Is TRU really as good as everyone says it is?

My wife and I are thinking about going to TRU this Spring to celebrate a promotion. We really can't go now since we are having our second child next Tuesday and my wife really wants to drink wine....

I tried to look at some past posts and could not see any threads that focus on people's experiences at TRU....Is the food as good as they say and what about the service and atmosphere?

Thanks.

If you go over to chowhound and do a search, you'll see a very mixed reaction. Some marvel about the splendid food. One's opinion seems to have been negatively enhanced by a credit card scam on the card that he left for a reservation.

The revieews there are a mixed bag. But, I must say that none of the posters who reviewed it, either positively or negatively are known to me.

I'm not sure how mixed the opinions really are. I'd say that the majority are very positive. I for one think that Tru is one of a very small handful of super-expensive places around town where everything usually lives up to expectations. IMO, it's gotten more solid over the years.

Globetrotter and eloquent/acerbic critic Cabrales, I remember, liked it pretty well. I mention it because that's someone who has eaten everywhere (in terms of destination dining) in the US and Europe and can make an informed comparison. She's Rob's pal, but I think I remember the analysis that Tru would be "starred" by Michelin if it were in Europe. I'd say that's pretty good coming from someone who does not seem hyperbolic or overtly Americaphile when it comes to food.

Most of the negative reviews are from people who don't like the somewhat over-the-top decor service and presentation. Often the critics are the same few people, and typically Les Nomades comes up as their benchmark for sophisticated dining. Certainly, Tru and Les Nomades couldn't be more different in style, though the food is not so different.

I actually find Tru to be more welcoming, more "democratic" than the former private club, which I find somewhat stifling.

If you have only one such meal on the horizon, however, I'd advise you wait for Alinea to open. Unfortunately for some, the press machine seems to be in gear to declare it the next great American restaurant the moment it opens, making it a tough ticket I'm sure.

Most of the negative reviews are from people who don't like the somewhat over-the-top decor service and presentation. Often the critics are the same few people, and typically Les Nomades comes up as their benchmark for sophisticated dining.

Maybe many or even most, but not all. I have been to Tru several times for dinner and once for the dessert tasting and considering the cost/quality ratio, I don't love it like I should, or as I did Trio under Achatz. The service is great, the room beautiful and the wine list outstanding, but there is something about the food that just doesn't take me there given the cost. In fact, last year's meal there strengthened my resolve never to eat out on New Year's Eve. As many of you know, I was pregnant last year so I wasn't interested in cooking as I usually do. I won't even talk about the cost, which was stunning given that only one of us was drinking. And with regards to desserts, Gale Gand is clearly extremely talented, but I have to criticize her choices in terms of balance. In short, too much chocolate. When we did the dessert tasting, three of the selections were chocolate based (and not white chocolate). I mean, I love chocolate, but 1) it's a rich ingredient that you really can have too much of and 2) given that I am a pretty good baker, I like to see what a great pastry chef can do with other less noble ingredients. I would humbly suggest that Gand might want to take a cue from folks like Regan Daley, Claudia Fleming or Emily Luchetti.

Ultimately, do I think that Tru is a great addition to Chicago's dining scene? Yes. Will I go again? Yes. But, I also think that some of its critics many not be focused so much on its over the top nature, but as a comparison with other kitchens. Given your timing, I would wait for Alinea as I do believe that my meals at Trio were worth every penny, and they cost quite a few pennies.

i've never been to tru, and, having never "experienced" a restaurant, movie, book, ... i generally reserve judgment. that said, and while i still plan on going there at some point, one criticism of tru that i don't recall seeing/hearing elsewhere comes from friends who have been there. several have told me that they walked away from the meal hungry. if i'm paying $10 for a meal, that's annoying but more acceptable than if i'm paying well into 3-digit territory. not sure if the criticism is legit, but i thought i'd pass it on.

foo d wrote:i've never been to tru, and, having never "experienced" a restaurant, movie, book, ... i generally reserve judgment. that said, and while i still plan on going there at some point, one criticism of tru that i don't recall seeing/hearing elsewhere comes from friends who have been there. several have told me that they walked away from the meal hungry. if i'm paying $10 for a meal, that's annoying but more acceptable than if i'm paying well into 3-digit territory. not sure if the criticism is legit, but i thought i'd pass it on.

My one dinner at TRU was the opposite as far as portion size is concerned. I thought that the portions were a little too large for the degustation format. I had the Chef's Grand Tasting & by the time the second meat course had come, I was too stuffed to enjoy it. I thought that TRU's portions were larger in camparison to Trotter. And I don't think that was necessarily a good thing.

However, the whole night was wonderful. I will say that the food was not quite as interesting as Trotter's but still delicious. The service was execellent without it being too sterile.

I do think the decor and service at Tru is a little austere. (And while the same could be said about the bathroom -- and I had to look twice before I figured out which was the urinal and which was the sink -- it's pretty cool.) But I also had problems with the food.

I had an item, eg, that was way over salty. It was a mushroom soup made to look like a capuccino with some sort of foam on top. I like salt. I often like more salt than most people. This was too salty for me. And I had had plenty of better mushroom soups at bistro level places. It looked neat, though. There were other arguable failures, as well. All of us tasted each other's entrees, a couple were good and a couple were mediocre. The desserts were better.

They have a very nice cheese service. The mignardises are impressive. But overall it was a bit hit and miss in my experience. It's a good place, deserving of **** from Mobil, but I didn't love it and at the prices would rather try a new place or go to Trotter's. Trotter's doesn't quite live up to the hype, either, imo, but it's a clear step up from Tru, from what I've experienced. (What is up with Chicago high-end restaurants and the letter 'T'? Tru, Trio, Trotter's....)

extramsg wrote:(What is up with Chicago high-end restaurants and the letter 'T'? Tru, Trio, Trotter's....)

...Topolobampo

Because Chicago is That Toddlin' Town, natch.

Or you could wait until Roland Liccioni is back at the helm at Le Francais. IMHO a better chef than Charlie Trotter or Rick Tramonto put together.

ToniG wrote:Because Chicago is That Toddlin' Town, natch.

Completely off-topic, but that's a phrase I've never understood, and I don't know why the city is so proud of it. My dictionary defines "toddling" as "walking with short unsteady steps, as a small child." Hence the term toddler. Is that really the kind of twon we have here?

On the subject of "That Toddlin' Town": I'll incur the wrath of those who dislike these non-culinary tangents, but the whole song is a bit odd. The meaning of the exclamation "I saw a man, he danced with his wife!" has been pondered by many. Is it a comment on our proper Midwestern values? In New York, say, or Los Angeles, do men dance only with their girlfriends? (This staid interpretation does seem to contradict the "toddlin'" image, though.) Or do men generally not dance at all elsewhere, but the giddy and liberating experience of being in Chicago motivates them to hit the dance floor (with their wives)? One does wonder.

My wife and I recently ate at Tru with my boss and his wife. I was not nearly as impressed as I should have been. We all went for the grand tasting ($135 per person), we split 3 decent, but not over-the-top (relatively speaking) bottles of wine. We declined the extra charge cheese course. Including tax and tip, the bill was nearly $1,200.

The decor felt dated and the room cramped despite the high ceilings. I think the massive wall of curtains had something to do with that. I was a bit disappointed with the staff since we spent probably around 20 minutes trying to garner the attention of someone to begin our wine service. Once that was resolved, service was pretty good but not impeccable. One thing that struck me is how young the staff seemed. I would say mid-20's was the average, which seems low for restaurants in this peer group.

Many dishes were amusing and innovative (chocolate french toast foie gras, e.g.), but few left permanent taste impressions. I loved a cold lettuce soup and a kobe tartare, but a serving of tuna was nothing special - I got the impression the chef had to fill out 9 courses and one had to be fish, so we get seared ahi tuna.

I wasn't blown away by desserts, given the reputation of Tru as a dessert destination, but everything was good.

I thought the "personalized menu" offer was nice, but they could have let me know ahead of time this would be done. I'm sure my boss didn't appreciate having my name (I made the reservation) at the top of his menu.

I did love the muffins they hand out as you leave. A nice touch and delicious at home with coffee the next morning.

Simon wrote: One thing that struck me is how young the staff seemed. I would say mid-20's was the average, which seems low for restaurants in this peer group.

I wonder if it is just a numbers thing. There have been so many higher end places opening in recent years. Has the demand for experienced servers exceeded the supply?

Rob

I was at TRU last night. It was a private event which is both good (free for me) and bad (maybe not typical). It was very enjoyable overall, though the company and purpose (tasting some high end spirits and meeting their makers) was largely the cause of that.

Some side notes first, the room was significantly too warm. This wasn't just me, several people commented on it.

The service was excellent but robotic. The servers were young and personality-impaired, presumably directed to be that way. Since the menu was entirely pre-determined there wasn't much opportunity for interaction, but all on the waitstaff were invariably dour.

The menu was billed as "TRU's Fall Collection." The first course was described as "smoked chicken salad and arugula salad, pecorino romano, bacon vinaigrette." It consisted of several slices of smoked chicken, slightly chilled and very good, topped with the arugula, cheese and dressing. That part was pretty forgetable but the chicken itself was superb.

The second course was a roasted beef tenerloin with grilled asparagus, potato dauphinois and a red wine sauce. The meat was absolutely perfect. The asparagus was so forgetable I genuinely don't remember it being there. The potatos were very delicate, perhaps too subtle, as was the wine sauce. That said, I did get the impression that subtlety is what TRU is about.

The dessert was a ricotta brulee with ricotta beignets and pear-cinnamon compote. The ricotta bruleee may have been the highlight of the evening, more the taste and texture of cheese cake than creme brulee. The compote was nothing special and the beignets might have been--as one of my tablemates commented--Dunkin Donuts donut holes.

The mignardises were very good, at least the truffle-like one I had was very nice.

The wines were a Rudd Sauvignon Blanc and a Worthy Cabernet, both 2002 and nothing special.

The event was put on by Brown-Forman in honor of their "Women of High Spirits," five women who are significant participants in the production of various Brown-Forman spirits products, which is rare in such a male-dominated business. I can write more about that aspect of it if anyone is interested, but mainly wanted to take this opportunity to give some very fresh impressions of TRU.