Alinea Tantalizes the Senses

Chef Grant Achatz in the kitchen of Alinea, in Chicago.

PHOTO: Luca Trovato

For a young chef at the helm of his or her first restaurant, taking risks is easier said than done. Even so, chef and owner Grant Achatz has been expressing his bold vision at Alinea for three years now, and in the process he has made it Chicago's most intriguing dining destination. Set inconspicuously among a group of restaurants along Halsted Street, in the upscale residential neighborhood of Lincoln Park, the eatery dazzles the senses and sensibilities of diners, who pay top dollar to eat food they may not always recognize.

A disciple of Thomas Keller (of French Laundry fame), Achatz also trained with big-name chefs Ferran Adrià and Charlie Trotter and was on the culinary fast track when he was only in his mid-twenties. At his restaurant, one of the city's most highly anticipated newcomers in 2005, he composes two prix-fixe menus, of twelve and twenty-seven small courses. Because the menus offer little by way of elaboration — they list the ingredients but no clue about preparation — servers, who are dressed in suits and ties, may have to tell customers what has been laid before them. Those delicacies (and their attendant descriptions) may be "Duck: butternut squash, banana, Thai flavors" or "Kuroge Wagyu: matsutake, yuzu, cedar branch aroma." You may even find yourself asking your waiter how to consume each course. A sample bit of advice: "When you eat this in one big bite, it tastes even better."

If the classic three-star restaurant represents the thrills of precision, Alinea represents the joys of experimentation, of employing a sense of humor in the conception and execution of brave new creations that could fail. Though the compositions are exceedingly complex, the chef and his team reduce the chances for error by employing very fresh, seasonal ingredients.

Less heralded than Achatz's culinary wizardry is the work of interior designer Tom Stringer. But he, too, had a clear vision, one that led to redefining the two-story space in the image of a grand modern home instead of something rigidly clubby. Granite and ebonized mahogany are part of the mix. A surfeit of space, and the decision to limit capacity to sixty-five seats, permitted the installation of large comfortable chairs, which are positioned around wooden tables.

Unlike many young chefs exploring the unknown, Achatz believes firmly that taste must rule over technique. At Alinea, it isn't always possible to comprehend Achatz's magic, but that doesn't mean you can't savor it. 1723 N. Halsted St.; 312-867-0110; alinea-restaurant.com.