alinea

Grant Achatz Announces New Restaurant With Video Trailer

Chicago-based chef Grant Achatz of Alinea has always done things a little differently. To announce his latest venture he and business partner Nick Kokonas created a video trailer for the Next Restaurant and a cocktail lounge called Aviary, both of which will open in Chicago this fall. The trailer evokes old fashioned news reels. A map emerges and a first stop, "Paris 1912" is revealed. Just when you start to imagine Achatz's version of classic French cuisine the video darts to a new destination, Hong Kong 2036. Yes, Next will be serving food from the future. A hovercraft takes off from 2036 and turns back into a plane zipping over to Sicily 1949. What on earth is going on here? Then the concept is revealed: four menus per year from great moments in culinary history - or the future.

The trailer ends with the curious message that "tickets (yes, tickets)" will go on sale soon. The NY Times Diners Journal blog resports that anyone who wants to eat at Next will buy their time slot in advance. Prices will be lower for off-peak hours and will vary depending on the menu. Prices will run $45 to $75 for a five- or six-course meal with wine and beverage pairings starting at $25. There will even be season tickets available. No tickets will be required at Aviary, the bar, which will mimic a bit of whatever is happening over at Next with cocktails that resonate with the theme of the moment.

Tags: alinea, chicago, fine dining, grant achatz, next restaurant

Alinea Choosen Best Chicago Restaurant of All Time

by Jonathon Ramsey (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining

Grant Achatz, the founding chef behind Chicago's Alinea, has gotten in the habit of taking home at least one big award and getting in the top ten of some big restaurant list every year. Now his gourmet establishment has taken home an award that we might say no one saw coming: Chicago magazine has named the six-year-old Alinea the best restaurant in Chicago, ever. That's right – ever.

For now we'll put that in the "Them's Big Words" file, but the award is out now and there's no taking it back. Second place went to a restaurant that closed three years ago, Le Francais, and third went to Charlie Trotter's. The breadth of the list, however, couldn't be better exemplified than by noting that Pizzeria Uno came in at number ten. Regardless, congratulations to Mr. Achatz and his molecular gastronomy team.

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Tags: alinea, chicago, chicago magazine, chicagos best restaurant ever, grant achatz, molecular gastronomy

Achatz And Keller Cook Three Amazing Feasts

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining

Those who can spend $1,500 might want to get into French Laundry on December 9. That's when Thomas Keller and Grant Achatz are hosting the third of three spectacular 20 course dinners. The first was held at Keller's New York restaurant Per Se, the second was held at Achatz's Chicago restaurant Alinea and the third will be at Keller's French Laundry in Yountville, California. The chance to have two of the top chefs in the U.S. cook for you is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Those who can attend can expect Keller's exquisite attention to detail and Achatz's inventive cuisine on course after course bound to feature truffles, caviar, foie gras and other expensive ingredients.

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Tags: alinea, french laundry, FrenchLaundry, grant achatz, GrantAchatz, per se, PerSe, thomas keller, ThomasKeller

El Bulli is Still the World's Best Restaurant

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining

What does it take to be the best restaurant in the world? Ask El Bulli, who holds the honor for the second year in a row according to Restaurant magazine's ranking of the top 50. Last year El Bulli squeezed out Fat Duck for the top spot, and this year all top six spots remain the same. The United States made a respectable showing also, with two restaurants in the top 10: The French Laundry and Per Se, and among others Alinea in Chicago made the list for the first time this year at #36.

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Tags: alinea, dine, dining, el bulli, ElBulli, Fat Duck, FatDuck, france, french, per se, PerSe, restaurant, restaurants, spain, the french laundry, TheFrenchLaundry

Forbes' Most Expensive Restaurants 2006

by Nicole Weston (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining

Using data compiled by the Zagat survey, Forbes has produced two lists naming the year's most expensive restaurants. One list deals with only US restaurants, while the other compares the prices (in US dollars) of places all over the world. For the global list, the final cost was considered to be the price of one main course, one (alcoholic) beverage and tip, while the US list was not limited to a single main course and included options such as prix fixe tasting menus. Both only priced dinner for one person, but due to the difference in standards, there are many prix-fixe only restaurants that didn't make the global list but might be a good deal more expensive, but here are the top three from each list as they stand: