alinea

thank you for an amazing birthday weekend hunny.  business class to chicago.  hamilton on whim.  and the finale at alinea.  u're the best.  alinea however...is NOT THE BEST.  

alinea is a three michelin starred, 15th on the worlds best list and situated in middle america.  the land of cold winters and steak and carbohydrates.   transform that into upscale dining and u get over the top gluttony and sodium.  

ben booked the group table a few months prior and we got the private glass room of emotion next to the kitchen.  i felt like an incubated caged animal  peering out at the row of chefs prepping our food.  the restaurant floor was covered in leaves when we walked in....kicking around crisp foliage before sitting down to a spread of caviar waiting for us at the table.

corn and scallop soup.  very intense corn and scallop flavor.  but also kind of tastes like the soup we make at home.



netflix has made grant a rockstar.  we watched the kitchen prep.  and intermittent table tours and fans would wait on line to give him a tug.  the asian girls are the worst.  smirking and smiling and getting as close to him as possible and leaning into him and having their date take fifty photos of them together holding up the line.  the staff is unphased.  i was disgusted.  and when it was our turn for the kitchen tour...i just kept drinking...

we sit.  and they tease our senses with citrus and smoke.

im not sure how this thai coconut dish fit into the progression....










mushroom


beef





all the desserts were absolutely fantastic.  if you're like john and u can't sit through the entire meal and leave early...then at least u make sure you come back for dessert.  five courses of dessert...all amazing...all a masterpiece...all an artpiece...a show.  a fiasco.  delicious sensory overload....and this is when u're already stuffed....

you're going to get a better food review from other blogs.  better photos and better food comments and reviews.  mine is an amateur food blogging account of a night with friends.   the food was too salty.  and pricey (even before the wine pairing).  there was so much food i had to stand up and walk around every so often just to digest.  but we had a great time.

"i think im done with fine dining in the US"