Alenia

Last night my friends, Katie and Sara, and I celebrated the end of an era in Gary with a special dinner at "Alinea", one of Chicago's finest and most unique dining experiences. This dinner was a gift from Katie's parents and provided us with a twelve-course exposure to the skills and creativity of Alinea's chefs! Some of the twelve "tastes" included celery watery with rice paper-encapsulated apple juice, duck/mango dish set gently over a slowly-decompressing pillow of lavendar air (honestly), lamb/date bites on a flat red brick surface with rosemary "aroma garnish", and my favorite, caramel/cinnamon/orange deep-fried onto a cinnamon stick. Alinea definitely challenged our taste buds and our abilities to appear "sophisticated" and comfortable among the "aristocrats" of Chi-town. Ha ha!

Check out more of their masterpieces below. Alinea is an incredible one-time experience - especially when someone else is treating!

http://www.alinea-restaurant.com/pages/gallery/gallery_cuis.html