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Eater
4 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Eater
Why Alinea Is One of the U.S.'s Most Influential Restaurants
Maximalism and gastronomic creativity rule the day at Alinea, arguably one of the most famous (and most relentlessly blogged about) restaurants in the United States. Chef Grant Achatz, along with then-partner Nick Kokonas, opened the restaurant in May of 2005 in Chicago's Lincoln Park, and immediately intrigued an American food public weary of the routine fine dining choices. Since its opening night, meals at Alinea promised more than two dozen courses that featured wisps of smoke, bites hanging from tightropes, and all manner of flavors (milkweed pods! Dandelion roots and tobacco and lavender!) deconstructed, gelled, foamed, frozen, candied, microplaned, and all painstakingly grafted back together in wholly unexpected ways. Achatz was immediately vaulted into the echelon of the country's most influential chefs; later dishes like the apple taffy floating balloon and painted-table dessert became iconic. In addition to accolades — a 2007 James Beard Award for Achatz for Best Chef: Great Lakes, a 2016 James Beard Award for Outstanding Restaurant, numerous appearances on the World's 50 Best List, 3 Michelin stars — its mark is also felt in countless imitators who embraced the scientific, slightly gonzo approach to dining as an experience. The Alinea Group would expand to seven other concepts — including Next, which rotates its culinary focus every few months, and cocktail bar the Aviary. And many folks who spent time in the Alinea Group have gone on to make their own independent mark on the culinary world: Curtis Duffy, Dave Beran, John Shields, Alex Stupak, Jenner Tomaska, Jeff Pikus. In 2014, Ruth Reichl wrote: 'What makes Alinea such a fabulous experience is the sheer exuberant fun of the place. This is food as performance, food as surprise, food as you've never seen it before.' The restaurant still holds three Michelin stars. Today, Achatz reflects on 20 years at Alinea and considers what lies ahead. I had worked at the French Laundry and El Bulli, and felt there was a gap in fine dining, because prior to 2005, it was mostly [defined as] French cuisine: There were a few French culinarians in the U.S., like Daniel Boulud, but primarily it was showing up in Western Europe. In 2005, we're right at the peak of El Bulli, the Fat Duck — molecular kind of gastronomy. So we felt like it was an opportunity. With us and wd~50, it just migrated over the pond. In Chicago, the whole gastronomy scene was on a reset. Here, you had Schwa, which was basically a garage band doing highly, highly creative, well-executed food. You had a lot of older French restaurants, like Everest. You had Rick Bayless's places that had been around for a long time and were niche and Mexican-focused, and then you had Paul Kahan with Blackbird. An early but undated photo of the Alinea team shows, from left to right: John Shields (now chef-owner of Chicago's Smyth and the Loyalist), Achatz, and Curtis Duffy (now chef-owner of Chicago's Ever). Alinea It was ripe. Chicago was ready. Chicago was a town that embraces innovation and artistry with its history of architecture, music, and medicine. Our opening was really anticipated at that time, because I was blogging prior to the opening on eGullet, back when those forums were popular. That was the moment of the internet foodies. And so the anticipation was really high. We had a lot of attention right off the bat: We had Frank Bruni, then the restaurant critic at the New York Times, in the restaurant on opening night. Having a critic out of New York City at the time was unheard of, certainly on opening night. Achatz calls 'Hot Potato, Cold Potato' one of his favorite dishes served opening night: 'I felt it really embodied the spirit and the ethos of the restaurant at that time.' An elegant culinary game between hot and cold temperatures, it featured a hot ball of potato suspended over a creamy, chilled potato soup; the diner would sip all in one go and experience the same flavor in two temperatures at the same time. Alinea A brand-new 2025 dish called 'Fossil' invites guests to use an archeology toolkit to brush away 'debris' and uncover the food underneath. 'It's inspired by South American archeological finds, and my and the executive chefs' fascination with archeology,' Achatz says. 'We figured out a way to make a 'forest' that gastronomically fit into Argentina, which has the largest concentration of fossils in the world. It's pretty elaborate.' Alinea We were fortunate enough to be pretty popular off the bat. We just got super busy, and honestly, it never stopped. And then, in 2007, I got diagnosed with stage 4 tongue cancer. A lot of the guests weren't sure if they should even still visit. It was quiet for a bit while I was going to treatment. On the back end of 2008, we started to pick up some momentum. In 2010, the World's 50 Best named us Best in North America. And then in 2011, they did the same. And that really put us on the public diner's map. In 2016, after we were 10 years old, we renovated. With the downstairs dining room came this experimental menu. So that really catapulted our creativity further, and we just never stopped. I don't think we ever will. Thinking back on 20 years, there's an element of maturity that's hard to articulate. When you've had restaurants like Le Bernadin and the French Laundry, restaurants that have been around for 20 years or more, there's a certain intangible maturity. I believe that the employees and their guests can feel that. Looking back, I appreciate our resilience. The pandemic was disastrous for everyone, and the fact that we made it through that, that we kept everybody employed, I'm very proud of. Everything has changed. Wages have changed; rents have changed. There's a lot more reform to do. Here at the restaurant, it's changed tremendously. Back in 2005, there was a cliche of repression, toxicity, 17-hour days; nobody cared, nobody got paid. And now that has dramatically changed. Interview has been edited and condensed for clarity. Sign up for Eater's newsletter The freshest news from the food world every day Email (required) Sign Up By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Eater
a day ago
- Business
- Eater
A Beloved Chef Is Retiring and Closing His Bainbridge Island Restaurant
Greg Atkinson is riding off into the sunset. After a 48-year-career as a chef, food writer, and teacher, the longtime fixture of Seattle's dining world is retiring, reports the Seattle Times. The bad news? That means that his Bainbridge Island restaurant Marche has closed. The good news is that it's being replaced by a seafood and oyster spot called Sweetwater Tavern, which should open later this year. The Times recounted Atkinson's career, which started in 1977 when he got a cooking gig at his brother's Irish pub. He spent a long time working on San Juan Island, where difficulty sourcing good produce from the mainland encouraged him to use local ingredients. 'It seemed like the food I could buy from the local fishermen and farmers was higher quality than what was coming in on the trucks on the ferry,' he told the Times, 'so I just started doing that.' That made him, as the Times puts it, one of the 'first proponents of local, seasonal and sustainable foods in the Pacific Northwest.' That attitude is commonplace now, thanks in part to Atkinson. He spread this ethos through his cookbooks and writing (he won a James Beard Award in 2000 for his writing), and as an instructor at Seattle Central's Culinary Academy. In 1997 he got a job as a consultant at storied Seattle restaurant Canlis and became the head chef there for seven years. Now, with Marche closed, the restaurant part of his career is over, though he told the Times he still plans to write. Yes in my backyard (bagel) One of Seattle's hot bagel shops is expanding. Backyard Bagel, which opened in Fremont last year, announced on Instagram that it was opening a second shop at 4520 Union Bay Place near University Village, which until recently was a General Porpoise doughnut shop. 'We weren't planning on it but this opportunity was too good to pass up,' Backyard wrote on Instagram, indicating that it would open in the next few months after staffing up. Croissants from Ukraine Lviv Croissants, a Ukrainian-born sandwich chain, is planning to open its first West Coast location in the Westfield Southcenter mall, reports Puget Sound Business Journal. The chain has a production facility and storefront in Georgia, and is planning to open other shops throughout the United States, according to the Journal. Trader Joe's could come to Northgate Also from the Journal: Popular grocery chain Trader Joe's is considering opening a Northgate location, in the long-closed Bed Bath and Beyond. Trader Joe's didn't confirm these plans, but the Journal reports that the company has filed a pre-application for the space. Trader Joe's operates several stores in the Seattle area, but the latest opening, in Greenwood, still drew a massive line earlier this year.
Eater
4 days ago
- Business
- Eater
Atlanta Barbers Set to Open a Hidden Speakeasy at Ponce City Market
Henna Bakshi is the Regional Editor, South at Eater and an award-winning food and wine journalist with a WSET (Wine and Spirits Education Trust) Level 3 degree. She oversees coverage in Atlanta, Miami, New Orleans, the Carolinas, and Nashville. The duo behind one of Atlanta's popular barbershops, the Commodore, is getting into the cocktail game. They're opening a new speakeasy and listening room called La Cueva ('the cave' in Spanish) on the second floor of Ponce City Market late this year. A new location of the Commodore will be next door, but don't expect a haircut with your martini. 'This is our first venture into food and bev.,' says Robert Hopper, founder of the Commodore and co-founder of La Cueva. He says his business partner, Peter Terrones, one of the Commodore's barbers, came up with the idea a few years ago. 'Peter asked, 'What do you think about doing a speakeasy?' At first, I didn't want to do it. Then we found this space at Ponce City Market we were looking at for the barbershop — it had a kitchen, so it just clicked.' Looking at the rendering, you can almost hear the uhn-tiss-uhn-tiss-uhn-tiss lo-fi beats reverberating through the space. It depicts curvaceous walls and ceiling design with dim, warm lighting, and plush seating at individual tables and the bar. Atlanta firm Maison Maluee designed the 2,700-square-foot space, which includes 75 seats and a small stage for DJs. Directly on the other side of the bar will be a new Commodore barbershop location. A window porthole at the entrance of the bar will allow diners to peek into the barbershop, but not vice versa. Thrilla in Manilla cocktail at La Cueva. La Cueva The bar will feature a large selection of mezcal, offering creative cocktails, wine, and beer, alongside shareable Mexican fare. Hopper says his passion for trappist beers will be evident on the menu, as well as nods to his favorite cocktail, a mojito. Luis Damian, of lauded restaurants Oaxaca in Chamblee, El Valle in Midtown, and Casa Balam, a 2025 James Beard Award Semifinalist for Best New Restaurant, in Decatur, is the consulting chef here. The menu will include Mexican botanas (snacks) like octopus tostada, halibut ceviche, and wrapped chicken mole, alongside larger dinner dishes. Damian has his hands full — he is also set to open the second location of El Valle in Brookhaven this August. Octopus tostada by consulting chef Luis Damian. La Cueva Pollo envuelto mole (chicken wrapped in mole) is one of the small plates at La Cueva. La Cueva Hopper, formerly a guitarist in a Christian alternative band and a youth pastor, speaks of a higher calling and building genuine relationships with his customers over the nearly ten years he has owned his barbershops. He says building these relationships led to some of his hair clients investing capital in the bar; he hopes to have reserved bar seats for Commodore clients at all times when the space opens. The bar comes on the heels of Boom Boom Bao, Lime Tiger, and Uwu Asian Dessert Co. opening at Market East at PCM in June, and ice cream chain Van Leeuwen debuting in Georgia this month. La Cueva will be open six days a week in the evenings, with live performances like jazz, open mic nights, DJ sets, and comedy shows. On resurrecting his own guitar, Hopper laughs and says, 'Absolutely not. I do not want to drive the guests away.' Eater Atlanta All your essential food and restaurant intel delivered to you Email (required) Sign Up By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Eater
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Eater
How to Spend a 24-Hour Staycation in Chinatown Las Vegas
Las Vegas's Chinatown rivals the Strip with its vibrant, around-the-clock dining scene. Centered along Spring Mountain Road just minutes west of the Strip, this neighborhood draws locals, industry workers, and food enthusiasts seeking diverse cuisines, most prominently from East Asia. Chinatown is packed with everything from casual noodle shops and street food stalls to upscale izakayas and innovative fusion spots. It's where many of Vegas's top chefs craft bold menus that may otherwise be too adventurous for Strip visitors, blending tradition with creativity without the crowds or high prices. During an action-packed one-day staycation, come hungry, starting with strong coffee, then venturing to decadent breakfast, afternoon dumplings, and late-night noodles. Spring Mountain Road delivers at almost every hour. With its accessibility, diversity, and unmistakable local energy, Chinatown is a must-visit destination to experience the true culinary heart of Las Vegas. Here's how to spend 24 hours drinking and dining through Las Vegas's Chinatown. 8 a.m. — Coffee at Gabi Coffee and Bakery Start your all-day food crawl with a caffeine fix at this locals' favorite Korean coffee shop. Hidden behind a heavy wooden door in an otherwise basic strip mall, Gabi Coffee opens into a cavernous, dreamlike ambience with antique furniture, tiered platforms for sitting on floor cushions at low tables, and a glass atrium that doubles as Gabi Cafe's bakery. Order colorful wedges of crepe cake dusted with powdered sugar, flaky chocolate croissants, and bacon potato quiche. Korean-style medium-roast coffee is aromatic and full-bodied with a lightly acidic flavor that works well in cappuccinos and lavender white mochas. Gabi Coffee and Bakery 9 a.m. — Breakfast at Guieb Cafe This Hawaii-based restaurant draws on Filipino flavors for bold, comforting breakfasts is a casual space adorned with surfer murals. The standout is a stack of purple pancakes slathered with creamy ube mascarpone and garnished with a purple orchid blossom. For those recovering from a late night, go for the prime rib loco moco: a juicy 10-ounce steak served over white rice, smothered in glossy, umami-heavy gravy, and finished with two fried eggs. If saving room for the rest of the food crawl, consider the oxtail soup — flavor-packed and herbaceous, it's loaded with tender meat and swirls of fresh cilantro. 12:30 p.m. — Lunch at Shanghai Taste Chef Jimmy Li of Shanghai Taste earned a James Beard Award nod for Best Chef: Southwest in 2023 — primarily for his delicately wrapped xiao long bao. The restaurant cranks out about 3,000 soup dumplings a day, each sporting savory broth and juicy pork suspended within tender, pleated satchels. The rest of the menu is like a love letter to Shanhainese street food — each dish deftly prepared and most under $15. Bean curd noodles in shrimp XO sauce have a rich chile flavor. Shanghai crispy shrimp is cooked with the shells on for extra crunch, and a beef stir fry is robust with bell peppers, onions, and oyster mushrooms in black pepper sauce. Mark down orders on paper menus and don't miss out on fried sheng jian bao, crispy scallion pancakes, and sticky-sweet pork ribs that fall off the bone. 3 p.m. — Happy Hour at Double Zero Pie and Pub One of the best pizzaiolos in Las Vegas is earning national attention at this Chinatown strip mall spot. Chef Michael Vakneen's dough starts with finely milled double-zero flour, fermented slowly with natural starters, then hand-stretched to preserve its structure. The result is a crust that's light, airy, and crisp, yet sturdy enough to carry bold toppings without turning soggy. Happy hour starts at 3 p.m. with snacks and drinks for $5 — but don't skip the full-sized pies. There's a white-sauce version with browned mushrooms and mozzarella that's earthy and creamy, or a sweet-savory standout topped with speck, fig jam, mozzarella, and candied pecans. Janna Karel 6 p.m. — Dinner at Sparrow and Wolf Chef Brian Howard cut his teeth in acclaimed kitchens like Comme Ça, Alizé, and Bouchon before opening Sparrow and Wolf, his genre-defying Chinatown flagship that blends fine-dining precision with fearless, globally inspired flavors. His seasonal tasting menus jump through the continents with ease, while a la carte options offer a more casual way to explore his boundary-pushing cooking. Standouts include Vietnamese bánh cuốn stuffed with savory duck and wrapped in black rice rolls, Spanish octopus over jet-black squid ink risotto, and honey-glazed pork secreto paired with sweet potato-banana purée. Howard's food is ambitious but unfussy — each dish layered with texture and contrast, without losing its soul. Let the kitchen lead with the tasting menu. Janna Karel 9 p.m. — Cocktails at the Golden Tiki The Golden Tiki is a 24-hour tropical escape, a celebration of maximalism, like Disneyland through an adults-only filter. If you survive the brutal parking lot, step through the dark passageway in the glow of animatronic birds, a twinkling Rainforest Cafe-style night sky, and a life-sized mermaid in glass that looks just real enough to call for a double-take. Bartender Adam Rains slings some of the best tiki drinks in town — classics like painkillers and banana batidas shine here. Plan in advance to reserve a table or just belly up to the bar. With drinks in hand, take a lap to admire the decor — dazzling waterfalls, head-scratching island artifacts, old-timey nudes tucked beneath glass table tops, and lewd wallpaper in the restrooms. The Golden Tiki 11 p.m. — Dessert at Ichiza Perched on the second floor of a shopping center, this izakaya is a Chinatown institution. The menu is scrawled on handwritten paper signs plastered onto every inch of wall space, offering a rotating lineup of specials, nigiri, and skewers that are available that week. But by 11 p.m., the mission is to order the honey toast. The cube of warm, buttery Japanese milk bread is crisped on the edges, filled with diced bites that are toasted to golden brown. It arrives piled high with scoops of vanilla ice cream and honey drizzle that melt into the cracks, glazing every bite with sticky-sweet cream and turning the whole thing into a gooey, golden mess. Wash it down with sparkling peach sake. A late-night bowl of pho at Pho Kim Long is a Las Vegas rite of passage. This Chinatown favorite may not serve the absolute best pho in town, but at 2 a.m., it's the one that matters most. Inside, the lights are bright, the tables are packed, and the crowd is a blur of off-shift chefs, bar hoppers, and industry regulars trickling in from the Strip for something hot and restorative. Start with crunchy chicken egg rolls for the table, then dive into a steaming bowl of beef pho — its deeply aromatic broth tangled with tender rice noodles, rare steak, and brisket. Dress it up with jalapeños, bean sprouts, and torn basil, then slurp it until bleary-eyed. The vibes in Pho Kim Long during the wee hours are like a sleepover party that's gone on too long — over-tired and buzzing, but mostly quietly content. Eater Vegas All your essential food and restaurant intel delivered to you Email (required) Sign Up By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Los Angeles Times
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Pacific Wine & Food Classic shares ‘sips and bites' lineup for Newport Dunes event
One hundred wine purveyors and more than 30 restaurants will participate in this year's Pacific Wine & Food Classic on Sept. 20 at the Newport Dunes Waterfront Resort. The 2025 line up was revealed earlier this month with 2024 and 2025 James Beard finalist Strong Water Anaheim among the local restaurants serving sips and bites at the annual outdoor event. 'This year, we're rolling out the red carpet for our very own 'restaurant royalty' — the many local chefs and restaurants that play a role in shaping Southern California's vibrant food scene,' Pamela Waitt, Pacific Wine & Food Classic founder and OC Restaurant Assn. president, said in a statement. For the 8th consecutive year, the culinary event will celebrate Orange County's food and beverage industry and mark the end of summer with an outdoor, all-inclusive, food festival full of indulgences. Participating restaurants this year include Baba G, Bosscat Kitchen & Libations, Cambalache, Chelas Mexican Kitchen, City Cruises, Crema & OC Baking, Cucina enoteca, Descanso, Ellie's, Farmhouse at Roger's Gardens, Five Crowns, Great Maple Restaurant, JARS Sweets & Things, Lola's by MFK, Miss Mini Donuts, Paséa Hotel & Spa, Prego, Puesto, Rancho Capistrano Winery, Rangeen Kitchen, Red O, Rise Rooftop Lounge at the Westin Anaheim Resort, Salt & Lime Modern Taqueria, Scratch Bakery Café, SideDoor, Soho Taco, Sol Cocina, Strong Water Anaheim, Ten Sushi Cocktail Bar, the Crack Shack, the Mayor's Table, the Tea House on Los Rios, the Yellow Chili, Trevor's at the Tracks, Wahoo's Fish Tacos and Westwood Steak House. Guests can also look forward to a 20-foot hand-crafted charcuterie experience from Lover Boards and Melissa's Produce, as well as the Paso Robles Grand Wine Experience. This year the festival will also introduce the Dessert Garden, a 'strollable sweet oasis' where creative desserts and pastries will be served. A Mixology Masters Lounge will feature premium pours and craft cocktails, while a Bubble Bar from Hi-Times Wine Cellars will highlight bubbly and beer. Strong Water Anaheim, which was nominated for a James Beard Award in the category of 'Outstanding Wine & Other Beverages Program' the last two years will lend some of its tiki vibes to the event with a signature Birds of Paradise cocktail. 'Every year, the Pacific Wine & Food Classic brings people together in the most delicious way possible,' said Waitt. 'It's a celebration of our local culinary talent, our love for connection and the joy of sharing unforgettable moments with others.' Pacific Wine & Food Classic will take place Saturday, Sept. 20 at Newport Dunes Waterfront Resort,1131 Back Bay Drive, Newport Beach. General admission tickets for entrance at 2 p.m. are priced at $199, while early entrance tickets for entrance at 1 p.m. are priced at $250. Guests must be at least age 21 with valid ID to attend. For tickets visit
