Here is a large excerpt from my blogpost review of L20. You can read the entire review (and see the photos) on the ulterior epicure.

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... the unique thing about L20 is that it’s not unique. It defies comparison with any other fine dining restaurant I’m familiar with or have visited. Yet, it seems to exhibit the behaviors and qualities of all of them. It’s so nondescript, yet all-encompassing that it’s almost a generic farce - an inside-out take on fine dining created for the sheer exercise of replicating such an enterprise. You know what it’s like? It’s like that song from the musical Spamalot, “The Song That Goes Like This.” Well, this is “The Fine Dining Experience that Goes Like This.”

It’s got the right ingredients, the servers (try to) say the right things, the serviceware is gorgeous, the wine list is extensive, and the presentations and compositions haute. L20 feels fine dining.

However, I left wondering how much of what I experienced at L20 was truly original and to the restaurant.

But, “Lettuce” not forget who and what is behind this enterprise. L20 is Chicago’s kingpin restaurateur, Melman, flexing his muscles anew. It’s the latest member of the Lettuce Entertain You group, and entertain, above all else, they do. Upon reflection, it’s sophisticated camp. Theatrics are high; the concepts, lofty; and the investment, extravagant.

It was clear from the very beginning that L20 was meant to dazzle and impress. Even before the restaurant had opened in the space formerly occupied by Ambria in the Belden Stratford apartment building, Chef Laurent Gras & Co. started the hype rolling with a blog which gave previews of the all of the tricked-out gadgets and techniques that would be employed. No expense was or is spared. Every whim was and is indulged.

The 12-course Tasting presented the following progression. You can click on each item to see a picture, or click here to see the entire set. I also supplemented two courses ($25 each) into my tasting. They are identified accordingly.

Amuse Bouche
Peanut Butter Sponge
Wasabi

Tuna
Bonito, Lime Foam

First Course
Geoduck
Citrus, Wasabi

Second Course
Butter Cod
Earl Grey, Orange

Third Course
Tuna
Yuzu, Soy Sauce, Black Olive Emulsion, Olive Oil Emulsion

Fourth Course
Kinmedai
Cherry Wood Scented, Shiso Bud

Supplement
Lamb Tartar
Ebi Shrimp, Pickled Peach, Tarragon

Supplement
Scallop
Sassafras, Hibiscus, Tomato

Fifth Course
Halibut
Espelette, Tomato, King Oyster

Sixth Course
Lobster
Morel, Sea Bean, Foie Gras Emulsion

Seventh Course
Hawaiian Sea Bass
Nicoise, Lemon, Corn Grits, Zucchini

Eighth Course
Black Bass
Shellfish Bouillon, Saffron, Rhode Island Mussels

Ninth Course
Pork Belly
Truffle, Potato

Tenth Course
Shabu Shabu Medai
Kombu Chicken Bouillon, Citrus, Porcini

Pre-Dessert
Carrot-Orange

Carrot-Orange Fizz

Watermelon Ice
Strawberry Juice

Eleventh Course
Mango
Mint

Caramel Filled Donut Holes
Cherry Ice

Twelfth Course
Praline Souffle
Praline

Grand Marnier Souffle

Mignardises
Passion Fruit Marshmallow

Pistachio Macaron

Many have likened L20 to alinea and moto on a broader scale. Although the restaurant’s interior, serviceware, and food looks hyper-modern, I don’t think this is an accurate comparison.

As for the food, I’m sure that Gras and his crew employ more chemicals in their cooking than is readily apparent. However, most of the molecular gastronomy - what little I detected - seemed isolated at the fringes, like the amuse bouche - a Peanut Butter Sponge which was like eating peanut butter-flavored air with a little moist resistance. (You can read how about the technique on the L20 blog.), and the pre-dessert - an orange nugget called “Carrot-Orange” which had the texture of an airy dry meringue and gave off whisps of (presumably) liquid nitrogen. The former was Achatz-like and the latter could have come out of the labs of Homaro Cantu.

Most of the techniques and preparations at L20 seem more straightforward and naturally achieved than either alinea or moto (same with the plating and presentation, which aren’t as “gimmicky” to me as those at alinea and moto), which is why some group L20 with Le Bernardin.

Although L20 bills itself as a serious seafood restaurant, such a comparison doesn’t seem well-placed either. It’s not even because L20 has red meat on its menu. The entire aesthetic and approach to the food is different from Eric Ripert’s at Le Bernardin. Le Bernardin is French with international influences - Coco Chanel to L20’s Japanese-leaning French haute couture styles of Hanae Mori. Flavors and techniques are French, but there’s a dainty Asian style of plating. L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon isn’t quite right either, but if one insists on drawing comparisons, it’s a closer approximation.

Perhaps such comparisons are unproductive and pedantic at best.

So, what about the food?

Without my two supplements, the 12-course menu is already a considerable amount of food for $165. Next to alinea’s “tour” ($225 for approx. 25 courses) and moto’s “GTM” ($175 for approx. 15 courses), it’s Chicago’s most expensive dinner. And, at these prices, it rivals the higher-end establishments on both coasts.

There’s no doubt that you get your money’s worth in the amount and quality of the products served. Although early reports indicated that the meal had numerous previews and postludes, they seemed to have trimmed them down to just two amuses bouche, two pre-desserts, and two post-dinner sweets.

But, the more interesting issue is whether, technical execution aside, L20’s tasting menu, as a gastronomic and intellectual experience, justifies the price tag. For the serious client, that’s the index that really counts. Beyond the cost of the food, which I’m sure is covered by the price of the meal, is there “added value?” - a priceless quantity that every serious diner seeks?

Given its heretofore short life, I’m hesitant to pronounce a verdict. But, here is my initial observation about L20’s tasting menu: while there were glimpses of true genius in some of the cooking, there were also gaps filled with somewhat hackneyed conventions.

And, there were also a few gaffes: the opening volley of geoduck was so uncharacteristically strong-tasting that not even a heavy dousing of lime could chase away the fishiness.

Later, a friend found an eyelash in his dish. Needless to say, it was promptly replaced with apologies.

And, the star of the 9th course, a cut of pork belly, was tough and the top layer of crackling was impenetrably hard. That was a bummer, especially since the accompanying cylinder of caramelized potato (think potato fondant, but glazed instead of crispy on the surface) was exceedingly good. The starchy drum was piped with a creamy filling not unlike the potato emulsion (think Robuchon’s potato puree) that came with another course.

For the price and level of respect that L20 tries to command, these mistakes shouldn’t happen, even if the restaurant has only been opened 2 months.

By and large, the proteins were extremely fresh and, where applicable, perfectly cooked. Halibut was poached to a soft, supple consistency. Likewise, Hawaiian Sea Bass, coated in breadcrumbs, and Black Sea Bass, which came tented under a thin, crisped slice of brioche (a preparation I first encountered a few years ago) on a bed of plump Rhode Island mussels, were treated with expert attention. Sauces were accomplished and seasoning and accents were deftly played (although a rapid succession of aggressively acidic preparations prompted my friend to wonder whether there had been a special on citrus at the market). But, this should all go without having to be said.

And, there’s clearly a high level of thinking going on. A few of the dishes presented unique compositions and combinations, some more successfully than others.

With the exception of the Butter Cod, which was lightly infused with an Earl Grey fragrance and paired with orange (segments, juice, and strips of orange gelatin) and fennel blossoms, the first few raw courses didn’t propose any extraordinary discoveries other than a reminder of how good raw fish can be. This, in itself, is an accomplishment not to be underestimated.

The sashimi slices of butter cod were a good example, as were the small tangled strips of Kinmedai that were topped simply with sea salt and fresh shiso buds. I appreciated the chef’s restraint in preserving the inherently rewarding simplicity of these ingredients.

The same could be said about the last course, Shabu Shabut Medai, which, looking past the drama involved, put the emphasis on the texture and flavor of the fish. Three slices of Medai (big eye snapper) sashimi lined up on a beautifully fashioned wooden bridge with a shiso leaf, some vegetables and porcini mushrooms. Servers set up a mini nuclear power plant-like device which helps keep a bowl of hot chicken-kombu bouillion hot. As the name suggests, you “cook” your Medai sashimi until you achieve the desired shabu shabu stage. There’s also a refreshingly tart and light citrus sauce on the side. The perfect bite (for me) involved wrapping a piece of fish in a shiso leaf for a 5 second dunk and then lightly dressing it with the citrus sauce.

The three most outstanding dishes were the Haawiian Sea Bass, the Lamb Tartar (supplemented) and the Lobster…

Beyond these three dishes, most seemed more focused on “wow factor” than on being meritoriously special in their own right. Indeed, most of the savory dishes were only slightly interesting at best. I didn’t feel like I got anything that I couldn’t also get at another very high end establishment.

The least successful ones seemed like obligatory references to (acknowledgments of?) current trends…

The desserts tended to be more refreshing - which was welcomed after such a long and heavy meal - than dazzling. There was a considerable amount of fruit involved. The “Carrot Orange” was more fun at best, and the underlying “fizz” of the same flavor combination was too syrupy thick to be truly enjoyable. The same complaint could apply to the “Watermelon Ice,” which came with a thick and over-sweet strawberry “juice.”

I couldn’t have the “Mango” – mango panna cotta topped with soft meringue with mango broth poured table-side - which my friends said was “just good,” so I got a bevy of delicate sugar-dusted donut holes filled (almost imperceptibly) with caramel. They were fine. The better half of this dessert was in the bowl beneath the donut holes - a cherry slushy with macerated sweet cherry halves. It was like iced cherry to the nth degree.

On a different tasting menu, the soufflé, which was the final word, literally and figuratively, on the desserts at L20, might have been the piece de resistance. It was textbook.

Tall and proud, it was a fluffy praline cloud loaded up with rich praline cream at the table. Nutty and buttery, this version could not have been improved upon. (My friend’s Grand Marnier soufflé substitution was equally as fantastic – perhaps even more so only for the fact that the sauce contained chunks of orange segments macerated in the liqueur.) Yet, despite the perfect execution, I’m not sure that these soufflés fit well in the tasting progression. The soufflés seemed jarringly out-of-step with the rest of the meal; old school in this new school world.

It’s obvious that the service at L20 has every intention of being excellent, even though, at just past the restaurant’s two-month anniversary, it didn’t quite achieve that level for me.

For example, I had asked if it would be possible to supplement two dishes into the 12-course tasting and have them sized down to fit, proportionally, into my progression. Perhaps I wasn’t clear. Or, perhaps my server wasn’t clear when she said that it would not be a problem. Either way, I ended up with two full-sized portions, which was an absurd amount of food on top of what was already a large tasting.

The servers are, no doubt, still trying to feel out the rhythm and dynamics of the dining room, and it’s apparent. At times, the service felt strained and tight. Serious is good, funereal is bad - smug is even worse, and there was a bit of that, too. Although our server was very professional and accommodating, I found the individual annoyingly insincere and aloof.

The one noticeably bright spot on the staff was the wine director, Chantelle Pabros, who came to L20 from the highly acclaimed Ritz Carlton at Buckhead. She was effervescent and patient, even if I didn’t quite agree with her wine suggestion. She helped my friends home in on a bottle and me, a glass. I asked for an oaky white, she brought out Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2006. It tasted of grapefruit, vegetables and petrol. Even though I didn’t quite care for the taste of the wine by itself, I took her word that it would pair nicely with my tasting. In my opinion, it did not strike a chord with any of my 14 courses.

On a positive note, I cannot quit this review without mentioning the bread at L20. It is spectacular. Beyond a few nibbles, I’m generally not a bread-eater in restaurants. However, the selection at L20 was extraordinary. There are the usual suspects; mini baguettes and rustic pain de campagne – both with excellent crumb and crust. But, there were also novelties like creamy pain au lait, flaky pastry buns filled with boquerones, and pain d’epi with bacon. Everything one of them is baked in-house in the same ovens used for baking the desserts and cannelés.

L20 may be the most anticipated and important restaurant opening for Chicago this year. But, on this early visit, the overall operation felt wobbly, if not terribly stilted. The arch and tenor of the tasting menu felt awkward. Portions tended to be over-sized. Getting hung up on repetition (halibut, Hawaiian sea bass, and black sea bass in succession, for example), with appearances of a few non sequiters (like the souffle and the Pork Belly), the progression also seemed to lack cohesion and flow.

Does L20’s food suffer from what some might want to coin as “per se Syndrome?” - that is, technical proficiency without soul. Is it guilty of gimmickry? Is it stuffy? To all of these questions, and more, I answer: perhaps. I need to eat at L20 more consistently to decide.

Melman and Gras may be great at replication, but there needs to be a little more fine-tuning and a heavy injection of personality before I’m convinced that L20 deserves to be declared a fine dining heavyweight. I’ll look forward to returning one day to see how it develops.

L2.0, Someday *** L2O *** Chicago

The question constantly abuzz is what is the next new thing, and this summer in Chicago fine dining circles, it appeared that San Francisco Chef Laurent Gras’s new seafood restaurant (in the Ambria space), part of the Lettuce Entertain You Group (now 38 restaurants strong, including Everest) might be that place. Chicago, in truth, does not have a four-star restaurant, like Le Bernardin, that specializes in the aquatic. It still doesn’t.

To review L2O is to calibrate. Chef Gras’s establishment is by no means a failure. They have a superior seafood supplier, the fish is served without fault, and one of the dishes (of four, plus two amuses) is stellar. (Many of those who have raved about L2O indulged in the tasting menu; for our late dinner, we selected the workingman’s four course repast: the Goldman Sachs blue plates special). L2O does not have a poor record, except in competition with Alinea, Trotter, Tru, Avenues, or Everest.

What constitutes four-star dining? Surely decor matters, and I was startled at the casualness of the dining room (it is decorated in tones of cream and brown, reminding me of a suburban corporate lounge. It lacked astonishment). With the exception of a wonderfully complex and evocative sculpture of branches in the entrance (providing Japanese notes, also seen on the menu), the space itself is rather conventional (table settings are impressive). This is satisfactory for a restaurant with modest aspirations, but can this space match Alinea or Everest.

A second feature is the service. At the highest caliber restaurants one blindly places oneself in the hands of consummate professionals: a wine director and skilled server. We trust nothing will go wrong. Of course, things do go wrong – and allowances must be made – but each glitch chips one’s confidence. Our server was quite congenial – friendly, warm, caring – yet, although we were told that we would be able to choose a soufflé that option was not asked when we ordered. Worse, we were not asked about wine service. Where was the sommelier? (This was a weeknight.) But whether present or not, we should not have had to inquire. And wine should not be spilled. Nothing terrible, but L2O has been open long enough for everything to settle into perfection.

And then the food. It is not surprising that L2O is at home with fish, but it is distressing that a restaurant that hopes for national recognition should fumble elsewhere. The fact that many dishes, including the dessert and cheese course is garnished with emerald crystal ice lettuce revealed either a fatal absence of imagination or a terrific deal on these greens. Although some have praised the bread service, I was less taken with the anchovy bread, which served no purpose as an accompaniment to delicate fish or as a match for sweet butter.

Our first amuse was the least engaging starter I have had in some time: had someone eaten this pseudo-molecular creation and pronounced it magnificent? Here was a peanut sponge with wasabi. Granted it was a bit like eating a sponge, but neither the peanut nor the wasabi added much in the way of taste, and the visual appeal was decidedly limited. Do I really want my chef to consider me sponge-worthy?

Better was a second amuse with tuna, tomato, olive foam, and orange gelee. It was a startling combination. The flavors were not perfectly coordinated (olive and orange are not ideal bedfellows), but the tuna was just fine, and it suggested a chef who is testing boundaries.



The four course menu is structured around a raw course, a warm course, and a main course (reminiscent of Le Bernardin), plus a dessert. My raw course was Ishidai (a type of bream, a very mild white fish) with shiso leaf, preserved lemon, trout roe, and heart of palm. The ishidai was wonderful, but it was overwhelmed by the pungency of the shiso and lemon (both wonderful tastes, but would have been better as undertones). Served in four pieces, the ingredients had to be unpacked and rearranged to be fully satisfying.



The second (warm) course was the highlight of this and many meals. A truly memorable dish: a two layered circle of lamb tartar and ebi shrimp with pickled peach and tarragon. This was a combination that could stand up to its accompaniments. It was a supremely wonderful dish – meaty in land and sea - a set of startling contrasts that forced a diner to rethink preconceptions. Sterling.



The main course was striped bass with shellfish bouillon, saffron, Rhode Island mussels, striped sorrel, and a plank of toasted brioche. The bass was perfectly prepared, the bouillon rich and complex, the mussels, fine. The board of brioche meant that any attempt to conquer this bread led to flying crumbs. It was not the most congenial dish to consume. The ingredients were well composed, but the flavors were not as remarkable as the previous course. It was a more traditional entrée. Does Chef Gras have a distinctive style? These dishes make a theme hard to find.



Finally there was dessert. Sigh. As the desserts were described, they seemed to have numerous interchangeable parts. One (unordered) choice was Chocolate and Raspberry in fourteen textures. Perhaps it was wonderful, but it seemed pretentious. My selection, with a similar number of parts, was Tomato Strawberry. Nasty. The fact that a recipe for the dish (or something similar) is on the website suggests that someone must have found a black pepper meringue to be inspirational. But is this a marriage for strawberries? Should you wish you can prepare this dessert at home, reach in your cabinet for versawhip, low acyl gellan, soy lecithin, xanthan gum, red food coloring, something called Fizzy, and, oh yes, petite emerald crystal ice lettuce. Bon appetit! Alice Waters, where are you when we need you. In contrast to the locavore crew, I am not ideologically resistant to creations from Dr. Frankenstein’s kitchen, so long as they are toothsome. This dish - a blurred mix of sweet, bitter, and peppery - was a mess. Serve durian and be done with it.



My companion ordered the cheese course. No choices and no accompaniments (jams, nuts). But nice cheese.

L2O is not without its moments. The fish is lovely and there are flashes of brilliance, and on other times moments of sheer, unalloyed pleasure (the silky bouillon). I have tried to calibrate my review to capture a restaurant that itself does not always calibrate its dishes. The check certainly indicates that Chef Gras is striving for four-star dining, but the experience itself seems at some distance from those lofty heights. And so we have L2O, waiting, perhaps, for L2.0.

L2O
2300 Lincoln Park West (Lincoln Park)
Chicago
773-868-0002
http://www.l2orestaurant.com/

Vealcheeks

Its interesting; everyone has such different reactions to this restaurant. I had gone to L20 about 3 weeks ago and enjoyed it quite a bit. My friend and I each had the 4 course dinner and added a course to make it a 5 course menu. All the courses were quite nice except for the first (raw) course--for both my friend and I, we each found our first courses served far too cold so that the real flavor of the fish did not come out. For my friend's dish, it was served on a frozen plate such that the fish actually stuck to the plate when he would try to pick up a piece to eat.

Those I have talked to who had the tasting menu have uniformly panned it. In fact, a chef friend of mine (whose name would be well known to foodies on the board) went to the restaurant, had the tasting menu, and was very disappointed. I suggested he go back and have the 4 course menu (as the more favorable reviews from friends generally came from those ordering the 4 course instead of the tasting menu). "I would never go back" was the reply from my chef friend.

We agreed that the bread was the best part of the meal, interestingly enough.

I know what you mean by the room, GAF, but to me, its a notch better than Le Bernardin. To me, Le Bernardin's room is the epitome of nondescript corporate surroundings.

We had a good sommelier experience (she was ever present and readily accessible) but the prices on the wine list are ridiculous. The wines are so overpriced as to be insulting and off-putting. Why not just say "Wine List By Which to Fleece You" and get it over with. My friend and I went to Alinea the next night and the wines were far more reasonably priced.

The other 'odd' thing I found about L2O is the concept of one waiter per two tables--no assistants, captains, etc. Our waiter took our order, brought the food, cleared the plates from the table, etc. He introduced himself as our Guide, which I found silly.

Thanks for your review, GAF. I had a much more positive response to the restaurant but friends I respect greatly had a similar reaction as you.

Great review, GAF, and Ulterior Epicure too. Impressively thoughtful.

On a different tasting menu, the soufflé, which was the final word, literally and figuratively, on the desserts at L20, might have been the piece de resistance. It was textbook.

Wasn't that one of Ambria's things, offering a souffle at the beginning of the meal (to be served at the end)? I seem to recall that. I agree, it does seem odd relative to the style of the rest of the meal.

terrific reviews all around in this thread. Thanks to all who've given those of us who will likely never dine at L20 the feeling of almost having been there. On a food note, as good as the bread might be, I do agree that it's misplaced to serve such hearty, full-flavored breads with this type of meal. A souflee, on the other hand, well that goes with any type of meal, imo.

GAF wrote:It lacked astonishment.

This, to me, is the key take-away from both GAF's and Ulterior Epicure's incredibly detailed and thoughtful posts. I've got to agree, though this is not to say that L.20 has no ability to astonish, simply that its ability to do so is, so far, limited and marred.

When I read these most recent posts to this thread, I tried very hard to remember some of the dishes I had at L2.0, and it was not easy. Nothing really blew me away; I remember thinking the raw materials on many dishes were excellent, and although sourcing the best ingredients is no easy task, it seems to me less than half the game.

At a restaurant that purports to such greatness, one does expect service to be pretty much flawless, and we were surprised at the lack of knowledge our server demonstrated (she was very genial, not at all condescending, but she just didn’t seem to know much, and at this alleged level, we expected better).

Maybe this kind of dining just doesn’t appeal to me as much as, say, simpler operations that admittedly set the bar lower but clear it with grace. The overriding sensation at Alinea and now L.20 is one of unnatural excess. I appreciate the push to vaporize, powder and present food in new ways, I really do, and I applaud the exploratory impulse, but to my palate it frequently fails to satisfy.

David Hammond wrote:

"When I read these most recent posts to this thread, I tried very hard to remember some of the dishes I had at L2.0, and it was not easy. Nothing really blew me away;"

This is an excellent way to sum up my experience. I couldn't tell you one thing I had in terms of specifics. I most remember the raw fish that was too cold and the excellent bread.

Not to pile onto the "lacking astonishment" crowd, but I went to Schwa the weekend after I visited L2O, and it washed L20's memory completely from my head. L20 also had a service gaffe for me - normally would have been nothing, but when you spend $600 on a meal you tend to be more irritated by miscues. I had added a foie gras course to my meal and it never came. A "miscommunication" between the server and I.

It was certainly a beautiful room, and some of the food was great, but for that coin, I'd rather go to a number of other restaurants.

Mike G wrote:Great review, GAF, and Ulterior Epicure too. Impressively thoughtful.

On a different tasting menu, the soufflé, which was the final word, literally and figuratively, on the desserts at L20, might have been the piece de resistance. It was textbook.

Wasn't that one of Ambria's things, offering a souffle at the beginning of the meal (to be served at the end)? I seem to recall that. I agree, it does seem odd relative to the style of the rest of the meal.

Perhaps. I don't know. I never made it to Ambria.

But I guess my response to that is: L.20 is not Ambria. I would hate to think that the soufflé is a hold-over from Ambria.

GAF: your picture of the dessert. Are those your fork marks in the strawberry/tomato (?) sorbet/ice cream (?), or was that how it was served?

Hey - I kinda love durian.

I like durian too.

The truth is the fork marks were mine. I keep forgetting to snap first, eat second.

My wife and I had dinner at L20 last night. Much of what we experienced there has been covered in great detail here, so I won't do a course-by-course. Just a few notes.

1. The wine program overall -- see note that follows -- was excellent. We did wines by the glass paired to most of the course. Well paired and very interesting. The staff clearly knew what they were doing with wine. That was definitely a highlight.

2. The breads were also exceptional.

3. The desserts have not been mentioned that much here. They were extremely good. The praline souffle in particular was impressive.

4. Overall the food was very good, but just not quite up to the top levels of other places. In a 12 course meal, I wouid hope to have three or four courses that really knock it out of the ballpark. Here, there was only one or two that really floored me.

5. One "major flaw" -- the Champagne offerings to start. The waiter asked if we would like a glass of champagne to start and gave us three options: a 1999 Dom, a Rose and a Cal. sparkling wine. We went with the 1999 Dom partly because there was not another "real" champagne offered. The price ended up being $70 per glass. Had I known the price, I doubt I would have done it. I would have expected to pay around $40 or $50.

6. The service was flawless.

Overall, the meal was "very good" but I don't rank it with places like Alinea or Charlie Trotters.

DML wrote: We went with the 1999 Dom partly because there was not another "real" champagne offered. The price ended up being $70 per glass.

Adding tax&tip this comes to 100$ per glass...not even in a french (or even paris) 3*** restaurant you would pay that much...Iam really glad we didn't go to l2o. This is a shameless rip off.

(But at least they are offering something american - it was a surprise to us that very few american fine dining restos are offering domestic sparklings by the glass. Does anyone know why...?)

kai-m wrote:

DML wrote: We went with the 1999 Dom partly because there was not another "real" champagne offered. The price ended up being $70 per glass.

Adding tax&tip this comes to 100$ per glass...not even in a french (or even paris) 3*** restaurant you would pay that much...Iam really glad we didn't go to l2o. This is a shameless rip off.

(But at least they are offering something american - it was a surprise to us that very few american fine dining restos are offering domestic sparklings by the glass. Does anyone know why...?)

That wasn't my response at all.

We had a great time. My wife and I differ on the food though. She ranks it just below Alinea, while I think it also ranks behind a few other places -- Charlie Trotters, Everest, Spiaggia, and maybe NoMi.

The issue with the champagne was a small annoyance [but worth mentioning] in a very good meal.

DML wrote:That wasn't my response at all.

Sure! I didn't mean to say that, DML.

But to me, personally, such a rip off (and that's what it is!) is more than a small annoyance - not because I can't pay it, but because I feel like I'm being taken for stupid.

The room-perfect, the stemware, flatware, linen-perfect, the service-polished, plates look-well thought out, the food itself-tasted fine.... The price-not in this economy! I'm happy to see the Lettuce has that kind of coin to front such a place, but do they really think they're going to turn a dime?

This place is text book fine dining, it's like this set out to have the best of everything...but the thing that's missing is soul. No one laughed, no one really smiled with joy. The servers looked scared and during the kitchen tour the cooks looked underfed and like they'd not seen the sun in a while....and again no one was smiling or even seemed remotely happy to be there. Aren't those days over? Those "cooking until you bleed for the misguilded passion of some chef who doesn't care if your overworked and underpaid". Between the price, the look on the staff out front and in the kitchen...my meal was ruined.

This could very well be Lettuce first failed restaurant.

Jammpacked wrote:This could very well be Lettuce first failed restaurant.

Oh I think they have had a few though not many, Jonathan Livingston Seafood for example.

Jammpacked wrote: . . . during the kitchen tour the cooks looked underfed and like they'd not seen the sun in a while....and again no one was smiling or even seemed remotely happy to be there . . .

Perhaps you caught the staff as they were watching the movement on the stock market? Anyway, during my kitchen tour, the staff was very friendly and seemed genuinely happy to be there. In fact, one of my favorite moments of the tour was when one member of the kitchen staff played the role of puff the magic dragon using what I assumed was dry ice.

BR wrote:

Jammpacked wrote: . . . during the kitchen tour the cooks looked underfed and like they'd not seen the sun in a while....and again no one was smiling or even seemed remotely happy to be there . . .

Perhaps you caught the staff as they were watching the movement on the stock market? Anyway, during my kitchen tour, the staff was very friendly and seemed genuinely happy to be there. In fact, one of my favorite moments of the tour was when one member of the kitchen staff played the role of puff the magic dragon using what I assumed was dry ice.

Yeah, it sucks to have what you considered to be a less-than-stellar experience but the account seems more anecdotal than a bonafide indication of the restaurant's chances of success.

=R=

Jammpacked wrote:This could very well be Lettuce first failed restaurant.

I really doubt this now that it was named the best new restaurant in America by Esquire:

http://www.esquire.com/features/new-restaurants-2008/best-new-restaurants-2008?src=rss

ejquin1 wrote:

Jammpacked wrote:This could very well be Lettuce first failed restaurant.

I really doubt this now that it was named the best new restaurant in America by Esquire:

http://www.esquire.com/features/new-restaurants-2008/best-new-restaurants-2008?src=rss

Two words: John Mariani.

For one thing, I think the fact that NO ONE has written anything in almost 2 months says quite a bit. Secondly, are you kidding me with Esquire Magazine? Big deal being "restaurant of the year" if no one comes to dine or can afford it! I think in this economy this restaurant was a long shot. It's pretty telling that you can call at 4:00 pm on a Saturday and get a table THAT night for anytime you want! Melman is no fool, he has allready started to re-concept.

Jammpacked wrote:Melman is no fool, he has allready started to re-concept.

Do you have inside knowledge of the re-concepting, or is that just speculation on your part?

Jammpacked wrote:For one thing, I think the fact that NO ONE has written anything in almost 2 months says quite a bit. Secondly, are you kidding me with Esquire Magazine? Big deal being "restaurant of the year" if no one comes to dine or can afford it! I think in this economy this restaurant was a long shot. It's pretty telling that you can call at 4:00 pm on a Saturday and get a table THAT night for anytime you want! Melman is no fool, he has allready started to re-concept.

I don't know about the validity of the reconcepting comment, but I don't Mariani's word for much. For example, last year, he named Fearing's in Dallas the best new restaurant of the year. It was not terribly impressive. It was pretty, but the food was seriously over-priced.

Jammpacked wrote:For one thing, I think the fact that NO ONE has written anything in almost 2 months says quite a bit.

That those of us that can afford it have already been and given 4 pages of text and pictures. There are plenty of topics on wonderful restaurants that have 2 month gaps in postings that are still doing fine. L.2O's blog is fresh and updated with no signs of reconcepting that I can see. The simple fact is that most of us don't get to see a place's books. What I tend to sense, and can't understand, is that people are inclined to look for (and perversely seek) sings of failure in high end non-traditional restaurants when they often don't exist (see: I don't get/like the food/style so it has to fail).

I do not look or seek, I state fact.
I don't care who the chef is, when a restaurant has failed to turn a dime and is losing instead of making, changes need to happen.

Jammpacked wrote:I do not look or seek, I state fact.

Are you their accountant? Do you have information that is not available to the public? Any Google search on the subject produces nothing but vague conjecture and nothing associated with the restaurant. They are under no obligation, not does it appear that they choose, to publish their books so how do you know that this is fact? Simply being able to obtain a reservation does not equate to iron clad evidence that an establishment is financially failing.

This may be a food forum, but let's abstain from feeding the troll...

My simple opinion is formed by fact and the economic times will now live in.
Ask yourself how and with what money that restaurant could pay for itself? We are all interested in it and have heard all that went into opening it. My god, if you read the blog you can do the math. If you've sat in the room and had the food and felt the linen and heard the service, you know how much money went into that place. The product alone costs a great deal. Ever hear of food cost? Anyone, no accountant needed, can add up the food cost from their take home menu, add the approx. labor, plus the start up costs and figure out paying for itself is no easy task. The best of the best has a hefty price tag. Gras, I'm sure has a nice paycheck, plus what, 20 cooks!?
We are in a recession... "fine dining" is hurting. Time will tell. Maybe I'll be wrong and the place will get by and go on 20 years...or it will add some new dishes, that cost less to produce, restructure a bit and start to turn a profit. With or without Gras.

Jammpacked wrote:My simple opinion is formed by fact and the economic times will now live in.
Ask yourself how and with what money that restaurant could pay for itself? We are all interested in it and have heard all that went into opening it. My god, if you read the blog you can do the math. If you've sat in the room and had the food and felt the linen and heard the service, you know how much money went into that place. The product alone costs a great deal. Ever hear of food cost? Anyone, no accountant needed, can add up the food cost from their take home menu, add the approx. labor, plus the start up costs and figure out paying for itself is no easy task. The best of the best has a hefty price tag. Gras, I'm sure has a nice paycheck, plus what, 20 cooks!?
We are in a recession... "fine dining" is hurting. Time will tell. Maybe I'll be wrong and the place will get by and go on 20 years...or it will add some new dishes, that cost less to produce, restructure a bit and start to turn a profit. With or without Gras.

What you say may be true but these are experienced folks with very deep pockets. The restauraunt has barely been open 6 months. I get the feeling LEYE and Melman have got to be thinking more long-term than that, given the investment here. Perhaps business is seriously off from their forecasts. I cannot imagine any restaurant not making some changes -- not necessarily "reconcepting" as you originally posted -- if they are failing to turn a profit. After all, that is the name of the game. But we just don't know if that's even the case at L2.0.

Fine dining may be hurting but it's hardly dead. Alinea is still doing steady business. Many top tables are still very tough to come by these days. Frankly, I find it a bit surprising. All the doom and gloom we hear reported in the media doesn't always seem to manifest at some higher-end local spots.

As you correctly point out, only time will tell.

=R=