Alinea 2.0

Last fall, D and I headed to Alinea – the revamped, Alinea 2.0 – for his birthday.

Am I behind the times in sharing our experience?  Most definitely.  So without further ado…

We attended the Gallery experience, the more involved of the two options (the other being the Salon, served upstairs), which requires that you arrive for a particular seating time with a group of others.

If anything, the food is even more beautifully presented than before; the thought and creativity evident in each dish is remarkable.  I enjoyed the international flair of some of the courses – like the mackerel with three sauces and avocado (a sort of Japanese-South American mash up).  Of course, there’s also still a good dash of culinary magic, as in the scallop “noodles” reconstituted in amazingly intense corn broth, and the signature edible helium-filled balloon dessert.

I do really miss the Black Truffle Explosion and Hot Potato Cold Potato, though!