Alinea: Down the Rabbit Hole

From its disorienting red hallway to the meal's final dessert being plated and eaten off the dinner table itself, Alinea manages to throw all of the conventional rules of fine dining out the window. But with a trio of Michelin Stars and a top ten ranking on the San Pellegrino list of the worlds best restaurant, Chef Grant Achatz, alongside business partner Nick Kokonas, together stand at the forefront of modern American cuisine. Thus, there was almost no way that our vacation could be considered "complete" without dining at the best restaurant in Chicago, and maybe the entire United States.

L2O: Life After Gras

It seemed too good to be true. One superstar chef (Laurent Gras) paired with Chicago's most prominent restaurateur (Rich Melman of Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises) and voilà... Three Michelin Stars later and L2O was the talk of all Chicago. Of course, it was too good to be true. Gras abruptly departed the restaurant.

If Alinea is considered Chicago's preeminent restaurant, then its runner up was once again in question. Shrouded in mystery, relatively few reports surfaced on the status of L2O post Gras, making planning our vacation all the more difficult. Considering how fiercely competitive the industry is, losing a marquee chef such as Gras can be a defining moment for a restaurant; often forcing it into a sink-or-swim situation.

Graham Elliot: Deceptively Delicious

After being canceled on a second time by Schwa, MW and I were pretty disappointed, but not at all surprised. Fortunately, Chicago has many great restaurants and so I made a reservation at Graham Elliot. The self-proclaimed pioneer of bistronomy - the trend of combining causal decor with gourmet-level food - in Chicago, Elliot has earned quite the reputation for his oft-described "whimsical" creations. But behind all the clever descriptions and funky concoctions is a seriously talented chef who is turning traditional fine dining on its head.

Chicago Brunch Bets: The Publican

Having only one Sunday in Chicago meant that MW and I had to be especially discriminating when selecting our sole brunch destination. Fortunately for us, the decision turned out to be quite simple, as The Publican looked too good to pass up. Specializing in specialty suds, heirloom pork and sustainable seafood, Paul Kahan's take on an American bistro seemed like the perfect place to nurse our hangovers and fill our bellies. Of course, the fact that the restaurant accepts brunch reservations didn't hurt either, but ultimately, the food here is the main attraction and well worth the wait, even without one.

Avenues: The Best Seat in Town

Avenues is a restaurant that I've had my eye on for awhile now. The restaurant where Graham Elliot first made a name for himself is currently helmed by Chef de Cuisine, Curtis Duffy. Just like Elliot, Duffy boasts a stellar resume himself, having spent time in the kitchens at Charlie Trotter's, Trio and Alinea. Needless to say, I was more than intrigued, and booked a reservation with a request for seating at the Chef's Counter. All of six stools, these coveted seats give diners an intimate perspective of the kitchen, which greatly appealed to the both of us.

Topolobampo: Love at First Bite

In the hierarchy of American chefs, few are held in such high esteem as Rick Bayless. With the title of Top Chef Master, his own television show and multiple cookbooks, there's no doubting Bayless's success. But accolades and stardom aside, Bayless's greatest culinary contribution is introducing America to authentic regional Mexican cuisine when he opened Frontera Grill in 1987. Yet it wasn't until two years later when Bayless opened Topolobampo that Mexican food entered into the realm of fine dining, earning a Michelin Star earlier this year.

What's Old is New Again at Next Restaurant

Aside from the impending closure of El Bulli, no restaurant in the world has received the same amount of media coverage than Grant Achatz's last project, Next Restaurant. With a menu that will change four times a year, it was announced that the restaurant's inaugural menu would be fashioned after the cuisine of Auguste Escoffier when he opened the Ritz hotel in Paris, 1906. In an odd twist of fate, the chef who was renown for his futuristic food was suddenly recreating the classics of yesteryear.

Blackbird: Birds of a Feather Flock Together

While everyone (rightly) attributes the advent of Chicago's fine dining scene to Charlie Trotter, one must not forget the invaluable culinary contributions of Paul Kahan. While associated with several of Chicago's finest restaurants, including Avec, Publican, Big Star and The Violet Hour, Kahan's flagship remains Blackbird. Located in Chicago's West Loop, MW and I made our way to the Michelin starred restaurant for a lunch.

RIA: When Life Gives You Lemons...

So there we were, huddled in an alley with two bags of booze, attempting to escape the howling wind on a random street in Wicker Park. We were supposed to be eating at Schwa, said by many as one of Chicago's best restaurants, only to find its doors locked with a scribbled handwritten note apologizing for the closure. Sure, I had read all of the cancellation stories (let me guess, burst pipe?), but never did I think it would actually happen to us! But sure enough, there I was, simultaneously trying to hail a cab while scrambling on my phone to make alternative dinner plans. Fortunately, with some quick thinking on my part and a little bit lot of luck, we scored a last minute reservation at RIA and managed to enjoy an amazing meal.

Chicago Brunch Bets: The Doughnut Vault

After landing in Chicago and getting ourselves oriented with the city, naturally, my first order of business was to seek out sustenance. Having lurked on several Chicago food blogs in anticipation of our vacation, I couldn't help but notice the city's newfound obsession with doughnuts, particularly from Brendan Sodikoff's The Doughnut Vault. I'd heard stories about long lines and selling out within hours, so I initially doubted our chances of trying these doughnuts. But after frantically checking their twitter feed and realizing the vault was only a few blocks away from our hotel, I decided to wake up early and brave the line for some freshly made doughnuts.

Windy City Vacation 2011

Another year, another vacation. This time around, MW and I will be visiting one of my favorite cities, Chicago. Having attended undergrad in Ohio and with some of my best friends residing in the city, I'm no stranger to the Midwest. Yet, despite all my trips there, I've yet to experience much of Chicago's fascinating culinary scene. That ends now. And while I don't intend to bore you with all the details of our itinerary, in addition to seeing a game at Wrigley, catching up with old friends and doing some touristy stuff, we plan on dining at some of the country's finest restaurants and enjoying some quintessential Chicago eats.