Alinea course #23: suspended bacon, butterscotch, apple and thyme
Located in Chicago and presided over by 33-year-old Master Chef Grant Achatz, Alinea is a culinary vision of the future.
Achatz's cuisine has been described as "molecular gastronomy." It's weird stuff, often served skewered on Grand Guignol-esque contraptions with a focus on aromas and a deconstructed aesthetic, but it's consistently rated as one of the best dining experiences on the planet. I can't get over how mind-blowingly ambitious these courses sound:
Cinnamon bong with bison, beets and blueberries
Hazelnut puree with savory granola capsule and curry
Halibut with vanilla, artichoke and pillow of orange air
Burnt orange, avocado and picholine olives
Lamb with akudjura (an Australian "desert raisin") and fragrant eucalyptus veil
I've yet to enter Alinea's motion sensor-triggered sliding doors. (Perhaps one day, when I have an extra $600 and a ticket to Chicago to spare.) Until then, I'll settle for an eye-popping photoset of their signature 25-course meal or Skillet Doux's critical reading of Alinea's individual works.
Bon appetit, dudes.
Comments