Alinea, Chicago

if you've never experienced molecular gastronomy you must go here. plus it was voted best restaurant in america so its a no brainer. you'll spend about 300 for two people but this place is the true reflection of how i feel dining is an experience not just a meal. be sure to clear enough time as dining service is several several courses.

I went here a little while ago and was absolutely blown away. The space, the service, the food was all top notch and exceeded my expectations in every way. We left full, but not uncomfortable. In terms of what Alinea offers in terms of it's menu and the prices, it isn't for everyone. This is food being prepared and offered up as much for the sake of art as for the sake of nourishment. My group ended up doing the Tour, which consisted of 27 courses (some were as small as a bite of food, others were larger). It took us about 5 1/2 hours to complete it. I think myself and every person in our group was simply amazed at the level of detail and thoughtfulness that each course had, even if not all of us liked every single course. My experience at Alinea is something that I am very glad I got to do once in my life, but would gladly jump at doing again given the opportunity.

Alinea is, quite simply, the best restaurant anyone could possibly experience today--what the French Laundry was years ago.

This place is far out of line in its prices and they do not correlate with the quality of their food. I have had far better food in other big cities for a more reasonable price. I would not advise going here unless you are a yuppie.