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.

Le Bernardin: Second Time's a Charm

Even to this day, I still remember feeling dismayed as MW and I departed from Le Bernardin from a celebratory birthday dinner in 2009. As one of only seven restaurants currently boasting four stars from the New York Times, an impressive three Michelin Stars, as well as a near perfect score by Zagat, it's all but assured that Le Bernardin is widely considered the best seafood restaurant in New York City-- if not in all of America. Add into the equation the fact that the restaurant's kitchen is led by celebrity Chef, Eric "The Ripper" Ripert, and our disappointment was compounded. Surely there must have been something wrong with us, how else could a restaurant such with so many accolades and critical praise be so mediocre!?

Jean-Georges: A Luxurious Lunch

Jean-Georges Vongerichten needs no introduction. Commanding a culinary empire spanning several continents, Jean-Georges is one of the world's most celebrated chefs, and perhaps an even more successful businessman. Best known for his original take on French cuisine, preferring intense flavors in the form of oils and light broths in lieu of traditionally heavy sauces, Jean-Georges is still one of the best restaurants in all of the United States, and despite a recent price increase, remains Manhattan's best destination for a splurge lunch. Yet, for whatever reason, MW and I had never visited any of Chef Vongerichten's restaurants, let alone his eponymous flagship-- located in the Trump International Hotel and Tower-- until the week preceeding Thanksgiving, when we both were free on vacation.

The French Laundry: Ask and Thou Shalt Receive

The very moment MW and I decided on San Francisco and Napa as destinations for our vacation, I immediately began thinking fantasizing of a perfect meal at The French Laundry. Truth be told, I have dreampt of eating there ever since our life changing meal at Per Se. All that was left was the hard part... actually getting a reservation. Type "The French Laundry" into Google and you will be greeted with a plethora of websites boasting all kinds of "secrets or tricks" to securing reservations; hell there is at least one website where you can pay to have someone secure that coveted reservation for you. It seems that even in the midst of our slumping economy people are still foaming at the mouth for a chance to pay $250 a head for a daily changing nine-course dinner. But all of this is to be expected considering The French Laundry's reputation as the "best" restaurant in the United States and perhaps all of North America with Thomas Keller being the only American chef to have two restaurants with three Michelin Stars.

Ever since Keller purchased The French Laundry from Don and Sally Schmidt in 1994 it has become the marquee restaurant for the western half of the country. So how did I get reservations? I considered making a reservation at one of the Yountville hotels and asking their concierge to assist me (after hearing they saved one reservation per evening), but ultimately thought it was too pricey a risk; the restaurant stopped allowing walk-in reservations a few years ago and I had no luck with OpenTable, having to wake up at 3 am each night only to see no tables were available. Like everybody else... I waited exactly two months to the date and began a series of calling and redialing on three phones exactly at 1 pm Eastern Standard Time since their phone lines open at 10 am Pacific Standard Time. There I sat, hearing nothing but busy signals for over 25 minutes, until...ring ring followed by "Hello, you've reached The French Laundry, this is Jane Doe speaking, how may I help you?" Five minutes later and I had my dinner reservations on my first attempt, foodie rapture enveloped me, Hallelujah!

Daniel: A Dining Experience Comes Full Circle

From the doormats outside to the plates on each table, a dotted circle adorns just about everything at Daniel Boulud's eponymous restaurant, Daniel. Adam Tihany (who also assisted Thomas Keller with Per Se) oversaw Daniel's redesign and introduced the circular motif to the restaurant. The circle seems an appropriate symbol for both Boulud's rise to stardom as well as the meal MW and I enjoyed there last weekend. Although born in France, there are few chefs who personify Manhattan's fine dining scene more than Daniel Boulud; with last year's opening of DBGB marking his fifth restaurant in New York. Boulud's current status as a super chef should come as no surprise to New Yorkers as he has gone from cooking at one of the city's best restaurants (Le Cirque) to now owning one of the city's best; a statement reaffirmed last year when Daniel (already a 4 star recipient from the New York Times) received three Michelin stars. But it wasn't the awards that drew me to Daniel, rather it was his infectious passion for food that I admired after watching three seasons of his television series, After Hours with Daniel.

Upon our arrival we were greeted and had our coats taken. On the way to our table we passed by the lounge area that was adjacent to the lighted bar. As MW and I were led into the main dining room I was struck by the design. High ceilings combined with a series of arches and columns surrounding the main dining area, creating a breathtaking sight. Bright whites and the finest silver lay on each table yet modern art hung on the walls; the atmosphere seemed both sophisticated and edgy at the same time. While many of the other tables seemed to be ordering cocktails, MW and I opted for two glasses of wine to accompany our meal: starting with a Zilliken, Riesling Kabinett "Saarburger Rausch," Saar, Germany 2001 and ending with a Bosquet des Papes, "Cuvée Grenache," Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Rhône 2000. Executive Chef Jean Francois Bruel offers a three-course prix fixe menu or various tasting menus (six or eight-courses). We chose the six-course tasting menu and supplemented a cheese course. For each course there were two different options, effectively doubling the amount of courses we were able to try.