Earlier this year, Alinea was named Best Restaurant in North America – and ranked seventh in the world – by San Pellegrino World’s Fifty Best Restaurants, organized by the UK-based Restaurant Magazine. The restaurant celebrated its fifth anniversary this past May.
Of the 350 restaurants mentioned in the guide, only Alinea and another swanky downtown eatery called L20 received the top rating. According to Crains Chicago Business, only 93 restaurants in the world have three stars. Of those in the US, five are in New York and two are in San Francisco.
In a statement, Jean-Luc Naret, director of the Michelin Guides, indicated that he was “very impressed by the level of quality at Chicago restaurants, whether it is fine dining, a burger joint or a taqueria. You have a wide choice of type of cuisine.”
The duo behind Alinea is not resting on its laurels. Soon they’ll open two new establishments. Aviary will feature a new bar concept: chefs and a kitchen will make the drinks. They refer to is as “a cocktail bar, redefined.” A new restaurant called Next will explore world cuisine.
Earlier this year, in an interview with The Greek Star, Kokonas described what makes Alinea exceptional. “Our goal always is to create an overall experience. We take into consideration what people think about and feel while they are eating. Even the architecture of the place was thought out to improve the guest experience. It’s not about sustenance – no one needs to eat this way – but it’s an experience, like going to the theater or a concert. You leave thinking about something, not just that it was just delicious, but that it was fun. We’re engaging all the senses.”
Photo by: Lara Kastner
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