"Price: $325-$395 for The Salon, $435-$495 for The Gallery, $495 for the Kitchen Table If you have a fancy restaurant bucket list, Alinea in Lincoln Park is probably on it. Of course, fame and 50-minute features on Chef’s Table don’t necessarily mean a place is worth your time (or in this case, several hundred dollars), but Alinea definitely is. The 15-course mish-mash of flavors is devastatingly good with Thai, Mexican, and French inspirations all at play. And a meal here is also guaranteed to be an experience—with theatrics (like fog machines), molecular gastronomy (egg “yolks” that transform into bread), and great servers (who are genuinely funny) you won’t easily forget." - adrian kane, john ringor
Matthew Gilson