Senza - Gluten Free Fine Dining

It seems like more and more people are eating gluten free these days. In response, we're certainly seeing more and more restaurants with gluten free sections of menus. Now, we've got the first restaurant that is entirely gluten free. And it's really good.

The wife and I tried Senza last night and came away quite impressed. I did their main tasting menu (5 courses) and the wife did the 5 course vegetarian version (you can also get a la carte, or a longer tasting menu).

The chef was most recently at Schwa and you can really see the influence in a lot of the food. The amuse was mustard ice cream with pickled apple and some other stuff. Duck was served with a big piece of dried ham, and popcorn that incorporated the same ham...that kind of thing.

There's a small wine list, and wine pairings available for the tasting menus. They also have a small selection of cocktails. 4 were on the menu last night and my bourbon cocktail made with ginger beer and Thai chili was pretty tasty.

Service wasn't terribly polished but they certainly made up for it in enthusiasm. Everyone we encountered seemed very excited about the food and to be working there. That's always nice to see.

Atmosphere is extremely casual, which makes another good point of comparison to Schwa. Senza's not cheap. My tasting menu was $75 and the addition of wine pairings would have brought it up to $100. Consider this when you might find yourself eating at a picnic table and listening to music that might be louder than you're expecting (it's not Schwa-level dirty rap, but you'll definitely know it's there). The restaurant itself was well-designed by the same firm that does all of the Boka Group restaurants.

Last night was a good crowd, mostly made up of neighborhood folks. It will be interesting to see if Senza can sustain itself by mostly drawing from the neighborhood (as I think The Peasantry has) or if they can become more of a destination.

Senza
http://senzachicago.com
2873 N Broadway Chicago, IL 60657
(773) 770-3527

Thanks for trying Senza and posting. The publicity email they sent out made it look good, but your review clinches it. My daughter is gluten sensitive and we tend to go to Green Zebra for special occasions, but it is good to have an alternative, especially one with a casual atmosphere and GF pastry chef. Also, while a lot of places ( even Homemade Pizza Co.) have GF dishes, it's always a leap of faith regarding cross contamination for friends with celiac disease. Also, it's kind of nice to eat at a place where the GF folks can choose from the entire menu, absent other food allergies.

And Senza has brunch. Can't wait to try it.

We were seated next to a table of five women, at least one of whom was gluten intolerant. It was pretty awesome to see her face light up when she realized that she could order absolutely anything on the menu.

I want to be clear though, Senza isn't good for a gluten free restaurant. It's a good restaurant that just happens to be gluten free.

jesteinf wrote:I want to be clear though, Senza isn't good for a gluten free restaurant. It's a good restaurant that just happens to be gluten free.

I totally agree. Chef Sandoval has "it."

I'm not sure why, but not every chef seems interested in the linking of notes in a dish, and I am referring to more than just the liaison of a sauce. In the case of the lamb dish I had Thursday evening, it was clear to me that Sandoval "gets" lamb. In composing a lamb loin, he anchored the base line with crisp-fatty lamb belly. Meaty, rarish loin's brightness was picked up with an acid fruit note. What often happens with lamb is that the funk is lost. If I want Bach, I order beef. Lamb must be lamby, (Mikes Davis?) and often it is not. Here, Sandoval dials up the lambiness with the combination of black walnut and herb flavors. (Regretfully, I do not recall the herb used- it was unfamiliar.) In reading this, I realize it does not make sense. That is what is so brilliant about it. Here is a chef who can deconstruct the smell/taste of ingredients at a very subtle level. I guess that is what improvisation is all about when the practitioner is highly skilled. Though there was a lot going on on the plate, including a horseradish-butter, nothing was extraneous, all elements found their origin in the lamb.

I had the same type of revelations at Moto and Schwa years ago. I hope the restaurant's GF identification does not limit its audience. Sandoval is a rising star for sure.

I have to agree with Jesteinf's comments about Senza. I finally made it to Senza tonight (I had been reluctant to try it thinking that it was more a high end place for those that require a gluten free diet), but wow, this was an incredible dinner! One would never know it was gluten free food if I had not read about that aspect of Senza previously. Senza has recently reconcepted and now offers a four course prix fixe for $50 (optional wine pairing for $25) and a nine course tasting menu for $100 ($50 for the pairings). The prix fixe has two to three choices for all but one course and the menu will reportedly be changing frequently. My friend and I enjoyed the four course prix fixe tonight with pairings and everything was wonderful - from the amuse bouche to the bread to the dessert every morsel of food was outstanding; really beautiful presentations to boot. Probably my only complaint is portions are a bit small and a left a little hungry, though helping make up for this the wine pours are quite generous. I highly recommend the wine pairings; in addition to being such a great value they were spot on; I particularly enjoyed the Crispin cider paired with dessert. Their cocktails sounded intriguing and after dinner we enjoyed their bourbon beverage that is served with ginger beer, Mexican chilies (adding a nice kick) and mint leaves frozen into ice cubes providing an Aviary like appearance.

Senza has also done away with the loud music and just today replaced the picnic benches with elegant hardwood tables providing a more upscale and comfortable vibe. Senza is the perfect fusion of fine dining with a comfortable neighborhood vibe and moderate prices. I agree with Jesteinf regarding service; while the food is on par with some of Chicago's Michelin starred venues the service is not as refined, yet is extremely friendly and attentive. The staff is very down to earth and adds to the enjoyment of dining at Senza. I had such a wonderful dinner here I will definitely be returning soon; if you have been timid to book Senza because of the gluten free status, please make a reservation - Senza is well worth dining at even if you reside in another neighborhood.

New Hardwood Tables:


Amuse Bouche (Hamachi with Dashi Foam):


Duck Confit Ravioli:


Parsnip Soup with Lobster and Caviar:


Pork Belly:


Spiked Apple Cider Sorbet with Gingerbread Crisps:

I had so much fun at Senza the other night for dinner I have already been back twice! Last night I stopped in for a cocktail while passing by (I think their bourbon based cocktail has already become my second favorite beverage in the city after the Weston at Boka). Then today went for brunch; the brunch menu is a three course prix fixe similar to North Pond in that it is lunch rather than breakfast focused fare and there are a few choices per course. My favorite course today was a smoked potato soup with bacon and mussels. All the food was beautifully plated and (like with my dinner the other day) every course tasting outstanding. Service was once again first rate; they have such a friendly group of people working here that it really enhances the experience. This will definitely be one of my regular venues.

Senza is excellent. They are very very very very strict about gluten there- no gluten ever anywhere in the building, so I feel comfortable bringing friends who have severe celiac here. And it is really amazing because this is a good restaurant that happens to be gluten-free, not just a gluten-free restaurant. I also don't like most gluten-free restaurants because they seem to be all about gluten-free grain substitutes, which the Senza menus minimize. I wish they had given us a copy of our tasting menu because I have some pictures but don't remember exactly what things were. I remember the seafood being excellent and there is one dessert at the end that has a random teeny tiny cup of chicory drink that is surprisingly addictive and delicious.

Gonzo70 wrote:I had so much fun at Senza the other night for dinner I have already been back twice! Last night I stopped in for a cocktail while passing by (I think their bourbon based cocktail has already become my second favorite beverage in the city after the Weston at Boka). Then today went for brunch; the brunch menu is a three course prix fixe similar to North Pond in that it is lunch rather than breakfast focused fare and there are a few choices per course. My favorite course today was a smoked potato soup with bacon and mussels. All the food was beautifully plated and (like with my dinner the other day) every course tasting outstanding. Service was once again first rate; they have such a friendly group of people working here that it really enhances the experience. This will definitely be one of my regular venues.

I was there for brunch today as well. I enjoyed my appetizer (salad with quinoa, pine nuts, goat cheese and huckleberry vinaigrette) and my dessert (lychee sorbet with coconut tapioca and crispy rice) but my crab cake benedict entree really fell flat. There was a problem with the poached egg, so that the egg white inside was still clear and completely liquid. The crab cakes themselves were too salty and the dill hollaindaise had started congealing.

Lettuce, quinoa, goat cheese, pine nuts, huckleberry vinaigrette


Crab cake benedict with dill hollaindaise, English muffin and pickle salad


Lychee sorbet, coconut tapioca, crispy rice, basil, mint

What did you have as your entree, Gonzo?

I had the everything gnocchi for my entree (they used to have it as a course on the dinner menu). It was really enjoyable; it was topped with a duck egg and there were porcini mushrooms. My wife went for the cheddar popover with sausage gravy and was very happy with her dish. I had the same dessert as you and thought it was quite good; my wife went for the other dessert and that was the only "miss" for her. Too bad about your crab cakes; apparently they had just rolled out several new menu items today so hopefully they work that out fast.

My pictures are pretty poor quality compared to yours (you took some great shots) - but here is my entree:


This was a pretty cool course too, artic char atop a potato latke with quail egg and a touch of caviar:

Oh, I was deciding between the gnocchi and the crab cakes. Should've gone with the gnocchi Next time.

Another enjoyable meal at Senza this past weekend. We had the four-course menu and found it just right- my daughter raved about the scallop appetizer. I have been pretty protein-centric lately, so I stuck with pasta for my second and third courses, which was a real treat. Though I do not observe a gluten-free regimen, my daughter does. Neither she nor I could tell that the pasta was not regular wheat pasta. That is just amazing, as all of the commercial dried GF pastas we have tried are clearly different from wheat noodles in taste and texture. I mentioned this to the server and suggested that they start selling their pasta to take home. This comment yielded a wonderful surprise- Senza does sell GF bread and pastries two days a week (Tuesday and Friday) from the restaurant. Here is a link to the Bakery menu. You can call or order online and pickup at the restaurant. They do wholesale as well. I WISH THEY DID PASTA!

Senza Bakery via:
phone: (773)944-0332
fax: (773)944-0870
email: bakery@senzachicago.com
Orders may be picked up at Senza during Coffee/Bakery hours: Tuesday through Friday, 9am to 12noon.

Quick update; went back to Senza today for brunch and they have made a small tweak to the format. They still feature the three course brunch for $24 per/person, but now also have a la carte pricing so one can instead opt for less courses and pay a la carte pricing (or add a course to the prix fixe). Nice option if someone wants brunch at Senza but either is seeking a smaller or less expensive meal than the prix fixe.

I had my first meal at Senza and it was amazing. I would first like to say I met one of the owners a month ago and he is now a friend but if I had had a poor experience I wouldn't have bothered posting. So, went as a date night with my wife who because of work I hadn't spent time with in quite a long time.

Atmosphere-my wife is an interior designer and a good one at that and she was very impressed. They did some sound proofing as well so it was not the typical loud scene.

Food-ridiculous. I thought about taking pics but I know the guy so it may have been kinda strange. We got the what seemed like 12 course pre fixe with wine pairings and I was truly in awe of some of the dishes. The foie and the ravioli were to die for. Turnip soap with lobster was killer. I could go on but I think many items change regularly. Also, I am gluten free and I ate some really good GF bread.

I do not usually eat like this. So, I lost a lot in translation between explanations, eating, and wine but I know at the end I was full and I'd had quite a bit of wine. Oh yeah, some of these wines were just absolutely amazing. So in conclusion this was an experience, it was comfortable, and I am really impressed.

Senza will be ending brunch service starting the Sunday after Father's Day weekend (they will continue to occasionally serve brunch for some holiday weekends). This is a shame as they had become one of my favorite brunch spots on the city. Apparently they want to have more time to focus on the dinner service. They recently have made some changes to the dinner menu and reportedly will have more new dishes rolling out soon; I look forward to returning for the tasting menu this summer.

I made it back to Senza last night for the nine course tasting menu; just over half of the courses had completely changed since last visit while the other few had the same featured ingredients but some tweaks with the accompaniments. Prices have increased slightly ($10 each for the 9 and 4 course menus for food; the wine paring went up $5 for the 4 course but was unchanged for the 9 course). The wine pours are no longer nearly full sized pours, but are more typical for what one would expect from a tasting menu (not a complaint, just an observation). The food was once again incredible; Chef Sandoval seems to be growing and I noticed improvements in the presentation. I enjoyed every dish but the highlights were the Vidalia onion soup with shaved black truffle, juniper ice cream and pork belly; the agnolotti with morel mushrooms and kumquats and the rib eye with black garlic, pickled cherries and maitake mushrooms (the rib eye is now a decent sized steak rather than a few small bites with the prior version). Everything was well prepared and the ingredients tasted fresh.

They have started grilling the bread they serve; I thought it was excellent before but the grilling makes it even superior, nice charred outside with a chewy interior. They also made some further improvements to the dining room, adding some comfortable looking booths along the south wall of the restaurant; the dining room is so much nicer and elegant since Senza first opened and is really beautiful. The staff remains extremely friendly, accommodating and attentive with little turnover; service still is not quite as polished as at most Michelin starred venues, but I have the feeling that by 2014 if Senza keeps steadily improving they may be heading in the direction of earning a star. I will definitely be back again soon; I do miss the brunch, but they did reiterate they will occasionally hold brunch service on special occasions.

Gonzo70 wrote:Chef Sandoval seems to be growing and I noticed improvements in the presentation.

I couldn't agree more with your assessment, Gonzo70. Although I've been an unabashed fan since last year, I think Chef is dialing up his game lately. And part of this, as mentioned by Gonzo, is the redesign of the seating plan, bringing more comfortable seating and improving the sight lines and lighting, with a somewhat softer feel overall. I also enjoy the fact that the place is quiet enough for conversation.

This hamachi amuse was absolutely outstanding, accented brilliantly with spice that did not take away from its elemental simplicity:


Hamachi Amuse @ Senza by Josephine2004, on Flickr

Gonzo70 wrote:. . . the highlights were the Vidalia onion soup with shaved black truffle, juniper ice cream and pork belly;

I agree that the soup was deeply satisfying, with balanced sweetness from the corn and onion, though I am wondering how the velvety texture came from those two ingredients. Normally I'd see juniper and truffle as competing and overwhelming such a soup; instead the onion was enhanced by the juniper, the corn by the truffle. I like how Sandoval thinks . . . er. . .smells. (That doesn't sound right, but you know what I mean.)

Unfortunately, my other photos came out too dark to post, but I'd agree with Gonzo that the portions have been expanded, leaving me very full at the end of the meal. Oddly, since this is a GF restaurant, the pasta is a strength. While on the topic of GF, the one thing I'd like to have is another bread option, perhaps a corn bread of some type or a hot popover. Perhaps the idea of a bread basket seems too homey to fit in with a fine dining menu, but since GF folks are often fresh bread deprived, what sometimes draws them to a restaurant is the possibility of a GF grain-based treat. (This is certainly the case with Risotteria in New York, where people go for the breadsticks, not the risotto, if my sources are correct.)

Gonzo70 wrote: . . . I have the feeling that by 2014 if Senza keeps steadily improving they may be heading in the direction of earning a star. I will definitely be back again soon;

Again, Gonzo70 and I are of one mind on this. I recall saying to my daughter, "This chef is ambitious!" to which she replied that we ought to try to eat at Senza as often as possible, since Chef Sandoval might not last here once the word get out to the larger world (Michelin, etc.) On that note, perhaps I ought not publish this photo of the most beautiful and tasty oyster dish in my experience:


Oysters with Borage Flower @ Senza by Josephine2004, on Flickr

Perhaps a closer look is in order:


Oysters with Borage @ Senza by Josephine2004, on Flickr

These limpid beauties were sauced very very lightly with a country ham jus. This approach recalled a more rustic dish I once had at a casual restaurant in Bordeaux: icy oysters on the half shell served with sizzling saucisson: counter-intuitive and sensational. And the herb note with the borage flower and the teeny-tiny tomato half was totally inspired, rather than gilding the lily, (as I feared it might be upon seeing the dish, since I normally feel that there is nothing one can do to improve upon the experience of a fine oyster, and much that one can do to ruin it.) In the future, I will regularly regret that Chef Sandoval's way of serving oysters is not de rigueur in all fine restaurants. A dish that re-defines one's experience of an ingredient is the mark of genius. Sorta like that quail egg ravioli some guy in Chicago was doing

Going to Senza tonight. For those that have been a few times, do you have a strong recommendation on whether to do the 5 course or the 9 course? Just curious if you thought the longer course option was worth it.

core1521 wrote:Going to Senza tonight. For those that have been a few times, do you have a strong recommendation on whether to do the 5 course or the 9 course? Just curious if you thought the longer course option was worth it.

I generally do the longer menu; I love the food at Senza and the staff is so friendly and the space so comfortable that I enjoy having a lengthy dining experience and trying as much of the food as possible. Last time I opted out of the drink pairings and had a cocktail and a couple glasses of wine and price wise that saved just over $40/person (factoring in tax/gratuity) without feeling as though I was missing out on too much. If you can afford the nine course, I recommend you go for it and feel that it is worth the splurge. Have a great dinner; I am heading back there next month myself.

Gonzo70 wrote:

core1521 wrote:Going to Senza tonight. For those that have been a few times, do you have a strong recommendation on whether to do the 5 course or the 9 course? Just curious if you thought the longer course option was worth it.

I generally do the longer menu; I love the food at Senza and the staff is so friendly and the space so comfortable that I enjoy having a lengthy dining experience and trying as much of the food as possible. Last time I opted out of the drink pairings and had a cocktail and a couple glasses of wine and price wise that saved just over $40/person (factoring in tax/gratuity) without feeling as though I was missing out on too much. If you can afford the nine course, I recommend you go for it and feel that it is worth the splurge. Have a great dinner; I am heading back there next month myself.

Thanks for the great recommendation, Gonzo. We ended up going with the longer menu, and really enjoyed it. The food was, in a word, excellent. There was not a single course that we did not like. My favorite dishes were the scallop (foie gras, blueberry, granola, oxalis) and the agnolotti (yellowfoot, kumquat, huckleberry, thyme).

The environment was also warm and welcoming, and I really liked the staff as well. The service started out a bit slow (had only received two courses, 1 hour in), but sped up after and things were fine from there on out. I am certainly looking forward to going back again when the menu changes over to see what else they have to offer. One of the better meals I've had in Chicago in a long time.

I've thought about going to this place at various times, but every time I check the website their prices seem to have gone up.

With the wine pairings, it's now $125 ($75 for food plus $50 for wine) for the short menu and $200 ($125 plus $75) for the long. Wow.

eelton wrote:I've thought about going to this place at various times, but every time I check the website their prices seem to have gone up.

With the wine pairings, it's now $125 ($75 for food plus $50 for wine) for the short menu and $200 ($125 plus $75) for the long. Wow.

Supply and demand, I'm guessing. They've got a Michelin star and weekends book out nearly a month in advance. Plus, they've got a very specialized product that no one else in town is doing in this elevated manner, if at all.

=R=

eelton wrote:I've thought about going to this place at various times, but every time I check the website their prices seem to have gone up.

With the wine pairings, it's now $125 ($75 for food plus $50 for wine) for the short menu and $200 ($125 plus $75) for the long. Wow.

I only recall one price increase for the food (might have been two for wine pairing). They did add a course to the shorter menu when they raised the price. It is expensive, but I find it a fair value for the quantity, quality, service & ambiance.

I finally made my first visit to Senza and my overall impression was very favorable. I'd return and I'd recommend it but not unconditionally.

I appreciated the mostly non-gimmicky approach to the gluten-free mission. 3 of our 9 courses -- Bread (slightly bitter finish and greatly in need the salted butter with which it was served), Agnolotti and Chocolate Cake were the only ones that attempted a gluten-free approach to dishes that would typically contain gluten. And they were mostly successful. I thought the bread was a real feat. It wasn't perfect but it was much better than I would have expected it to be. The rest of the meal was comprised of a wide, unrestricted range of ingredients that do not contain gluten.

Dishes were innovative, distinctive and well executed. Combinations of flavors/ingredients were out of the box in some cases but always worked notably well. I thought the plates were uniformly beautiful, too -- artistically conceived and composed. Ingredients/components were cooked skillfully from beginning to end.

An opening course of Scallop with foie gras, blueberry, granola and oxtail was simply outstanding. I'm not normally a fan of sweet and savory together but it's a natural with foie and the combination of these flavors worked exceedingly well together (a theme that recurred throughout our meal). The blueberry may have actually been bilberry because it was so wonderfully aromatic. Parsnip Soup (lobster, guanciale, cherry, horseradish) also succeeded, though it was a bit too salty for me (more on this below). The combination of lobster and horseradish was tremendous. Loup De Mer was cooked perfectly and accompanied very nicely by artichoke, lime, marjoram and paprika (I think there was also a piece of pork rind in there). Pork Belly was another winner. It was tender-sticky and accompanied by lingonberry, coriander, celeriac and Szechuan peppercorn. I loved the way the flavors were incorporated into the dish via savory meringue dollops, flawless sauces and powders. This was probably my favorite dish. Agnolotti was also delicious and I loved the earthy combination of morel and truffle that amplified is deep savoriness. These were some tasty and innovative plates.

Unfortunately, more than a couple dishes had too much salt. In some cases, I couldn't tell if this was because of a rock/flake salt finish that hit my palate in the wrong spot or just too much salt within the dish. The worst instance was the Lamb Belly (part of a lamb course that included buttermilk, cippolini, lemon and nasturtium), which was just way too salty; salty through the chew and also nearly encrusted in salt, which was too much. What I appreciated though, was that in at least a few cases, eating various components of the entire dish in one bite mitigated this. This made me feel that the overall salt issue was mostly one of compositional strategy.

The meal concluded with a very stylized take on Raclette (membrillo, raisin, pancetta, basil) that I didn't really care for and a couple of desserts. Oatmeal (pine nut, apricot, sherry, tangerine) was stellar -- just the kind of dessert I love. Chocolate (butterscotch, raspberry, rosemary, pumpkin seed), a small, rich and fudgey cake, was a very nice finale.

Pairings were a mixed bag. I thought that overall, they improved as the meal progressed but it was not a straight line. For me, a couple of the early pairings lacked acidity that would have foiled the richness of the dishes well. However, a vermouth cocktail served with the Loup De Mer course that contained artichoke, worked very well. Of the 9 pairings, I'd say 3 enhanced the dishes with which they were served, 3 got in the way and 3 were neutral. Cocktails we had before the meal were solid. A basque cider that we added up front -- Isastegi -- was excellent.

Service was, at times, a bit uncomfortable for me. Our team definitely knew their stuff and were as competent, responsive and receptive as they could be. It was clear they were quite proud of Senza and very enthusiastic about being a part of this team. But at times it just felt a little stiff, overly formal and scripted. There were also some warm moments, though.

I think the value is there, at least for the non-paired, 9-course, which is $125 per person before tax and tip. At $200 with the pairings, I felt the value slipped away just a bit. I think it's a fair price for the quality and volume of beverages served but as I mentioned above, for me they didn't consistently enhance the dishes. Next time -- and there will definitely be a next time -- I'll likely stick to sparkling wine and cider to pair up with the tasting menu.

=R=

This news has me thinking that I probably won't be returning to Senza anytime soon:

. . . At the same time, Senza will be changing from our current reservation system to a pre paid ticketing system.

Packaging the news in an email with the subject line "Exciting Changes at Senza" is especially insulting. Exciting for whom, exactly? Ugh.

=R=

ronnie_suburban wrote:This news has me thinking that I probably won't be returning to Senza anytime soon:

. . . At the same time, Senza will be changing from our current reservation system to a pre paid ticketing system.

Packaging the news in an email with the subject line "Exciting Changes at Senza" is especially insulting. Exciting for whom, exactly? Ugh.

=R=

I wonder whether their announcement (twice!) that they plan to be serving fewer guests is - intentionally or not - the direct result of the move to a pre-paid ticketing system.

nsxtasy wrote:

ronnie_suburban wrote:This news has me thinking that I probably won't be returning to Senza anytime soon:

. . . At the same time, Senza will be changing from our current reservation system to a pre paid ticketing system.

Packaging the news in an email with the subject line "Exciting Changes at Senza" is especially insulting. Exciting for whom, exactly? Ugh.

=R=

I wonder whether their announcement (twice!) that they plan to be serving fewer guests is - intentionally or not - the direct result of the move to a pre-paid ticketing system.

Ha!

It probably does mean that they'll be raising prices since it's unlikely they're 'excited' about decreased revenue. Fewer diners almost certainly means higher prices, even if some time slots are less expensive than others.

=R=

I'm all for it if they give good discounts for odd nights like Elizabeth. From the email it seems like they want to heighten the senza experience as well. Keeping cancelations down is a great way to do that as no shows can ruin your business on that level. I guess we will see which way this one will swing.

Sucks, but I get it. Having recently made a reservation at Senza for my first meal (2nd wedding anniversary) on OpenTable, I was prompted to enter my credit card details to secure my time. I remember reading an article on Eater (link here) about how some folks will cancel their credit card before being charged in order to escape the cancellation (Alinea cost $100, Gordon Ramsay cost $225)...Seems a bit far-fetched to me, but apparently it happens.

ronnie_suburban wrote:It probably does mean that they'll be raising prices since it's unlikely they're 'excited' about decreased revenue. Fewer diners almost certainly means higher prices, even if some time slots are less expensive than others.

In fairness to Senza, it sounds like they are reducing their seating capacity so they are planning for fewer diners at a time (for a more spacious dining room), not necessarily overall. Their move to pre-paid ticketing could mean that they are doing it so that they can fill to capacity at less-desirable hours (early and late, especially weekdays) by lowering their prices at those times, rather than having empty tables at those seatings. So they might be increasing their revenue by filling tables (even at a reduced price) at times that would otherwise see slow business, thereby increasing revenue. Some restaurants are going after the same objective by offering Groupon deals for specific reservation times, as reported recently in the Tribune (subscription required).

I am hoping Nsxtasy is correct on this. Having been to Senza several times they do seem to be very busy during prime dinner time on weekends (and can become a bit loud when nearly full), but significantly less so on weeknights or early/late seatings. I am not a fan of tickets but understand the benefit and draw of them to certain types of restaurants. As much as I love Senza (it is one of my ten favorite venues in Chicago) if the ticket system is accompanied by a price increase I am unlikely to return for a while (I am squeezing in a visit later this month before the ticket system goes live and am very excited as there has finally been significant changes to the menu and the current one posted online looks incredible). If however the ticket prices reflect discounted pricing for weeknight and/or non prime time reservation slots I would be OK with this.

As my wife sometimes has to travel on short notice for work (and with the risk of illness, family emergencies, etc.) I try and minimize the amount of restaurant obligations I make that require tickets, but I have had enough very positive experiences at Senza that under the right circumstances I might purchase tickets going forward. This reluctance to purchase tickets especially holds true for venues where there is not sufficient demand for a strong secondary market. The only venue I am aware of where I feel tickets are used both to the advantage of the restaurant and consumer is Elizabeth (the benefits to the consumer are that Chef Regan often offers greatly discounted tickets to fill time slots that are not selling well and she has some flexibility for allowing tickets to be rescheduled in the event an emergency arises close to one's reservation date). As such I purchase tickets from Elizabeth without hesitation, but am highly reluctant to purchase tickets from any other venue.

I do agree with Ronnie that the subject line in the e-mail was a poor choice for introducing something that is more favorable to the restaurant and largely at the expense of consumers. Would have been much better to have simply explained the rationale for transitioning to ticket systems and explaining how it will work than spinning it as something exciting for diners. A bit surprising as during every visit to Senza I have found the staff to be among the warmest and most customer service oriented people I have encountered.

We will soon see if the ticket increase comes with higher or lower (at select days/times) prices than the current price tag and then time will tell if Senza has sufficient popularity to be able to pull off an unpopular reservation system that scares off far more people than it attracts. I do wish them luck but my initial reaction to hearing that they were switching to tickets was not positive and IMHO if they felt they had to make changes they likely could have found a middle ground to meet most of their goals without reverting to tickets.