Next

Since I moved back to Chicago last March, Sicily being my first Next adventure, Kyoto had a lot to live up to. Did it deliver? Sort of. I am a sucker for anything autumn and learning that the menu was based on Kyoto in the fall was exciting. The meal started with my favorite course of the entire meal...corn husk tea. The flavor was so strong and beautiful...I even tried to recreate it at home, which of course did not work. Tofu, maple, chestnut, and miso flavors took front and center throughout the meal. White-miso puree, a hassun tray, maple leaves, branches and hay all were positioned separately throughout the meal on the table. Yuzu shells, poached shrimp and shrimp heads were all part of the 14 course meal. Braised abalone matsutake mushroom chawanmushi, sashimi plate with kampachi, medai and salmon. The dessert consisted of roasted figs with custard and fried yuba, and one of my favorite pieces was an edible deep-fried Japanese maple leaf. I enjoyed the flavors and the beauty of each dish but I was left with a bit of an upset stomach. Too many different bites all not sitting well together. As always the experience was wonderful. The presentation was perfect and the knowledge we took away regarding Kyoto and the Javanese flavors we had experienced was very special. But about an hour after the meal my boyfriend and I both asked what was for dinner.

That is not more to say then exquisite. Right down to the mis-matched dishes the food was served on. The authentic flavors and spices used was just such a treat to experience. Not only because I am Sicilian but because the flavors were so unique and unlike anything I have ever eaten before. We left the meal excited to talk about each course and very full! The saffron risotto balls with lamb's tongue was by far my favorite course. It was so delicious and textually inviting. The cripsy outside filled with the creamy risotto and rich lamb meat. The meat and fish courses were equally as amazing. Here are some of my favorites: octopus in agrodolce, air-dried tuna loin, grilled mussels and shrimp crudo with basil and cubes of watermelon...yes....watermelon. Bucatini and gemelli con sarde, pasta with currants and fried sardines. Salty and flaky. Such a delicious mixture. Dessert was marzipan-enrobed cassata cake and a mini desserts, which included cookies, strawberry fried ravioli and baby size cannolis. Everything was simply amazing. If Sicily were a stand alone restaurant...I would be there every weekend! :)

Or - A rose by any other name... I remember the weekend like it was yesterday. A hot summer night, in the city of Chicago. It was a perfect evening, both because my husband and I had gotten tickets to Next restaurant's Tour of Thailand; and it was the last dinner served at Ferran Adria's famed El Bulli. A twist of fate I simply could not chalk up to mere chance. Neither was the chance we got to meet Dave Beran, in the kitchen after dinner. I asked some silly questions, and I'm sure looked like an idiot; but something really struck me that night. These guys aren't afraid of a challenge. They have big dreams, and they see the world a bit differently than your average Chicagoan. Than your average American, even. Fast forward to a chilly, mid-February evening, months later. We managed to secure the elusive tickets. It was real, in an artificially surreal kind of way. Like I was watching myself from outside my body. Perplexing, to say the least; but not entirely unenjoyable. The roses hung from the ceiling, suspended on fine, light wires. They faced downwards on each table, pointing to where your dinner show would be served. And, what a show it was. The open was a slate plate with ice in a lime, and a tiny spoon with terragon. From the very first bite, all the way to the last - more than 6 hours later; this was the best food I have ever eaten. Now, I didn't love every single course- everyone's tastes are different, after all. But, I'll go through the ones I'm still thinking and dreaming about, two months later. Iberico ham sandwich - just meat on an airy, cracker-ey bread- but sublime happiness in three bites. I wished there were more of these, because it was the best I've ever tasted. Carrot foam - above a coconut milk, in an angled crystal bowl. The bowl was almost as novel and fun as the foam! Its story is remarkable, as well. They only acquired 19 of them from a private collector, so they are constantly rewashing them. Chef Beran worries about chips and damage. I heart him even more... Spheroid olive - This was a fun course for me, because I've always hated olives! It defied expectation and convention, and changed my mind entirely. I can and do love some olives now! Cauliflower cous cous - Another fun plate for me, even though I still hate cauliflower. But, the artful presentation of such an earthy, low food was simply delightful. Tons of fun. Shrimp suquet - Six ingredient dish that embodied the whole evening, quietly. It doesn't have to be complicated, but it has to be excellent. Those tiny shrimp were delectable. I wish I could eat that way more often. Foie Gras panna cotta - I didn't love the foiesting from the Childhood menu, so I was delighted to realized how much the panna cotta changed my mind. Savory and sweet can live in harmony in one dessert, after all. Ha. I love being wrong. Chocolate five ways - I know, I know it's cliche. If I could eat this plate for breakfast lunch and dinner, I would. But, I am normally a vanilla gal; so take it for what you will! There was 29 courses, and it was an amazing, unforgettable show. The servers all chatted with me about the details, and I had many questions! I even got my Oct2011 Vogue signed by the chef and service staff. Inside, there was a great article about the closing of El Bulli, with great photos. They were a bit hard to read, but I think it was Chef Dave Beran who wrote, "Legends never die." near his own signature. Indeed, sir. My fan girl crush just hit Ryan Gosling level. Hey, girl.

Was very lucky to be invited to Next for their friends and family trial run of the new elBulli menu. Normally, I would not think of "reviewing" a restaurant, especially a constantly evolving concept like Next, until they have had sufficient time to practice the menu. I will make an exception here because it was simply amazing in its breadth, depth and creativity. Like any new restaurant (Next is effectively a "new" concept every three months or so) there were some things that will be tweaked as the menu progresses with respect to service, timing, plating and seasoning, but what they delivered on Saturday night, was stunning by any measure. I never had the chance to go to elBulli, which is probably my single greatest culinary regret, so being able to experience Grant and Dave's hommage to Ferran Adria, which spanned many years, was a special opportunity for me. The menu consists of 29 courses and will take about 4 hours or so to experience. It was a good amount of food, but not overly indulgent and very well balanced between lightness and richness, savory and sweet (I am not a "sweet" fan so I am sensitive to this). Some dishes are just a single bite and other more composed and larger. I was definitely full, but I was not uncomfortably so. Molecular gastronomy has a heavy hand in the production of many of these plates, but it isn't noticeable until you start thinking about things like warm jelly still holding its shape or hot aspic or a tempura dish that is both hot and cold in one bite. There is some serious technique being employed here by people who know what they are doing and doing it well. It is not gimmicky at all, whimsy makes some appearances, even some gustatory provocation, but the food is good, recognizable, and very satisfying. I had many favorites on this menu, but two days later, I am still thinking about the spherical olives, coca of avocado pear, anchovies and green onion, the cuttlefish and coconut ravioli with soy, ginger and mint as well as the trumpet mushroom carpaccio (with rabbit kidney). The wine parings are still in process of being finalized, but the cava, montsant and corbieres that were served with our menu were lovely foils for this exceedingly complex menu. I cannot wait to return.

Haha, yes - I'm THAT girl. The one who stole your Next tickets like a thief in the night. I have no regrets. My first Childhood was amazing. My second was even better. Yep, you read that right. lol The food was incredible, the service impeccable. By now, I was getting recognized for joking with the staff - which I loved! PB&J bite in a box: sublime. Initially confusing, but ambrosia in one bite. Actually two, cuz I squirted the hot peanut butter concoction all over my hand. No silverware for this round! Chicken noodle soup: in a comically large bowl, unless you are accounting for taste! In which case, it was perfect. Fish & chips: One of the most fun plates! Themed girl and boy plates for myself and my husband, Jamie. Mac & cheese: Divine. The Parmesan cream cube was my personal favorite. Autumn scene salad: Came out smoking, which was tough for me, so I didn't eat a lot of it. Hamburger: Sooo good. Think of deconstructed bun what you will. I think it was delicious. Lunch box: The single most fun round. The apple brandy fruit leather and the truffled oreo being my two standouts. The fact that I got an Alice in Wonderland lunchbox with Gremlins thermos inside? Must not have been a coincidence, I purport... Foiesting and donuts: A strange play on savory and sweet, I got one cider donut and two licks in on the beater. Yep, they served the foie gras frosting on a vintage style beater. And, it was MORE fun licking it off! Sweet potato pie: Barely had room for it, but the two bites were bourbon caramel heaven. Hot cocoa: If you weren't stuffed by now, they make sure of it. This is the best hot cocoa I've ever had, and as a Midwest gal - I used to drink it often!!! I couldn't wait to go back after this round, because the next Next outing was for my 31st birthday - late December. Grin.