Even as someone who liked Grace I thought it was VERY expensive. We did the wine pairings and I think for 2 of us the check was still around $800 or so. Definitely more than I've spent at Alinea, Tru, or L2O.

jesteinf wrote:Definitely more than I've spent at Alinea, Tru, or L2O.

Perhaps you haven't been to Alinea lately, or ordered the shorter menu at L2O? As noted above, Grace is $185 (EDIT: corrected) for either menu, and their wine pairings are $110. Alinea is currently $210-265 for the menu, depending on day and time, and they have a choice of standard or premium pairings; I don't know the current price of the pairings but I would be surprised if either is less than Grace's. I believe those prices have not changed since they went to their ticketing system (a year ago, I think). Tru revamped their menus recently - they now no longer have an a la carte option - and they currently offer the choice between a 7-course menu for $115 with $85 for pairings, and the 14-course "experience" menu for $158 with $125 for pairings. L2O offers a prix fixe menu for $140 and a tasting menu for $198, not sure about the charge for pairings.

Although I too spent more for dinner at Grace than I did the last time I was at Alinea, it's not a fair comparison, since at that time Alinea had a $140 short menu (no longer available) and $195 long menu (now $210-265) and I ordered the pairings at Grace, only one glass of wine at Alinea. If you keep the comparison "apples-to-apples", you can expect to pay substantially more at Alinea than at Grace.

Alinea with pairings is significantly more than Grace. Alinea's pairings run $150 (standard) or $250 (reserve) versus $110 at Grace. Grace's food is actually $185 (not $195) versus $210 to $265 for Alinea. I agree Grace is really expensive, but not out of line with other restaurants of its caliber. Both venues do a nice job working with you on less expensive pairing options upon request.

nsxtasy wrote:

jesteinf wrote:Definitely more than I've spent at Alinea, Tru, or L2O.

Perhaps you haven't been to Alinea lately, or ordered the shorter menu at L2O? As noted above, Grace is $195 for either menu, and their wine pairings are $110. Alinea is currently $210-265 for the menu, depending on day and time, and they have a choice of standard or premium pairings; I don't know the current price of the pairings but I would be surprised if either is less than Grace's. I believe those prices have not changed since they went to their ticketing system (a year ago, I think). Tru revamped their menus recently - they now no longer have an a la carte option - and they currently offer the choice between a 7-course menu for $115 with $85 for pairings, and the 14-course "experience" menu for $158 with $125 for pairings. L2O offers a prix fixe menu for $140 and a tasting menu for $198, not sure about the charge for pairings.

I'm not sure what the point of this post is. Josh said he spent more at Grace than he did at Alinea, Tru or L20 and there's absolutely no reason to challenge him or doubt him. Quoting a bunch of current prices, many of which you admit you're not entirely sure, seems largely irrelevant. The bottom line is that Grace isn't inexpensive but it is pretty much in line with other fine-dining restaurants in Chicago. Value, as always, is in the eye of the beholder.

=R=

Gonzo70 wrote:Grace's food is actually $185 (not $195) versus $210 to $265 for Alinea.

Sorry. Fixed.

Gonzo70 wrote:Both venues do a nice job working with you on less expensive pairing options upon request.

You can also order by the glass or by the bottle at either venue.

ronnie_suburban wrote:Josh said he spent more at Grace than he did at Alinea, Tru or L20 and there's absolutely no reason to challenge him or doubt him.

I didn't challenge or doubt him at all. In accepting his statement, I merely added a possible explanation why his experience may be different from what one could generally expect by comparing menu prices.

ronnie_suburban wrote:Quoting a bunch of current prices, many of which you admit you're not entirely sure, seems largely irrelevant.

I was only unsure of the wine pairing prices, and the only thing I speculated on is that the pairings at Alinea were higher than at Grace, which Gonzo confirmed. And quoting actual prices seems like an extremely relevant and accurate way of comparing the cost of dining at one restaurant to another, no?

disagree wrote:Other people cannot determine what is a value for someone else.

True, but we can all determine the value of what is being served and how it is served.

If somebody chooses to pay $100 for a #3 meal at McDonald's with an upgrade in french fries, that is their choice. The value of that purchase can never really be justified compared to similar meals in the market......some people can afford that more than others. The food being served doesn't change in value/quality.

nsxtasy wrote:By way of comparison, the cost of dinner at Grace - $185 (EDIT: corrected) - is less than dinner at Alinea, and is generally similar to several other high-end restaurants in Chicago, including Next, Elizabeth, and L2O; each of those has options that affect the price. It's also less than some other high-end restaurants elsewhere in the country, where dinner runs $270 at the French Laundry, $295 at Per Se (where lunch is $195), $425 at Joel Robuchon (although they also have an a la carte option), and $195 at Eleven Madison Park.

I've eaten at all of those with the exception of Elizabeth. I think Grace is priced fairly using that group as a benchmark.

I've eaten at all the places you mention above, as well. To borrow a famous quote, "You (Grace) are no Eleven Madison Park" (or Joel Robuchon, or Per Se, etc).

My quibble is not with the price per se. If I have a great experience, I'm totally willing to pay the price. I love Alinea (superb!), L20 (I think may be the best restaurant in Chicago, other than Alinea), Per Se (too technical for me but extraordinary nonetheless), Robuchon (I miss the NYC Robuchon!; Las Vegas and Paris of course, worth every penny), Eleven Madison Park (they are friends but my favorite restaurant in North America). To me, these restaurants provide an extraordinary dining experience with world class service and food that I remember. If the food and experience (service) are great, I have no problem with the prices.

Let's hope Grace gets there. The folks running it are great and I'm sure we all want them to succeed. I will say, though, that when Per Se first opened, the price point wasn't what it is now. When Daniel Humm first came to Eleven Madison Park, the prices were far, far lower than they are now (and remained low for some time, even though he was using very luxe ingredients). My point is many of these places, when they started, offered far lower prices than later, when they became more universally known and celebrated.

Time will tell. But as I've said (and I promise I'll stop here), if I'm going to spend that money, I'll go to L20 (in Chicago) or EMP (in NYC).

But...good luck to Grace and the talented team there. There's potential; I just don't think its nearly there yet.

spanky wrote:If somebody chooses to pay $100 for a #3 meal at McDonald's with an upgrade in french fries, that is their choice. The value of that purchase can never really be justified compared to similar meals in the market......some people can afford that more than others. The food being served doesn't change in value/quality.

This analogy is terribly flawed. No one's ever going to pay $100 for a #3 meal at McDonalds because they're only ever going to pay what they're charged. It's just not reality to distill it down to a hypothetical situation that would never actually happen and then write it off as an obvious, objective call. No one's ever going to leave an extra $95 on the counter at McDonalds just because they can afford to do so. We're talking about real restaurants and what they actually charge. Whether or not one considers a $500 meal a value is highly personal and subjective, and hinges on factors beyond the actual cost of the food.

=R=

I visited Grace for the first time last Thursday. The dinner was 10 guys who are wine aficionados, with the wines brought by us and the menu set up by the team at Grace. The food was fantastic and the service superb. I've never been a molecular gastronomy fan, but the controlled use of it in a couple of the dishes was really outstanding. It's certainly not a cheap place, but I think it's one of the best places in the city after only 8 months in business. I'll definitely be back.

Grace has been on our “must-get-to” list for longer than I’d care to admit. I was late in calling to get a table for the Lovely Dining Companion’s birthday but the gods (and the reservations folks) took pity on me and I was number one on the waiting list. Four days before the date, I got a call: they had a table at 5:30. A trifle early, but who am I to quibble with the gods? We had our table at Grace.

Thanks to the Kennedy we arrived at 5:28, almost exactly on time. We were greeted warmly and brought into a room lit carefully, though subdued. There were, however, lights perfectly positioned above each spot at our booth and perhaps best of all, this is one of those rare places where the tables aren’t crammed together. There was plenty of room between tables and because of that, there is room for everyone to maneuver and you’re not forced to listen to the conversation of people seated two feet (or less) away (I’m looking at you, Next). We found the room refined; it exudes a sense of luxury without being in your face. A warmth came through: exceptionally thoughtful choices were made to create this feeling, from the art to the tables and chairs, from the lighting to the linens and the flatware. Although it’s not what I’d call a warm and cozy place, it is—almost despite itself—comfortable and relaxing. Refined, elegant, tranquil, and yes, graceful.

We’d both concede that it’s ultimately a minor point (if indeed a point at all), but we were impressed that this is a restaurant that took our special occasion seriously. From the reception staff to the server, from the printed menu to the special dessert, Grace and its staff made clear that they didn’t forget and wanted us to enjoy the special day. I mention this, not so much for the fact of it (though it is increasingly rare) but because it illustrates a more fundamental point: Grace is a restaurant whose staff pays attention to everything, even the little things. (Example: though LDC chose the fauna menu, she asked if a substitution might be possible for the lamb course. She’s not allergic; she just doesn’t like it at all. Had it been served—certainly an option well within the kitchen’s rights—she would have just left it. Instead, the kitchen offered to substitute the equivalent course from the flora menu, centered around maitake). The people who make Grace what it is, recognize that a great dinner, a great experience, is more than the sum of its parts. Great food is not enough. Great service is not enough. There are so many things that go into a how an evening is experienced, some—perhaps even many—of them intangible. Our dinner and our evening were exceptional.


Three amuses: yuzu-flavored drink with chia seeds, bitter orange sphere, and Alaskan king crab and butter

Three tastes, served simultaneously: sweet, sour, umami. The yuzu was the most interesting to me, the bitter orange explodes in the mouth but is not sweet, as expected, and the king crab and butter, well…what need I say? I can’t really imagine a better single bit and, paired with the little butter bomb, superb. Three different tastes to warm the palate and heighten expectations. They got us talking, which is always a good thing, about what we knew about Grace, what we didn’t know, and what was in store for us.


Chawanmushi, osetra, yuzu, and purple shiso

Chawanmushi is quintessential Japanese comfort food and, at least in my experience, hard to pull off just right. Texture is an elusive creature—especially the right texture. I’ve had plenty of mediocre chawanmushi, even in Japanese restaurants. In fact, I do have one criticism of Chef Duffy’s: I wish there had been more in the bowl.


Hibiscus cup with autumn vegetables, amaranth, and tarragon

The combination, as would prove true again and again for me, was fascinating. I enjoy the interplay of textures and tastes but I just couldn’t abide the hibiscus cup. I like hibiscus and I am a big fan of sour; I often drink a lot of jamaica in the summer, but this was too sour. It was pure hibiscus and would have benefitted from just a touch of sugar to relieve the constant, strong sour flavor. Hibiscus has a lovely taste and I think could have been the right choice for the cup but its sourness dominated everything and in the end the dish just didn’t work for that reason. Part of me can’t help wondering whether beet wouldn’t have been a better choice….


Butters

Several breads were served with these (cow’s milk on the right, multiple herbs on the left). A lavash, a pretzel bread, a small olive roll (I think I’m forgetting one or two others). All were hot—not just warm. And all were quite good. But the butters were the star.


Brandade, charred pineapple, hearts of palm, and chamomile

Cod and pineapple—charred or otherwise—would not be a combination I would think to make. Which is why Curtis Duffy has two Michelin stars and I have, uh, none. This was a fascinating dish, less distinctively brandade-like than I personally would have preferred, but the emphasis was more on the combinations: flavor, texture, temperature. And for that, it worked wonderfully.


Squab, kaffir lime, green strawberry, and sorrel

Once again, an offbeat pairing. I’m not convinced by the green strawberry (unripe, not a different variety). I understand the point of the acid, but I’m just not sure I buy it. Or, more particularly, I don’t buy that green strawberry was the right choice. Still, an intriguing dish. And perhaps a good place to point out an unusual practice on the menu: the last item in each course is the herb and it’s always capitalized. Why? Because Duffy wants to call attention to the importance the herbs play in his dishes. Good for him—and some of them were really quite unusual (to my semi-educated palate, anyway). (In fact, he did the same thing when he was in charge at Avenues—going through my collection, I noticed the fact.)


Miyazaki beef, chanterelle, watermelon, and mashua leaf

One of the best courses of the night. I’ve learned that there are more kinds of beef out there than I know about and I’ve finally decided to stop trying to figure it all out. I just enjoyed the meat—one of the best pieces of meat I’ve ever had, period—Kobe, Wagyu, whatever—this was an extraordinary dish. (When I got home, I was curious: mashua is grown in the Andes and was a traditional food and medicine of the Incas. It’s a highly nutritional tuber and the leaves and flowers have also been eaten for a long time, though I was disappointed to read that it is considered an anti-aphrodisiac; I never knew such things existed .)


Lamb, kale, parsnip, and black mint

I cannot remember ever having a piece of lamb so meltingly, fall apart-when-you-breathe-on-it, soft. This must have been braised for days. I’d be curious to know the source as well because it was much less “lamb-y” than is usually the case. Although I happen to like lamb, I understand why many people (including the LDC) don’t. But even she found this morsel tasty. Still, perhaps because the meat was so soft, the gravy atop could have been reduced a bit; it seemed overkill to add more liquid to a preparation that was already melt-in-your-mouth unctuous.


Raspberry, lychee, kokum and nasturtium

Almost like a palate cleanser between courses, only better. The acid of the fruit and the peppery note from the nasturtium made it clear that the entrée courses were behind us. Flavors were full, intense, and refreshing. Given its place in the meal, hard to imagine it being improved upon. (The meal had taken us to the Andes; kokum is from southern India, a slightly sour (deep red) fruit, related to mangosteen.)


Pear, black sugar, licorice, and lemon verbena: the presentation


A peek under the dome

I’m not exactly sure what the various chunks of stuff under the dome were but they were crunchy and sweet and made for a great contrast with the soft, lovely dome. Sweet—both literally and figuratively.


Chocolate, ground cherry, hazelnut , and banana mint

I fear that, one week later, my memory does not engage. I take that as a bad thing. I remember neither particularly enjoying nor particularly not enjoying this dish. Offering any other comments at this point would not only be superfluous but speculative.


Mignardises

Not much to say here. I have expressed my general dislike for this “course” elsewhere. Unless the pastry chef is operating at an extraordinary level, most offerings will be very good but no more. Extraordinary pastry chefs are as rare as extraordinary chefs and although they do exist and clearly can delight, surprise, and entertain, the mignardises are not the focus of their work. As always, the offerings were well done, no more. I am perfectly content—indeed, very happy—to omit this course entirely. This is probably also the place to note that I had a double espresso: also very competent but no more. The crema was largely absent and though the cup was good, a full depth of flavor, a necessary complexity was missing.


Surprise birthday mango cake

It seemed churlish to not to care for this dish given the thought behind it—a surprise from the kitchen in honor of the LDC’s birthday. But it just didn’t work for her (and my taste didn’t particularly impress me, either).

The service: the best service I can remember having in Chicago in nearly thirty years here. Whoever trained this staff knows his/her job inside out and has my undying admiration and thanks as do all the staff who assisted in our meal in one way or another. I have never had better service: always unobtrusive, almost never visible, always timed perfectly. While others have reported drinks served to the wrong person or courses served while diners were absent, we experienced nothing amiss. Our server, though not the warmest person, was pleasant, eager to ensure we were missing nothing, very knowledgeable, and always available.

The pacing of courses was close to ideal. I’ve noticed that too many places are now serving the next course before you’ve barely finished swallowing the last one (Eleven Madison Park was particularly egregious in that regard and Next is often guilty as well). But I can think of few missteps in the course of the entire evening. One, however, is a pet peeve of ours. Duffy is not Japanese; neither was our server. Someone needs to tell them how to pronounce chawanmushi. If it’s on your menu, you have an obligation to know what you’re serving, which means not only ingredients and preparation, but pronunciation. Even the menu was typo-free…something increasingly rare. The sommelier was approachable yet exceedingly knowledgeable and managed to impart her knowledge without making me feel like an idiot for asking (a skill some of her colleagues elsewhere in town would do well to learn). As our conversation progressed, I chose to rely on her choice for one glass and was pleased I did. I no longer do pairings—too much alcohol, too little recollection of what I had—so I generally choose two glasses for the evening. Here, I went with a white (after discussing the wisdom of going with a sparkling wine instead) and a red (that I hadn’t expected to end up with).

It was an unexpected treat to be asked if we wanted to visit the kitchen (by Michael Muser, the general manager, no less). Intriguing to watch—reminded me of no place so much as Alinea: immaculate, quiet, intense. And the word on the chalk board: “Consistency!” We stood around for a while just watching until it became apparent that we were waiting until Chef Duffy came over to say hello. If you’ve read Kevin Pang’s long story in the Trib, you know his fascinating and impressive back story. Even if you don’t, he’s impressive, even in a one-minute encounter. He seemed genuinely interested in our experience and we both got the feel of a man with no pretense, no artificiality. When we read a few days later about the two Michelin stars, we couldn’t have been happier for him. He’s worked incredibly hard to get Grace where it is. It shows in every detail.

I would be remiss not to note that several people whose knowledge and experience I think highly of, have had less than wonderful experiences here. I can’t account for that; I believe them and I believe that they are recounting their experiences without any shading. The only plausible answer to explain their reviews and mine is “inconsistency.” I am disappointed to think that yet I don’t know quite what else to think to explain it. Duffy is too experienced and too good to consider it a learning curve on his part. Even though he hasn’t had his “own” restaurant before, he was in charge at Avenues after GEB left and we still remember that dinner very fondly as well. So I offer this review, in the end, as just another data point.

Grace is well-named: it shows in every aspect of the house and it fits. Take a moment or two and think about that word, what it means, what it means to you. And then make your reservation. You’ll see what Curtis Duffy thinks it means and I think you’ll come away impressed. We loved our time there and, if we had better cash flow, we’d be back much sooner than otherwise. (I cannot disagree with those who say that this is one very expensive meal. Even without the pairings, our total tab came to just under $600.) Grace is an exceptional place in a city fortunate to have so much superb competition.

I dined at Grace last night for the first time since last April and this was one of the best dining experiences I have had in Chicago, just a phenomenal all around experience. As I mentioned in the Alinea thread, personally I strongly believe that Grace has elevated to the point where they are currently Chicago's best restaurant (though it likely will be a year or two before this becomes general consensus). The service at Grace is world class; nobody does a better job fine tuning service to the individual patron and it is the perfect balance of personable and polished; Grace has such a warm, vibrant atmosphere and is so flexible in ensuring the dining experience is tailored to your preferences. As for the cuisine, I do not think I could select a favorite dish as every single course was amazing; fresh, quality ingredients artistically plated and perfectly executed. I savored each and every bite. Portion sizes were just right and pacing was optimal. I decided on a la carte beverages this time and loved my cocktail (Negroni) as I waited for my table to be ready (I arrived a bit early) and the sommelier picked out a couple glasses of wine that I greatly enjoyed with my meal. Grace also does a commendable job making significant changes to the menu with the seasons; I am already eagerly anticipating returning this spring. Kudos to Chef Duffy and the entire team at Grace; truly an amazing, memorable dinner.

After procrastinating for a year, I finally dined at Grace in December. Echoing what Gypsy Boy and Gonzo70 wrote prior, it was a phenomenal dining experience. A couple of quick thoughts:

The service was the best I've had in a restaurant in a long, long time. I appreciated that while the entire staff was available and quick to service our table, we had one dedicated server who guided us through the meal. It's a small and relatively insignificant detail, but it definitely conveyed the feeling that we were being taken care of and that they were personally invested in our dining experience. Reading some of the prior service concerns noted in this thread (and witnessing nothing of the sort) I assume that whatever issues were present have been remedied.

The wine pairings were outstanding, again some of the best I've had in a long time. The sommelier(s?) (our table was served by two throughout the meal) were excellent in their presentations and gracious with their time when we wanted to discuss wine. And the pairings with the courses were spot on. My only (minor) gripe is that we were not given any record of the evenings selections (I enjoy trying to find great restaurant wines at Binny's).

As for the food, well that's where things fall off, albeit slightly. It was a really, really, really good meal; however that being said, upon completion of other great dining experiences I've had the thought, "when can I make a reservation to get back here again?" That wasn't present after our meal at Grace. My wife and I both did the Flora menu. She's vegetarian; I am most certainly not and had planned on going with the Fauna offering. However after reviewing the two menus side by side, I too went with Flora based on the evening's courses. There were some dishes that were excellent - the truffle and creme caramel was outstanding and the dessert options featuring Buddha's hand and medjool dates were both worth returning for. But a few of the other courses, just fell short of expectations - there were both beet and sweet potato courses that were very good, but not remarkable our outstanding.

All that said, it was a great meal, and I DO want to go back (Perhaps for the Fauna menu next time). I really applaud Grace's ambition and the amount of work they have put in. They are certainly aiming high, and as many have stated here, may be on their way to the best restaurant in the city. I wish them luck!

Glad you had a mostly great experience. One thing to keep in mind for future visits, you do not have to do 100% Flora or 100% Fauna, but in my experience they will let you mix and match some. For example on Saturday I found the Flora menu more enticing, but love duck. I inquired about doing the Flora menu, but having the duck instead of one of the Flora courses and not only was this immediately granted, but I even was able to pick which Flora menu to swap out (I am not crazy about beets, so chose to omit this). They then adjusted the sequence of my courses so that the duck course came at a more logical point in the progression than course two (the course where the beets were scheduled). I did something similar on my first visit; on that occasion I ordered the Fauna menu, but swapped two courses out for courses on the Flora menu that I found really appealing. That is one aspect of Grace that I love so much; how flexible they are with catering the experience to be exactly what you want - and doing so in a gracious manner.

Gonzo70 wrote:Glad you had a mostly great experience. One thing to keep in mind for future visits, you do not have to do 100% Flora or 100% Fauna, but in my experience they will let you mix and match some.

Thank you - that is helpful and something I'll keep in mind next time. And given the level of service we received, I'm not surprised at all that they are willing to accommodate such requests.

Gonzo70 wrote:That is one aspect of Grace that I love so much; how flexible they are with catering the experience to be exactly what you want - and doing so in a gracious manner.

No truer words have been spoken about Grace. This is part of their magic.

Glad to read these recent reports. After my post garnered exactly zero responses, I was beginning to second-guess myself. Glad to hear that others are finding this place the gem we found it to be as well.

(Also: thanks to Gonzo70 for the info about mixing/matching. It was one of my greatest dilemmas while there and something to keep in mind for our next visit. After we win the lottery.)

Grace restaurant is on a roll.

The West Loop spot, which opened in December 2012, has added another accolade to its growing list. It now has a five-star rating from Forbes Travel Guide. It joins Alinea, L2O and Sixteen in the highest rating category from the travel publication.

http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/ ... avel-guide

According to their website, the cost of either tasting menu has gone up to $205. For a meal that expensive, an extra $20/pp doesn't seem that bad, but still interesting to note. Perhaps related to the many recent accolades?

Had the privilege of dining at Grace twice last week; once a special dinner where Chefs de Cuisine from ten different restaurants across the country (i.e. Manresa, Meadowood, Qui, McCrady's etc.) collaborated and each did a course (along with a course from Grace's CDC and pastry chef - so 12 total) and then a regular dinner at Grace to celebrate our anniversary. Both dinners were exceptional all around experiences. I am just so impressed with the impeccable, warm, flexible, attentive service at Grace that we have consistently received and the cuisine is among the best I have had anywhere; interesting, beautiful, luxurious and most importantly delicious. Definitely extremely memorable, special dining experiences that both rank among my top dozen meals ever consumed. Even though my previous meal was fantastic, Grace has somehow managed to elevate even further.

Last night I concluded my birthday celebrations (the trio of experiences was Aviary, Alinea, and Grace) here, and it was truly an amazing experience. Last month I ate at a number of great restaurants in Japan and was very excited to return home so I could closely contrast the experiences. Grace beat out one of my Michelin *** meals and equalled several other time honored restaurants. There is no doubt in my mind that Grace is among the best restaurants in the world whether recognized enough (I feel they are ***) by Michelin and Worlds Best Restaurant list or not. I have thought this ever since the first time I dined there and now I have experiences to back it up in my opinion.

Chef Curtis Duffy and Michael Muser have most definitely crafted one of the best restaurants in the country equal to that of The French Laundry, Alinea, Per Se, or Eleven Madison Park - all of which I've eaten at. The best isn't one, but a group, in my opinion, and Grace is (has..!!) rolling along with them.

My meal began with a behind the scenes tour of the restaurant, ending up in the wine cellar. A friend of mine bought a bottle of champagne for me and my other two guests to enjoy as a precursor to the meal. After enjoying a glass of champagne we were led to our table and the meal began. We were served an absolutely exquisite multi course tasting menu including Chef's classics such as his Alaskan king crab dish and A5 Miyazaki Beef dish with Vietnamese herbs and flavors. In season touches were a small corn husk and mini stalk of corn as a canapé. Dessert didn't go unnoticed, and the highlight included Green Chartreuse ice cream with blueberry and grape.

Not to go unnoticed is the extremely service oriented aspect of Grace. "No" doesn't really exist at Grace. There are few restaurants where each guest at the table gets their water poured by their own member of staff. That certainly isn't de rigueur in the fine dining world, but the absolute definition of soigné in my opinion.

If you are into fine dining and aren't paying attention to Grace, you're doing it wrong.

I've read a lot about Grace recently and I am juggling back and forth between Grace and Sixteen. After reading this thread, it seems like Grace had some consistency issues, at least the food itself and the flavor profiles. Has anyone that had a poor experience returned? I've had conflicting reports on juggling the menu up a bit. I have one diner that is pescotarian that dislikes most vegetables and would much prefer something a little more custom. Also, I'm curious about how long the meal lasts. It seems a bit shorter than most tasting menus but I've read the portions are a bit heartier to make up for it.

I've been wanting to experience Grace since it has opened, but the charm of a stay at the Trump and just getting into an elevator to get to dinner is very appealing. Tough decision.

brokenspatula wrote:I've read a lot about Grace recently and I am juggling back and forth between Grace and Sixteen. After reading this thread, it seems like Grace had some consistency issues, at least the food itself and the flavor profiles. Has anyone that had a poor experience returned? I've had conflicting reports on juggling the menu up a bit. I have one diner that is pescotarian that dislikes most vegetables and would much prefer something a little more custom. Also, I'm curious about how long the meal lasts. It seems a bit shorter than most tasting menus but I've read the portions are a bit heartier to make up for it.

I've been wanting to experience Grace since it has opened, but the charm of a stay at the Trump and just getting into an elevator to get to dinner is very appealing. Tough decision.

I actually am of the opinion it's the opposite; Sixteen has some consistency issues and Grace is spot-on. I've been to Grace many times and have never had a bad meal there. Very, very polished dining experience. Sixteen is thematic, Grace is just more of a seasonal menu.

Completely agree with Royal; have been to Grace and Sixteen four times each and Grace has had nearly flawless (if not flawless) service across each visit (best service in Chicago IMHO) and course after course of amazing cuisine. Sixteen on the other hand has been all over the place, especially regarding service - though to a lesser extent food as well (certainly really good food overall, but a few too many misses and a lack of mind blowing, memorable courses). Service was really terrible on one occasion at Sixteen and only excellent once. While Sixteen has a superior view, Grace is more comfortable and has much nicer decor.

I have had no problem customizing the menu, but have only done mix-n-match between the two menus rather than altering dishes. I would advise calling or emailing the restaurant (be it Grace or Sixteen) to see if your friend's preferences can be accommodated. Sixteen has tweaked the menu for me when I have disliked an ingredient, but merely by omitting said ingredient - since Grace has two menus there is a bit more to work with for substitutions. I do agree that Grace has a faster pace than most lengthy tasting menus, but it is certainly not rushed and portions are sufficient to leave full unless one has a very large appetite. Since the experience at Grace is so amazing I would love to see the menu extended by a couple courses to prolong the dining experience, but as is I strongly prefer Grace to Sixteen.

Last night I attended the screening of "For Grace" at The Portage theatre and it was an absolutely spectacular piece of filmmaking. If you read the Chicago Tribune article and enjoyed hearing the heartfelt story, you'll enjoy the film even more. The film is essentially both Curtis Duffy's story and Grace's story, and as you watch they sort of bounce off one another. For anyone who's followed Curtis whether it be at Trio, Alinea, Avenues, or dined at / wants to dine at this restaurant, I'd highly recommend watching a screening of it if they show it again. Some great Chicago chefs make appearances like Matthias Merges, Bill Kim, and Grant also has a supporting role - they talked to him about 4 times throughout the film. The part about Curtis's childhood was very emotional and heartbreaking, and the part about building Grace was informative and exciting. Grace still feels like it opened just yesterday, yet here we are almost two years later.

I took away a lot about Curtis himself, just as I did with the Tribune article, but the thing the article lacked was the magnitude of what I feel Grace Restaurant will be in the long run. Grace will be eventually recognized as one of the world's great restaurants, and Curtis Duffy's father was spot on when he said he would be one of the world's great Chefs. There truly is an amazing story here, and it is all just so organic, at least that's the way it seems. I am always fascinated with hearing about the process of building a great restaurant, and I can't think of many that have been shared with us other than perhaps Alinea (in book form with the memoir) and The French Laundry (via a number of articles over the years) - this is definitely an amazing peek into the building of Grace.

Very, very well done - I hope it's shown at more screenings or released on iTunes or something - this is one that would be great to revisit over the years. I cannot wait to see the story of Grace unfold more, and I cannot wait to see what Curtis and Michael do in the future.

I also was at the screening at thought the movie was good, but not great. unfortunately i didn't stick around for the Q&A afterwards, due to it being a sunday evening.

my "slightly joking, but serious" takeaway is that reservations at grace might be harder to get if more people see the movie.

dudefella wrote:I also was at the screening at thought the movie was good, but not great. unfortunately i didn't stick around for the Q&A afterwards, due to it being a sunday evening.

my "slightly joking, but serious" takeaway is that reservations at grace might be harder to get if more people see the movie.

I think that's inevitable no matter what. Grace is going to eventually get three Michelin stars and will continue to get popular in Chicago, America, and the world (though not mutually exclusive...). Grace is an excellent restaurant on a global scale. I've had international experiences that Grace blows out of the water.

Last week four of us returned to Grace. My previous dinner there, in Spring 2013, was superb in every way - food, service, etc. Let's see how this one compared.

We were presented with the usual choice of the Flora menu or the Fauna menu:


All photos courtesy of WSC.

Then began the first of several service flaws. When one member of our party asked, "What if I don't like sweetbreads or lamb?", the server's response was, "I would try to talk you into it." When pressed, the server repeated the same response, and seemed argumentative. This contrasted notably with my earlier dinner there, when they were happy to make accommodations such as substituting a dish from the other menu of the two. Not a good sign.


Amuse Bouche

This consisted of two small items on top of the log - a bruleed banana chunk and a slice of serrano ham on a metal pick - and two more inside - a small cookie (I forget the other one inside, sorry). This course was excellent, and a great start to the meal.


Cod
osetra caviar, lychee, CHIVE

The primary flavoring of this dish was smoke; it arrived with the glass jar covered with a piece of foil (like a store-packaged yogurt), which we peeled back to release the smoke vapors. We loved the presentation; the flavors were interesting, but just okay.


Alaskan King Crab
kalamansi, cucumber, LEMON MINT

This dish was fun in so many ways! The photo captures the optical illusion; it appeared to be a bunch of ingredients on top of, and inside, a bowl of clear jelly! As it turned out, there was a thin "crème brulee like" layer of burnt sugar on top. Once we spooned into that, it collapsed on the ingredients below it, and it turned out that there was no clear jelly at all. The taste was outstanding, amazingly delicious, for the king crab main ingredient as well as the accompaniments. A consensus hit.


English Muffin
Butter, plain and herbed

This was one of four bread courses. All were very small (the English muffin was about the size of a marshmallow), all were served very hot, and all were wonderful.


Tai
plum, chanterelle, BURGUNDY WOOD SORREL

This was a type of snapper, served raw. This did not impress at all, and was the first course that was a real miss.


Pretzel bread

Another excellent bread course. That's a small bread plate in the photo; this entire item was about two bites in size.

We did not take photos of the other two bread courses. These consisted of a piece of a waffle, and a tiny baguette (1-2 bites). Both excellent.


Lamb
artichoke, smoked paprika, FRISEE

This course was deemed outstanding by those in the party who love or tolerate lamb. The diner who does not like lamb regretted the fact that he did not insist on a substitution, due to the server's resistance at the start of the meal.


Sweetbreads
ten grains, caperberry, SAGE

Sweetbreads is/are one of my favorite dishes, but these didn't wow me (or any of my companions). They just didn't have much sweetbreads flavor to them, nor much of their characteristically creamy texture. One person again regretted the lack of a substitution, and another did not finish hers.


Miyazaki Beef
romaine, peanut, VIETNAMESE HERBS

This dish was another terrific consensus hit, with nice chunks of tender, delicious beef, plus accompaniments.

At this point of the meal, we were all delighted with the food we had been served. But then...


Green Chartreuse
blueberry, ginger, SILVER MINT

This was interesting, in part due to the use of plump (fresh?) blueberries and crunchy (dried?) blueberries, but it didn't have much flavor of the liqueur, and it was deemed so-so by the group. Unfortunately, it turned out to be the best of the three dessert courses.


Matsutake
pine, cinnamon, PLUM OXALIS

Another miss. The visual presentation was interesting, but the flavors, not particularly appealing.


Chocolate
coconut, finger lime, LEMON VERBENA

Yet another miss. Again, visually impressive, but not very flavorful. The crescent-shaped object in the center was chocolate-coconut flavored panna cotta, but neither of those flavors was particularly strong. I love panna cotta, but this one, not so much.


Mignardises
salted caramel, chocolate hazelnut

These were good, but nothing special, and after all, they were just two small mignardises, served on a long thin plank (probably a recycled barrel stave).

I'm not sure how to sum up our meal, because it had such high points but still with significant low points. It was a VERY GOOD DINNER, to be sure, but it was also flawed, especially by comparison with my previous dinner there (or compared with expectations for an expensive three-star Michelin meal). My previous dinner consisted of one outstandingly delicious dish after another after another, start to finish; this one had its highs but also its lows, and the dessert courses in particular were a big letdown. OTOH the presentation techniques this time around were spectacular, and represented a big improvement over my prior dinner; the bread service was also wow-worthy. My previous dinner, the service was flawless, even exquisite; this one, the resistance to substitutions was glaring, and the service for beverages was also significantly flawed. My previous dinner was consistent with what one would expect from a restaurant with three Michelin stars; this dinner, no more than two. I am pleased that Grace received its third star from the Michelin folks, and I hope they can serve food and service consistent with my previous dinner there (and step up from last week's dinner) so they can keep that third star.

We finally made it to Grace last night with our expectations tempered and wallet fortified. In a word: Wow! I'm rarely completely bowled over by a meal, but I must say that everything we had last night was spot on, with service that was nearly flawless.

We enjoyed the Fauna menu which was almost exactly the same as Nsxtacy's above, but either it was a better night, or just different tastes, because each course in our view was wonderful. The Amuse, which arrived on the log, was a bit of an eye roller for me when it arrived at the table, but turned out to be a great start. Jamon that melts in your mouth like butter. Gorgeous. The Cod in the smokey jar was terrific, and the broth at the bottom was missing only a straw....I'm sure I left a few drops, but it wasn't for lack of trying. Breads were terrific, and my dining companion loved the herbed butter. I could go on, but you get the point. We really enjoyed Grace.

As for cost, I can only say it was completely insane. And I look forward to doing it again! Our meal, which included the wine pairings and a shared truffle course came to $840 and change, before tip. Well worth it to us, and comparable to other great meals we've had around the world, but others may understandably question such indulgence.

Finally, walking out of the restaurant, my wife was greated with her waiting coat...they pay attention to detail, but also a "care package" of all the breads we had and more than enough herbed butter and salted butter to last us a meal or two! I was given a bottle of the wine that went with our truffle course because....well, I guess because I'm such a terrific guy.

Anyway, I look forward to returning soon, Grace is surely Chicago's top restaurant.