Everest or Charlie Trotter's

I am trying to decide on a place for my 10th Anniversary. I think I've got it narrowed down to these two. I would put Alinea on that list, but I've gone there more recently than either of these two.

I have not been to Charlie Trotter's in about four years and Everest in about three. I've been to both of these places about three times each.

That being said, since my twins were born about a year ago, I have not paid as much attention to the Chicago restaurant scene.

With that in mind, any advice?

I'm surprised Tru isn't on the list. Tru would be my choice over the other two. then maybe trotter's and then everest.

I agree with either Tru and Everest over Trotter's. If you want the classic french fine dining experience, go with Everest. If you want something a little more dazzling, with amazing artwork, and almost unbelievably good service, go Tru

If you can get the kitchen table, I would go with Trotter's. Otherwise, go with Everest for the view.

For the reasons set forth here, I'd choose Trotter's. And I'm putting my money where my mouth is. We went a few months ago and I was so blown away that we're returning in another two months. I'm saving every penny--it was that good.

Based upon my own experience I couldn't recommend Everest for a 10th anniversary. My wife and I dined there for our first anniversary and were disappointed. There were more misses than hits on our tasting menu. Not all tables, including ours, offer the famed view, and the room is in general need of some updating. I felt very much like I was in a restaurant past its prime.

To top it off, the service was off its timing and almost unprofessional, which is unacceptable in a 4 star restaurant and for a meal with a $500+ tab. I may have hit an off night, but a restaurant of Everest's tenure and stature should have been much more polished than what we experienced.

I wanted to love Everest. I did not.

I'd highly recommend Alinea, Tru or Trotters, all which have been near-perfect when we've gone and would provide an experience fit for the occasion.

It's a tough choice, one of those things where you really can't go wrong either way. I've had spectacular dinners at both, with exceptional food and excellent service. (In fact, the service at Everest is extraordinary, the very best I have observed in any restaurant, anywhere.) If I had to choose one to return to, though, it would be Everest, for a couple of reasons that distinguish it from Trotter's. One is the view looking out over the entire city from their location at the top of the Midwest Stock Exchange building (my recollection is that it's easily visible from the entire main dining room; regardless, though, I can assure you that I don't get any special treatment when I am seated there). Another is that it's significantly less expensive than Trotter's, even if you're not taking advantage of their pre-theater special (3 courses for $50, at 5:00/5:30 every night they're open except Fridays).

Really, chances are you're going to have a wonderful dinner and a wonderful experience at either one, Everest or Trotter's (as well as Alinea or tru - I'm hoping we can continue to mention Avenues in this group, once Chef Duffy makes his mark there). So don't agonize too much over your decision.

Thanks for the comments. I am not so much agonizing as looking for something that is both familar but progressing. That's my knock on Tru -- I'm sure I would be served a great meal, but I've had about six meals there and when I walk past and look at the menu, it looks the same as it did when we were last there a few years ago.

What I'm looking for on this meal is the genius that I see in Chef Trotter or Chef Joho, but also something different. I've had great meals at both. I hope both have done something slightly new -- working with different ingredients or even different techniques -- so that this meal does not easily blend in with the others.

The other place that is on the radar is the new place that is opening in Lincoln Park across from the zoo. I'm blanking on that name (the restaurant and the chef) right now.

DML wrote:I'm blanking on that name (the restaurant and the chef) right now.

L.2O - Laurent Gras

nr706 wrote:

DML wrote:I'm blanking on that name (the restaurant and the chef) right now.

L.2O - Laurent Gras

That's it.
What's the consensus on people who have done the research on this place?

Based on the stuff that Gras has been posting on the restaurant's blog, it looks fantastic. Unfortunately, one cannot taste the pictures so it's hard to form much more of an opinion than that.

Blog is here.

Just to complicate matters ( ) and throw another hat in the ring...how about Spiaggia? I had my first meal there ever last year and it was spectacular! Totally blew away my expectaions.

For a special occasion, I'd consider Spiaggia every time.

Spiaggia is a great suggestion.
I love Spiaggia, but we were there very recently.
That place is also special to us because my wife and I had our first "fine dining" experience together at his old place in NBC Tower.
Had we not been there so recently (within the past few months), Spiaggia would have made the top of the list.

I agree with Spiaggia as well. The food is excellent, and it has an excellent view.

DML wrote:That's it.
What's the consensus on people who have done the research on this place?

Since it hasn't opened yet - it's scheduled to open May 14 - I don't think there's a consensus. It certainly sounds promising.

If you're looking for something different (based on your concerns about a place evolving), rather than going back to a place you've been, would you consider trying a place you haven't been? (I'll assume you've already been to all of those already mentioned above, as well as moto, Schwa, and NoMI.) And does it have to be in the city, or are you willing to travel to the suburbs or slightly further?

If you don't mind the drive and you haven't already been there, I can heartily recommend Sanford in Milwaukee. It's just outstanding, and would be among Chicago's very best if it were located here. I had a dinner there for a major birthday I had a few years ago, and it was one of the very best dinners I've ever had, perfect for my special occasion. There are also some places in the suburbs doing wonderful things; Carlos in Highland Park is a good choice if you're looking for that formal splurge type place.

If you'd consider something somewhat more casual - I suppose this may not be as "special" as you would want for your big anniversary, but just in case - there are a bunch more outstanding places in the 'burbs, notably Michael in Winnetka, Tallgrass in Lockport, Vie in Western Springs, Le Titi de Paris in Arlington Heights, and Oceanique and Chef's Station in Evanston. The places in this latter group are all comparable to (and as good as) Chicago's best casual fine dining places, such as one sixtyblue, North Pond, Blackbird, Aigre Doux, etc.

We live in Streeterville, and we definitely want to stay close to home (relating to the reasons that we don't go out as much anymore -- we want to be close to the kids).
North Pond is a good idea though. I will look into that.
With regard to tha Laurent Gras place -- from what I pick up, the buzz is more similar to the place in Trump than to the buzz for places like Alinea. Before Alinea opened, it seemed that everyone was anxiously waiting and expected it to be as great as it in fact became. The sense that I pick up here is tht the Gras place may well be very good, but nobody would be particularly shocked if it wasn't.
Always hard to judge any place before it opens, but the response before is interesting. At some point, when a chef is a known, that vibe says something and I'm listening closely to see what that is.

nsxtasy wrote:Oceanique and Chef's Station in Evanston.

Ken,

Curious why you didn't include Stained Glass, Va Pensiero, Jilly's, or maybe even Quince in that Evanston list. Do you think their food is a significant step below Oceanique and Chef's Station (both of which I love, BTW)?

nr706 wrote:Curious why you didn't include Stained Glass, Va Pensiero, Jilly's, or maybe even Quince in that Evanston list. Do you think their food is a significant step below Oceanique and Chef's Station (both of which I love, BTW)?

I've been to all of these places (and I would also include Jacky's Bistro on this list of casual fine dining places in Evanston). Although I consider the two I mentioned arguably the best of the group, all of them are excellent and worth going to, in my experience, with one exception (see below). There are often-subtle characteristics that differentiate these places - the emphasis on wine at the Stained Glass, the emphasis on seafood at Oceanique, the Italian food at Va Pensiero (which I was coincidentally posting about in another topic at the same time as you were writing your post), etc - but the bottom line is that I've found great food and great experiences at all of them. I just didn't want to mention seven places in one town.

The one exception is Quince. I ate there not long after they opened, and although it wasn't bad, I was somewhat disappointed. However, since then I've read very positive reports from others, and I wonder whether my experience was atypical. I hope to go back and try it again.

DML wrote:North Pond is a good idea though. I will look into that.

North Pond is such a wonderful place, with its exquisite setting in the park. I would suggest letting them know it's a special occasion and requesting that they seat you in the outer dining room with the windows facing the pond and the skyline (although I ate in the other dining room last fall, with the open kitchen along one end, and it was quite delightful). The food is excellent too, in its own way. Chef Sherman brings out plates that are "assemblages" of wonderful things, like a mini tasting menu; for example, a dish might have a main ingredient (like a type of meat or fish) but will often have 3-5 other items on the plate. For example, I ordered a fish main course and one of those side items was a crab mousse that was heavenly.

Upon further review --
North Pond looked so good (and taking into consideration that Spring crowds may be easier than Summer crowds in that neighborhood), I booked North Pond for just prior to Mother's Day.
Thanks for that recommendation and I will make sure to post a review.
So, back to where we were . . .

For our 29th Anniversary yesterday, SueF and I decided to use a LEYE gift card she'd had for most of a year, and we couldn't get a table at Tru, but could for Everest.

Definitely one of the best meals I've had, #2 for this year (behind the book-release dinner at Vie, which was 2/3 the price, and included six drink pairings and a book). Everything was absolutely lovely. There's really only two criticisms: the menu has a lack of seasonality: there was too much "spring" in the dishes we had, where's the high-summer items? And the food seemed somewhat safe: classic french with very little surprise to the flavors, with the exception of the amuse and mignardise.

We did not go for the tasting menu, as there were two courses of fin-fish (not to Sue's tastes). Instead, we went for the four-course "choice" (two starters, an entree and dessert).

The amuses were a beautiful trio of white and green: a fennel creamy something with lemon and pistachio; an almond gazpacho (with a dot of something green that I've forgotten), and a pea and something flan-ish thing. All were wonderful and the flavors all popped.

For starters I ordered the maine peekytoe crab (celery root and remoulade) and the risotto (compote of tomatoes). Both were outstanding: the crab sweet and almost buttery, with the celeriac and remoulade keeping it from getting too rich. The risotto was perfect, al dente yet saucy, with a half-dozen grape tomatoes as garnish (I would have expected diced summer heirlooms). Sue had the lobster in Gewurztraminer ginger butter (wow, but the ginger was imperceptible) and foie with green tomatoes (very tasty, our first real foie as more than a sauce or garnish, but I'd have liked some crisp on the fried green tomatoes).

For entrees, I had the veal tenderloin with chanterelles, cracked corn and kale, and Sue had the duck with cherry-honey and turnips. You can't get much more tender than a veal tenderloin, but the flavor comes from the chants, and a demi-built sauce. Teeny-tiny chanterelles packed a lot of flavor, and I'd have loved a big bowl of the cracked-corn: more like a risotto than a polenta, lots of butter. Sue's duck was also outstanding, with a smoky kraut-like taste to the neeps.

Dessert was an assortment of chocolates for Sue, sheep's-milk creme caramel for me. Mignardises included a great chocolate mint covered marshmallow, which was my fave, and a pistachio paste with a dried cherry. Nice.

Definitely a wonderful place, great service, great view. It isn't going to challenge your senses or expectations, but it's perfect execution of French cuisine.