Alinea Makes World’s 50 Best Restaurant List for the Seventh Time

Alinea (1723 North Halsted) is truly a powerhouse in the culinary world, with the latest proof being its inclusion on “The World’s 50 Best Restaurants” list sponsored by San Pellegrino and Aqua Panna. This isn’t the first time it has made the list either, out of the eight years the restaurant has been in existence, this is its seventh time appearing on the esteemed list. The cutting-edge cuisine coming out of Alinea is praised and craved by Chicagoans and culinary treat seekers beyond the city limits. Chef Grant Achatz and chef de cuisine Mike Bagale are at the helm of these dishes, which have helped Achatz pick up this year’s Chefs’ Choice Award. Of course Haute Living already knows how great Alinea is and profiled them a while ago. Below is the original post on Alinea, and if this is your first time hearing about them then you’re in for a treat. Also, for the complete list of “The World’s 50 Best Restaurants,” click here.

Have you ever had a four-hour, 25 course meal? No. Well, that’s exactly what’s being done at Alinea in Chicago. The same people who brought Chicago Next, also own Alinea, and they are similar in a lot of ways. They both have the ticketing system that requires you to pay 100% of the bill up front and is non-refundable. After speaking with co-owner Nick Kokonas, I would like to point out that while there are no refunds, the tickets are fully transferable. This applies to both Alinea and Next, if you find you can’t make your reservation, just gift it to a friend. Better yet, have a friend buy the tickets from you. It shouldn’t be hard, these reservations are extremely coveted and would be very easy to transfer.

The courses at Alinea are meticulously created using the most modern culinary techniques. Alinea represents the growing trend of molecular gastronomy. It’s basically the science of cooking things and making use of the physical and chemical transformations of the ingredients that occurs while cooking. But you don’t need to know all the nerdy, smarty pants stuff. Just know that it’s a culinary experience that you wouldn’t want to miss. If you are interested in making reservations (getting tickets) just go to www.alinearestaurant.com and get ready for a science-fueled culinary treat.

Image: Wall Street Journal