Next: Vegan

Next Restaurant officially launched its vegan menu last night. I'm going to refrain from offering subjective comments about the food because a) it was the first night of service and b) I'm suffering from horrible allergies, so my palette is definitely off. But they made some changes to the beverage program, and I left feeling a bit disappointed with it.

It's no secret that Next has been generous to a fault with their alcoholic beverage pairings, going so far as to leave the bottles on the table during courses so you can refill your drink. And many people comment that they've gotten unexpectedly sloshed during the course of dinner. I can understand why they'd want to address that & make some changes. But...

* It appears that bottles are no longer left on the table. They weren't left on ours and we didn't see them being left on anyone else's either.
* Our servers didn't do a good job communicating of when a drink was expected to last several courses. So there were times where went a couple courses without beverages, because no refills were available.
* There were six pairings. Two of those six were identical for both the standard and reserve pairing. So you're paying about a $10 ($108-$78 x tax and tip) premium for each of the four other pours if you get the reserve pairing.
* Based on the prices below, you're paying $13 (non-alcoholic), $17 (standard) or $25 (reserve), on average, per (small) pour.

The pairings--non-alcoholic, standard and reserve--were delicious, as always, but after paying an additional $100+ (my table split the cost of our assortment of pairings) I headed home feeling as if there was a mismatch between the price I paid and the value I received. Ultimately, I probably would have been happier just having water, and I haven't felt that way with the alcoholic or non-alcoholic pairings in the past.

Non-alcoholic pairing: $58
Alcoholic pairing: $78
Reserve pairing: $108

They probably made the changes because people would order a non and alcoholic pairing and then share. We would be reasonable and not empty the bottle but as experienced next diners we knew the danger of sprinting out of the gate. I'm sure there were other tables that would order water and alcoholic and then essentially get a bogo .

I really don't like this change though, as there are several usually shared courses for a single pairing so you'd end up empty with courses left.

trs23 wrote:They probably made the changes because people would order a non and alcoholic pairing and then share.
We would be reasonable and not empty the bottle but as experienced next diners we knew the danger of sprinting out of the gate.

I'd done that on prior menus at the suggestion of the server, and I'd been thrilled with the results...I felt as if I enjoyed a nice combination of alcoholic drinks and non-alcoholic drinks, without over-indulging, but while receiving the appropriate value for what I paid.

Honestly, I suspect Next realized that their traditional pairing provided too much alcohol--true, in my mind--and they felt as if they needed to find a way to give the average person a more manageable amount. Because Next refuses to sell a la carte drinks, many of us found an alternate solution: Split an alcoholic and a non-alcoholic pairing. But once you've conditioned people to do that, if you suddenly change the rules--lesser volume for the same price--it's almost inevitable that people will feel disappointed.

I don't want to make too big of a deal about it. I realize that I was there on the first night of a new menu, which is admittedly a work in progress. Maybe they hadn't gotten all of the pairings figured out yet, maybe they were testing the pacing of the beverage service, maybe my section of the dining room was simply an anomaly. (Frankly, I noticed some other inconsistencies that I haven't seen at Next before, and that I'd assume were occurring because of the menu changeover.) Before drawing too many conclusions, I'll be interested to hear what others experience in the coming weeks.

I like how their vegan youtube video doesn't take itself so seriously: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBDGzW_xLK8



Also, I'm looking to trade my 5:45 June 30th table for two tickets for another weekend. I do not have drink pairing included. PM my if you're interested in a trade.

We're going this Wednesday. Any other reports on the wine pours? We were planning to split the wine tasting and the non-alcoholic tasting, but may not if if the wine tasting has gotten a lot smaller.

We were there Saturday night. Dinner took around 3 hours and 45 minutes. I really enjoyed the wine pairings (we did the standard) and I thought it was an appropriate amount of alcohol. I was even able to handle a drink at The Aviary afterwards, which I am rarely able to do.

jesteinf wrote:We were there Saturday night. Dinner took around 3 hours and 45 minutes. I really enjoyed the wine pairings (we did the standard) and I thought it was an appropriate amount of alcohol. I was even able to handle a drink at The Aviary afterwards, which I am rarely able to do.

Great to hear since I'm a confirmed lightweight.

"They probably made the changes because people would order a non and alcoholic pairing and then share."

Yeah that's what I do.

Any word on the food? Glad my tickets are later into the menu because I ate The Hunt very early and did not like it.

I thought the menu was in good shape given how early in the season they are. Service was a little spotty but not to the point where it really bothered me. They did a great job incorporating a variety of global flavors through the entire menu. I really respect what they've put together with this one.

As far as the more limited alcohol goes, it seems like a fine idea, but then their prices should reflect the change.

Jarvis wrote:As far as the more limited alcohol goes, it seems like a fine idea, but then their prices should reflect the change.

My efforts to justify any of Next's pricing stopped with the Thailand menu. I like the restaurant, I just try not to think about how much it actually costs to eat there.

jesteinf wrote:

Jarvis wrote:As far as the more limited alcohol goes, it seems like a fine idea, but then their prices should reflect the change.

My efforts to justify any of Next's pricing stopped with the Thailand menu. I like the restaurant, I just try not to think about how much it actually costs to eat there.

I wonder if the original business model was just not profitable? From an early press release: (http://eater.com/archives/2010/05/03/br ... urants.php):

"Prix fixe menus will be $40 to $75, with a $25 supplement for wine pairings. Tickets will be made like a "theater or sporting event" via the restaurant's website. Nick Kokonas told GS Chicago that "Next will be four star dining at three star prices.""

jesteinf wrote:

Jarvis wrote:As far as the more limited alcohol goes, it seems like a fine idea, but then their prices should reflect the change.

My efforts to justify any of Next's pricing stopped with the Thailand menu. I like the restaurant, I just try not to think about how much it actually costs to eat there.

The standard wine pairings for Paris cost $10 less than the non-alcoholic pairings currently do...

Lol @ those prices. I don't even think Paris ended up being that cheap. Standard wine pairings certainly weren't that cheap and I don't even remember if they had non-alcoholic back then.

I paid 65 dollars each for my Paris tickets. I didn't get the wine pairing.

Clearly they raised their prices due to high demand.

Yeah, I remember those cheap prices, especially that crazy deal for Childhood that was something like $35/person.

But, in all fairness, the menu's at Next have gotten longer and, with perhaps the exception of Sicily, each course has become as intricate as any other high-end tasting menu around the world. El Bulli and Bocuse D'Or are both much more expensive and the others seem comparable based on menu price (of course my memory could be faulty):
• Kyoto vs. Katsu's $180 kaiseki-order-in-advance
• The Hunt vs. Faviken ($188, though that tends to have seafood too)
• Vegan (which is the 2nd longest menu behind El Bulli) vs Charlie Trotter's vegetarian menu (was $135 I think) or Grace's Flora ($185)

I don't think it's simply a matter of charging more because "they can" or demand exceeds supply etc., though that very well may be part of it. My guess really is that Achatz & Beran have become more ambitious once they saw that there was the market for doing something creative and risky by changing menus seasonally and thus tried to run with each menu's concept to the fullest extent.

Achatz and Beran occasionally mention which restaurants they have travelled to in the process of researching each menu and I've been struck by the fact that many of them are very famous and more high-end than the original concept of "four star dining at three star prices" (ex. Il Duomo in Ragusa for Sicily or Aronia de Takazawa and Kitcho for Kyoto)

I'm really looking forward to the Vegan menu. Part of the allure of the Next system is signing up for meals you might not otherwise pursue, and knowing you are getting them from a thoughtful and talented kitchen.

(But, yes, at the current prices, the place needs to re-establish consistency and to step up, or at least return, to 4 star service. I doubt I'll renew my tix if I get the bum's rush out again. But I also doubt they'd really care. So whatever.)

I just looked.

I had Paris on the first Friday. My cost was 188 a person with standard pairings.

Next is still pretty awesome, but it is one of many awesome places around town.

At the current prices I really need to pick and choose which menus I try to go to.

Thanks for the advice. We ended up getting two wine pairings. Perhaps they follow some of the complaints about the wine service because when we finished our first drink early (we didn't realize it went with two courses), they poured a second glass for each of us. I thought it was a fair amount of alcohol, but I couldn't guess as to the total. Most of the rest of the meal they gave us a warning of how many courses were associated with the pour. They didn't leave the bottles at the table, which was fine with me. We may have been better off splitting the non-alcoholic and alcoholic pairings, but it was a lot of fun.

It was my first time at Next because I'm pescetarian and they wouldn't adjust the other menus. I really, really enjoyed it. The presentations were so playful--the first course looks like slime on a rock and other bites were presented on a log. I was really impressed with the flavors and I thought the pairings were really interesting and complemented the food--in addition to champagne, a herby wine that I think was Spanish and a truly lovely barolo, we had one cider course, one sake, and a mixed drink at the end.

I thought the service was excellent--relaxed but very attentive. Very friendly. It may not be to everyone's taste, but I thought it was comfortable and fun. It could be that they're easing in to this menu a bit more.

The entire meal took about 4 hours, with several long breaks in service that we enjoyed. It gave us time to chat and watch what was happening in the rest of the room.

The food was definitely restrained a little by the fact that it was vegan. There were a very few courses where they made a traditional pastry or bread that simply paled in comparison to what you can do with butter and egg. For example, the pieces of naan screamed for a bit of ghee. But other courses with house made rice milk yogurt and other non-dairy creams that were fabulous. They also used tempeh and vegetables in ways that I haven't seen before (one onion substitution for meat stands out). I also really loved the Asian courses. But my favorite was when they played with the outer limits with what food can be--a savory course that seemed like a deconstructed apple pie with house made apple vinegar was a stand out.

Several years ago we did the vegetarian tasting menu at Charlie Trotters. That is and likely will remain the high point for me in dining out. This dinner was more playful, and high concept, but didn't reach that level. And I don't think it was really reaching for it--it was a different experience and that's great too. I would recommend going, especially if you have a restricted diet--this may be your only chance. I love this kind of meal--it's such a treat and a lot of places can't or won't adjust their menus. I understand that, so I'm so grateful when this kind of opportunity comes along so I can stop being jealous about everyone's posts.

veghound: I had the Charlie Trotter's vegetable menu a year or two ago, and it was one of the best meals I've ever had, and I'm not a vegetarian. I'd love to compare it to the current meal at Next, but I don't think I'm up the the effort involved in getting tickets!

Jonah wrote:veghound: I had the Charlie Trotter's vegetable menu a year or two ago, and it was one of the best meals I've ever had, and I'm not a vegetarian. I'd love to compare it to the current meal at Next, but I don't think I'm up the the effort involved in getting tickets!

For the past couple of menus there has been tons of excitement/demand the first several weeks of the new menu, but then demand sharply dropped for the last few weeks of the menu. While it likely will take some effort to score tickets for May (and possibly June) if you wait until July or (especially) August you may find tickets readily available.

I also am not vegetarian, but sometimes enjoy vegetarian meals (heading to one tonight). My personal favorite vegetarian menu in Chicago right now is at Grace - well worth trying for anybody intrigued by the Next Vegan menu (though unfortunately it is considerably more expensive). I am excited for Next Vegan, but have to wait until July for my tickets. Have been enjoying reading about people's impressions so far.

Thanks gonzo. I'll wait a month or two and check the web site.

Anyone receive the foie gras course?

I'm a bit surprised than no one has posted any pictures. Has this ever happened before or is Next's Vegan menu their greatest failure?

bean wrote:I'm a bit surprised than no one has posted any pictures. Has this ever happened before or is Next's Vegan menu their greatest failure?

I would hope that's not how this menu is seen. While it wasn't my favorite menu (I think I'd give that to either Paris or The Hunt), it's certainly not at the bottom (Childhood or Thailand for me).

Here are pictures from this menu if anyone is interested in spoilers.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ian_paetow ... 798162110/

These pictures were not taken by me. Credit goes to Ian Paetow who shared it on FB:

Jonah wrote:veghound: I had the Charlie Trotter's vegetable menu a year or two ago, and it was one of the best meals I've ever had, and I'm not a vegetarian. I'd love to compare it to the current meal at Next, but I don't think I'm up the the effort involved in getting tickets!

Jonah,
They just released more tickets. I got in without a problem for a 6 pm seating on a Saturday night! Go for it now!

I also did Charlie Trotter's vegetable menu a couple of times and loved it. I'm also looking forward to hitting Grace before year's end.

Yeah, if you don't mind eating at 9:00 P.M., they have tickets available every day in June, July, and August... except June 15.

TCK wrote:Yeah, if you don't mind eating at 9:00 P.M., they have tickets available every day in June, July, and August... except June 15.

I also saw a bunch of tickets for 5:30-5:45pm, which I don't have a problem with for a meal lasting several hours.

My top three meals at Next have been El Bulli, Childhood and Paris (I've missed only the Hunt). While Childhood didn't necessarily deliver all of the magnificent flavors of the other two, it made up for that with genius creativity and a sense of nostalgia. Vegan is now another one of my favorite Next meals - not because I loved the food (I liked it a lot), but because I thought it was brilliantly concepted, beautifully presented, and mostly delicious. What I'm saying is that I love meat, eggs, butter, fish and cheese, and even when I eat vegetable-centric meals, damn if it's not because there's a perfectly cooked egg with an oozing yolk melting through the vegetables. So for me to leave a restaurant following a vegan meal, and more satisfied than after most other meals where I have plenty of meat, butter and eggs, that's quite a statement.

Let me start by apologizing for some of the less ideal photos - my position at the table, the lighting, and the rather fast and aggressive hands and hungry mouths at my table made my food photography habit quite the challenge. Allow me also to suggest the possibility of skipping my review if you will soon be dining at Next. As always, there are small surprises best experienced for the first time during the meal, and no question I will spoil some of that for you. You can always skip to the portion below my pictures to avoid these surprises.

We sat down to a table decorated with a vase of tree branches and a vase with floating lilies and a single, floating candle:







After a glass of Scharffenberger Brut Excellent, the vase of tree branches was immediately put to use with our first course, "kale bouquet." See, hiding in plain sight among the tree branches in the vase were long pieces of crisp sourdough flatbread. A large stone served as the communal plate, and was adorned with a blanket of intense charred avocado puree, along with kale shaped as flowers, and filled with avocado (and lime?) puree. You used the crisp flatbread to scoop up the puree. I would have preferred the flatbread to be a little more firmly crisp, but it was still quite good and the avocado puree silky smooth and delicious.


Kale Bouquet



We were then presented with a rapid fire succession of small bites. There was a single bite of sprouted tempeh, which I did a poor job of both photographing and remembering.


Sprouted Tempeh



There was a beautiful and delicious frozen baked potato, served on a decorative metal piece similar to what I recall being used for the croquettas at the El Bulli menu. Like the perfect baked potato, there was crisp skin, a silky smooth filling, and chives. Simple, but one of my favorite bites of the evening.


Frozen Baked Potato



Next has always recognized not only that we eat with our eyes, but that we are also impressed with creative and fascinating ways to deliver food. This continued with the delivery of a large tree branch which held our next two bites.



Nori Dumpling and Earl Grey Rambutan

First on the branch, an ethereal yet rich nori dumpling that would cause any sushi lover to at least temporarily ignore his hatred of California rolls. There was also a hollowed-out rambutan, filled with a thick gel of rambutan juice and Earl Grey tea. It was a delicious small bite, though I don't recall in hindsight whether I actually tasted the tea accent.



One of my favorite bites of the evening was the slow roasted baby artichoke. I cannot recall ever having been served such a perfect roasted artichoke - the inner leaves perfectly edible, rich artichoke flavor puree lightly accented with lemon and a perfectly cooked heart. I was amazed how tender the artichoke was without being lifeless and limp . . . if only my picture captured the beauty.


Baby Artichoke



Could Next re-create the Paris duck course for Vegans? Not exactly, but they could certainly try in some respect:








The above was a fermented apple cider, with an apple cider vinegar quality and taste, prepared table-side. It was the beverage component to a plated apple sorbet, lichen (apparently an edible fungus that grows on apple trees), rose, cashews and cashew butter. I recall thinking that it was akin to a savory caramel apple, though perhaps more refreshing.


Fermented Apples and Lichen



Though the presence of the floating lilies never struck me as anything other than a table decoration, I really should have known better. Of course the water in the lily vase was really a vinegar solution. Of course the little leaves floating among the lilies were edible greens/herbs. (You may want to look just up above again for the lily vase/pond.) So after serving us edible roots of the lily plant, our server than garnished the lilies with some of the greens that had been floating in the vase. Surprisingly tasty, but even more impressive in terms of the surprising presentation. The drink component for this course was Duché de Longueville Cidre Bouché de Cru.


Lily Pond



For some reason, in the Midwest it seems like we are always deprived of the wonderful, delicate flavors of white asparagus. So I was to be easily thrilled with the rice yogurt and white asparagus course. Underneath a crisp rice cracker lay white asparagus, rice yogurt, and small cubes of wine-poached pear. Though the asparagus, yogurt and pear component was spectacular, my rice cracker was so salty and close to being inedible. When my three dining companions looked at me as if I were crazy when I mentioned this, two of us exchanged portions of rice crackers, leaving my one friend gasping and grabbing for a drink of water because of the over-salting, and me smiling that I could taste all of the components together as had probably been intended. Someone in the kitchen must have had a shaky hand for a moment (or known who I was ) I will say that this was the only obvious flaw in the evening, yet this still was one of my few favorites.


Rice Yogurt and White Asparagus



Next obviously recognized the challenges in serving a Vegan meal, and yet the need to fulfill expectations. And so surprises lurked at every turn. The course of salsifies with oyster and dandelion most certainly surprised. There was salsify served with what I believe was oyster leaf, and a classic mignonette sauce. There was also what I seem to recall being salsify, dandelion greens and a puree of dandelion greens (I think) that was delicious, but it was the flavor of a classic oyster presentation that impressed and thrilled me the most. This course was served with a 2009 Guy Breton Régnié (Beaujolais)


Salsifies with oyster and dandelion



I was not quite as enamored with the Swiss chard and douchi - the Swiss chard leaf prepared tempura style, lightly greasy, served above a splatter of rhubarb, and spread very lightly with melted unsweetened chocolate. The leaf also served as the bread so to speak (or tostada as Next called it) for the mixture of fried douchi (fermented soybean), and more unsweetened chocolate. I seem to recall our server telling us this was meant to be similar to a molé. There was a lot going on here - sweet, sour, savory . . . but it just didn't come together so well for me, although it was beautifully plated.


Swiss chard and douchi



I was reminded slightly of the delicious tofu dish at Sumi Robata Bar by the kombu atoll - seaweed, tofu skin, yuzu and soy sauces, if I recall correctly. It was light and delicious, with the kombu delivering a light sea flavor, thus playing the role of the vegan "roe" in this dish. It was as beautiful in appearance, served in a seashell-shaped dish. And it was accompanied by a great sake, Konteki Tears of Dawn Daiginjo from Kyoto.


Kombu Atoll



A lighter, almost comical moment, was when a server brought over the mushroom cart. I've seen my fair share of cheese carts, several beef and dessert carts too . . . but never a mushroom cart. I certainly don't envision this becoming a trend, so if you are insistent upon seeing a mushroom cart in action, you better get your tickets to Next! On the cart, there were several types of mushroom: matsutake, white beech, morel, enoki and shiitake.





These mushrooms made their way into a wonderful mushroom risotto, featuring farro rather than rice. I believe the risotto also incorporated black truffle and sunflower puree. The risotto was creamy, but with the farro still retaining some light crunch. And while I would have been thrilled to find some parmesan and butter lurking somewhere in this bowl, I must say I would be perfectly content to find a bowl of this risotto placed in front of me at any meal. The risotto was paired with a terrific 2009 Barolo by Parusso.


Mushroom Cart - Mushroom Risotto with Farro



Alex Stupak was the pastry chef when Alinea first opened (now he has two Mexican restaurants in New York) and was credited with part of the next course, called red onion, and done in the style of a Thai larb. Stupak got credit for the quinoa wire, the thin, crispy strip (made of quinoa) that rest upon the larb. I don't recall what was used to create the green puree painted on the plate, but it ultimately served as the cool component to the spicy larb. The larb gained its richness from heavily caramelized onions, but also incorporated red peppers for some real heat, as well as cilantro. This course was tasty, although I wish they had brought in a fermented bean paste or the like to make up for the absence of fish sauce. This course was accompanied by a fantastic Pinot Gris from Alsace, Schlumberger Grand Cru Spiegel, 2007.


Red Onion | Inspired by Stupak



The final savory course of the evening was also an excuse for more fun - this time, a log with test tubes filled with seeds/sprouts serving as branches.




We were then presented with what may have been the most photogenic course of the evening, curry roasted cauliflower atop what I believe was a wonderfully aromatic and spicy harissa (and maybe curry) sauce. There was also a single chopstick on the table, and we were instructed to insert the chopstick into a test tube and push out the components (spices and a root with leaves - can't recall if it was soybean or chickpea). The charred cauliflower was terrific, and the silky smooth sauce was even better. It was also served with a very good, charred naan. With no ghee in either the sauce or the naan, I was stunned just how good this dish was.




Curry Roasted Cauliflower and Naan


Did I mention that the sauce was not very good? It's a good thing I had the naan.





Our introduction to dessert had two components, a teaspoon of olive oil jam with a Szechuan button, named so because of its slightly tingly, slightly numbing effect. The effect was rather subtle, far less than that of a Szechuan peppercorn (and unrelated to that plant), and quite short in duration.

The other component to this dessert was a bowl of chocolate, black truffle, strawberry and more of the olive oil jam. The chocolate had a sponge-like texture, reminding me of the microwaved cake served during the El Bulli menu. The chocolate-black truffle combination was both sweet and earth, and freeze-dried strawberry added a very interesting component to the dish. I don't know exactly how the olive oil/Szechuan button combination were supposed to pair with the bitter chocolate portion, but I nonetheless enjoyed this course.




Olive Oil Jam and Bitter Chocolate - olive oil jam and Szechuan button in top picture




Without question, my favorite course of the evening was our main dessert course. There were shortbread crumbs (can't remember what they used in place of butter here), pistachio, hibiscus syrup, a very cold, but melting vanilla yogurt of sorts encased in a thin shell that when cracked oozed the frozen dessert, and a hibiscus-swirled yogurt (or frozen dessert). There were quite a few components here, but all of them were outstanding and worked together perfectly. And it was plated (okay, tree trunked) beautifully. I'm not sure milk, cream, eggs or butter could have improved this dish. It was served with a delicious, rich and smoky cocktail comprised of Lambrusco, Mezcal and Carpano Antica, perhaps a smoky negroni?


Hibiscus and Pistachio




Mignardises followed - called steamed crepes. There were three per person, one passion fruit, one chocolate and the last I think was vanilla. They were very light, almost like miniature sponge cakes, but delicious.


Steamed Crepes



Overall, a terrific meal. Other than the main dessert though, I wouldn't say there was anything I loved. But I really enjoyed the food, and I loved the overall experience (and left quite full by the way). If you get excited about food, and you love to read and talk about it, and learn new things, I don't know how you wouldn't be excited to explore this menu. This is like diving from 50 meters when you've never gone diving before - it is such an in-depth exploration of vegan cuisine, and many ingredients I've never tried, at the very least in the way they were presented. Perhaps most amazing to me is that Next and its staff - proud omnivores to be sure - were able to develop so many delicious courses without fish, meat and dairy, but with so many different flavors. And though I really don't have significant knowledge when it comes to vegan food, I wouldn't doubt if they were in totally uncharted waters in terms of the food and courses they developed. In my opinion, this menu might have been their greatest feat.

Unfortunately, my curiosity coupled with my lack of knowledge of vegan foods might also have led to my one disappointment with the evening. All of our servers were very nice and professional. But they didn't really possess significant knowledge beyond the basics of what they has probably been told about the food. Ask questions and they seemed to merely repeat what they had already told you. We mention a dish is normally made with butter, or with eggs, and we ask how did they achieve a certain texture/flavor without those ingredients, and we couldn't obtain answers (a couple of times we were given obviously wrong information). This is the menu where I think the staff needed to be on top of its game, and needed to be taught quite a bit about the food. I doubt the restaurant is simply filled with people with $100 bills falling out of their wallets - there are people dining at Next seriously intrigued by cuisine and admittedly unsophisticated about this type of dining. I supposed it's one thing to show up at an expensive steakhouse and find professional yet unknowledgeable servers. But I would expect (perhaps incorrectly) Next to educate their servers at a different level. And at the same time we were hoping for some more information about the food, Francis Lam was dining near us and had visits during nearly every course from Chef Beran. I wish I could have been a fly on the wall during some of the discussions. In fairness, many may not have had the same curiosity, but for me, this was the one small negative of the evening.

Well, there was also Next's ubiquitous leaflet explaining the menu concept - surprise, surprise, they're omnivores. Personally, I would rather read along with the menu as they're describing it, and have them do away with this almost rote menu presentation.

But minor complaints aside, I thought this was a terrific menu and a fascinating exploration of a food type I've never before cared to explore. I highly recommend a visit. It's easy to sit back and say you're not interested in vegan food (as I would normally do), but just remember whose hands you've placed these veggies in. And for those concerned with statistics, our meal lasted just shy of three hours, and was very well paced.

Yay! Thanks for the report BR! I've been waiting and waiting to hear an impression of this menu from the omnivore point of view.

BR wrote:If you get excited about food, and you love to read and talk about it, and learn new things, I don't know how you wouldn't be excited to explore this menu. This is like diving from 50 meters when you've never gone diving before - it is such an in-depth exploration of vegan cuisine, and many ingredients I've never tried, at the very least in the way they were presented.

I have a friend who is a vegan chef (not in Chicago) who would be so heartened to read quotes like this and also hear about how you were curious about the ingredients used in vegan cooking. His theory is that a vegan lifestyle should not involve compromising your palate because of your beliefs, but instead vegan food should be a cuisine that is rich, varied, healthy, and satisfying in its own right. Omnivores like us should be able to enjoy a vegan meal too and not feel as though something is missing. It sounds like the folks at Next are making some headway at dispelling vegan stereotypes, which is what I would expect from their skill and creativity.