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Alinea, Next ismost notable for its high-
concept dining experience: Every three
months, the prix fixe menu changes com-
pletely, down to the regionand even the era
of thecuisine. Thefirstdisheswerean inter-
pretation of Paris in 1906. Then came Thai
street food, followed by a more abstract
“childhood” theme. Guests buy a ticket
from the restaurant’s website in advance
(if they canget one), and are rewardedwith
a selection of dishes that is as immaculate
in execution as it is singular in vision.
Since debuting last April, Next has been
a boon for foodieswho
both adore Achatz’s
cooking and require
a steady stream of
new expe r i ence s .
Diners who sampled
decadent truffled egg
custard and
caneton
Rouennais à la presse
(a whole duck fed
through a silver press
and served in its own
juices) from the Paris
menu were able to
taste braised beef
cheek ina curryof pea-
nut, nutmeg, coconut
and lemongrass duringNext’s Thai period.
By the arrival of the childhoodmenu, some
guests had gotten into the restaurant’s
spirit, wearing Scout uniforms as they
spooned up high-end mac and cheese.
But as much fun as Next is for patrons,
it’s even more fun for the chefs, offering
them the opportunity to “open” a new
restaurant four times a year. Each theme
requires a different strategy, Achatz says.
“When we’re doing Escoffier [the chef who
inspired the Paris menu], we’re literally
cooking out of a book,” he says. “When we
approachsomething likeThailand, it’smore
of abroad exploration:What dowewant to
show people about Thai cooking?”
Where will Next go next? Kyoto and
post–World War II Sicily are in the queue,
and Achatz has been tinkering with a
menu that duplicates the first night he
worked at the French Laundry, Thomas
Keller’s revered California restaurant. “I
think we’ve established the fact that we
can really be chameleons,” he says. Critics
and discriminating diners seem to agree.
When it comes to crossing the final culi-
nary frontier, Next is well on its way.
To sample the best of Windy City cuisine, check
out
Chicago Restaurant Week
, Feb. 17-26.
Bar Smarts
Chicago’s bartenders give chefs a run for their money
IF YOU’VE SEEN
one bartender,
you’ve seen them all: Scrappy,
kind-eyed and quick with a quip,
they’re often more knowledge-
able about human foibles than
they are about foodstuffs. And
that’s the way it should be. Or is it?
In Chicago’s craft cocktail
world, as one observer recently
noted, “knowledge is the new
vodka.” In part because of
pressure from the cocktail
renaissances in New York
and San Francisco, and in part
because of the world-class chefs
who call Chicago home, local
liquor slingers have begun a
collaboration between bar and
kitchen that’s already yielded
such delicacies as mezcal with
smoked ice (at Michelin-starred
Boka), a bacon and egg brunch
drink (at the Bedford) and even
an old-fashioned served
inside
an ice cube (at Aviary).
“Five years ago, the bartender
wasn’t allowed in the kitchen,”
says Debbi
Peek, head of
the Chicago
chapter of the
U.S. Bartenders
Guild and a mixologist at Bristol
Lounge. “But now, bartenders
aren’t afraid of the chef anymore.
A lot of times, the chef will ask us,
‘Hey, what can you do with this?’”
Founded in 2006, the USBG’s
Chicago chapter now has more
than 100 members, who convene
regularly to take field trips to
local distilleries and breweries.
Members can also sign up for
advanced classes, with topics
ranging from how to pair cocktails
with food to knife-handling skills
(“We have to cut up a lot of
garnishes,” Peek says). With such
flavorful cocktails on the line,
it’s safe to say that bartenders
with more skills are good for
everyone—as long as we still have
someone to complain to about
our bosses. —W.C.
IN THE DRINK
Aviary’s ingenious
Cider cocktail,
presented in a see-
through canteen
PRETTY NUTS
One dish from
Next’s Thai menu
was served inside
a coconut
FRANK ASSESSMENT
Download our
app to see how one chef is turning the
classic Chicago dog upside down.
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