with the pork belly course, which in spite of its cocoa and paprika licorice was pretty boring. Dessert is an afterthought: we had a study in chai that was two-star level and a belgian chocolate and strawberry construction that was profoundly unmemorable; the mignardise were novel but certainly not at L20's level.
The bread and butter service, by the way, is excellent and very fun--I love me my $200 waffles (church!). Service was very approachable and friendly; they were particularly knowledgeable about the food, which I think is key for this sort of cooking. Nice to have the pretense broken down, you know?
One last thing: order a la carte (I think). I know, I know--you just read 500+ words of mine about the degustation. But if you don't want to give up the time or the money required of it, you can order most of the items from the prefixe menu and save yourself a hundred dollars or so. The menu will change at the end of July, so I'd suggest waiting until the initial reviews of the fall menu come out, and then just order what everyone on LTH is raving about--that would be a heck of a meal, methinks.
People thought this was:
My boyfriend took me here for my birthday this past weekend. We really wanted to love Avenues, but, overall, we were underwhelmed. While there were no flops in the food arena, there were no WOWs either.
The good:
- A bread service that is almost as good as L2O's, certainly far and above all other bread services
- Interesting food combinations
- Knowledgeable servers (for the most part, see below for the exception)
- Fun, tasty cocktails to kick off the evening
- The fish course was lovely, as was the beet course and the coconut dessert
Improvement areas:
- I am an extremely adventurous eater and adore restaurants like Schwa. That said, at a certain point it gets tiresome to have almost every dish served to you be "artfully deconstructed". Funny that the salmon, the only non-deconstructed course, was one of our favorites.
- I was really surprised that there were no little surprise amuses. I cannot think of another restaurant in this range that does not do something like this. While the servers called the first course an "amuse", it was listed on the menu as one of the 8 courses.
- The protein component of most of the dishes was quite skimpy. Two tiny hunks of duck in one course. A half tablespoon of beef cheeks as the capstone course. What gives?
- Atmosphere: It feels like you're in a hotel dining room (name tags on the servers doesn't help with that)
- Jose: Our head waiter needs some lessons in what service means. He was, for the most part, absent. Thank heavens for some of the other staff who were much more interested in our dining experience. Jose did not even ask us if we wanted coffee, tea or an after dinner drink. Just brought us the check. And we watched as he tried to drop the check at another table while they were still eating dessert.
Avenues. Who knew that this little gem was nestled in the Peninsula Hotel? Obviously not many people as we were only one of four occupied tables on a recent Wednesday night.
The service and food were impeccable The space beautiful and we had a great table by the windows.
After being seated- we were offered our choice of one of 5 champagnes from the champagne cart. I chose a sparkling rose that was fruity and delicious. Just a note of caution- this place can get very expensive very quickly so know what you want to spend before walking in. The glass of champagne was $32 alone. Thank heaven I didn't go with my first instinct to drink champagne all night instead of going with a nice bottle of wine!
There are three tasting menus to choose from- a 4, 8 or 15 course option. We chose the 8 courses even after being assured from our server that if we went with the 15 course that he could get us out in about 2 hours. I'm not sure how that would be possible given it took us over 2 hours to move through the 8 courses.
I loved the presentation of the food. Little planks made out of bacon, foam gracing the plates and multiple flavors and textures all mingling together to create taste sensations that were as interesting as they were delicious. A few of my favorites on this night were the sea scallop with huckleberries, the hato mugi which was almost risotto like and the Wagyu which was the most flavorful beef I have ever had.
The sommelier was helpful in finding us a bottle of wine that was the perfect pairing for our meal and was actually at the lower end of the price range of their wine list. There was also a wide variety of breads that came out with each of the courses that were delicious.
I would save Avenues for that perfect place for that special evening- after all- dinner for two came to around $550 including the champagne and wine so I doubt I will be a regular here. But with the impeccable service and great food- I'd definitely consider it for my next special occasion.
People thought this was:
I really can't figure out why people are complaining that the food here isn't on par with Trotters or Tru. I agree with Chris B. (and the legion of obsessive foodies-in-the-know over at LTHforum)--Avenues is the most grossly overlooked restaurant in Chicago. In fact, it may be edging out Trotters for the top spot on my personal list of top Chicago restaurants.
I don't want to sound like a snob, but if you're reading my review I figure you need some basis for assuming my opinion is worth considering. Gambling a significant amount of cash on what you hope will be a significantly awesome restaurant isn't something most people do without some reassurance it's worth it. And I do have a real basis for saying Avenues is fabulous because I have a lot to compare it to. In Chicago, I've been to Alinea, Trotters, Tru, Everest, Les Nomades, Avenues; further afield, I've been to the French Laundry, Per Se, Chez Panisse, Gary Danko, Le Bernardin, Alain Ducasse, Jean Georges, Daniel, Nobu, Masa, and others I am forgetting. What can I say? Some women spend on shoes and handbags. I spend on restaurants because I really enjoy dining out and take food really seriously.
I kept forgetting Avenues existed, despite seeing the name pop up on LTH quite regularly as a top contender among Chicago restaurants. Maybe I overlooked it because it's in a hotel. Maybe I overlooked it because the chef isn't a celebrity, or because the name isn't that memorable. I don't know WHY I overlooked it, but when I finally got around to visiting, I realized I'd been making a mistake. Avenues is absolutely wonderful.
The food is nothing even close to boring. It's not Alinea or Moto, but experimentation is not the sole measure of what makes food memorably good. My favorite restaurants tend to be places like this or like Trotters--places that experiment with tradition but don't go crazy with it. So many of the courses at Avenues were stand-out amazing--the squab with huckleberries and ricotta, or pork "barbecue" with sassafras, or lighter courses like fennel gazpacho--and even the less-explosive courses were perfect in their sequence. But then, I'm easy. An upgrade to a full ounce of golden Iranian osetra for my first course had me in such a good mood I'd say my judgment may have been clouded if my husband didn't agree with me.
All this comes at a price. A 15-course menu, without wine or water or coffee or upgrades, is $175 a person. Add in an aperitif, bottled water, wine, coffee--and it starts to add up a lot higher. Do something like I did, and upgrade to osetra over domestic caviar, for example, and with tax and tip you're walking away having spent WELL over $1000 for two. (Avenues did call the next day to apologize because they had double-charged for something and to tell us they were deducting it from our bill. I thought that was pretty nice, given that there was no way I would ever have noticed that.)
The service is very, very good. It's more invisible than friendly, and exceedingly professional and competent. The decor is likewise not obtrusive in any way, but is quiet and subdued with well-spaced tables. I liked both, and thought them definite pluses.
In short, I can't fathom why people overlook Avenues, and I certainly can't figure out what's going on with the negative reviews about the food. Sure, Avenues isn't the dazzling culinary pyrotechnics people seem to expect out of restaurants today, but I don't trash Everest just because very traditional french food disagrees with me (in fact, I puked my guts out all over Chicago Street afterwards). I don't declare that Tru sucks just because I was majorly underwhelmed by what I considered pointlessly different but not very well-thought-through dishes. My only guess is that some reviewers spend a whole lot of money for a special dinner expect it to meet some subjective ideal, and then decide that the restaurant objectively fails because they personally aren't thrilled.
And that's really very silly.
People thought this was:
What is the deal with this restaurant??? The only five star seafood in Chicago, and it is GROSSLY underrated, and ALWAYS overlooked when talking about the top restaurants in Chicago...
We've been to Charlie Trotter's, Ambria, Tru, et al., and we would go back to Avenues before any of those. Dover Sole carved tableside, Anniversary style service (esp. if you actually go for your anniversary), trolling drink carts, Chef's menu and ambience that transports you to the most elegant place in your imagination, and you have Avenues. Will you pay for this experience? Oh yes -- expect a $300+ check on the scale of Trotter's, but it is a fabulous dining experience.
In discussing this restaurant with friends, I get blank stares from many who have never even heard of this gem.
Okay -- here's the plan -- the next big event -- Anniversary, milestone birthday, promotion, out of town client -- take them here.
People thought this was:
In order to celebrate the holidays with my special someone, we opted to have an intimate, holiday dinner versus buying each other expensive gifts. It was a special night, so I phoned the restaurant ahead of time and spoke to the sommelier in order to pre-select a nice bottle of champagne to pair with our first two courses. Upon his recommendation, I selected a 1/2 bottle of Krug and gave my American Express in order to pre-pay for the bottle so that m date would not be charged for the bottle. The champagne was also part of his Holiday gift.
We walked over to the Peninsula hotel, arriving a few minutes early, our table was not quite ready so the hostess took our coats and we headed to the lounge. I ordered a Basil Hayden's on the rocks and my date a Stoli Soda and headed back as we finished our drinks.
When we got back to the restaurant, we were told that we still had a few more minutes so I sat at the Kitchen Bar while our table was being readied. I am glad I sat down for that brief minute because I learned that you can order any item from the tasting menu for $17 a course if you sit at the kitchen bar. This is great news, you can sit there and have an abbreviated version of the tasting menu and have two courses if you like!
Shortly after we were seated our server brought over the champagne and we toasted the New Year. I remember having the chestnut soup, which was fantastic. And the sturgeon was remarkable as well - light in comparison to other preparations of sturgeon I have had at various other restaurants. I was a little disappointed by the short rib (which is usually a favorite dish of mine), it was over cooked - medium well.
We only did the five course tasting and those were the courses that stood out the most. I don't recall dessert but all in all, I thought the food was fantastic.
Ultimately, I would say that when I go back, I will most certainly sit at the Kitchen bar. I love sitting in front of an open kitchen where the opportunity to converse with the chef exists. I love to watch them prepare the food with such precision and attention to detail. Best of all, I love the fact I can still have a four star meal in a more casual setting - and have the ability to pick and choose which courses I prefer.
People thought this was:
I went to Avenues about 3 months ago with my boyfriend. He actually proposed right before dinner, so we were excited and looking forward to a great meal. We only had about 2.5 hours because friends were meeting at our apartment to celebrate, and we didn't want to have them waiting there forever for us.
Our server was nice and congratulated us. We wanted to do the largest tasting menu but were concerned about time. Our server said that we could do it in 2-2.5 hours as long as we didn't mind if the courses came out a little faster than normal. We were totally fine with that and very excited to eat.
My boyfriend and I are very big foodies. I kinda suck because I don't eat meat, but I love all seafood. We've been to countless prix fixe restaurants, and I always let them know I don't eat meat but do eat seafood and I'm always really pleasantly surprised with the chef's substitutions. Avenues was a whole new experience...and not in a good way.
The first few courses were either vegetarian or contained no meat. And to be fair, they were mostly very good. Then came the squab with huckleberry, ricotta and truffle. The server put the plates down and explained the components of the dish. Since I obviously knew I was not having squab, I asked, while she was walking away, "oh, and what am I having?" This is honestly what she said, "...everything but the squab."
I almost started histerically laughing. I've never been somewhere that they haven't substituted a protein. I mean sear a scallop or something. Grill a shrimp, no biggie, just do something! Before this even happened the dishes were coming out slower and slower and we had no chance of leaving at the time they said we could. Our server was also present less and less. We had to leave 3 courses early. They did take some money off since we weren't able to eat the last few courses, which is fine, but I'd rather have had the chance to eat them!
Another nice thing Avenues did do was print out our menus with the date and a note of congratulations as a keepsake. Wish I wanted to remember the menu more.
Long (really long, sorry) story short, I was really disappointed in Avenues, and I just think there are WAY too many great restaurants in Chicago to recommend it.
People thought this was:
I know I am being harsh, but Avenues is just not up to par with the other 5 star restaurants in Chicago. I have been here twice and was dissapointed both times. One of these times was Valentine's Day and this did not make it any better. Don't get me wrong....the service is flawless and in my opinion the best in the city. However, I was definitely let down by the food.
Of course, the restaurant is extremely expensive, but that is expected of a 5 star restaurant located in the Peninsula Hotel. But the point is.... I don't think you should be disappointed (especially twice) when you are spending this type of money! Honestly, if you want a fine dining experience I would recommend going to Tru or Alinea instead.
People thought this was:
I have to agree with most of the reviewers on this one. It's a great, make that incredible dining experience.
My wife and I went a few days ago for my birthday and we were blown away at both the quality and creativeness of the food as well as the high level of service. Yes, it's not cheap but when you paying that kind of money you had better receive the "invisible" service (the staff is almost one step ahead of you) that Avenues delivers.
We tried a wonderful bottle of pinot noir recommended by our server and opted for the 15 course dinner. if I go back, I would probably try the 5 or 10 course but everything looked great. It's a great special event restaurant and we really enjoyed our four hour dinner. I highly recommend it.
People thought this was:
I love the Peninsula Hotel. I love the amazingly graceful and anticipatory service. I love the Lobby Restaurant. I love Shanghai Terrace. I love everything about this hotel. Except Avenues.
I really wanted to love Avenues, too. But, I just couldn't. The thoughtful servers at Avenues really tried to make our experience good, but the food prepared by Chef Bowles just flat out poor. My first experience at Avenues was at a Prix Fixe Valentine's Dinner ($175/person) where I was unimpressed by all but 1 of the 14 courses tried between my guest and I (the now banned foie gras lollipop) and borderline revolted by several (the worst being a flat out nasty, rubbery sturgeon over oatmeal.)
The wine director, however, was very knowledgeable and fun, and tasted our '69 Gaja with us and passionately discussed his takes on its taste and evolution as it aerated. He also suggested a stunning, obscure dessert wine that we thoroughly enjoyed.
Additionally, we were nickeled and dimed for another $16 dollars for bottled water, were quoted a $35 dollar corkage fee, which appeared on the check at $50, and when it came to the dish entitled simply "TRUFFLE" on the Hers menu, were told we could "purchase an upgrade to real truffles" for an undisclosed price.
The chef and management tried their hardest to improve the experience, replacing my guest's main course with an alternate entree (which still failed to deliver) and inviting us back for a second chance at a discount. But, even on our reluctant second visit, the food wholly missed its mark and even the Kobe beef was bland and dull.
People thought this was:
"US Weekly said Brad and Angeliina ate here." That was why I chose this place on my recent trip to Chicago.
I was sadly disappointed and now I question Brad and Angelina's taste in food. My boyfriend and I decided to splurge on this place and took no shortcuts -- we got the 15 course tasting, a bottle of wine + two extra glasses of wine.
Fifteen courses gives the chef 15 opportunities to impress us and well... there were only 2 real stand out dishes. I liked the Lobster course while my boyfriend liked the very chocolatey dessert. The remaining 13 dishes were fine, but I've had better for a LOT cheaper.
The presentation was pretty and the service was fine (although they could've done better with the drink refills), but I don't think Chef Bowles, is one that matches my tastes. I'll save my hundreds of dollars on Alain Ducasse, Hubert Keller or Thomas Keller instead.
People thought this was:
I felt this was one of the best restaurants I have ever eaten at, and if you read my other reviews you'll see that I have had some good experiences. Anyway, my date and I both did the 8 course tasting menu and the food was superb. My favorite course was probably the sweet pea soup or the kobe steak dish. The service was exceptional and the atmosphere was amazing. From the amuse bouche to the petit fours, ever minute of the three hour adventure was exquisite. The only negative is the obvious, the price, it was very expensive, but I expected that. I would definitely return.
People thought this was:
Don't get me wrong, I liked this restaurant. The food was mostly excellent, the wine list impressive in breadth and depth, and how can you not love the Peninsula Hotel? It's a beautiful, beautiful place.
That said, I believe that Avenues falls short of reaching the Trotter's/Tru/Alinea pantheon of Chicago fine dining. The dining room (which I understand was recently renovated) is unrelentingly stuffy, surprisingly dated, and way too quiet for my liking. The food, which is well-prepared and of above-average quality, did not have the "wow factor" that I demand of a meal costing in excess of $100. This was especially surprising to me, given Chef Bowles's current status as one of the rising stars in the culinary universe.
So, in passing, my review will be of little use to anyone, as my criticisms of Avenues are fairly vague. But all I can say is that if I have $500 to drop on a meal, I'm going to Trotter's or Alinea. Or Spiaggia. Or Everest. Or Topolobampo.
People thought this was:
I love the attention to detail that is inherent with being in a Peninsula Hotel, and Avenues doesn't disappoint in that regard. Service was outstanding, from the personalized menus, to the gift of (amazing) shortbread as we left.
The food was very good, and the sommelier was very helpful as well. I kind of needed it since the wine list was literally a book, and a weighty one at that.
My husband was bored with his Pheasant Pot eu Feu, and while it was delicious, I didn't really blame him. It wasn't very exciting.
My Kobe beef (for a supplement charge) was very good as well. The quail appetizer was delicate and moist inside, while maintaining a perfectly seasoned crisp outside--amazing with those tiny little things. I ordered the Vanilla souffle as my desert, but to be honest, I could have just had the small scoop of rosewater ice cream that accompanied it and been satisfied, that was fantastic.
Here's my problem: I could have flown to Europe for the cost of our three course meal, and while it was lovely, I just feel that I've had more memorable dining experiences elsewhere. I'm glad we went, but I don't think we need to go back again. Definitely worth experiencing.
People thought this was:
If you're willing to drop a lot of money on food just for the experience like I am, then this is the place to go. Service is impeccable, food is inventive, atmosphere is decadent and ritzy--what's not to like?
If you're going to a place like this, I recommend you go for the glory and try the 15 course tasting menu with wine pairings. It's honestly the best I've ever had--three times. I've eaten at all the big players in Chi-town: Trotters, Alinea, Everest, Tru...Avenues beats 'em by a fair bit.
Easily the best dish I've ever had was served here after my graduation--steak tartare with smoked ice cream. Delicious. Exquisite. Amazing.
One of the tasting menus BF and I did was composed of Chef Bowles' spins on comfort foods like mac and cheese, ribs, fried chicken, etc. They were really fun to eat and provided great fodder for conversation.
Like I said, I've been here three times. Each time was awesome. Go here if you've got a special occasion; I don't think it's possible to be disappointed if you truly love food.
That being said, be sure to schedule in a full day of digestion before you plan on any nooky... 15 courses is a lot.
People thought this was:
Chef Bowles is a genius and the dishes he is putting out right now really exemplify a chef at the top of his game. Beef tartare with smoke ice cream and bernaise panna cotta, Truffled risotto, maple-laquered breast of Quail, lobster and scallops seafood duet, it goes on and on...The avenues tasting menue experience is not one for the faint of heart (nor light of wallet) but for a special occassion it really fits the bill.
The restaurant service is as luxurious as the hotel service, which can only be described as "world class". Incidentally, if you get a chance to stay there you really should. I called last minute for a little mini getaway/shopping trip for me and the wife and they managed to get us a decent room rate (keep in mind "decent" is a relative term here). We felt pampered the entire time we were there and only wished we had the dough to stay longer.
People thought this was:
My first experience at the Peninsula came at afternoon tea almost two years ago. Since that exquisite experience, I have returned for Father's Day brunch in the Lobby, dinner at Shanghai Terrace, and several drinks at The Bar and have been more than satisfied every time. However, it took almost two years before my first trip to Avenues. Even after such intense, chronic anticipation, I was absolutely blown away.
My date and I had picked out our meals from start to finish days in advance, and the reality surpassed both of our imaginations. From the pre-pre-appetizer (lemon and chive-flavored goat cheese mousse wrapped in a light pastry shell) to the parting gift (cherry-walnut shortbread), everything was exceptional. The plating was phenomenal, the aromas tantalizing, and the taste out of this world.
Unlike so many other restaurants in Chicago, the environment was extremely conducive to conversation (granted, the conversation degenerated to rapid-fire "this is so good, "this is unbelievable," "I think this ____ is the best ____ I've ever had," etc.). The dining room was neither brightly lit nor dark, allowing us to see the food that we were eating without being overwhelmed by light or lost in shadow. The tables were far enough apart that we could share our food without being mocked by the other patrons, although not far apart enough that we couldn't overhear the host and the waiters switching back and forth seamlessly between English and French. The chairs were extremely comfortable, remaining that way for the entirety of our three hour dinner.
The service was to the standard of the Peninsula: knowledgeable, attentive but not intrusive, and very friendly and accommodating. My guest and I were greeted by name as soon as we entered the restaurant and treated like family throughout the duration of our stay. Chef Bowles was happy to substitute an extra fish course for my date, who doesn't eat meat. The wait staff was able to explain the tiniest nuances of the cuisine, from ingredients to techniques.
In conclusion, my dinner at Avenues was the best meal I have ever had. Granted, I haven't been to Tru or many other "Pantheon" restaurants in Chicago, but I have been to some of the best in other cities across the world; Avenues definitely deserves to be mentioned in the same breath. I can't recommend it highly enough.
People thought this was:
Disappointing. The service started out great, but then we were completely ignored for about 1/2 of our dinner. For a fancy restaurant this is unacceptable. I also hate when you ask the waiter for a recommendation for a glass of wine, and they bring you one that costs $45 a glass without asking you first. I know it's fancy, and you expect to pay, but to me that is a major faux-pas. Food was good, but there are other great restaurants. Go to Tru, Everest or Alinea instead.
People thought this was:
We went to Avenues last week for a work birthday dinner. The seating area is nice, warm and very accommodating. We were a party of 7 and they sat us in the corner by the windows which had a great view.
We had the 8 course tasting menu which I found very tatsty, another good thing is that one person in our party is extremely picky (should not have gone) so I got to eat the majority of his food as well.
The presentation of all the dishes was very nice and each course was explained in detail. The sweeping delivery and removal of the plates was amusing at times but not the fault of the servers it was Mr. Picky eating with us that prolonged the next course.
Avenues is an enjoyable place to have dinner and would recommend it as more of an intimate place for two versus 7.
The funniest moment of the evening was when b-day girl was returning to the table after a restroom break. She thought we were all waiting for her so she rushed through the dinning room towards our table with servers coming out of every corner attempting to beat her to her chair so they could pull it out for her. There must have been 5 of them running.
Enjoyable environment interesting takes on food and all around an A+
People thought this was:
As I write this review, I am thoroughly ashamed to admit that my husband and I dined here for his 42nd birthday. I am ashamed to admit that the dinner would have paid for 2 months of our car payments. I'm afraid that my friends will read this review, and know how absurd and taken we were.
Neither my husband nor I have ever been to a true 5 star restaurant. We really didn't know what to expect. We knew that it would be expensive, but we were naive...seriously naive, we thought that maybe it might cost $400....we were such children.
This is a restaurant where you truly feel like you are one of the special people. and have lots and lots of money.( No one needs to know the truth.) The menu changes nightly. And what I did not anticipate is that the Chef insists that everyone at the table order the same amount of courses to ease the flow. It costs $90 a person for 3 courses. $185 for their pre fixe 10 course meal. And if you would like to experience their wines with every course, well, it's going to cost you over $250 a person. Did I mention that EVERYONE has to order the same amount of courses? Yes, I know that I did, but seriously....you really have to keep this in mind and be fully prepared to spend lots and lots of money.
The menu was very unusual. Lots of strange fusion whatevers. The portions were miniscule. Seriously, hardly more than a bite full. You didn't have the option of lingering and savoring, the portions were that tiny. We had our first taste ever of authentic Kobe beef...and when I mean taste, I stress taste...it was served carpaccio style...about 4 tiny see-thru slices. We also had different kinds of stuff like confits, sea foam, and gross lavender salad. ( some things in life should be smelt only, never consumed!) For dessert we had pastries made with Guiness beer. Sounds strange, but awfully good. The presentation, the service, etc was spectacular, more than we ever expected or dreamed of. We were starving when we got home. But we were also in heaven.
I give it 4 stars because it is an experience of a lifetime, and truly unforgettable. Knowing that we could never afford to go back, we saved our menus as souvenoirs. The host was sweet enough to tie 1 up for us and also present us with fresh from the oven lemon poppyseed muffins to take home.
Honestly, had I done the research, we wouldn't have gone. I am way too frugal nowadays, and way too sensible. Since we truly had no idea what to anticipate...this was an incredible experience because it was totally out of our character and totally spontaneous. Yes, we could have gone on a mini vacation, we could have done alot of things....instead, but there was something magical about that evening that made it worth every penny. My husband and I made a pact never to tell anyone that we knew about what we did....this is the first time I have ever talked publicly about it. I feel so free!
So please....don't be dumb like me....be prepared to pay well over $600 total, and another $35 for valet. I'm serious.
P.S. We went to TBK on the way home because we were absolutely starving.
People thought this was:
Be prepared to drop a lot of money - but try the smoked salmon on cauliflower or the lobster with fennel. Then, move onto the Maine sea scallops that are cooked to perfection - or try the Kobe beef with mushrooms. Top it all off with lemon thyme parfait or a goat cheese sorbet with one of their suggestion wine compliments.
People thought this was:
A place to see and be seen. Very dark and sheik. The house wine is $16/glass so be prepared to spend a lot of money. The cheese plate is small but fantastic.
People thought this was:
"Palate" tasting menu was overall very good. Several excellent dishes, but a couple not so good ones as well. Not as imaginative or flavorful as Alinea or Charlie Trotter's. Only superior to those 2 in dining room atmosphere and service.
Negra Modelo and Franciscan…
Neighborhood: Gold Coast
Autumn specials
Neighborhood: Lakeview
Neighborhood: Near North Side
Category: Restaurants
Neighborhood: Near North Side
Category: French
Neighborhood: Lincoln Park
Category: American (New)
Neighborhood: Wicker Park
Category: American (New)
Neighborhood: Near North Side
Category: American (Traditional)
Some of my favorite dining destinations in the…
Parents coming into town and you want to impress…
Here's where I send my friends who are always…
I eat out more than I eat in and I love good…
