Everest, Charlie Trotter's or Tru??

I%26#39;ll be in chicago for my anniversary in July and wondering which of these three would be recommended?

We%26#39;re in our 30s, love food that makes you go ';how did they DO that?'; plus beautiful atmosphere.

Any opinions are welcome.

Thanks,

Les

Everest, Charlie Trotter's or Tru??

None of the above.

I would go with Alinea or Avenues. Both are far more interesting than the other three mentioned. Alinea has been ranked the best restaurant in America and in many ways, I actually prefer Avenues (slightly more classic, and a far more convenient location than Alinea. At Avenues, you can walk the neighborhood after a meal. You can do that at Alinea, but there is nothing to see and you need to stay North of North Ave.).

Of the three that you mentioned:

Initially, I would rule out Tru. It has seen its best days. The menu now is very similar to what Tru was doing three years ago. Still a great meal, but in no way cutting edge or even interesting.

Everest tends towards classic French but does it very well. A great wine list. I am a big fan of Everest. Reminds me a bit of Taillevent (although I prefer Everest [assuming food is the only criteria]).

Charlie Trotter%26#39;s is still an outstanding place, but his cooking has not moved forward that much. For a long time it was the best around. He is a master at mixing colors and textures on a plate and his dishes all taste very good.

If you are looking for a place that is completely a ';wow'; experience, try Moto. By far the most interesting food, with outstanding service. Unfortunately, a meal there has more than its fair share of misses among the courses.

Everest, Charlie Trotter's or Tru??

I wonder about Alinea%26#39;s atmosphere? Is it really sleek and modern?

I%26#39;ll research those two choices. Thanks for the other options.

I do love Taillevent...hmmmmm

Alinea has seating on two levels (there may be a third). The rooms are dark and modern. Initially, the tables are set very plain -- no tableclothes, etc. It is a great way to set the stage for what comes.

What I really like about Alinea is that the chef understands a classic meal -- light to heavy. What gets interesting is that at times he will do that within individual courses. The ';science'; part is interesting, but the great thing is that it actually adds to the meal. Quirks like serving a dish on a pillow infused with lavendar add tastes to the food. It is not just science or quirks to amuse (although at times the quirks are amusing). It is for the purpose of making food taste good.

The last time I was there the wine list was also very interesting. I know a decent amount about wine, but they served things that I had never had - a Late Harvest Zin. The wines work well with the pairings.

For a great discussion of this issue (complete with some comments from one of the co-owners of Alinea), see the following:

http://lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=7738

Thanks for that link....very informative.

Unfortunately, Alinea is booked on July 14 when I%26#39;ll be there. WOW, that is far away, too! I%26#39;m on a waiting list.

Until then, where to....

les

If Alinea was booked, I would jump at the opportunity to go to Avenues. The food is a great mix of the style of Alinea and the cooking of Charlie Trotter%26#39;s. It is absolutely one of my favorites (I will be returning again next week and will post another review). The location is great -- a block off Michigan Ave. just south of Chicago Ave. The food is creative. Chef Bowles has some weird ideas for food, but the dishes, as odd as they may sound, work well (for example, foie gras with pop rocks is a sigature item). Like Alinea, it is weird in the service of great taste as opposed to weird to amaze. There is a great visual component to his work, but the prior focus is on the taste.

Given the choice of Avenues, Everest, Charlie Trotter%26#39;s or Tru, I would choose, in order:

1. Avenues;

2. Everest;

3. Charlie Trotters.

I just would not go to Tru at this time. Rather than doing that, I would go to Kevin or Naha and have a less expensive but ultimately more satisfying meal.

Thanks for all your good info. Is Avenues in the Peninsula Hotel??

I%26#39;ve heard such good reviews of Tru... it%26#39;s too bad it isn%26#39;t always up to snuff.

I know that Everest, Tru and Charlie T. are all Relais Gourmands, and that usually means pretty fabulous....??

Les

Avenues is in the Pen, which has a great location.

With regard to Tru: I wonder about the age of some of the reviews and the experience of some of the reviewers. I would expect older reviews to be outstanding, and I would expect people to give it a great review if they haven%26#39;t not had much experience with that sort of food. For a time, it was one of the two best places in Chicago (along with Charlie Trotters). I am sure it still serves great food. However, when I have read reviews and when I have walked by the place (they post the night%26#39;s menu outside), it is pretty clear that they are still doing things the same way.

You won%26#39;t get a bad meal at Tru. It just won%26#39;t be as interesting as some of the other places and it won%26#39;t live up to its former standards.

My husband made the final decision...it will be Everest.

But next time we will try Alinea and then avenues.

Thanks so much!

Les

Everest is a great place. You will enjoy the meal.

Make the recommendations early, and when you do, ask for window seating. They tend to assign those seats based on the date the reservation was placed.

That last post should say: ';Make the reservations'; early.