Dinner as a Show

That's what Alinea is. Edible art. The level of creativity (and some might say pretension) on display at this restaurant is next level and I'm not just talking about on the table.
lemon+luxardo bitter+amaro+grapefruit, apple+apple brandy+grenadine+thyme, cynar+carpano antica+flor de cana+squash (all very boozy one bite wonders)

Steelhead roe+dijon+rutabaga+grapefruit

fried yuba stick wrapped in shrimp and togarashi with a miso mayo

urchin encased in a vanilla, watercress and mint jelly with cilantro flower

Halibut with parsnip pure, black pepper, coffee foam and lemon (too delicious and consumed to quickly to be captured by my lens but it was an all-white dish with a variety of textures)

this while orb contains the next three dishes:
rabbit parfait with sage and butternut squash chip

crispy fried panko-coated rabbit rillette with sorrel & sage (pictured in a partially eaten state)

rabbit consomme, cinnamon stick and hot stone (stone not edible)

Wild morel and hedgehog mushrooms with pickled ramps, pine foam and sumac with jus

hot potato/cold potato: black truffle, butter (a one bite wonder)

tomato and black pepper pasta +

(clockwise from top left) smoked salt + blackberry+roasted/caramelized garlic+fermented garlic+pickled turnip+olives+red wine compote+tabacco essence+onion ribbon+tomato consumme =

beef short rib ravioli

yellowtail (hamachi) with west indian spiced (including a lit cinnamon stick), banana and ginger deep fried ball

canard a la cussy: duck breast over carmelized onions, duck rillette, foie gras, cock's crest on phyllo

Venison stead, cherry and cocoa nib under fragrant eucalyptus

black truffle explotion: romaine&parmesan

(at this point my stomach is about to explode as i have been eating not only my dishes but the remnants of the dishes of my dining companion when she has finished eating all the components she enjoys). One of the servers comes over to let us know this is the last savoury dish,
coming up: 7 dessert courses

yuzu snow frozen onto a ceramic cone

sweet potato custard, candied pecans, saffron cotton candy, bourbon crunch & pear(?) on a red cedar plant (heated and emitting strong aromas)

lemongrass liquid with cilantro, finger lime, cucmber and dragonfruit...it's a shot and requires a little suction

butterscotch+apple+thyme bacon, nutella encased in freeze-dried bread, banana + chocolate (very powdery consistency), lychee&jasmine tea sheath

finale: some of the ingredients

the final product.
chocolate & vanilla nitrous-frozen custard with milk chocolate sauce, honeyed organic milk sauce, pickled blueberries, blueberry chips, honey custard brulee (which transforms from liquid to solid before your eyes during the process) and peanut nougat

Sous chef Matt Chaseur come sauntering out and in a very pleasant but no-nonesense fashion begins painting this delicious masterpiece. Part alchemy and part chemistry it is fascinating to watch...couldn't help but sneak a peak at the artist's footwear-black leather & wooden clogs.

Hot Dog! Hot Doug!

Let's play a guessing game.

Which hot dogs are pictured here (all are from the list below)

Hot Doug's, Chicago
This mecca of encased meat is located in a barren area close to Wrigleville. It's a bit of a trek but I assure you well worth it. This is a place people willingly and happily wait in line-ups that can stretch up to 3 hours long. We waited 15-20 minutes at 3:30pm on a Saturday afternoon (Hot Doug's closes at 4pm). There are many doors, which must be kept closed, things are orderly and delicious. Doug, a warm and welcoming fellow, is at the counter taking orders and directing traffic. I let my eyes and stomach do the ordering which in hindsight was probably a mistake (note to self: two hot dogs and two large fries is too much) I was also really excited about the cherry cola fountain pop.

What We Ate:
duck fat fries, lg cheese fries, 2x sml fountain pop, smoked shrimp and pork sausage, foie gras & sauternes duck sausage, spinach & mozzarella chicken sausage ($30).

Good Eats

I made thanksgiving dinner last night for 11 friends. Two roast chickens (with stuffing-one with bacon and one without), mac n cheese, leeky-potatoes, maple-glazed carrots, brussel sprout slaw, 3 different kinds of stuffing, two different kinds of pumpkin pie (maple and caramel) and caramelized bourbon pears with frangipane topping. My cousin made tagine, a friend brought pureed sweet yams and my roommate made an appetizer of ricotta with figs and honey. All in all a total success!

L2O

L2O restaurant, Chicago
Located in the ornate, regal and conservative Belden Stratford on Lincoln Park West is an oasis of modernity, simplicity and sophistication. Chef Laurent Gras' restaurant L2O is a must-stop for anyone who loves food (especially seafood) and who appreciates culinary innovation. Everything is streamlined yet elaborate, take for example the concocting of my strawberry-basil caipirinha-a cart was wheeled out, on it a silver tray with three beautiful glass beakers, a tall, slender mixing vassel, small silver orbs holding fresh strawberries and basil leaves mixed together with friendly efficiency by our attentive but never over-bearing host. Our server, Keira, went out of her way to be helpful even handwriting a descriptive menu (along with a copy of the full menu, which is written using the most sparing of language), gave a detailed description of the dessert menu and answered all of our questions with friendly professionalism. Chef Gras sources many of his ingredients from Japan, so, although he tries mostly to use seasonal ingredients he is, obviously, not a locavore. It doesn't matter, I would dine here again in a heartbeat.

What we ate:
(spring seasonal tasting menu 12 courses +2 amuse bouche and 2 sweet treats $165/person)
- medai (japanese butterfish), ume, sudachi, fried garlic (np)
continued below...

- tuna tartar, cucmber ball, dehydrated corn, salsa verde in a gelatinous corn shell
- silken tofu, ginger, white miso sauce (np)

- fluke wrapped in cucumber, green dressing, tapioca, daikon & carrot roll

- peeky-toe crab, foie gras emulsion (np)
- halibut, english peas, ramps, arugula dumping (with sundried tomato), fiddleheads in bacon butter

- salted cod, whipped fingerling potato, smoked ribbon and caviar

- shabu-shabu: hiramasa (australian-caught hamachi), mushroom, shiso, konbu boullion, seasme, fresh-grated wasabi with miso-soy sauce (the leftover bouillon from this dish is then served with noodles in the 4 course tasting menu)

- king salmon, baked in clay, dusted with cinnamon and North African spices, grits, lemon gelé dusted with dehydrated meyer lemon crumbs, caramelized date-injected daikon

- beef short rib baked and then seared, grilled ramps, spring onion, pinot blanc vinaigrette, ginger-beef consommé

- chocolate ganache, soysalt, olive oil (np-and also the 3rd dessert we had on this trip that featured olive oil)
- Raspberries with raspberry gelé pellets, yuzu, 14K gold leaf, mascarpone, crispy white chocolate tulle

- whipped kafir sorbet with pineapple and coconut (LN2 treatment)
- Grand Marnier souffle w orange marmalade & peanut butter souffle (np)

- extras: passionfruit marshmallow and strawberry & cream macaron

Deep Dish Pizza

Deep Dish Pizza, Giordano's Chicago
So, I did not set out on a quest to find the best deep dish pizza in all of Chicago. Truth be told I prefer thin crust, Italian style pizza but what do you do after a hot dog lunch and a few beers at the Hawks game (game 4 vs the sharks) when your stomach starts growling? If you're me you figure you should continue your day of eating terrible yet delicious treats and indulge in the oozing and gooey mess that is a North American institution and what better place than the city of it's birth. We didn't go to some out of the way mom n pop shop where everything is lovingly handmade, locally sourced and exorbitantly priced, no, we went for the over-the-top, value loving wreck that is the famous Giordano's stuffed pizza. It's basically deep dish pizza with a tomato sauce covered dough hat. If you like deep dish pizza, you'll probably like this. I found that the dough, though crisp, tasted bland and undercooked and, as a cheese enthusiast I can't believe I'm saying this, there was too much processed cheese to the point that it tasted a bit like plastic. Basically, all the things that in my experience I've come to expect from deep dish pizza.

What we ate:

- small (and I use this term loosely) stuffed pizza with sausage, green pepper, mushrooms, onions & mozzarella
- large house salad

Charlie Trotters

Charlie Trotter's, Chicago
Wildly and frequently praised as one of the best restaurants in the world Charlie Trotter's in Chicago's Lincoln Park neighbourhood is located in an inconspicuous yet large house. We had a 9:30 reservation on our first night in the city and although the food was good our server left a less than desirable taste in the mouth. Kind of like that one dessert (pretty to look at, terrible taste, can you guess which one I'm talking about-it's pictured here). Bad service can ruin a decent meal and when you're sitting at a world renowned table for a 3 hour, 8 course $165/person ($135 for the veggie) menu you come to expect a certain amount of professionalism, courtesy and knowledge. The rest of the service staff seemed very pleasant and accommodating, ours must just have been having a bad day. Too bad, because I won't go back and I don't suggest you do either. There are too many wonderful restaurants in this city.

What we ate (one of us had the meat and the other the vegetarian menu):
- marinated zucchini w fennel pollen & ricotta (not pictured)
- razor clams w fava bean & green almond (np)
- soft shell crab tempura w green papaya & lemon verbena (np)
- white asparagus w miner's lettuce & blackberries
- j. eggplant soufflé w curry & green peppercorn (above)
continued below...

- steamed tasmanian ocean trout w green tea & coriander dusted garbanzo beans
- poached squab breast w black sesame, annatto & radish (np)
- Oaxacan mole w spinach & roasted cashews (np)
- whole roasted porcini w rosemary & caramelized cippolini onions (np)
continued below...

- salt-crusted veal loin w toasted brioche, morel, burnt oak & creme fraiche

- lavender custard w honeycomb & black tea

- meyer lemon sorbet w lemon basil & creamed olive oil (bottom)
- muscat grape sorbet w caray (above)

- meiwa kumquats w frozen meringue & cured black olives
- condensed cinnamon milk ice cream w lime & pequin peppers (np)
-milk chocolate-praline semifreddo w pistachios & mint (np)

The Purple Pig, Chicago

The Purple Pig-Chicago
This was a delicious pork filled meal. This casual European-style bistro is very popular so be prepared to wait (about 20 minutes during the lunch rush). The dishes are priced reasonably ($5-$18) and easy to share. I definitely recommend stopping by for a pre or post mag mile meal.

What we ate:
- arancini with ricotta, mint and spring peas
- Serrano ham
- crispy strips of pig's ear with a fried egg and deep fried seaweed
- milk braised pork shoulder with mashed potatoes

Sushi!

I love sushi. I mean I really, really, really love sushi. I would go as far as to call myself a sushi snob-a label I wear with a certain amount of pride. So, it was with gusto that I consumed the creamy, fresh, local uni (left) before savoring a seasonal delicacy and personal favorite ankimo (salt-rubbed, sake-rinsed, steamed then chilled monk fish liver served with chili-dyed grated daikon, green onions and ponzu sauce-delicious!) at my favorite Japanese spot in Vancouver, Fuji Sushi. I had a second helping of ankimo later on-while it's around it's far too good to pass up!! nom nom nom!

If you can't make it out to Burquitlam to eat at Fuji then try Sushimart on Robson (it is owned by the same family and has a lower price point). If you go to Fuji be sure to eat at the counter and ask the chef about the daily specials (they're only written out on a small white board in Japanese).