AIR : Alinea in Residence (P.S. I am also moving in).
Dining out; just going out of the house period.
Quarantine has definitely given me time to reflect on how special an evening out really is—especially one like this. After months of watching the city go quiet from a distance, patience and diligence finally made way for Chicago to slowly reopen its doors and Blake and I to carefully venture in. The warm summer months are where this city really shines on a “normal” year, but the mandatory al-fresco dining as part of the initial relaunch of businesses had almost made it better. Well at least as romantic and European as it could possibly feel while wearing a mask and keeping a distance of a minimum of six feet. Even though it has been more than ten years since Blake and I worked in the industry, we watched and felt the sadness as countless restaurants and their staffs struggled to survive, many closing their doors after years of thriving. We also witnessed and happily participated in chefs and owners finding a new creativity in how they reach their patrons; in elaborate takeout offerings, cocktails to go, and fun pop ups that brought delight to many in an otherwise dismal and scary time. Even as I write this, the feeling washes over me. Dining out or dining in, preparing and sharing a meal, I see the communal table and join all of the guests who look forward to pulling up a chair in its community.
Chef Grant Achatz has been no exception during these months of the pandemic and is in fact showing us again how exceptional he truly is. His ability to look at a challenge as just that and then adapt, conquer and methodically execute such that no one would ever question it is what makes him so awe-inspiring (yes, I also fangirl this man). Chef Achatz’s ingenuity has taken him from bringing the best restaurant in the world to life, a three-hour long dining experiences with meals plated by tweezers and balloons made of green apple bubble gum, to putting out hands down the best takeout we have ever had. So when the stars aligned, Chicago reopened-ish, and the Alinea Group announced AIR, Blake and his trigger finger were in for the win. AIR: Alinea in Residence is a pop up of Chef Achatz’s world revered Three Michelin Star rated restaurant, Alinea, relocated to the rooftop of Morgan’s on Fulton across from his other restaurants and cocktail forward ventures: Next, Roister, St. Clair Supper Club, The Aviary, and The Office. As I look through the photos that I took that evening and relive each course, I am reminded again of how incredible it is to just pick up a restaurant of this nature and put it somewhere else in a matter of months. It takes most people years to do the same. I hope you can feel my joy through the images and descriptions as I promise you it was pouring out at every course.
THE PRE-COURSE CONCOURSE
I loved that at the moment we walked through the door we were blasted with a vanilla fog reminiscent of a high school dance. It was completely disorienting and did in fact help me to forget “place” and remind me of the importance of “experience.” After fumbling through a narrow corridor and prior to going up to the roof, we were greeted near an elevator in a private pre-course reception. The host laid out a platter consisting of a single bite of coconut, raspberry, and Szechuan peppercorn and an accompanying Absinthe sip playing well into the daze of arrival before ushering us on.
FIRST COURSE AND ITS CRISPY FRIENDS
As to be expected, we floated off the elevator and were guided to our table in a way that you know is rehearsed to perfection; a space divided by moveable walls pulled off separation disguised in intimacy. As we sat in our spot in this well-planned puzzle, it was hard to decide if you should first look up to the tented cover glowing from long linear light tubes (used in the original Alinea before its renovation) coined by Chef as his “Circus in the sky,” or the table already giving off sweet scents from the Japanese Ayu cooking on a Konro grill (and now normalized hand sanitizer accompaniment). The Ayu, or sweetfish, has a unique fruity flavor and the aroma is confusing and wonderful at the same time. The AIR service team has also adapted to their new environment, shedding the slim-fit suited attire of the Halsted location for casual wear. While not missing a beat on professionalism, their attitude exudes the shared need to just enjoy this moment. And so we do! The Ayu is removed from the grill and placed in a bowl of edible flowers, fresh cress, and sweet potato dumplings. To accompany the sweetfish, two additional “sidecars” are placed on the table: a fried frog leg in a spicy shiso mayonnaise and a crisp heart of lettuce with compressed Asian pear and a lemony herb sprig. Sweet, salty, spicy, refreshing, herbaceous and rich - land and sea all at once as they seemingly were meant to be. I would eat those frog legs every damn day. I’m lost in the food which is nothing new, and then I’m snapped back to the present as the sommelier begins to pour our initial tasting. Of course they nailed it. The first plates were paired with a 2017 Arnaud Ente Bourgogne from Burgundy. While bearing all of the notes of a perfect buttery Chardonnay, it had a crispness which presented nicely against the spectrum of flavors and textures in the first few bites offered—this coming from the girl who always grimaces at Chardonnay. I clearly need to keep my mouth shut. With only four hectares and four people working the vineyards, this wine is considered a rare find. So hard in fact that I could only find one place in the US that was selling a 2015 and no website for the vineyard as far as I can tell.
CHIM CHIM CHI-REE - LET'S DIVE INTO TWO AND THREE
I really was loving his use of edible flowers and then you throw in a little gold; it actually is hard to eat things that are this beautiful. Our next plate was saffron and salt cured scallops with marigolds, melons and a housemade Tiger’s milk of scallop, lime and lemon with gold leaf flakes all on a bed of crushed ice (a mouthful in more ways than one). As is part of his fame, everything down to the serving ware and plates are typically created as part of the overall recipe. Both the scallop shell and the prawn head of the third course were made by Chicago-based glass studio, Ignite Glass, as were many of the other pieces throughout the evening. I liken it to how Bert in Mary Poppins chalked so immersively that you literally could dive in. As we are swimming in this Achatz ocean, we glide from the luscious scallop of the second course into the velvety prawn of the third. Flavor saturated and thickened prawn stock is piped into the glass head so that you can have the joy of sucking it out and accompanied by compressed persian cucumbers, peppercorn puree, white sesame, miso, tofu, yuzu and mustard flowers. Paired with both dishes was the Kontecki “Pearls of Simplicity” Junmai Daiginjos—a light, crisp sake with notes of apples and pears.
THE CRAZY TOMATO-WATERMELON COURSE
So, this was the course that I had seen a lot of press about prior to our arrival. There was a time when I couldn’t help but research our upcoming reservations and I am quite pleased with how I have trained myself to be surprised. If you know me, you know that this is an achievement in self-discipline that I normally just. . .can’t. . .do. Who doesn’t love a trick of the eye and tongue? Here, Achatz and his team whole-roast a watermelon for at least 18 hours, the flesh cooking inside itself. That’s right—the image above of an airy paper-thin charred shell tapped to crack and remove a meaty center was just the day before a hefty green striped fruity beast. Most of its sugar evaporates and it takes on a meaty, ahi-like texture. The flesh is complimented by local tomatoes, nicoise olive puree and cilantro seeds. A reduction of the watermelon liquid, slightly sweetened, glazes the dish and leaves you doing the double take a few times over until it’s gone. This course was paired with the 2017 “Angelicall” Pinot Noir Rosé from Antica Terra. This one was very unique as its called a Rosé but really seemed more like a dark colored, light in body Pinot Noir, floral notes on the nose with cherries on the palette. Like the watermelon, it hangs with its foot in two places and you sort of love it. Currently, only available to wine members as best I can tell, this is getting added to the April Williamette trip that we had to postpone until. . .some date in the future I guess, I hope it’s soon.
WHY CAN’T ALL BBQS BE LIKE THIS COURSE
I admit that I love the artistry of fancy food, but what I crush on more is when fancy dances on the other side of the tracks gets a little dirty and all it wants is to just taste good. The next two courses were just the perfect “damn good food” break from the mind altering watermelon dish. The Alinea team collaborated with Hewn Bakery, a favorite of Blake’s and mine when we lived in Evanston. For AIR’s menu, the bakery produced laminated morning buns with marcona almonds. The buttery delicate buns made for the ideal Spanish vessel for shaved smoked iberico ham, grilled peaches, tomato and smoked mayonnaise. You literally can’t imagine a better pork slider. Paired with the 1997 Nikolaihof “Vinothek” Riesling, a highly regarded version of the style—warm baked honey apples with a palette that is quite the contrary - dry and crisp. This is one that Blake was talking about for the rest of the evening, next day and day after. I couldn’t shut up about the next course. All I can say is that GRILLED CORN ICE CREAM should be in every store, in every ice cream shop, put it everywhere so that I can have it all of the time. We each received the soft serve with a different topping; I had sherry wine gummies and a bit of shaved Australian black truffle, and Blake’s was topped with smoked bacon bits. If the meal had ended here, I would have left fulfilled and enlightened and drunk on corn ice cream. And yet, they had more in store for us by balancing the sweetness with another eye-opening Chardonnay. The 2009 Paul Pernot Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru Chardonnay. As the most prestigious production of the winery, the wine sees barely used new oak and is bottled early to avoid any oakiness in flavor. It’s known to only get better with age yet maintain a very elegant and light balance. Take me back to that party that straddles the tracks anytime!
EIGHTH AND NINTH (THE ONE WHERE THEY PUT CAVIAR ON THE PEDESTAL IT DESERVES)
Golden Osetra Caviar rests in a glass walnut shell of toasted walnut custard. We are guided to remove the shell and savor the two together with the provided pearl spoon. Just when I think we had reached the pinnacle, they mention the shooter of chilled sweet onion soup resting in the base and that’s when we ascend. I really can’t tell if I am drunk on the food or wine at this point, but I don’t want to get off this train anytime soon. Luckily when we are brought back down to earth we are met with morels and truffles. Oh, and did I mention the Champagne? 2010 Pierre Peters L'Etonnant Monsieur Victor Edition MK10 Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru, hailing from a vineyard producing Champagne for over 100 years, and yet this particular Champagne goes against the historical single vineyard, single vintage production and is a blend of the best of their best. Extremely limited in its production, this “family” wine has labels adorned with their son Victor’s artwork. Bold for bubbles and definitely special.
TENTH - PRETTY PLATE PLEASE
Everything about this plate was just beautiful and vibrant. . .and I mean that about the food, too. Something about how it all came together was like the actual server came to life taking on its third dimension in front our eyes, and where porcelain stopped and potato started was honestly hard to tell. Peruvian inspired (another drop in the bucket list for a trip to Peru) and two-parted, this course takes wagyu to the next level. On one side of the plate is Wagyu ribeye, a potato and rice “french fry”, adorned in sauces of ribeye reduction, a yellow hot pepper emulsion called Aji Amarillo, liquified black mint paste also known as haucatay, and an apricot and mango “ketchup” with Pisco compressed charred tomatoes nestled alongside the ribeye. Emerging from the other half is a traditional skewer made of wagyu beef hearts, tongue, baby corn and artichokes drizzled in sunchoke puree and bone marrow, all set on delicate injera. The contents of the skewer were slid off into the airy flatbread and ate like a wrap. So many things going on here, so many good things! Blake’s eyes lit up when the sommelier brought over the pairing for our last savory dish of the evening. He had read about Sine Qua Non several months earlier, searched for bottles and had scored a few but the first time we were actually tasting it was at dinner this evening. It was that moment where you are both excited and a little nervous at the same time, hoping it lived up to its hype. Yes, yes it did! The 2010 Sine Qua Non “Five Shooter” Syrah was sexy as hell; brazen and forward, take no prisoners bold. Deep dark fruit and spicy pepper. We will definitely be letting this one open up a solid 24 hours before drinking it at home. Bullseye baby.
BEAUTY IS IN THE BALANCE
The AIR team definitely knew the rollercoaster they were bringing us on; and after the big flavors of the preceding course, something to calm and cool the senses was needed to help us down. As bold as everything was about the Peruvian course, the delicate counterpoint of the palette cleanser created a tension which eased us to relaxation in a truly masterful way. A rose flower pom-pom, simple strawberries and halved lychee on a bed of crushed ice were exactly what Dr. Achatz ordered.
THE ARTIST TAKES A BOW
There has to be a signature moment for a signature restaurant. I was as tickled by this presentation tonight as I was the first time we dined at Alinea and when we recreated it at home for the restaurant’s 15th anniversary takeout menu. Done table-side, sauces of all sorts, stone fruits, nuts and bits, and a sharp cheddar meringue pulverized at the end. Who doesn’t want to end a meal free of the restrictions of plates, and while they leave you with a spoon, no one is stopping you from licking the table either. Refined and freeing at the same time. And fun. The elegant and refined 1988 Chateau d’Yquem Sauternes 1er Cru Supérieur seems to only add to invitation to let go and just enjoy. Honey, vanilla, and sweet melon notes to sip on as we end a most perfect night. The entire evening, the experience, the piercing in the dark cloud of a pandemic, the moments of pure joy and appreciation, are bits of treasure that I am humbled to be able to take home with me. This “Circus in the Sky” will be one in my dreams for many months to come.