venue Alinea
Alinea, Lincoln Park's most refined eatery, doesn't offer much of a normal dining experience: There isn't a lot of choice, but there's plenty of variety. Diners choose one of two options: the 12-course tasting menu, which costs a cool $125, or the $175 “tour,” with 24. The menu changes regularly, but often features familiar items with intriguing twists: The Kobe beef comes with honeydew, lavender, and lime rocks, and the black cod is served with vanilla and artichoke on a pillow of orange air. The pillow is then poked to ooze an “orange essence.”
