Originally Posted by
gfunkdave
Who has been?
BF and I are going on May 1 for our Farewell Chicago dinner - we're moving to NYC later in the month. Friends of mine who have been there uniformly say it was the best restaurant experience they've ever had.
If you've been there, what do you recommend? What should I know?
I went in January for the first time and loved it.
There's very little decisionmaking required -- there's only one menu -- so your only choice is in regard to beverages. If you're splurging on the dinner, go all of the way and get the wine pairing, too. (I think they'll do non-alcoholic matches as well, if you're not a drinker.)
Other than, I'd recommend that you NOT seek out pictures posted by other people prior to your dinner. Alinea deliberately does not give you a menu prior to your meal, so you can enjoy the element of surprise with each dish. I'd looked at pictures, so I knew what to expect in some cases (and was disappointed in others when we weren't served dishes that I'd admired in the photos).