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Best tasting menu with wine pairing for $130-150?

Best tasting menu with wine pairing for $130-150?
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  • Best tasting menu with wine pairing for $130-150?

    Post #1 - May 21st, 2009, 11:37 pm
    Post #1 - May 21st, 2009, 11:37 pm Post #1 - May 21st, 2009, 11:37 pm
    I'm looking for the best meal (tasting menu + wine pairing) I can find in town for $130-150 per person. Any thoughts? Also, business casual is preferable! Thanks!
  • Post #2 - May 22nd, 2009, 12:33 am
    Post #2 - May 22nd, 2009, 12:33 am Post #2 - May 22nd, 2009, 12:33 am
    You could easily do the excellent nine-course menu at Schwa (currently $110pp), if you don't mind bringing your own wine...of course, with the remaining $20-40 per head, you could head over to Sam's Wines and Spirits and pick up some fantastic bottles. Business casual would be just fine at Schwa, as would jeans & a t-shirt...it's really all about the food, so the atmosphere is pretty laid back (some would say it's quite "hip"). That said, it might not be the place to take a client to score that big account :P

    You could also give the six-course "Tête à Tête" menu at L20 (currently $90pp)...I couldn't find a price on course-by-course wine pairings, but I'd imagine it would be in the $60-70 range, judging by what I've paid for pairing in the past at restaurants of a similar caliber (Moto, Alinea, Tru).
  • Post #3 - May 22nd, 2009, 9:28 am
    Post #3 - May 22nd, 2009, 9:28 am Post #3 - May 22nd, 2009, 9:28 am
    It's been a few years, but I think the smaller tasting menu (5 courses?) at Moto was in that price range.
  • Post #4 - May 22nd, 2009, 12:48 pm
    Post #4 - May 22nd, 2009, 12:48 pm Post #4 - May 22nd, 2009, 12:48 pm
    Just had it at Sixteen in Trump Tower. It was at your price point and business casual. Stopped at Rebar for a drink first on the second floor, and then headed up at 6:30. It was the perfect time to go because saw the view in the daylight and the nightlight. I did the six course with wine tasting and added the foie course. It was absolutely spectacular! The only mistep was the cheese course, some sort of goat cheese beignet. I was excited for the cheese course, when I heard what the cheeses were when the waiter was describing them to another table, and out came this sad looking and tasting, soggy tempura battered thing. But, everything else was absolutely wonderful.
  • Post #5 - May 22nd, 2009, 1:00 pm
    Post #5 - May 22nd, 2009, 1:00 pm Post #5 - May 22nd, 2009, 1:00 pm
    I have done several and, other than Schwa, I think my favorite in that range was at Spring on North Ave. I did the tasting menu at Spring 2 years ago though, so I don't know if they are still putting out the same quality.
  • Post #6 - May 22nd, 2009, 2:57 pm
    Post #6 - May 22nd, 2009, 2:57 pm Post #6 - May 22nd, 2009, 2:57 pm
    Not exactly in town, but not too far away either--

    Both Gaetano's (Forest Park) and Chef's Station (Evanston) have tasting menus with wine pairings for under $100, and both are excellent restaurants:

    http://gaetanoscafe.com/

    http://chefs-station.com/
    "The fork with two prongs is in use in northern Europe. In England, they’re armed with a steel trident, a fork with three prongs. In France we have a fork with four prongs; it’s the height of civilization." Eugene Briffault (1846)
  • Post #7 - May 22nd, 2009, 5:15 pm
    Post #7 - May 22nd, 2009, 5:15 pm Post #7 - May 22nd, 2009, 5:15 pm
    Carlos in Highland Park might be an option as well:

    http://www.carlos-restaurant.com/cuisin ... ation.html

    Degustation with pairings is $155/per which seems pretty hard to beat considering the esteem they are held in (maybe half a notch below the absolute best of the best in Chicago?)...
  • Post #8 - May 24th, 2009, 9:39 am
    Post #8 - May 24th, 2009, 9:39 am Post #8 - May 24th, 2009, 9:39 am
    Thanks for all of your suggestions...I actually decided to be safe and returned to North Pond for yet another wonderful tasting menu. It was not quite as tasty or surprising as the winter menu, but still absolutely delicious!

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