[Chicago] Next - Grant Achatz

chefseanbrock at eGullet wrote:We were the first table sat at Alinea on opening day......words can't describe what It's like to eat at this restaurant

Alinea will change the way people look at restaurants forever.......I can't even imagine what this restaurant's future will hold, it is almost scary to think about

A completely flawless meal on opening night with a 28 course format, very few people can pull that off..... it will be a very long time before a restaurant of this caliber surfaces anywhere in the world.......

an amazing experience to say the least....alinea has raised the bar to unreachable heights!!!!!!

the kitchen is amazing and the new plates and serviceware are really cool as well

congratulations to chefg and the team at Alinea....I can't thank the entire staff enough for the mindbending experience and I am looking forward to my next meal (if I can get a reservation)

I have pictures of every course and will post them soon>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

seaninnashville

chefseanbrock wrote this on eGullet as the first person to describe their meal at Alinea during the opening day in May 4, 2005. I had an almost similar feeling back then, and I wondered if I would have the same kind of emotions for Next.

I got a call earlier this week with an invitation to dine at Next for one of their "practice runs," (read: many things may not be up to standard, as the doors have not swung one yet). I immediately secured the earliest date available, March 30, the following day, and was so excited about the whole thing I neglected to ask questions. Or rather, I did not receive any information. The only thing I knew was the time. I stated to question a few things like, menu, cost, dress code, food allergies, et cetera, all the usual stuff one know before going into any fine dining establishment. It really doesn't matter, we are going. It will be Ron, Kevin, Steffi and I. Next: Paris 1906, here we come.



Next is located in a mixed-use building, with restaurants (and a gallery) on the ground level, and residences/office space above. It is flanked by Aviary to the west. East of Next is Ing and Moto, Chef Homaro Cantu's innovative restaurants.



We entered the restaurant at 7:06 (that's 1906, in the 24hour clock system), greeted by two hostesses and Alinea's GM, Joe Catterson (there was a few Alinea staff there that day). As you turn the dark corner of the entry, you see a long open space, with two columns of tables, that looks like it could seat around 50 (bench seating along the wall and chairs in the aisle). The space, along with the staff's uniform, is monochromatic. Along the ceiling is an exposed (I assume non-structural) steel beam, that snakes its way along the the entire length of the dining room, into the kitchen at the other end. The kitchen looks like the Alinea kitchen, but cut in half. There is also a kitchen table that seats six.



We arrive at our table, where our fourth was there waiting with an already poured glass of Alsatian sparkling wine. Ours was immediately poured into a flute glass. At this point I was wondering if this would have been the sparkling wine glass used in Paris 1906. I thought the flute glass being used seems to have a more modern geometry (less curvaceous). I really didn't care, I wanted the coupe. I wanted to be taken to a different time. So far nothing really conveys Paris 1906. Except for the exposed steel beam, which someone in our party said, it reminded him of La Tour Eiffel.



While enjoying the wine, we are handed a "play-bill," as Nick Kokonas calls it. Inside we are given a frame work of what Next is trying to do.

Paris, 1906 – Escoffier at the Ritz was an easy choice as our opening menu at Next.

Auguste Escoffier's life wedged firmly in the middle of La Belle Epoque, a period of political stability, technological innovation, and a thriving economy before the chaos and horror of World War I. Forward thinking, refined, and disciplined enough to document his creations in Le Guide Culinaire, Escoffier is the father and bedrock of Western cuisine and his kitchen organization and methods are still taught today.

Cesar Ritz and Escoffier opened the Ritz hotel in Paris in 1906. Le Guide was at this point 3 three [sic] years old and Escoffier's dishes and technique were well established. A new upper class thrived and the Ritz, along with restaurants such as Maxim's, became something more than just dinner. Part fashion show, part social scene, part circus, the restaurant was now itself the entertainment.

The main liberty we have taken with the presentation is to 'plate' most of the courses. At the Ritz this menu would have been served as a grand buffet in part, and at other times upon great platters set amongst the guests at large tables. While Escoffier gave precise details on how these platters should be arranged, the visual feast occurred before the food arrived on a guest's plate. We have followed many of these guidelines, bur have done so on a personal scale.

Beginning with the king of French cuisine is the perfect start for Next. We will no doubt explore cuisines far from our Western traditions as we move forward. But it is doubtful we will present a menu from anyone or anyplace more innovative and influential.

Bon Apetit.[sic]

From the time we entered the door, there was no clue as to what evening would hold, until now. Note that there is a sound system in the space, with music playing, but to my untrained ears, something not Parisian or from another century (read: more electronic, less big band instrumental).

The staff comes pours us what I assume to be, eau de Daley (aka Chicago tap), and asks us our other drink preference. "2 wine and 2 non-alcohol pairings, please." Still no question as to food allergies. It rarely becomes an issue with most of my guests, but what if, and then what.

Hors d'oeuvres arrive in grand buffet style fashion (shiny silver tray). Very beautiful, and not a single fingerprint on the tray. The server called out each item, although a little on the quiet side. IIRC; leek with mushroom, anchovy on top of quail egg, pig on cracker with chive, foie gras and brioche, creamy egg custard with truffles. I would have liked to have heard more about the dish, but instead we were left to experience it.



The flavors were wonderful. The foie with brioche just melted in my mouth. Strangely it was not too rich. On the other hand, the egg custard was rich, or the be more precise, luxurious. The anchovy bite was my favorite of the plate, as it was the sharpest. As for the other two, for me it kinda got lost when placed up to the others. It almost would have been a better offering as a pre-hors d'oeuvre, amuse-bouche. But it really is about the grand buffet.













I am having a good time and enjoying the flavors, but I am still a little confused as to what exactly Next is. How much have they stayed true to the recipe? How much has been modified/deconstructed in the 'method Alinea?' I keep pondering this question throughout the evening.

Potage à la Tortue Claire (#907) was up next. It says soup, but is actually a consommé. Saucer and bowl arrive with only the traditional garnishes. Server comes by and starts pouring for each of us, but came a little short on the last one. Ron had to wait it out, I decided to wait with him, while the others carried on. Elapsed time, 5 minutes. His came hot, mine has cooled. The consommé was light and smooth, with no strong flavor of turtle. IMHO, it lacked richness. I would have rather it been made into a double consommé.







Bread service comes out with a small dinner roll and butter. No explanation as to what it is. I wonder if this was part of Escoffier's guide? I found that the bread need a little salt. Perhaps the butter was salted, but since I choose not to add butter, I will never know. I instead used the bread as a sponge for the sauces. Pretty sure that that is not in an Escoffier approved technique.



Up until now, the service ware was adorned with a gold rim. The bread plate looks like it was borrowed from Alinea. I haven't noticed anything from Martin Kastner (mister Crucial Detail). Perhaps later on, we will.

At this point in the evening, tables were being filled with other guests. The place is getting a little loud, enough to drown the music, but not the table side conversation. As the space was being filled, it felt a little tight, especially with the tables close to each other.



Next up we have the Fillet de Sole daumont (#1950). Three plates on the table, for four guests. Nitpicking here, but those plates should not have landed on the table, that would never have happened at Alinea. Anyway, I gave up my plate and waited. Elapsed time, 5 minutes, felt like 10. Plate looked gorgeous, and the texture was wonderful. Loved every bite. The crustacean head reminds me of the Alinea tube, and I took to my Asian roots and sucked the filling right out of there. The fried item seems a bit misplaced in the seafood platter. Mushroom was great. Fish was the star of the dish. Great technique in preparation and presentation. Nice brûlée on the sauce. Also great for bread sponging. As I was soaking up the sauce, the staff started to take away the dishes, thinking I was done, but I was not.





Suprêmes de Poussin (#3130). The chicken dish was the sexiest of all the dishes. Tender, juicy, and a velvety sauce to boot. It was hard to focus on the cucumber, as i enjoyed the chicken so much. BTW, I ran across a picture of this dish with a white sauce. I like the dark colored sauce better.





Beverages are doing alright at this point. Don't know if this is Joe's doing or guided by mister GAE (Georges Auguste Escoffier). Can't comment specifically, as we did not get a menu of beverages at the end of the meal. One that caught my attention was a smoky red for the chicken. That was nice.

And for the main course, le canard. Caneton Rouennais à la Presse (#3476) and Gratin de Pommes de Terre à la Dauphinoise (#4200). This is the star of the evening, and boy did it shine. The plating for this one goes to family style, take some pass it down.



Starting with the potatoes, it was tasty, but I would have like a touch more salt. My gripe is with the serving size. It seemed disproportionate to the duck plate.



Which was amazing. Just amazing. Succulent, lardaceous, crispy. That pretty much describes this dish for me.





The sauce. Yeah. The sauce. Can't find the words. Actually I found two. Duck press. Maybe I was not paying attention, but I did not hear the server mention the words duck press. I have not even heard of the words until Chef Dave Beran gave us a little run down in the kitchen later in the evening.





After the carnage. I had to take a break. Made my own up call and headed to le toilettes, located in the basement. Also took a sneak peak into Aviary.







Salade Irma (#3839). Beautiful. Wanted more greens, with less dressing.







Bombe Ceylan (#4826). Dessert course. Another sexy item. But IMHO (and others in the group), fails to bring it home. Nothing wrong with the dish. It was wonderful. In fact if I was in an Austrian cafe, I would get a Bombe Ceylan over a Sacher torte. It lacked its place in the pacing of "depth of flavors." I wanted to pumped up again alike I was with duck. But not this time.





Mignardises, was nougat-e, chewy, cracker-e, jelly-e. Maybe add crispy? Would have also been nice to have had coffee service. Which brings up another logistical question. How do you charge for that, if you take payment up front?



That ends the dinner and beverage portion of the evening. No bill, no tip. Even with our insistence. I assume that it is like the real meal. Nick graciously invited us to preview the rest of the Next space, and what was going on next door at Aviary. We found Grant and Craig next door taking care of things while we went through, up, down, and the (no where near finished) anti-Aviary.







I had not been following the process of the restaurant/menu development, as I wanted to be completely surprised. And surprised I was. I wanted it to be like Alinea, but it was not. I always thought of the food and experience of Alinea to be its greatest asset. They are most innovative in this area. But Next fails to innovate in food.

IMHO, Next is not aiming at innovating food in the traditional sense. Rather, they orchestrate a poetic blend of sensorial dimensions: time, geography, and most importantly, lifestyle. All of those are grounded with solid food, with Grant at the helm. It's up to you, the diner, what you want to take away.

I’ve been waiting for this post, Anthony, and am painfully envious of those who got a first shot at this place. I probably have not thought about any as-yet-unopened restaurant as much as I have Next.

I appreciate that you were not so awed by the experience that you lost critical distance. It sounds like they’re definitely working out kinks in the service (as you say, that’s what this pre-opening period is for).

Family style on some plates should have been expected (although like most, I wasn’t sure what to expect).

Oeufs Benedictine look amazing. Wonder how they cut the eggshell so precisely (diamond saw? laser? very sharp knife?).

You mention music, which surprised me just a little, as I know a decision was made at Alinea to not have any music at all. Not surprising at all that it wasn’t “Parisian”; Achatz is trying to avoid “becoming Epcot”.

You mention Next "fails to innovate in food," but I don't think the lack of innovation is a failure because I don't believe that's what's being attempted. My understanding is that at Next Achatz is more interested in "exploration of world cuisines," rather than innovation and pushing the limits as he did at Alinea. I'm not sure it makes sense to compare the two places, thought I'm sure such comparisons are inevitable and understandable (it's hard not to look at the new place and feel that it's carrying on the understated elegance -- almost humble elegance if that makes sense -- of Alinea's interior design).

Thank goodness someone with your camera skills -- and extensive knowledge of this chef's work -- is the OP in what I’m guessing will be a long-term and fascinating thread.

Really appreciate your posting about this very recent experience.

David Hammond wrote:I’ve been waiting for this post, Anthony, and am painfully envious of those who got a first shot at this place. I probably have not thought about any as-yet-unopened restaurant as much as I have Next.

That goes for me as well! Thank you for sharing your beautiful pictures and thoughts on the experience. I am busily inventing "special" occasions in my head to justify the expenditure should I be lucky enough to lay my hands on some tickets.

I think the tricky thing about Next will be setting appropriate expectations.

It was very tough to sit in a restaurant with Alinea DNA and not get Alinea innovation. But, as David mentioned, that's not the point. The point, as I see it, is to take a lot of the underlying principles that make Alinea great and use them to put out representations of different times and places. Once I wrapped my own head around that, I was able to enjoy my meal even more.

Wow - awesome report and photographs! I hope to get in sometime before 2013 *fingers crossed*.
Anyway, I did have a question about the communal serving of the duck. How many people was that plate for? Will they adjust it based on the number of people at the table?

pastry643 wrote:Wow - awesome report and photographs! I hope to get in sometime before 2013 *fingers crossed*.
Anyway, I did have a question about the communal serving of the duck. How many people was that plate for? Will they adjust it based on the number of people at the table?

It was just me and my wife and I would say we got less duck than what was pictured above. That being said, we couldn't finish all of it. Fortunately I didn't have to fight my wife for the leg. If you do find yourself battling it out with someone though, fight hard...it's remarkable.

Great post, and puts to rest some of the concerns I had with (the rumors of) this first menu. Still have lots of questions about ticketing, but those will no doubt will be answered over time.

The interesting thing is whether we need to expect "innovation" in the culinary arts. Sometimes reprising the best of past generations (perhaps with a few nods to modernity) is sufficient. The standard of innovation over everything would certainly play havoc with the Chicago Shakespeare Theater. Why should gastronomy not have a past, but only a present?

By the way, does anyone know the dates that Next will be serving Paris 1906: May 1-July 31? Or some other dates. Will there be down time between Next's menus so they can practice? I bet there will be a call to extend the run.

And where are Ronnie's photos? (although Anthony's are pretty darn good!)

As Anthony mentioned, I was part of his party at the friends and family dinner on Wednesday night. I thought it was a great and satisfying meal. The food was, IMO, delicious and extremely well-executed. I think that at times it was innovative -- at least in how it was plated and presented. This was especially true with the series of one-biters that kicked off the meal. Not buffet as Escoffier would have intended but still a tip of the cap to that service mode with the silver platter being delivered to our table. Of course, this menu isn't necessarily intended to be innovative. It's intended to be an homage to a specific time and place. The innovation is in the mission, and the skill and creativity show up on the plates.

There were a few service gaffes, which was to be expected, given that it was only the second actual service the restaurant had provided. But not surprising was how smoothly things were already running. This is a skilled team that was working at a higher level on pre-opening night #2 than many places ever acheive. A "rehearsal" night at Next is still full of unmistakble polish.

My main impression was really how similar the experience was to Alinea. In my mind, I was expecting something that represented a complete departure, but the Alinea DNA was all over Next. In highsight, how could it not be? I was expecting something a bit more casual and while this certainly didn't have the formality to it that Alinea does, it wasn't exactly casual, either. The Alinea aesthetic was clearly there. At the end of our meal, when I asked chef Dave Beran about this, he conceded that 3-5 months ago, the team was expecting to present something more casual. However, as ideas took solid form, it became increasingly clear that they needed to be true to themselves and that some of the more casual approaches that were considered had to be left on the side of the road. As chef Beran explained, the idea of piping Robuchon's pommes puree from a pastry bag with a star tip just wasn't going to happen at Next. As a diner, I can happily accept that. It'll be interesting to see how this plays out as the menu/theme changes over time.

Anthony covered the images far better than I could have. For the most part, the ones I captured are similar and of lower quality but I have a few to add, which might help illuminate our experience. The first is of the stuffed crawfish head that was part of the Sole course. As you can see, it was stuffed with a savory, delicate and delicious custard . . .


Stuffed Crawfish Head

As I mentioned above, I thought the food was very successful. Yes, that duck course -- for 4 -- was effing awesome. The breast was juicy and the legs and thighs were fork-tender and unctuous. It was phenomenal. So too was the gratin dauphinoise that was served with it. I'll disagree with Anthony and say that the gooey, pungent cheese it contained provided a perfect level of salt. I could eat that everyday. To disagree with Anthony again (talk about biting the hand that indirectly feeds you), I really enjoyed the salad. Yeah, it could have been bigger but I thought it was a perfect size for how full I was at the time it was served. The flavors were great and I didn't think it was overdressed at all. After I finished it, my plate was dry. I loved the asparagus and cauliflower florets. This was really a luxurious and successful salad.

My least favorite dish was the Bombe Ceylan. While perfectly executed, there was something about the flavor of it that I just didn't love. I imagined what a hoot it probably was to be served a frozen dessert like that in 1906 and on that level I really appreciated it. But, there was a part of me that was hoping for pastry of some kind for dessert. That would have probably been a much more pedestrian dessert, and probably says a lot about how unsophisticated my palate is. But overall, the meal was delicious and satisfying.

After our meal, we were taken on a tour of Next and Aviary (the latter of which I will cover in a separate post). A very cool part of Next is the kitchen table, which seats 6 and is in a partially-enclosed glass capsule between the dining room and the kitchen . . .



Nick Kokonas shows off Next's kitchen table

Anthony mentioned the duck presses upthread and we chatted at length about them with chef Beran. Here, he demonstrates them for us. The smaller, antique version handles one duck and is intended to be used tableside. The larger one handles up to 8 ducks and will be used to produce "juice" used to finish sauces in the kitchen . . .



Chef Dave Beran explains how the duck presses function

Long after the kitchen was done putting out food, after the last guests (except for us) had left, after many staffers had gone home for the night, here was chef Achatz, still hard at work . . .


Grant Achatz at a late-night meeting

I admire and am envious of his unending energy. I don't know if he ever sleeps. Just thinking about how much the team has going on at Alinea, Next and Aviary made me tired. You can have all the talent in the world but if you aren't dedicated enough to fully develop it, the world may never get to enjoy it or even know about it. While immensely talented it's this team's boundless energy that distinguishes it. I said way back (on another thread here) that knowing what I know about this team, there was no doubt in my mind that they would succeed mightly with Next. Now that I've experienced this early incarnation for myself, I'm even more sure about it. That Next will ambitiously put out 4 entirely different "chrono-cuisine" menus per year really is the 'next' thing in dining and it's revolutionary. The fact that one can enjoy the Alinea pedigree applied to these constantly-changing menus at a fraction of the price of Alinea is incredibly exciting. I think that much like Alinea, Next will likely change the face of dining in a meaningful and lasting way.

=R=

In contrast to the dishes at Heston Blumenthal's Dinner, in which traditional recipes are the starting point for a modernist "chrono" rendition, these platings seem to stick quite close to Escoffier's recipes. Granted we don't get the chance to taste a pure Escoffier dish often (unless we choose to spend all weekend making it), but to what extent were the dishes attempts to capture a historical moment and to what extent were they reconstructed for modern tastes.

Thanks for these great previews of Next ... and the insights on what they are - and are not - doing.

I'm actually quite glad to hear they are not going for "high innovation" since I think we're close to the point where "innovation" becomes a bit cliche while truly great food never is. And why replicate what is already mastered at Alinea?

Now I'm just hoping my name is not too far down that email list ...

Thanks for this great inside peek at Next!

Just wanted to mention that an antique duck press was featured on the Paris episode of Bizarre Foods when Andrew Zimmern dines at Restaurant Michel Rostang. In fact, here's a clip: http://www.travelchannel.com/TV_Shows/B ... sode_Paris

I'm wondering if table-side "pressing" will be part of the kitchen table experience

Janet C. wrote:Thanks for this great inside peek at Next!
I'm wondering if table-side "pressing" will be part of the kitchen table experience

To be truly authentic, one would of course have to kill to duck by suffocation so as to preserve all of its blood. My understanding is that a suffocated duck is hard to find, so most modern chefs use some pigs blood to make the dish. But Achatz and team do seem pretty committed to the ideal, so who knows.

Kennyz wrote:To be truly authentic, one would of course have to kill to duck by suffocation so as to preserve all of its blood.

Wonder if they'll be doing that at the chef's table ?

For a few years now, I have been concerned for "molecular gastronomy" (el Bulli, Alinea, Fat Duck et. al.) because so much of the experience has been driven by novelty. The term "revelatory" is used over and over. Small groups of people were the first to pop a re-spherified olive into their mouths, or experience a dish "sauced" with an air/foam, or take concentrated bites dangling off a wire, or sip hot and cold tea simultaneously. These are all great things, but there will be a limit and at some point the novelty will wear off (and if nothing else, the zeitgeist will change and fads will run off in another direction, leaving these sorts of wildly innovative, zillion course meals "untrendy".) Regardless of how great these chefs/restaurants are, the clock is ticking for their restaurants and the style business-wise. I'm sure that ChefG and his fellow chefs in the movement are well aware of this.

So the choice of Escoffier for the opening of this new restaurant really strikes me as wildly reactionary. For a high-end restaurant in Europe or North America, I can't think of any style that would be more opposite to "molecular gastronomy." Given Escoffier's position as defining haute cuisine for the first half of the 20th century, preparing his dishes well seems to scream, "Hey! We aren't just bubbles and tubes and foam, we're really accomplished all-around cooks!" But that, too, seems particularly reactionary.

My hope is that "molecular gastronomy" (or "Moderist Cuisine" or whatever you want to call what's been going on for the last decade) will transition gracefully into the next phase, rather than imploding or becoming a object of derision of a certain period like giant shoulder pads or avocado appliances. (The Fat Duck has been an easy mark in UK pop culture, but that has a lot to do with social class issues and very easy visual gags...) It worries me that one the leading innovators in the movement seems to be almost over-reacting in this case. (I would also be interested to know how the kitchen is approaching these dishes. Are they trying to exclusively use Escoffier-era techniques, like the duck press, or are they using the modern array of techniques (sous vide, hydrocolloids, etc.) to prepare the dishes to their greatest potential for our modern tastes?)

I have to suspect that ChefG and Nick are making a lot of good marketing/business decisions with this choice of menu. We'll see what they pick for future menus and how they approach them - that may go a long way towards dispelling my concerns! (One aside - with the wildly changing menu, this restaurant will be nearly impossible to review or categorize in the conventional sense.)

TomD.arch wrote:For a few years now, I have been concerned for "molecular gastronomy" (el Bulli, Alinea, Fat Duck et. al.) because so much of the experience has been driven by novelty. The term "revelatory" is used over and over. Small groups of people were the first to pop a re-spherified olive into their mouths, or experience a dish "sauced" with an air/foam, or take concentrated bites dangling off a wire, or sip hot and cold tea simultaneously. These are all great things, but there will be a limit and at some point the novelty will wear off (and if nothing else, the zeitgeist will change and fads will run off in another direction, leaving these sorts of wildly innovative, zillion course meals "untrendy".) Regardless of how great these chefs/restaurants are, the clock is ticking for their restaurants and the style business-wise. I'm sure that ChefG and his fellow chefs in the movement are well aware of this.

So the choice of Escoffier for the opening of this new restaurant really strikes me as wildly reactionary. For a high-end restaurant in Europe or North America, I can't think of any style that would be more opposite to "molecular gastronomy." Given Escoffier's position as defining haute cuisine for the first half of the 20th century, preparing his dishes well seems to scream, "Hey! We aren't just bubbles and tubes and foam, we're really accomplished all-around cooks!" But that, too, seems particularly reactionary.

My hope is that "molecular gastronomy" (or "Moderist Cuisine" or whatever you want to call what's been going on for the last decade) will transition gracefully into the next phase, rather than imploding or becoming a object of derision of a certain period like giant shoulder pads or avocado appliances. (The Fat Duck has been an easy mark in UK pop culture, but that has a lot to do with social class issues and very easy visual gags...) It worries me that one the leading innovators in the movement seems to be almost over-reacting in this case. (I would also be interested to know how the kitchen is approaching these dishes. Are they trying to exclusively use Escoffier-era techniques, like the duck press, or are they using the modern array of techniques (sous vide, hydrocolloids, etc.) to prepare the dishes to their greatest potential for our modern tastes?)

I have to suspect that ChefG and Nick are making a lot of good marketing/business decisions with this choice of menu. We'll see what they pick for future menus and how they approach them - that may go a long way towards dispelling my concerns! (One aside - with the wildly changing menu, this restaurant will be nearly impossible to review or categorize in the conventional sense.)

I think this last point is really interesting, though I doubt there was any direct intent toward it as a goal.

As for technique, sous vide is used for many (all?) proteins, so no, this menu doesn't attempt to entirely replicate the Escoffier era.

=R=

About "replication," my understanding is that Next will be "interpreting" Escoffier and others, which gives them some latitude to prepare classic dishes in ways that reflect the kind of sensibility we've seen at Alinea.

David Hammond wrote:Oeufs Benedictine look amazing. Wonder how they cut the eggshell so precisely (diamond saw? laser? very sharp knife?).

Egg topper:

http://www.amazon.com/Paderno-World-Cui ... 358&sr=8-1

Posted on Facebook by Next about a half hour ago. Emails for tickets start going out at 10:00 a.m. tomorrow morning to those who signed up to "Notify Me" on the Next website.

Still no question as to food allergies. It rarely becomes an issue with most of my guests, but what if, and then what.

According to this article:

http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/co ... 867567.htm

they won't be catering to vegetarians, among others, which is rather a pity.

tsg20 wrote:

Still no question as to food allergies. It rarely becomes an issue with most of my guests, but what if, and then what.

According to this article:

http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/co ... 867567.htm

they won't be catering to vegetarians, among others, which is rather a pity.

Just read this article myself and was about to post a link. It gives great insight into the smart business choice behind Next - getting money up-front, managing volume, and operating more efficiently in terms of staff. It seems like this model of dining is more profitable for the restaurant and also more sustainable if it cuts down on waste. Will more restaurants try to emulate Next's model? Will customers buy it? It can be an inconvenience to have to plan when/where you're going to dine several weeks in advance.

Hurdler4eva wrote:

tsg20 wrote:

Still no question as to food allergies. It rarely becomes an issue with most of my guests, but what if, and then what.

According to this article:

http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/co ... 867567.htm

they won't be catering to vegetarians, among others, which is rather a pity.

Just read this article myself and was about to post a link. It gives great insight into the smart business choice behind Next - getting money up-front, managing volume, and operating more efficiently in terms of staff. It seems like this model of dining is more profitable for the restaurant and also more sustainable if it cuts down on waste. Will more restaurants try to emulate Next's model? Will customers buy it? It can be an inconvenience to have to plan when/where you're going to dine several weeks in advance.

I think that for a lot of fine-dining, reservations are already typically made several weeks in advance. This is certainly true at Alinea where, short of another diner's last-minute cancellation, advance planning is required. I fine-dine a fair amount and with very little exception, I make my plans at least a few weeks in advance.

Business Week article wrote:"If somebody walks in and says, 'I'm a vegan,' then there [has to be] a whole different menu," Kokonas groans to Achatz. "We lose money on that person." What about vegetarians, Achatz asks. "We're not going to serve vegetarian meals for Paris, 1906!" Kokonas says. "Come when we do Indian food!"

Regarding what's revealed in the article linked above, frankly, I love the idea that the thematic menus will attempt to be 'authentic' to their time and place and won't necessarily pander to every single dietary restriction, limitation or preference.

Since the menu is known in advance and tickets are sold in advance, the diner will know what to expect and can decide before purchasing whether or not to participate. With demand appearing to greatly outpace supply, it seems unlikely that the 'one menu at a time' policy will have much effect on the bottom line. I think Next is going to be at capacity for the foreseeable future, regardless of whether they can accomodate vegetarian, vegan, Halal and Kosher diners during every single 3-month cycle. And at least at Next, unlike at a select handful of other places around town that seem to regularly raise the ire of diners for one reason or another, one will know in advance what they're in for.

=R=

David Hammond wrote:I appreciate that you were not so awed by the experience that you lost critical distance. It sounds like they’re definitely working out kinks in the service (as you say, that’s what this pre-opening period is for).

It is hard to be awed when you have Alinea on your mind. As this was just a trail run (one of many), they will surely ramp things up. Looking at the whole picture, it hard to be awed with Next right now. The concept is just starting to play out. When I look back at this a year from now, only then can I be awed. Only then can we get a grasp of what they are trying to do at Next. It is also hard to be awed because they decided on making their first menu, an homage to Escoffier. It is just too close to what they do at Alinea. Now when they start rolling out Thailand 1846, Mars 2341, or Jerusalem 0001, then how can you not be.

David Hammond wrote:You mention music, which surprised me just a little, as I know a decision was made at Alinea to not have any music at all. Not surprising at all that it wasn’t “Parisian”; Achatz is trying to avoid “becoming Epcot”.

The not having music at Alinea was, in part, a logistics issue. They did not get the sound system to work properly by opening. As for “becoming Epcot,” don't rule this one out. One thing I have learned from Achatz/Kokonas and company (aka Achatz LLC), is nothing is ever really set in stone.

David Hammond wrote:You mention Next "fails to innovate in food," but I don't think the lack of innovation is a failure because I don't believe that's what's being attempted. My understanding is that at Next Achatz is more interested in "exploration of world cuisines," rather than innovation and pushing the limits as he did at Alinea. I'm not sure it makes sense to compare the two places, thought I'm sure such comparisons are inevitable and understandable (it's hard not to look at the new place and feel that it's carrying on the understated elegance -- almost humble elegance if that makes sense -- of Alinea's interior design).

Dave, you are right. From the beginning, I was looking for Next to be another Alinea, with "exploration of world cuisines." But I was wrong. I think that the paragraph after that brings us back around to what Next is. Reminds me of a recent Washington Post article that has Achatz responding to a Q&A session:

Washington Post wrote:Your latest project is Next, where you’re going to radically change the menu every few months, from one era of cooking to another. Is this restaurant a reflection of your creative restlessness?

Yeah, absolutely. Where Alinea is about constant innovation, Next will be constant exploration. One thing that’s been largely overlooked, I feel, in gastronomy is the exploration of the past and world cuisines. Like, what was it like in Paris 1906 to sit down for a dinner at the Ritz served by Escoffier? What was it really like to eat in New York City in 1962? What was it really like to eat at the Watergate when Jean-Louis Palladin was cooking in D.C. in 1982? These are things that are worth exploring because largely America is, in my opinion, always focused on the future.

David Hammond wrote:I'm not sure it makes sense to compare the two places...

I think you are right again. But I had to. And most people will as well. It's just human nature. One needs some sort of framework going into Next, or anything that is going through its second presentation.

GAF wrote:The interesting thing is whether we need to expect "innovation" in the culinary arts.

IMHO, we should. It's what keeps me going to (fine dining) restaurants. Anyone can master a skill, e.g. cook a perfect duck, but you can't teach innovation or creativity.

ronnie_suburban wrote:I'll disagree with Anthony and say that the gooey, pungent cheese it contained provided a perfect level of salt. I could eat that everyday. To disagree with Anthony again (talk about biting the hand that indirectly feeds you), I really enjoyed the salad. Yeah, it could have been bigger but I thought it was a perfect size for how full I was at the time it was served. The flavors were great and I didn't think it was overdressed at all. After I finished it, my plate was dry. I loved the asparagus and cauliflower florets. This was really a luxurious and successful salad.

No hand bitting here please. I find it great that we can disagree, and learn, on many things.

yellow truffle wrote:

David Hammond wrote:I appreciate that you were not so awed by the experience that you lost critical distance. It sounds like they’re definitely working out kinks in the service (as you say, that’s what this pre-opening period is for).

It is hard to be awed when you have Alinea on your mind. As this was just a trail run (one of many), they will surely ramp things up. Looking at the whole picture, it hard to be awed with Next right now. The concept is just starting to play out. When I look back at this a year from now, only then can I be awed. Only then can we get a grasp of what they are trying to do at Next. It is also hard to be awed because they decided on making their first menu, an homage to Escoffier. It is just too close to what they do at Alinea. Now when they start rolling out Thailand 1846, Mars 2341, or Jerusalem 0001, then how can you not be.

David Hammond wrote:You mention music, which surprised me just a little, as I know a decision was made at Alinea to not have any music at all. Not surprising at all that it wasn’t “Parisian”; Achatz is trying to avoid “becoming Epcot”.

The not having music at Alinea was, in part, a logistics issue. They did not get the sound system to work properly by opening. As for “becoming Epcot,” don't rule this one out. One thing I have learned from Achatz/Kokonas and company (aka Achatz LLC), is nothing is ever really set in stone.

Video with "more Parisian" music.

Catchy!

Now all they need is a deep voice and it could be a movie trailer

Has anyone received the email yet?

Site is not up yet. Here is some reading material in the mean time (pulled from iPhone with AT+T network).

I take it that they are waiting until the ticketing system works with IE before they release the emails?