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Next Restaurant
Went there last night. It was outstanding. We got the wine pairing option (+$48) and the nonalcoholic beverage pairing (+$22), of which more later.
For those who don't know, Next is Grant Achatz's (of Alinea and the French Laundry) new restaurant. Instead of the standard ordering-from-the-menu thing, you buy tickets to dinner ahead of time on the restaurant's website. You pre-pay the cost of everything, including tip. Then, you just show up, eat, and leave. There is no menu to order from; everyone gets the same tasting menu. The tasting menu changes every three months, and each iteration is designed to evoke a place and time. The current (and first) rotation is Paris, 1906: Escoffier at the Ritz. It's an 8 course tasting menu of Escoffier's recipes from Le Guide Culinaire. Hors d’Oeuvres: a large silver tray of bite-sized hors d'oeuvres, including a soft boiled quail egg with anchovy, some delicious form of shredded pork on a cracker, brioche with foie gras and apricot, and some sort of egg custard with truffle served inside the eggshell. There was also another item (on the edge of the tray) that I don't remember, but it was yummy. Paired with a delightful Crémant d'Alsace. http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot..._6806742_n.jpg Potage à la Tortue Claire (907) - Turtle Soup. I'd never had it before, but I'm a fan: at once rich and light. Paired with an interesting white wine (all the wine pairings were, of course, French) that tasted like a non-sweet sherry: very woody. I wouldn't have liked it by itself, but the pairing worked really well. http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot..._7938627_n.jpg Fillet de Sole Daumont (1950) - First course of many involving a WHOLE TON OF CREAM SAUCES. This was a bit of a sole fillet with some crayfish: the head, a mushroom stuffed with crayfish meat, and some little bit of miscellaneous crayfish. This was paired with, IIRC, a white Burgundy. They mentioned that there was a surfeit of the sauce so we could soak it up with some bread. The bread - oh! the bread - was small squares, about 1.5" on a side, and served burning hot with a pot of warm butter that was just shy of melting temperature. It was amazing. http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot..._3307888_n.jpg Suprêmes de Poussin (3130) - The chicken course moved us into red wine territory. The diamond in the photo is a pounded piece of chicken breast in a cream sauce. The circles are chicken stuffed inside butter-poached cucumbers surrounded with salt pork. The wine was a Languedoc red. http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot..._2914190_n.jpg Caneton Rouennais a la Presse (3476) - The duck was sublime. It was served on a large platter for the whole table, in a red wine and cognac sauce. And served with... Gratin de Pommes de Terre à la Dauphinoise (4200) - ...potatoes Dauphinoise, or as I say, medallions of potatoes in Gruyere and cream. My Dutch friend at the table said they were precisely as his grandmother used to make. Wine was a Côtes du Rhône. http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot..._7909317_n.jpg Salade Irma (3839) - In keeping with early 20th century France, salad was served last. The salade Irma was small and refreshing. No separate wine pairing. Sorry, no photo. It was a small, lightly dressed salad of nasturtium blossom, asparagus and radish. Bombe Ceylan (4826) - A light dessert. It was a molded half-sphere with a thin layer of chocolate at the bottom, coffee ice cream. The cherries in the picture were soaked in booze. Served with creme anglaise and a swirl of cherry sauce. Yum. Wine pairing was a delicious port. http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot..._3000665_n.jpg Mignardises - various one-bite desserts. In the below picture, there are pistachio deliciousnesses, salted caramels, and something red and jelly-like. They also brought us a second tray with more of those in addition to shortbreads and nut cluster things. http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot..._3322030_n.jpg Now, a word about the pairings. Starting with the first red wine, they left the bottle with us and replaced it if it ran out. They did this for every table in the restaurant. We got the "standard" wine pairing; there's also the option of a "reserve" one. The nonalcoholic pairings were beverages made in-house and worked very well with the courses. I don't remember all of them, but the first course was a lemon-ginger fizz. The second was something guava-based. There was also a variant of horchata with coriander. Service was perhaps a little rough in places, understandable for a restaurant that opened only a few days ago. They made mistakes like pouring wine for my BF, who had the nonalcoholic option. One of the red bottles (the one with the duck) was corked. I thought it was when I tasted it, but didn't say anything until the wine director came by with a new bottle. After comparing the two, it was obvious. Very proud of myself that I called it. :) But you'd think they would have tasted it before serving. But the service was very friendly and informal, overall. They also gave us a tour of the kitchen at the end, and a menu with all the course and wine pairings. Price isn't bad for a Grant Achatz restaurant and 8 courses. They adjust pricing based on your dining time. I saw a 9:30pm on a Thursday for $70/person. Our Saturday evening at 7:15pm slot was $108/person. Tables are sold as either two-tops, four-tops, and one six-top by a floor-to-ceiling window looking at the kitchen. Starting July 1, I hear that the new menu will be Thailand in the 1970s. |
Thanks for the report and great pics. I do have a question-if one of your party is allergic or just won't eat a course, will they do anything to substitute? Do you know in advance what the menu is going to be?
I ask because my wife won't eat duck or lamb. Period. It would be a shame to miss such a a large portion of the meal if they can't sub something. Prices are not that awful considering.... |
I am impressed: you probably are aware of this:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/09/us...tml?ref=dining |
Originally Posted by Easy Victor
(Post 16196093)
Thanks for the report and great pics. I do have a question-if one of your party is allergic or just won't eat a course, will they do anything to substitute? Do you know in advance what the menu is going to be?
I also second the review of the bread. It was the best part and we kept asking them for more. I think i had 5 rolls by the time I left. |
Thanks. Probably saved me a headache....!!
Originally Posted by axpmaluga
(Post 16197854)
I have also gone there and I can tell you they won't make any substitutions and it would definitley not be worth going without the duck. There was an interview with Grant Achatz where he stated that they can't change the menu becuase it would lose the authenticity they are going for. Future menu's might be able to.
I also second the review of the bread. It was the best part and we kept asking them for more. I think i had 5 rolls by the time I left. |
The FAQ on the website says what kinds of accommodations they can make:
Do you offer a vegetarian option? Vegetarian menus will only be offered when they make sense with a given menu. Currently a vegetarian option for Paris 1906 – Escoffier at the Ritz is NOT available for obvious reasons. Future menus will include vegetarian alternatives and may be entirely vegetarian, so vegetarians will have the opportunity to dine with us. What about allergies? Known and limited food allergies will be accommodated as specified. Personal preferences and dislikes will not. For Paris 1906 - Escoffier at the Ritz we can accommodate the following allergies when noted at the time of ticket purchase… and only if purchased directly from Next: shellfish, nuts, raw alcohol, raw proteins, legumes, and pork. |
Trying for tickets every day but so far no love for me.
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Originally Posted by milepig
(Post 16198779)
Trying for tickets every day but so far no love for me.
Be sure you do that instead of refreshing the "we're sold out" page. |
Originally Posted by gfunkdave
(Post 16199339)
I literally sat clicking "Tickets" on the top left every 30 seconds for about two hours before I got some.
Be sure you do that instead of refreshing the "we're sold out" page. |
Originally Posted by milepig
(Post 16199570)
Hmmm. I was told that tickets are released at 10am each day, and are then gone in nanoseconds.
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Originally Posted by gfunkdave
(Post 16200332)
But yes, you have to be quick with your mouse.
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Yup, that happened to me a few times. Just got to keep on doing it. Once you click on a specific time after clicking on the date, it will hold that table for you for 9 minutes. That will give you plenty of time to choose beverages and make a payment.
Be warned that if you click on a time and it gives you the 9 minutes, and then you decide that time doesn't work for you, you must log out, clear all cookies and cache, and then log back in. I didn't do that, and when I thought I was buying tickets for later in April it turned out it kept the previous table I had thought I'd canceled. That's why we went last weekend instead of a few weeks from now. :) |
Thanks for the great report. ^
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I thought this was a pretty accurate description, especially given my BF's thoughts that he was a little underwhelmed with the second half of the dinner.
http://chicagoist.com/2011/04/11/review_next.php |
Originally Posted by gfunkdave
(Post 16200877)
Yup, that happened to me a few times. Just got to keep on doing it. Once you click on a specific time after clicking on the date, it will hold that table for you for 9 minutes. That will give you plenty of time to choose beverages and make a payment.
Be warned that if you click on a time and it gives you the 9 minutes, and then you decide that time doesn't work for you, you must log out, clear all cookies and cache, and then log back in. I didn't do that, and when I thought I was buying tickets for later in April it turned out it kept the previous table I had thought I'd canceled. That's why we went last weekend instead of a few weeks from now. :) Adding: This is really frustrating - just got another option this time for a single time on June 2nd, but I nothing I do allows me to actually select it - clicking, double clicking, dragging, nothing. Using Firefox 4. System broken? |
Originally Posted by milepig
(Post 16204189)
My experience was different - I'd say I wasn't on the screen for more than a few seconds - when I clicked on the only date offered it did nothing.
Adding: This is really frustrating - just got another option this time for a single time on June 2nd, but I nothing I do allows me to actually select it - clicking, double clicking, dragging, nothing. Using Firefox 4. System broken? |
Originally Posted by gfunkdave
(Post 16205743)
After you click a date, you should briefly see a little progress bar, and then a grid of table sizes and times. Available times have a price shown. Click the price and, if you're fast enough, you'll get to a new screen where you choose drinks and pay.
Adding: I was just successful - table for 4 in mid-June. The actual window of time from offer to purchase was 10 minutes. I wasn't prepared to need to choose between the regular and reserve wines - $48 vs. $98, so went with the reserve list. |
Originally Posted by gfunkdave
(Post 16195962)
For those who don't know, Next is Grant Achatz's (of Alinea and the French Laundry)...
Thanks for the report & photos^ |
I just went to Alinea last weekend and was blown away. Given that Next is significantly cheaper (and perhaps easier to get into), I'll definitely give it a try next time I'm in Chicago.
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Originally Posted by naiel
(Post 16374282)
Given that Next is significantly cheaper (and perhaps easier to get into), I'll definitely give it a try next time I'm in Chicago.
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Originally Posted by chgoeditor
(Post 16375075)
No offense, but you just gave me a huge laugh for the day. Next has something like 15,000 people on its email list and has been releasing a few tables a day. Back when they'd only notified a small portion of their mailing list that tables were available, they were getting something like 20,000 hits a day--and tables snatched up within a second of being released--on their website. After clicking refresh on my browser literally hundreds of times, I gave up and decided that it just wasn't worth it. In comparison, it took me about 8 minutes to get a reservation at Alinea on my choice of dates.
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Originally Posted by milepig
(Post 16375151)
They released 200 tables at 10:00 yesterday morning. A colleague snagged one, but by the time I tried to do a second one immediately afterwards they were gone in a matter of minutes.
BTW, milepig, do you post on LTHforum.com too? I know Sweet Willie & a few other Chicago foodies are on both sites. |
Shouldn't do this to create any more competition... but "like" NEXT on facebook- they release several (5 or so) same day tables pretty much every morning with an email contact option- no going through the site. They are usually tables at 5 and 6 oclock but sometimes later ones.
Update: Just checked and this is what was posted 45 minutes ago: Same Night Tables available for tonight, Sunday, May 22 - 5:30pm - 2ppl 5:30pm - 4ppl 5:30pm - 4ppl 9:00pm - 4ppl 9:15pm - 2ppl 10:00pm - 4ppl $100 per person plus pairings - email samenight@nextrestaurant with phone number, pairings option and which time you are interested in. Cheers! |
Next: Taste of Thailand
Well, Paris 1906 is gone. The current menu is A Taste of Thailand.
Next released the bulk of its tables this afternoon, and my ever-present boyfriend snagged one for us on Aug 12. I'm looking forward to it! They will continue to release same-day tables each day, so keep checking the Facebook page! |
Coincidentally, I just read this playful piece in Chicago Magazine today, written from the perspective of "August Escoffier" himself. The last paragraph may be of particular interest to flyers:
Of course I know the restaurant. I may be an old man, but I keep abreast of news. This Achatz fellow’s name kept popping up in my Google Alert, and I paid it no mind until my dear wife, Delphine, showed me the article in Le Monde. After that, I watched with much interest. The menu is a love letter to me, non? I had no choice but to rouse my bones and see if Next warranted a letter back. No, I did not want preferential treatment. My name had been on the list for tickets since last fall, and Delphine and I waited like everyone else. She relished the challenge of beating out 20,000 others with the same goal, although I fail to see how a computerized ticketing system serves the diner. Restaurants are a hospitality business, and there is nothing hospitable about asking patrons to spend a month hitting refresh—qu’est-ce que c’est?—on their web browsers. Yet what choice does M. Achatz have? He evidently commands an entire world vying for 62 seats. Even with half of Europe at my feet, I never confronted such madness. As it happens, a friend secured four tickets for $168 apiece and graciously extended an invitation. I packed my portmanteau for Chicago. If the hostess who greeted me at Next realized that the ancient figure facing her had invented the kitchen brigade system and written the most important cookbook of the 20th century, she gave no indication. Neither did the manager, who seated us along a handsome brown banquette. Though the narrow room gleamed, each fold of the linens straight and true, my younger companions bemoaned the clamor. I, too, found the boisterous hum a notch too piercing and the setting prohibitively dark, but what do you expect? I am 164 years old. ------- Feeling playful and my tongue loosened by tawny port, I asked Nick Kokonas, a proprietor, what old Escoffier would think of all this. “I think he would have a good time, marveling at the fact that 100-plus years hence we are still in awe of his talents,” Kokonas said. Just as I was preparing to identify myself, he added that Next’s access to technology had improved Escoffier’s recipes and “hopefully realized his vision even more fully.” Coming from a man whose kitchen team learned their craft at schools where the very curricula are based on my teachings, such a statement borders on blasphemy! Before I could issue a scathing riposte, Delphine dragged me out. While I stewed on the flight home, my wife recalled something I wrote 109 years ago in the foreword of my book Le Guide Culinaire: “I wanted to create a useful tool rather than just a recipe book whilst leaving the reader free to decide on the way to carry out the work according to his own personal views.” Lord. Kokonas was right. For a century, I have watched chefs slavishly follow what was intended more as guide than gospel. At last! Here are modern chefs with the requisite respect for good ingredients and the imagination to use my book as a starting point rather than an end. If only the airlines maintained similar standards. That rubber mallet head they had the nerve to call poulet? I caught stray pigeons in the Franco-Prussian War that had more flavor. http://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Ma...t-Achatz-Next/ |
the taste of thailand is pretty awesome, so i would recommend a seating if you can get tickets
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Next up: El Bulli
[F]or three months, starting in January, Achatz's ever-morphing restaurant, Next, will serve an Adria-inspired menu — a 20-course re-creation of the last 20 years of Adria's legendary El Bulli, which, until closing in July, was often called the finest and most fearless restaurant in the world. |
I actually think Childhood is on deck (Tickets should be on sale soon) and El Bulli is after that.
I'm not 100% sold on Childhood. At least one of the courses is going to be served in this. El Bulli could be transcendent but I can only imagine how fast that those tickets will go. |
Originally Posted by knoebelsPT
(Post 17271524)
I actually think Childhood is on deck (Tickets should be on sale soon) and El Bulli is after that.
I'm not 100% sold on Childhood. At least one of the courses is going to be served in this. El Bulli could be transcendent but I can only imagine how fast that those tickets will go. |
And I have a feeling a lot of folks will be flying from all over to taste that menu.
In this interview Grant says that over half of the bookings at Aliena and Next are from overseas. I was kind of surprised it was that high. |
For those of you who aren't obsessed, Next is selling season tickets for this entire year.
The tickets will probably go on sale today or tomorrow, and be sold out within a few hours at the most. This year's menus are:
Fernan Adria, of El Bulli, worked closely with the Next team. The El Bulli menu is 28 courses. There is only one seating per night, and tickets are $365 per person including beverage pairing. |
Just snagged season tickets for a 4 top on Fridays. If you aren't in the queue already, you're out of luck. I'm sure there will be a lot of el Bulli available for resale, though.
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Next = three words - jumped the shark. I'm a foodie, but this is just ridiculous. Season tickets? To a restaurant. Not a chance.
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Originally Posted by milepig
(Post 17996849)
Next = three words - jumped the shark. I'm a foodie, but this is just ridiculous. Season tickets? To a restaurant. Not a chance.
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Got chefs table for 6 for 3 Wednesdays. We are from LA, so anyone interested in the Sicily and Kyoto dinners?
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Originally Posted by frebay
(Post 17997460)
Got chefs table for 6 for 3 Wednesdays. We are from LA, so anyone interested in the Sicily and Kyoto dinners?
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I got a 4-top for Sunday nights.
Not sure if we'll stay for Kyoto/Sicily (though I'd like to, the hassle of flying to Chicago kind of outweighs it in my mind). I like Next and think Grant Achatz & co are doing something really unique and cool. But the hassle of sitting by the computer to buy tickets and lurking around for a week or two is really annoying. And $3500 for three dinners? Someone pinch me. A friend of mine figured roughly that they would pull in about $1.6m for el Bulli alone and more for the other menus. Good work if you can get it. |
Originally Posted by gfunkdave
(Post 17999593)
I got a 4-top for Sunday nights.
Not sure if we'll stay for Kyoto/Sicily (though I'd like to, the hassle of flying to Chicago kind of outweighs it in my mind). I like Next and think Grant Achatz & co are doing something really unique and cool. But the hassle of sitting by the computer to buy tickets and lurking around for a week or two is really annoying. And $3500 for three dinners? Someone pinch me. A friend of mine figured roughly that they would pull in about $1.6m for el Bulli alone and more for the other menus. Good work if you can get it. That said, I didn't find the process to be much of a hassle at all. Next posted a Facebook status update about 12 hours before the tickets went on sale, and another as soon as the tickets went on sale. I did not sit obsessing over my computer, and I still managed to get tickets. |
Originally Posted by milepig
(Post 17996849)
Next = three words - jumped the shark. I'm a foodie, but this is just ridiculous. Season tickets? To a restaurant. Not a chance.
Originally Posted by rjque
(Post 17997112)
I think it's awesome
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Originally Posted by Sweet Willie
(Post 18000513)
agreed.how is it awesome?
The guy has something unique enough that people are willing to pay in advance for it, and he books much of his revenue early in the year. It's a new and interesting idea in an industry that has a great deal of replication and failure. If you don't like the idea of season tickets, you don't have to buy them. There were more than 8,000 people trying for 950 tickets on Saturday, so the idea appears to have been a success. |
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