Last week, we brought you an inside look at each of the James Beard nominees for Best New Restaurant; today we’re taking a peek at the nominees for Outstanding Restaurant. If the James Beard Awards are the Oscars of Food, then the Outstanding Restaurant category can certainly be equated to Best Picture. Which means that each of the five restaurants nominated are kind of big deals, regardless of whether or not they actually take home the gold…er, bronze.
Alinea, Chicago, Illinois
https://www.instagram.com/p/BAh0c-eRkgJ/
Alinea, classified on Yelp as a four dollar-symbol New American/Modern European restaurant, seems to be quite popular around town. With 1396 reviews, it averages 4 1/2 stars, which is just about perfect for Yelp. Rave reviews abound, including this one, from Pauline P.:
A culinary adventure from beginning to end.
Course after course of creative food paired with an edgy vibe and great service.// LOCATION // Off the beaten path from the regular tourist frenzy. You will need to cab it here if you are staying downtown.
// SERVICE // Impeccable. A sommelier is brought to your table to make great wine recommendations that were spot on, food allergies were remembered from an email exchange made when booking, and the list goes on. Amazing service without a hint of snootiness.
// FOOD // It was not food, it was art. I will not list out the courses as the menu is ever evolving and the team is currently traveling the world to catch more culinary inspiration.
+ At the end of the meal, you are presented with an envelope containing a list of your menu items with a saavy coding system to notate the flavors and size of the dish.
3 Michelin stars well earned, Chef Achatz!
Unfortunately, Grace H., who was legitimately excited about her birthday reservations at Alinea, had a different opinion of her meal, which she rated at three stars:
1) Okay, so if I were to rate Alinea for PRESENTATION and CREATIVITY. Sure, it probably is the best of the best, especially if you go back a few years ago, I feel not that many restaurants were on the same level. However, times have changed, other chefs have learned to master the art of presentation and innovative food.
2) Taste of the food was “decent” is all that I can describe. In fact the only dish I really really enjoyed was the potato puree with black truffle. Nothing too crazy, but ooh so flavorful. It left me wanting more. I can’t really say that for any of the other things I ate. Uni corn I remember was good too.
3) Maybe this is getting too much into personal taste/preference, but too much use of strong flavored pickled garnishes that took away from the actual taste of the main dish. I thought fresh and good quality ingredients should not be overpowered. At first I tried to eat everything on the plate since I’m pretty sure the chef planned each & every item on there with an intention. But towards the end, I realized it was making my meal less enjoyable so I stopped eating them.
4) I loveeeeeeeeeee dessert, so even after all this, I was still hoping dessert could win me over. It did not. Okay, maybe my own fault for already having seen pictures, but as artistic and fun as it was. I didn’t care for the actual eating part of the dessert…now this makes me really really sad. I’m usually the one who’s eating me and my dining companion’s share of dessert, cleaning off the plate…the dessert was a-okay.
Don’t go rushing to the phones to make reservations, though—Alinea is temporarily closed for renovations until at least the end of the month. During that time, according to the restaurant’s website, “the entire Alinea team will be traveling to Madrid, Spain and Miami for 40 unique services.” Raise your hand if you officially want to be a part of that lucky team.
Frasca Food & Wine, Boulder, Colorado
https://www.instagram.com/p/BAr4lVZtknw
A James Beard nominee from the mountains of Colorado! This Italian restaurant holds steady with 344 reviews and a four-star average on Yelp. Logan M. had such a great experience at Frasca that he could barely sum it up in his glowing five-star review:
I try, and I’m sure I often fail, to provide a worthy review of what to expect if you visit a location I’m reviewing. In this case, I’m not sure words can paint a picture of how absolutely floored I was when I visited Frasca. It’s all too rare that somewhere delivers so completely on food, beverage, and service. From the sommelier down to the servers, everyone has a visible passion for what is being done here.
I confess to great embarrassment at having lived in Boulder for years and having not made it here, but I will absolutely make it back. My girlfriend and I enjoyed the full Friuli tasting menu, and each course was tremendous – and of course, accompanied by a healthy pour of a complementary wine. The risotto may have been one of the best things I’ve ever eaten.
Lindsey B., though, while complimenting the service, didn’t have as great an experience with the chef’s tasting menu, and broke down the reasons in her very thorough three-star review:
My spouse and I opted to get the Friulano Tradizionale (the chef’s tasting menu), which is six courses plus a dessert. We love tasting menus, and were curious about this one. The first course featured a polenta cracker with fresh red snapper, and a small shot glass of whipped potato. The polenta cracker/fish combination was good, but the whipped potato was … off. I mean, I think it could be made at home by putting a stick of melted butter and one potato in your food processor. The texture was just odd; a little too starchy and slimy.
It’s been a couple of weeks since we were there, so I can’t remember all of the courses we had, but a few are still sticking out in my mind:
– Risotto: This was excellent. The waiter brought it to the table fresh in a sauce pan and served us right there. The risotto was lemony and creamy, and featured fresh seafood. This was by far the best course they served.
– Chicken Ravioli in Prosciutto Broth: This dish was … hmm, I don’t want to use the adjective “revolting”, but that’s the word my mind keeps going to. It wasn’t the pasta or the broth that was awful, it was the filling. It was like someone had purchased a rotisserie chicken, masticated the breast, and the spit-out result became filling for the ravioli. Again, the texture was just not “there” for me; I only ate half of a ravioli before it was game over. Even my spouse considered this dish barely passable, and he’ll eat anything.
– Venison Tartare: This was just okay; it didn’t have any flair to it (no seasoning). I think the tartare at Black Cat (though it’s beef, not venison, so perhaps unfair to compare) blows Frasca’s version out of the water. I usually can stomach raw meat, but this was another dish I only ate two bites of because it was just … “ick”.
– Pork Loin and Kale: I was excited when the waiter brought this out because it was described as a “house-made sausage”. After tasting the sausage, I didn’t doubt it was house-made, but … it was raw. Intentionally raw, not a cooking mistake. Oh, man, was it awful! I gave it a nibble to give it a fair go, but I’m shuddering right now as I recall how much it tasted like I imagine the raw $2/lb. ground pork from King Sooper’s tastes. “Well … the kale is good; try that!” my spouse cheerfully said as he ate the remaining 97% of my sausage.
After the so-so-actually-maybe-not-so-good six courses (minus the risotto, which was, as I said, excellent), I thought, “Well, at least we’re getting dessert!” Then, dessert ended up being pretty crummy, too! It was a coffee granita with marscapone that was so non-memorable that I actually can’t even remember what it tasted like. I do recall that as I was chewing, the adjective “bland” kept coming to mind.
To be fair, I am not a pro foodie like Frasca’s restaurateurs. I’m actually a little ashamed to be posting this review because maybe I am too bourgeois to appreciate chewed-up chicken and sticky, blended potatoes. Who knows, maybe if I were a wine person I would love this place, but my spouse and I don’t drink. All in all, I didn’t really like this restaurant, which surprised me since I enjoy Pizzeria Locale and I happily patronized Frasca’s Caffé when it was open! I think we ended up paying $300 (food + tip); which was kind of a bummer because the food just didn’t have the yum factor you’d expect at that price point. (Or any price point, really … I just didn’t really like it; and you can check my other Yelp reviews — I’m not a very picky eater!)
Highlands Bar and Grill, Birmingham, Alabama
https://www.instagram.com/p/_MIuZJTZUo/
Highlands Bar and Grill is another Yelp baby, with just 159 reviews averaging out to 4 1/2 stars for Birmingham’s southern-food spot. The five-star reviews on Yelp are generally brief and complimentary. Maybe southerners don’t have as much to say about their food as the Yankees up north do? Jacob W.’s review of his experience at Highlands is a good example of this brevity:
After going here, I know why it carries such high honors.
The food and cocktails are excellent, as you would expect. But I feel it’s the atmosphere and the service that make this place the standard to which all other southern restaurants are compared.
By far, our waiter was the best I have ever had. So knowledgeable, polite, and attentive, I can only imagine what high standards the owners place upon their staff. Reservations are a must, as is at least a solid $100 at minimum to enjoy their fabulous, hand prepared meals. But you will not be disappointed. Alongside Hot & Hot, Highlands is the best dining in Birmingham.
Of the few negative reviews of Highlands, this one, from Matthew D., seems to fall into the category of “expectations not matching reality”:
The lady bartender we had was about as rude as can be and the food was not good at all. I had a burger and it was not really edible. They do have a good beer selection. This is definitely not a place I would go back to.
Momofuku Noodle Bar, New York, New York
https://www.instagram.com/p/BDM5F8TQ6Ot/
Momofuku is a name foodies near and far are well acquainted with. Chef David Chang’s group of restaurants seems to be slowly taking over the U.S., with recent expansions into Washington, D.C., Toronto, and—soon!—Las Vegas.
Open since 2004, Noodle Bar is Chang’s very first restaurant. It garners fairly mixed reviews on Yelp, with its 3,199 reviews averaging out to 3 1/2 stars. User Natalie I. called her meal “unbelievably delicious,” saying,
Perfection in a bowl
hands-down most scrumptious buns & noodlesWords cannot/will not explain or describe the amount of flavors that burst through when you take a crunchy bite of the fried shrimp bun or a steamy sip from this momofuku ramen.
To start, I tried a lychee slushy drink which was sweet and a little tart, which paired just right with the soft warm fried shrimp bun. Honestly, this bun is heaven. Haven’t tried the others, but this shrimp one was very savory, with a mild spice from the creamy mayo.
The ramen was excellent! meaty – full of pork pieces and bits and exploding with porky flavor. Rich, decadent, suuuper filling. Not overly salty – just right.
The pretzel milk ice cream concoction was so creative! I love that it really tasted like sweetened pretzels with a glass of sweetish milk. Very unique.
Long wait for night service (duh) but it was served fast upon ordering. not overly courteous though. Still, Good food A+
The service is really what gets a lot of reviewers down on the Noodle Bar. User Jean Claire G. admits that the food is good, but isn’t willing to brave the line to get it again:
So I’m ready for that long wait. Probably waited an hour in a pouring rain. I just wanna try this place so I didn’t care at all.
Food:
Pork buns– ohhhhh tasty! I like the sauce & texture of the pork.Spicy miso ramen– savory! It has an interesting flavor. But compared to any other ramen that I’ve tried this is not the best one. Serving size is decent but the price is expensive.
Is it worth the wait? No.
Am I going back? No, because I don’t wanna wait.
https://www.instagram.com/p/_II67gjYUM/
The Spotted Pig, New York, New York
The Spotted Pig is another restaurant that garners mixed reviews—with 2,307 Yelp reviews, the gastropub joint also comes in at an average of 3 1/2 stars. McKenna G. gave her meal five stars, saying,
I love this place, from the ambiance to the food- just LOVE it!
I have had this place bookmarked for so long, I was so excited when I finally went. I went on a Tuesday afternoon so it wasnt overly packed- we got seated right away. They have created an authentic English Pub experience- so warm and cozy. All of the decorations and how the small tables were set – makes it cramped (especially at night when they are super busy). But it all adds to the experience.
I split the Burger and the gnudi. The burger presentation is on point with the black charred marked. I thought the Roquefort was a bit much, but I am also not a huge fan of it, so a little goes a long way for me. The accompanying fries were crispy and had rosemary and random fried garlic chips hidden inside- YUM!
The gnudi was rich so I would recommend splitting the dish, but I thought it was delicious with the butter and sage.
I got a glass of wine- Beaujolais ($15). It was a nice pour and paired well with the food.
They also have a classic English Cask Ale (brewed just for them)- and it is the closest recreation of one from London I’ve had in the States.
Stefany W., on the other hand, found her meal to be overpriced for what she received:
Went here for brunch this Sunday. I was expecting a lot more from this place.
First, the table we were seated at was TINY. There was this tiny alcove and somehow the restaurant managed to fit 7 tiny tables in this already tiny space. There wasn’t even room for a second chair. Everyone had to sit on the bench next to each other in a row. It was so awkward.
Then we ordered mimosas. For a $14 mimosa, they were very stingy on the amount. It was probably on 1/3 of the wine glass. I ordered the pork hash and since my friend wasn’t super hungry, he went with the famous fries. The pork hash was TINY. Two poached eggs which tasted like something I could make in a jiffy – not at all special and the pork hash was literally three or four spoonfuls. I finished it in probably 5 minutes and was still hungry after. My friend said the fries were just okay.
For what we got, we paid $50 which is more than overpriced. I’m so disappointed for the food and the service was just okay too.
