Alinea is one of the most iconic restaurants in America and currently the only three Michelin star in Chicago. However, the experience is a world away from the fine dining standard of white tablecloths and formal service.
At Alinea, creativity is key and showcased in the ever evolving menu. I was incredibly excited to be able to finally dine here after seeing the Chef’s Table episode.
Behind this unassuming facade at 1723 North Halsted Street in Lincoln Park is where the magic happens.
In this post:
Alinea Chicago Booking
Getting a table at Alinea is a little easier now that the post-Chef’s Table frenzy has settled, but still requires advance planning.
When Are Alinea Bookings Released?
Tables are typically released on the 15th of each month, two months in advance, at 11AM Central Time.
Bookings are done through the Explore Tock platform.
January bookings are released on November 15th.
February bookings are released on December 15th.
March bookings are released on January 15th.
April bookings are released on February 15th.
May bookings are released on March 15th.
June bookings are released on April 15th.
July bookings are released on May 15th.
August bookings are released on June 15th.
September bookings are released on July 15th.
October bookings are released on August 15th.
November bookings are released on September 15th.
December bookings are released on October 15th.
How Much Does Alinea Cost?
There are three menu options at Alinea:
- Alinea Kitchen Table is described as ‘the most intimate, immersive and cutting edge experience’ for parties of six only at US$495 per person
- The Gallery is the premium menu with additional courses and experiences for parties of two or four at US$425-$485 per person
- The Salon is the default option for parties of one to six at US$315-$385 per person
There is a 20% Service Charge and Taxes to add to the above, so my US$335 Salon menu totalled US$454.25.
The Salon vs The Gallery vs Kitchen Table
With a party of six required for the Kitchen Table, most diners will be choosing between The Salon and The Gallery menus.
Essentially The Gallery menu has a few additional courses and almost always include a kitchen experience. These usually sell out first and require parties of two or four.
As a solo diner I really appreciated that Alinea have one table each night at 8PM for one person in The Salon.
That said, the Kitchen Table is right behind the expedite station so you’re in the middle of the action and would be absolutely worth it for the experience.
Alinea Chicago Review
Alinea’s calling card is creativity and for basically playing with food. After all, the word alinea means ‘off the line’ and the pilcrow symbol indicates a new line of thought or paragraph.
While the menu changes constantly, below are the courses served in June 2023.
Nacre | Osetra, Mussel, Lychee
Dinner started with a mother of pearl spoon placed on the table and getting handed a bowl of caviar. The idea is to involve the diner and in for this course focus their attention totally.
The contrast of the cold and briny Osetra caviar with the creamy mussel and sweet lychee is inspired. Kind of like the counterintuitive step of adding salt to chocolate.
Hot Potato | Cold Potato, Black Truffle, Parmesan
The instruction for Hot Potato, Cold Potato is to gently pull the pin (with the hot potato and truffle), then shoot the dish back like an oyster. It’s another home run dish with the hot potato contrasting with the liquid cold Vichyssoise (Julia Child’s favourite soup made of leek and potatoes) so you get both sensations simultaneously. The generous slice of truffle adds richness to the dish, along with the hint of parmesan.
Plume | Crisps, Ashed Onion Dip, Mint
The team at Alinea also like to recreate dishes with unexpected twists and the dish below is inspired by fish and chips. Opening the pack of potato crisps released a wonderful smokiness, that paired well with the ashes onion dip.
Remarkable how much aroma and flavour was infused in the crisps alone.
The fish part of the dish is then delivered, perfectly cooked and with the refreshing mint hidden underneath.
Heads & Tails | Bun, Coriander, Chili / White Peppercorn, White Sesame, White Miso
Next up were the Australian king prawn with dip and a side bun. The prawn itself was superb and the star of the dish, with the dip adding texture and crunch to the natural sweetness.
Squeaker | Potpourri, Blueberry, Foie Gras, Aigre-Doux
While very much an innovative menu, the structure follows the traditional French progression from seafood to meat. The next course was decadent foie gras and blueberry jam spread over bread, followed by a slice of perfectly cooked game.
Branches | Apricot, Fennel, Taralli Garden Gimlet
Now this was a surprise. The team invited me to go for a walk and ended up downstairs in the kitchen.
While a chef grilled the apricot and cheese, the Branches dish was explained and Garden Gimlet cocktail mixed.
Freshly roasted apricot cut through the richness of the cheese, and the cocktail was a perfect refreshing accompaniment.
It was a great thrill to see the kitchen in action and was surprised by the relatively small size and the fact that it was super quiet (but busy) during the visit.
Clipped | Gooseberry, Uni, Morel, Sweet Corn
The meal continued upstairs back at the table in the Salon, with a trio of Asian-inspired dishes.
Fermented rice and uni was super rich and flavoursome, with aged rice that is reputedly the most expensive in the world.
My favourite of the trio was the stuffed morel with sweet corn as the crunchy morel contrasted nicely with the mince stuffing, with the sauce adding good depth of flavour.
The miso chicken wing was generous and finger licking good, though a bit awkward to eat with utensils.
Explosion | Black Truffle, Romaine, Parmesan
The richness continued with what is essentially a deluxe black truffle soup dumpling, which was spectacular. Pop the entire thing in your mouth, bite in and enjoy the incredible explosion of flavour.
Jacob’s Ladder | Pomegranate, White Asparagus, Jameed
And the final savoury course of the meal was Australian wagyu served with jameed, a fermented dried yoghurt from Jordan.
Alinea Chicago Dessert Review
Dessert is a big deal at Alinea and with good reason. Some of the most creative dishes are saved till the end, and rounded out the meal on a relaxed and fun note.
Bubblegum | Thai Long Peppercorn, Hibiscus, Creme Fraiche
First up was a glass tube filled with red stuff. The instruction is to pop your finger on the far end and then suck the contents through.
Amazingly the flavour of synthetic bubble gum came through immediately and the presence of pearls, as you would find in bubble tea, made for a great palate cleansing transition to dessert.
Paint | Flavors Of A Banana Split
Then the preparation began for Paint, one of the concepts that Alinea is famous for. After the table is cleared and a rubber tablecloth, the first of the evening, is placed the ingredients of the deconstructed banana split are lined up.
As you can see from the table to the right, a chef then creates the dessert artwork in front of you and invites you to enjoy.
The dessert was a work of art and I enjoyed the interactivity as the banana split took shape.
The best part of this approach is you get to choose your own adventure with each mouthful, deciding on the different combinations as you go. Even though it was probably a portion for two, I was pleased to be able to pretty much finish the dessert.
Balloon | Helium, Green Apple, Taffy
Closing out the meal is another Alina icon, the balloon made from sugar and filled with helium. We learn from the Chef’s Table episode that it took the kitchen team ages to find the right formula, but boy was it worth it.
The recommendation is to bite into the balloon and then inhale the helium. Quite a few minute of hilarious conversation at the surrounding tables ensued as the diners chatted excitedly like chipmunks!
Apparently, they’ve had opera singers come through and have a ball with the balloon.
Alina Chicago Review Menu
At the end of the meal, the menu is presented as a souvenir of the experience. The team mentioned that I had actually been given extra courses from the Gallery menu as a gift of the kitchen (such as the visit to said kitchen), which was very much a ‘surprise and delight’ moment.
Is Alinea Chicago Worth It?
Yes. If you enjoy and appreciate creativity in your dining experience, there aren’t many restaurants that can top Alinea.
Michelin starred restaurants aren’t all the same. Le Bernardin in New York is arguably the best seafood restaurant in the world. Odette in Singapore is pretty much the perfect 3 Michelin Star French restaurant. And Blue Hill at Stone Barns in upstate New York is unique in its focus on sustainability and agriculture, to the extent Dan Barber has bred a variety of wheat for flavour not yield.
At Alinea you are getting to experience the creativity of Chef Grant Achatz and his team, who have changed the perception of what a top class restaurant could be and added a whole lot of fun to the meal.
None of this comes at the expensive of quality or technique, given Achatz’s spell at French Laundry.
Alina Chicago Review Summary
Alinea is one of the most iconic restaurants in America and brings a lot of fun to the fine dining experience. If you enjoy and appreciate culinary creativity, it’s a restaurant that you must try.
