Comments on: Alinea: The Best Meal I've Ever Had http://ostimusic.com/blog/alinea-the-best-meal-ive-ever-had/ John Mackey, composer Sat, 31 Jul 2010 22:53:51 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Andrew Hackard http://ostimusic.com/blog/alinea-the-best-meal-ive-ever-had/comment-page-1/#comment-2300 Andrew Hackard Fri, 01 Jan 2010 23:57:25 +0000 http://ostimusic.com/blog/?p=625#comment-2300 I...I...I think I need a cigarette. And I don't even smoke. I…I…I think I need a cigarette. And I don’t even smoke.

]]> By: Brett Hurt http://ostimusic.com/blog/alinea-the-best-meal-ive-ever-had/comment-page-1/#comment-2299 Brett Hurt Wed, 30 Dec 2009 23:26:37 +0000 http://ostimusic.com/blog/?p=625#comment-2299 John, Amy Price told me about you and your upcoming post, and I've been watching for it. Well done. I just wanted to say that I too believe Alinea is the best restaurant experience I've ever had. As a matter of fact, I've eaten there five times and even flew my wife and daughter up to Chicago from Austin JUST to go to Alinea! That's dedication. :) As far as who I am, I'm the founder and CEO of Bazaarvoice. So I see Alinea in a different light but appreciate it just as much as you do. I see it in a business/marketing light, and here is my blog post from two years ago on my initial experience there and the insights from my field of work that relate to it: http://budurl.com/alinea Congrats on your success, and I wish you a very prosperous 2010. Best, Brett John,

Amy Price told me about you and your upcoming post, and I’ve been watching for it. Well done.

I just wanted to say that I too believe Alinea is the best restaurant experience I’ve ever had. As a matter of fact, I’ve eaten there five times and even flew my wife and daughter up to Chicago from Austin JUST to go to Alinea! That’s dedication. :)

As far as who I am, I’m the founder and CEO of Bazaarvoice. So I see Alinea in a different light but appreciate it just as much as you do. I see it in a business/marketing light, and here is my blog post from two years ago on my initial experience there and the insights from my field of work that relate to it:
http://budurl.com/alinea

Congrats on your success, and I wish you a very prosperous 2010.

Best,
Brett

]]> By: Aaron http://ostimusic.com/blog/alinea-the-best-meal-ive-ever-had/comment-page-1/#comment-2298 Aaron Mon, 28 Dec 2009 15:04:18 +0000 http://ostimusic.com/blog/?p=625#comment-2298 Sounds like your ready for a trip to Spain to Ferran Adria's restaurant, El Bulli. http://www.elbulli.com/ However, even if you send an e-mail for reservations the moment they start accepting them for their six month each year season, you are not guaranteed. :) By the way, Asphalt Cocktail is an incredible experience live. Sounds like your ready for a trip to Spain to Ferran Adria’s restaurant, El Bulli.

http://www.elbulli.com/

However, even if you send an e-mail for reservations the moment they start accepting them for their six month each year season, you are not guaranteed.
:)

By the way, Asphalt Cocktail is an incredible experience live.

]]> By: John http://ostimusic.com/blog/alinea-the-best-meal-ive-ever-had/comment-page-1/#comment-2297 John Wed, 23 Dec 2009 19:26:48 +0000 http://ostimusic.com/blog/?p=625#comment-2297 Scott -- We had salad for lunch, but were starving by 5:00 -- and the dinner reservation was at 8:15 -- so we had a small snack of just some nuts. We didn't want to be completely starving by dinner; I think that makes you get full faster. We were certainly hungry when we got there, though! We were very full by the time we left (we were there until about 1am), but I don't think it was uncomfortable. I've felt a lot more full after a large burger. There was obviously a lot of food, but almost all of these 30 courses were only a single bite, and it's not like the majority was meat. There isn't a lot of down time between courses, but they do a good job of mixing things up so you don't have more than two heavy courses in a row. (The risotto was probably the most substantial thing -- both in richness and serving size -- but even it wasn't a huge serving. I might have put the "cocktail" course between the risotto and the duck, but doing it the way they did -- with risotto followed immediately by duck 4-ways -- did make the "cocktail" course that much more appreciated when it did arrive. If you find yourself in Chicago, Vegas, or New York when you're ready for that celebratory dinner, you'll have plenty of great options. I wouldn't eat like this very often, even if I could afford it (which I sadly can't), because I think you appreciate it a whole lot more when it's a really rare experience. Scott — We had salad for lunch, but were starving by 5:00 — and the dinner reservation was at 8:15 — so we had a small snack of just some nuts. We didn’t want to be completely starving by dinner; I think that makes you get full faster. We were certainly hungry when we got there, though!

We were very full by the time we left (we were there until about 1am), but I don’t think it was uncomfortable. I’ve felt a lot more full after a large burger. There was obviously a lot of food, but almost all of these 30 courses were only a single bite, and it’s not like the majority was meat. There isn’t a lot of down time between courses, but they do a good job of mixing things up so you don’t have more than two heavy courses in a row. (The risotto was probably the most substantial thing — both in richness and serving size — but even it wasn’t a huge serving. I might have put the “cocktail” course between the risotto and the duck, but doing it the way they did — with risotto followed immediately by duck 4-ways — did make the “cocktail” course that much more appreciated when it did arrive.

If you find yourself in Chicago, Vegas, or New York when you’re ready for that celebratory dinner, you’ll have plenty of great options. I wouldn’t eat like this very often, even if I could afford it (which I sadly can’t), because I think you appreciate it a whole lot more when it’s a really rare experience.

]]> By: Scott http://ostimusic.com/blog/alinea-the-best-meal-ive-ever-had/comment-page-1/#comment-2296 Scott Wed, 23 Dec 2009 15:40:32 +0000 http://ostimusic.com/blog/?p=625#comment-2296 I have some serious questions: Do you skip the meal before you eat a dinner like this or just have a light lunch? Is the meal so spread out over the course of the evening that when you leave you're satisfied as opposed to uncomfortably stuffed? Even if by the end of dessert you were beyond full, it sounds like no one would care. Maybe I will treat my wife and I to a meal like this to celebrate the end of paying for my kids' education. I reckon that will be around the year 2031! I have some serious questions: Do you skip the meal before you eat a dinner like this or just have a light lunch? Is the meal so spread out over the course of the evening that when you leave you’re satisfied as opposed to uncomfortably stuffed? Even if by the end of dessert you were beyond full, it sounds like no one would care.

Maybe I will treat my wife and I to a meal like this to celebrate the end of paying for my kids’ education. I reckon that will be around the year 2031!

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