Four days of Chicago delights

I hate heights. So why did I decide to go up the Hancock Observatory?

Maybe it was because getting up high is the best way to see all the skycrapers of Chicago instead of from the canyon formed on ground level. Maybe it was because it was just too easy.

We woke on Friday to a cloudless sky. We decided to try to go up to the Hancock Observatory if there were no crowds. We found no one at the self serve ticket dispenser. So we paid our $15 general admission, walked to the base of the elevator (after getting our photos taken) and stood behind 8 other people. In less than 5 minutes we were getting headsets for the audio guide and after 40 seconds on the elevator, we were at the top.

The audio guide by David Schwimmer, described interesting facts and history about Chicago. The immediate view as we stepped off the elevator was of Lake Michigan and the Navy Pier area. And looking south, we marvelled at all the tall buildings. But then I looked down. Horror! The windows go almost to the ground. I did not like the sensation of being 94 floors up in the air. The outdoor platform was better because it had a waist high railing and what a weird sensation to hear the wind and far off city noises 94 floors below.

I did manage to finish the tour around the observatory and enjoy the views while staying back from the windows.

Was it worth it? Sure, as long as I did not get right up to the windows.

Second City is now more than just a theater, but it originated in Chicago’s Old Town neighborhood in 1959. The enterprise has expanded to several other cities, including Toronto and Los Angeles, has produced television programs in both the United States and Canada including SCTV, Second City Presents, and Next Comedy Legend. Second City has been a starting point for numerous well know comedians, award winning actors, directors, and others in show business. The program lists notable alumni including John Belushi, Bill Murray, Dan Ackroyd and more recently, Tina Fey and Amy Poehler.

A trip to watch a Second City performance seemed like a great opportunity for a fun night and perhaps a chance to watch a future show business star.

We ordered our tickets online (www.secondcity.com/?id=theatres/chicago/mainstage) for "America: All Better" on the main stage, described as a revue for post-Obama America. The tickets seemed like a steal at $20. We arrived about 45 minutes before the show was to start in order to pick up our tickets and get seats. There is only general admission, no reserved seats.

The website and ticket information explained that the show was cabaret style with four to six people seated at a table. It turns out that is not entirely correct. The two of us were seated with a small table between us. Some others were seated at bigger tables of six but those who arrived later had no table at all. The seats are close together, not quite like a dinner theater set up. As we wanted to take advantage of the alcohol and appetizer menu, we were glad we arrived early enough to get a table. The theater has servers to take orders for alcohol and food. We had eaten a late lunch so the menu of appetizers, pizza and paninis suited us for a light supper.

The venue is rather small which made it feel more intimate and casual. We were seated two rows from the stage so got a very good view of the performers. The show itself was very entertaining as it contrasted the optimism of the new presidential era with the problems of the economy and the environment. The mix of song and skits was funny, even the inside jokes about Chicago’s transit system and skewering of the mayor were delivered so that visitors like us could get the humour. One sketch involved a cast member as a Russian gymnast, doing an actual balance routine around the cocktails on the rail in the middle of the audience. At one point, a patron pours a drink into her upside-down mouth. The improv pieces as the encore were more of a mixed success but still fun to watch. A few bits had sexual content so not what every parent would want to watch with their children, but we saw no children in the audience. All in all, we thoroughly enjoyed our evening.

The tour we took was called Historic Downtown (south): Rise of the Skyscraper.

Chicago is not only the birthplace of the skyscraper, it is also where most of the innovations in early skyscraper design and technology originated . We were interested in learning about some of the building seen in downtown Chicago and also learning a bit of Chicago history so took a walking tour with the Chicago Architectural Foundation.

The CAF tours start in the Santa Fe building just across the street from the Art Institute of Chicago. The tour we took started at 3:00 p.m. and cost $15 as non-members of the CAF. There are also happy hour tours for $16, and discounted tour costs for students and seniors. Reservation online is possible (www.architecture.org/tours.aspx) but I was told that weekday tours are not usually full and arriving 15 minutes ahead is sufficient to get into a tour.

The group we were in was about 10 people. Ours was mostly Canadians but a few locals as well. We were given headsets to amplify the docent guiding the tour.

The docent first gave us a little Chicago history, the most significant event being the Great Chicago Fire and then described the building we were in, the Santa Fe, as an example of early Chicago architecture.

The walking part of the tour started with looking at the Art Institute of Chicago as a contrast to the developments of the Chicago buildings we would be looking at. We then moved on a few blocks away to Holabird and Roche’s Marquette Building (1895), an outstanding example of the Chicago School of design. Nearby was the Field Building (1934) by Graham, Anderson, Probst and White, the most recent of the buildings we looked at and distinctively Art Deco both in design and interior decor and the last building completed during the Great Depression.

We also looked Burnham and Root’s Rookery (1888) with its Moorish revival exterior and restored Frank Lloyd Wright interior; Holabird and Root’s Chicago Board of Trade Building (1930), one of the city’s most glamorous Art Deco skyscrapers; the Old Colony Building by Holabird & Roche (1894) with its rounded corners; the Leiter II Building (1891) an early skeletal frame commercial building by pioneer skyscraper architect, William Le Baron Jenney, and Adler and Sullivan’s Auditorium Building (1889) a masterpiece of engineering, design and acoustics.

I think my favourite was the Monadnock Block with the north half (1889-91) designed by Burnham & Root and south half (1891-93) designed by Holabird & Roche. The north part–famed for its lack of traditional ornamentation–is a masonry, wall-bearing structure, the last skyscraper to employ this method of construction, with six-foot thick walls at the base, and yet it looks modern enough when contrasted with the Mies van der Rohe building across the street.

The docent, whose name I have unfortunately forgotten, was not only informative but communicated his enthusiasm for the subject. I wanted to immediately go on the next tour of skyscrapers which started with the Prudential Building built in 1955 after the Great Depression and World War II which caused a hiatus in skyscraper building. Too bad we did not have enough time for another tour.

Alinea sits in a small two story building. Much like Charlie Trotter’s a short distance away, Alinea does not advertise its presence openly. A valet and a small sandwich board stating "Alinea" are the only indications near a double door set back from the street.

Upon opening the wide double doors, you enter a hallway that narrows to create a false sense of perspective. At the end of the hall is a kinetic sculpture that you can hear as the wind from the door moves it. Just before reaching the sculpture a wide door on the left automatically opens and there is the restaurant.

The lobby area is small and darkly coloured; the brilliantly lit kitchen behind all-glass doors sits to the right as you enter and numerous chefs hunch over stainless steel counters painstakingly preparing plates for the patrons. Across from the door, a glass and metal staircase heads up to the second level where three of the four dining rooms are located. Staff buzzes in and out of the space. My initial impression was that we diners might be outnumbered by the staff.

We were ushered upstairs to a two-top table in a room with four other tables by a server in a well fitted grey suit. This is the only middle room in the space. The light in the room was primarily through visually hot canister lights in the ceiling supplemented by indirect lights behind the service area and the bench seating area that backlit large glass tubes of green branches. There were four other groups of diners in the room with us but the noise level was very subdued, rather in keeping with the lighting and minimalist decor.

We were offered a wine list and water was poured as the server confirmed we were doing the 12 course chef’s tasting menu. We mused about starting with an aperitif but were advised that the food started right away and we could start with either the champagne cocktail or eau de vie recommended as pairings for the first course. While the wine list was very impressive, we opted for the wine pairing and started with the champagne cocktail, but after inquiring about the eau de vie also sampled an aquavit. We had barely taken a sip of our drinks when the first course arrived.

No table cloth is on the dark wood table. Instead little pillows on plates were set before us with the needed cutlery for each dish set out before the food itself arrived. As well, an asymmetrical vessel was set on the table and described as our centerpiece to be used later for one of the dishes. We were told we could peek inside or wait for the surprise later. We chose not to peek but as our meal progressed, we noticed frost forming on the bottom.

The dishes for the various courses are unique to the restaurant. Chef Grant Achatz partnered with an architect to design and make unique dishware for the restaurant. Each dish, some of which are far from traditional plates, is uniquely suited to the course it serves. The butterscotch bacon was hanging from a wire set into a rocker – makes you want to play with your food.

Many of courses came with bread pairings and two butters, goat and cow with black lava salt. I did not manage to finish all of any of the breads and had collected five different breads by the end of the savoury part of the meal.

Each course and each pairing was explained in detail covering the overall theme of the dish and the individual items; the wine area and producer was described as well as the thinking behind the pairing. For some courses, explanation was also given for the best way to eat the dish, like taking the yoghurt and pomegranate shot all in one gulp.

We received a detailed menu including the wines at the end of the meal. The photo for each dish as well as its description is needed to give any kind of idea about the course since the visual presentation was as unique as the flavours. The layout design of menu has a specific meaning: larger bubbles mean larger portions; darker bubbles signify more intensely flavored dishes; and the farther the bubbles are from the left edge of the menu, the sweeter the course.

The overall experience was amazing. Service was unbelievable. I seemed to be frequently dripping sauce and crumbs but no sooner was a plate removed than my mess was also wiped up. When we were debating the best description of a sake, a nearby server offered what were the usual descriptions given to describe the bouquet. Comments were often amusing and congenial.

The only downside was how full I was getting towards the end. I watched some of the diners who were having the 24 course menu and noticed they were getting the same dishes we were as well as others. They looked to be getting the same sizes. I have no idea how they could have eaten twice as much food as we had. Our meal took over two and a half hours. I was glad for the early reservation because it gave us plenty of time to digest before going to bed.

The 12 course menu was each $125, the wine pairing $115. Compared to Charlie Trotter’s bill of $700, it was less than we expected. We’re already thinking of returning to Chicago just to go to Alinea again.

We had two special dinners planned at two of Chicago’s most highly regarded restaurants. The first we visited was Charlie Trotter’s. Our reservation was made online.

We were running late and did not have enough time to walk to the restaurant as we had planned, so hopped into a cab for the short ride in the Lincoln Park area. The cabbie seemed to know where we were going and dropped us outside a small two story building with no apparent signs even indicating we were at a restaurant. A valet led us up a small flight of stairs and on the door, not visible from the sidewalk, was the name of the restaurant.

We were led inside to what looked like a bar, but completely unoccupied, then immediately through a dining area, also unoccupied, and up a narrow steep staircase to a diningroom. They ask that men wear jackets and most of the diners were quite well dressed, many men in suit and tie, and notably more men than women. The room was comfortable but not particularly memorable. Natural light and white table cloths gave it a light feel.

We were presented with the menu which had two pre-fixe choices, the vegetarian menu and the grand degustation menu. While my DH contemplated ordering a Scotch whisky, the discovery there was only one choice and it was $150 led to our starting with a glass of champagne and kir royale. We opted for the degustation menu and wine pairings.

We found the courses and wines extremely interesting with unusual and unexpected combinations. Service was impeccable although I sometimes had trouble hearing the description and had to ask questions to clarify. Our server promised we would get a copy of the menu but somehow we did not.

We started with an oyster and wasabi, which was what sold me on this menu. It was lovely and tasted of the ocean with the surprise of a pickled radish as part of the taste. Wine was Jean Lallement "Grand Cru-Reserve" Brut NV. This was followed by freshwater eel with cilantro, roasted banana, soy and hazelnuts, with Grosset "Polish Hill" Riesling, Clare Valley 2007. The rest of the menu: Scottish Salmon Confit with Rose & Black Tea, with Condrieu "Les Cassines" Jaboulet 2005; Roasted Duck Breast with Kumquats, Wild Licorice, Szechuan Peppercorns & Duck Gizzards, with Davis Family Vineyard Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley 2006; Salt-Crusted Veal Loin with Oregon Morel Mushrooms, Fermented Black Garlic & Thyme, with Ribera del Duero "Tinto Pesquera-Crianza" Bodegas Alejandro Fernandez 2005; Red Shiso Sorbet with Mango & Grains of Paradise;Poached Quince with Sesame Ice Cream & Rosemary Shortbread, with Tokaji-Aszu "5 Puttonyos" Chateau Pazjos 1999; Oloroso Sherry-Raisin Ice Cream with Chocolate Cotton Cake, Dried Plums & Ennis Hazelnuts, with Bodegas Castano "Dulce" Monastrell, Yecla 2005.

I was comfortably full at the end of our meal and quite pleased by the experience. It was very expensive, over $700, at least the gratuity was included. I would have rated it more highly if we had not gone to Alinea two nights later for an even more incredible meal.