40th Birthday-Tru, Avenues, or ?

For my wife's 40th, I am trying to pick a verrry nice restaurant. I was leaning toward TRU but the reviews can be somewhat negative. Now I'm leaning toward Avenues. Is there something else better?
I'd have to say our closest "fine" dining has been Capital Grille and Le Titi de Paris, both of which were wonderful. Price doesn't bother me, but she doesn't like fish or seafood and we both don't like caviar.
Thanks!

Here's a post I did linking to a variety of posts about the high-end restaurants in town.

Not completely up to date, but it's a start. I think Avenues is great, but I would read some of these plate-by-plate accounts and see if it's your cup of tea, as it's definitely more out there than the places you mention (as is Tru, by all reports, such as this one).

I also think they're both probably more expensive than those places.

You're referring to the very best restaurants in the Chicago area, which means they are among the very best restaurants in the country. It gets difficult to claim that one is "better" than another at that level, and even if you could, the place that is "third best" or "fifth best" is still one of the very best restaurants where you can get a spectacular dinner.

However, just for argument's sake, I would rank the top places thusly:

1. Alinea
2. Avenues
3. Everest
4. Charlie Trotter's
5. Tru

Even though price doesn't bother you, prices within this group can vary considerably. Expect to spend $250-400 per person including tax, tip, and reasonable alcohol at Alinea or Trotter's, $200-300 at Tru, $175-250 at Avenues, and slightly less than that at Everest (and considerably less if you go early for the $50 three-course pre-theater menu). As Mike mentions in the other topic, prices can vary and are somewhat within your control when you have a choice of menus (e.g. at Avenues you can order 3, 5, or 10 courses for $90, $120, or $160) as well as the quality and quantity of alcoholic beverages.

You can have a wonderful experience at any of these, including spectacular food and service. However, for romance on such an occasion, I would give extra points to Everest for the view, and thus that would be my top pick for your wife's 40th birthday.

This ranking is intended with no disrespect to similar places (e.g. NoMi, Schwa, Moto, Spiaggia) or to still other places that are a bit less expensive and more casual, and which can also provide a wonderful dining experience (One Sixty Blue, Aigre Doux, Oceanique, Michael, Spring, Custom House, Naha, Sweets and Savories, etc).

Thanks for the ideas and info!
I think we would be ready for a "wow" experience, and I think the Avenues menu would be more amenable to a fish-less dinner for her, without having to choose from a vegetarian menu.

dbthornton wrote:I think the Avenues menu would be more amenable to a fish-less dinner for her, without having to choose from a vegetarian menu.

ANY of these top places should be able to accommodate any special requests to deviate from their menu in any way. When I ate at Avenues recently, the staff encouraged me to make any such requests known. (In fact, they joked about their ability to do so: "Of course! After all, this is the Peninsula. You say you would like a giraffe and a rainbow? I'll return with those in just a few minutes.")

For example, even if you're getting the tasting menu - at ANY of these restaurants - you can ask for them to substitute for any fish/seafood items, and I'm sure they will be happy to oblige.

I'm not saying this to talk you out of (or into) Avenues - Avenues is a wonderful place and I'm sure you will be very happy there - but only to note that the others are equally able to comply with your stated need.

I love the giraffe joke! That is what service should be all about.
My wife once talked about going to TRU- do you think they have lost a step lately? Some reviewers seem to think that it's sort of lost some of its prestige compared to the newer top tier restaurants. I suppose that every review has to be taken with a grain of salt, but there seem to be more people who complain and were not impressed.
I'm surely overanalyzing this I know! Lucky it's a month away.
Thanks!

One knock against Tru may be that one of their signature dishes is a caviar "staircase", since neither of you like caviar. Not that the rest of the restaurant isn't great, but the caviar course is probably a reason to go if you're going to experience the true Tru (sorry, had to do it).

chitrader wrote:One knock against Tru may be that one of their signature dishes is a caviar "staircase", since neither of you like caviar. Not that the rest of the restaurant isn't great, but the caviar course is probably a reason to go if you're going to experience the true Tru (sorry, had to do it).

That may have been true at one point, but now that the staircase is only available a la carte for a pretty astronomical price-point I think the equation has changed. I've had dinner at Tru without having the staircase and it didn't take anything away from the experience.

dbthornton wrote:My wife once talked about going to TRU- do you think they have lost a step lately? Some reviewers seem to think that it's sort of lost some of its prestige compared to the newer top tier restaurants. I suppose that every review has to be taken with a grain of salt, but there seem to be more people who complain and were not impressed.

I haven't been there recently enough to say, but most of the reports I've read continue to be highly favorable. I think a more likely explanation is that they haven't lost anything, but with Bowles's move to Avenues in 2004 and with the more recent opening of Alinea, Moto, and Schwa, there is more competition at that level. I think there's often a tendency among professional reviewers (and even sometimes among us amateurs here) to praise the newly-opened places and ignore places that have been around for a while. For example, you don't hear much about Everest, but I think it's as good as it has ever been, and remains one of the very top places in town. I wonder whether Alinea and Avenues will be similarly ignored ten or twenty years from now, by which time there will be other top places opening to critical acclaim between now and then.

dbthornton wrote:I'm surely overanalyzing this I know! Lucky it's a month away.

They're ALL great choices so don't agonize over it. Just choose one and go and enjoy it.

dbthornton wrote:I love the giraffe joke! That is what service should be all about.
My wife once talked about going to TRU- do you think they have lost a step lately? Some reviewers seem to think that it's sort of lost some of its prestige compared to the newer top tier restaurants. I suppose that every review has to be taken with a grain of salt, but there seem to be more people who complain and were not impressed.
I'm surely overanalyzing this I know! Lucky it's a month away.
Thanks!

I've been there 3 times, most recently a few months ago. I think the way I thought about it at the time was that if it was a 4-star restaurant maybe now its 3.5 stars. I really enjoyed the meal, but some of the food suffered from what I would describe as a lack of attention to detail on the part of the kitchen (maybe I'm just spoiled by the flawless execution at Alinea). That being said, if you haven't been, I would definitely recommend going.

Having eaten at all five...I would go with Alinea... but it depends on what your idea of a great meal is. Alinea will customize the entire menu for your dietary restriction. They have done an entire 24 courses w/ fish as the only protein.

TRU is good if you are with someone who tends to be a little picky about what they eat, because you can do something more ala carte.

Trotters... I haven't been in about five years. From friends who who went recently, it really hasn't lost a step... but rather everyone else has caught up (and some have passed)

Everest... it has the best view of them all. All I remember of the meal I had four years ago was having the degus and being sooo full 1/2 way through the meat course, that it was a chore rather than a joy to finish the courses... and I'm a very big eater!

Avenues... The food was quite good when I went. Although, I have a friend w/ a nut allergy (and made his allergy known b4 the meal). In the end, let's just say, he won't be recommending Avenues anytime soon.

For my wife's 40th, I am trying to pick a verrry nice restaurant. I was leaning toward TRU but the reviews can be somewhat negative. Now I'm leaning toward Avenues. Is there something else better?

For my boyfriend's birthday dinner tonight, we're trying Moto. He traveled really extensively growing up--there are not many places he hasn't been--so I framed the Moto dinner as a trip to outer space, so that it's more of an experience that I'm giving him for his birthday than just a meal. (BTW, the outer space thing sounds really stupid typed out for all LTH'ers to read...) Of course, dinner at any of the places already mentioned would be as much of an experience as a meal, but the outer space idea wouldn't work as well. My second choice was Avenues based on all that I've read.

I've eaten at Alinea and Tru (for my 40th) in the last year, and would definitely prefer Alinea. The service and setting at Tru were great, and some of the food was awesome, but some was not.

An upside of Tru is it is a little more relaxed and less intimidating than Alinea; this is not to say it is a casual place, but Alinea is just really intense. It has to be to pull off their program. Also, you can more easily titrate how long you spend at the restaurant with Tru, based on what and how you order. With Alinea, if you order the big degustation, settle in for a LOOONGGG time (like 5-6 hours). It definitely improved our Alinea experience to be their with 2 other couples we are great friends with. If it had just been my wife and I, one or both of us would have jumped out of our skins before the end of the meal.

A money saving tip for Alinea, if you go there. The wine program matched to the menu is awesome, but really expensive. We saved a lot of money by ordering the wine program for me, then my wife (who is not as big a drinker as I am) would order an individual glass if she particularly liked one of the program's wines.

For my 40th, my wife took me to Avenues. We had an incredible meal. If you search the forum, I have a detailed review from a later visit.

One nice thing about Avenues: The location is great. You can walk Michigan Avenue either before or after dinner. I am a huge fan of Alinea, but there is really no reason to stroll around there.

jesteinf wrote:
I've been there (TRU) 3 times, most recently a few months ago. I think the way I thought about it at the time was that if it was a 4-star restaurant maybe now its 3.5 stars. I really enjoyed the meal, but some of the food suffered from what I would describe as a lack of attention to detail on the part of the kitchen (maybe I'm just spoiled by the flawless execution at Alinea). That being said, if you haven't been, I would definitely recommend going.

I thought about Alinea but decided that it was out of our league at this stage of our culinary education. (That and the thought of a 6 hour dinner!)

I think the choice is among TRU, Avenues, and Everest.

dbthornton wrote:

jesteinf wrote:
I've been there (TRU) 3 times, most recently a few months ago. I think the way I thought about it at the time was that if it was a 4-star restaurant maybe now its 3.5 stars. I really enjoyed the meal, but some of the food suffered from what I would describe as a lack of attention to detail on the part of the kitchen (maybe I'm just spoiled by the flawless execution at Alinea). That being said, if you haven't been, I would definitely recommend going.

I thought about Alinea but decided that it was out of our league at this stage of our culinary education. (That and the thought of a 6 hour dinner!)

I think the choice is among TRU, Avenues, and Everest.

I did the 12 course at Alinea and it lasted about 3 1/2 hours, not 6. Also, I wouldn't put Alinea as outside anyone's "culinary education." I thought the food was more approachable and tastier than at Tru, even including Alinea's mad scientist tactics.

With regard to Alinea:
For what its worth --
It is not necessarily a six hour meal. We have done the 12 course meal, which takes roughly two and a half hours (depending on pacing).
The total food and number of courses is roughly similar to what you would get at Avenues or Everest.
I would limit the choices to those three and potentially Charlie Trotter's. I looked at a Tru menu recently and liked what I saw. I was familiar with the courses, since they are pretty similar to what I had the last time was there two years ago. It was good then and is still pretty good, but is that what you want for 40? I would go with a place where the menu is really evolving.

Yo wrote:
Everest... it has the best view of them all. All I remember of the meal I had four years ago was having the degus and being sooo full 1/2 way through the meat course, that it was a chore rather than a joy to finish the courses... and I'm a very big eater!

Avenues... The food was quite good when I went. Although, I have a friend w/ a nut allergy (and made his allergy known b4 the meal). In the end, let's just say, he won't be recommending Avenues anytime soon.

Everyone remarks about the view at Everest and I like the seeming exclusiveness (private parking, et al.), but is the food still as good as the others?

So at least for you, a nut allergy doesn't mean no nuts? Hope you friend didn't have a hospital visit.

dbthornton wrote:For my wife's 40th, I am trying to pick a verrry nice restaurant. I was leaning toward TRU but the reviews can be somewhat negative. Now I'm leaning toward Avenues. Is there something else better?
I'd have to say our closest "fine" dining has been Capital Grille and Le Titi de Paris, both of which were wonderful. Price doesn't bother me, but she doesn't like fish or seafood and we both don't like caviar.
Thanks!

Yet another advantage of Avenues -- The spa at the Pennisula is pretty amazing. My wife loves the place. You could arrange to send her to the spa in the afternoon and then go to dinner with her at Avenues aftewards. The other alternative, which I have done, is purchase a spa gift certificate, which they will then present it to her when you arrive.

DML wrote:With regard to Alinea:
For what its worth --
It is not necessarily a six hour meal. We have done the 12 course meal, which takes roughly two and a half hours (depending on pacing).
The total food and number of courses is roughly similar to what you would get at Avenues or Everest.
I would limit the choices to those three and potentially Charlie Trotter's. I looked at a Tru menu recently and liked what I saw. I was familiar with the courses, since they are pretty similar to what I had the last time was there two years ago. It was good then and is still pretty good, but is that what you want for 40? I would go with a place where the menu is really evolving.

I guess what I'm thinking is that from what I've read in this forum, TRU seems to be sort of the old guard restaurant- elegant, competent, reliable, but relatively speaking, dated. It may have been THE place to go, even a few years ago, but hasn't evolved with the competition of others like Avenues and Alinea. I am probably wrong, but that's the sense I get.
My wife will love any restaurant, but I want her to rave about it until #41.

dbthornton wrote:Everyone remarks about the view at Everest and I like the seeming exclusiveness (private parking, et al.), but is the food still as good as the others?

Yes, absolutely. (IMHO, of course.)

Also, as good as the service is at all of these places, I can still remember some of the touches of subtle elegance the last time I was at Everest (reported here), which I found extremely impressive.

dbthornton wrote:I guess what I'm thinking is that from what I've read in this forum, TRU seems to be sort of the old guard restaurant- elegant, competent, reliable, but relatively speaking, dated. It may have been THE place to go, even a few years ago, but hasn't evolved with the competition of others like Avenues and Alinea. I am probably wrong, but that's the sense I get.
My wife will love any restaurant, but I want her to rave about it until #41.

Yes and no.

The old guard is Everest and Trotter's.

The new is Avenues and Alinea.

Somewhere in the middle is TRU. It was the hottest, edgiest place a few years ago, but it's been (in my opinion) eclipsed by Alinea and Avenues.

DML wrote:

dbthornton wrote:For my wife's 40th, I am trying to pick a verrry nice restaurant. I was leaning toward TRU but the reviews can be somewhat negative. Now I'm leaning toward Avenues. Is there something else better?
I'd have to say our closest "fine" dining has been Capital Grille and Le Titi de Paris, both of which were wonderful. Price doesn't bother me, but she doesn't like fish or seafood and we both don't like caviar.
Thanks!

Yet another advantage of Avenues -- The spa at the Pennisula is pretty amazing. My wife loves the place. You could arrange to send her to the spa in the afternoon and then go to dinner with her at Avenues aftewards. The other alternative, which I have done, is purchase a spa gift certificate, which they will then present it to her when you arrive.

Make sure that you double-check with the Peninsula before making these arrangements. Last time I checked, the Peninsula spa was open to non-guests only on weekdays.

dbthornton wrote:I guess what I'm thinking is that from what I've read in this forum, TRU seems to be sort of the old guard restaurant- elegant, competent, reliable, but relatively speaking, dated. It may have been THE place to go, even a few years ago, but hasn't evolved with the competition of others like Avenues and Alinea. I am probably wrong, but that's the sense I get.

If you've never been there, then any place is new and fresh, to you. It's not dated in the sense that there is anything old-fashioned about it. It's only dated in the way others may view it, i.e. that it's "old news" that the place is so very good.

dbthornton wrote:My wife will love any restaurant, but I want her to rave about it until #41.

If you are trying to impress others, then you want to go to the place that's considered trendy, in part just because it's new - in which case, Everest and Tru and Trotter's are not as new and therefore not as impressive as Avenues and Alinea. If you are looking for an enjoyable experience, I think Everest is as impressive as any of these.

If I had to choose among them, here is how I would look at them:

Alinea - The most creative food of all, the ultimate food experience, and comes with the ultimate bragging rights. Also is the most intense with the food itself as entertainment, rather than the entire experience. If your wife will be most impressed by unusual food ingredients and preparations and/or by being able to impress others when relating the experience, go there.

Everest - The most romantic place of all, where every little thing is just exquisite but effortless perfection - the food, the service, everything. If you are looking to have a terrific night out without having to pay a lot of attention to any one thing (because everything is so well done), go there.

Avenues - A nice combination of the previous two. Creative food but not so much that it represents a distraction from your celebration. Very nice service. Good "bragging rights" but not as much as Alinea. Being at the Peninsula is a plus, even more so if you decide to spend the night there. If this is what you're looking for, go there.

Tru and Charlie Trotter's - Like Everest, both of these have been around for a while and are less likely to impress others. Both are extremely creative. If you've never been, they're worth considering also.

Again, these are five excellent choices, and you can't go wrong with any of them. We are fortunate to have five such places to choose from.

Just one word:

Vie.

Can't go wrong. Hard to believe it is completely left out of the conversation here.

Now, if you want a really fancy experience, Tru is better. If you want rich and amazing Italian food in a beautiful room, Spiaggia is wonderful. If you like more classic French food with an Alsatian spin on the top of the world, Everest is a good choice. If you want to sample something like molecular gastronomy, but only a little in a lovely room, Avenues is a great choice.

But Vie offers creative, fresh, impeccably prepared cuisine in a fairly casual suburban location in the middle of terminally cute dowtown Western Springs.

I think you already excluded Alinea and Moto as being too "out there."

So the real question is, what do you like, and what kind of experience do you want? Because there are even a couple of "steakhouses" that can offer a pretty spiffy experience with some very nice food.

I am off CT because of the crowds - I think it is really a place one only should go to early in the week, if at all. I imagine you can still get a good meal on Tuesday, but it would not be my choice.

We have been to Vie and it is as you say, fantastic. We were there about a year ago and the waiter mentioned a tasting menu was available. We'd like to try that, but I was planning to go somewhere we haven't been.

dicksond wrote:Just one word:


I think you already excluded Alinea and Moto as being too "out there."

So the real question is, what do you like, and what kind of experience do you want? Because there are even a couple of "steakhouses" that can offer a pretty spiffy experience with some very nice food.

I am off CT because of the crowds - I think it is really a place one only should go to early in the week, if at all. I imagine you can still get a good meal on Tuesday, but it would not be my choice.

I would like to try Alinea one day and I think we would be happy at a place like the Custom House or David Burke's as well, but for this I want to kick it up.

dbthornton wrote:I would like to try Alinea one day and I think we would be happy at a place like the Custom House or David Burke's as well, but for this I want to kick it up.

Although I would advise against Custom House, how much more kicked up can you get than Alinea?

stevez wrote:

dbthornton wrote:I would like to try Alinea one day and I think we would be happy at a place like the Custom House or David Burke's as well, but for this I want to kick it up.

Although I would advise against Custom House, how much more kicked up can you get than Alinea?

Now I'm confused. Kick it up, but how? If you want kicked up food, then go Alinea or Avenues, but you're reticent about Alinea, but not Avenues (which granted, isn't as "weird," but still close). Do you want to kick it up in terms of atmosphere and service, but not necessarily the food? Then go with Everest (view), or Tru (service, Warhols, cute little ottoman for your wife's purse). If you want to play it safe food-wise, but still go with a tasting menu and eat somewhere you wouldn't likely eat more than once a year, then go with Trotters. That's my two cents, but I think we're going in circles here.

You had the right answer at Avenues. Otherwise, believe me, you could contemplate the choices forever.