Robb Report just dropped its ranking of the 100 Greatest American Restaurants of the 21st Century, and Chicago not only makes a strong showing with nine spots on the list, but perennial favorite Alinea secured the number one spot.
The list was voted on by a jury of 250 chefs, restaurateurs, sommeliers, ingredient obsessives and diners who know their way around a tasting menu. Voters weighed experience, influence, staying power and a sense of greatness that makes a restaurant more than a place to eat.
Alinea, the Chicago institution that has been redefining what dinner can be since 2005, is more than deserving of the top spot. Where else can you dine on a floating apple taffy balloon or a translucent cube that somehow tastes exactly like a Chicago dog?
Alinea opened in Lincoln Park with a mission to push boundaries and was immediately hailed as a revelation. Young cooks flocked to work there, and the kitchen became a training ground for a new generation of chefs who see food as both craft and theater. In 2006, American chef and food writer Ruth Reichl dubbed it the best restaurant in America.
Two decades in, Alinea is still staging world class culinary theater, whether at home in Chicago or during residencies in cities like Miami, Beverly Hills and Tokyo.
As restaurateur Ellia Park recounts in the official report, "I will never forget the cultural shock I experienced during my first visit to Alinea. Calling it simply a restaurant feels inadequate—it was more like a magical space that brought the chef’s imagination to life. Through this experience, I realized that fine dining can engage not only taste, but also sight, touch, and smell. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience that completely changed my perception."
Other Chicago restaurants to make the ranking are Smyth, Kasama, Charlie Trotter’s, Virtue, Monteverde, Oriole, Girl and the Goat and Boka. Find the full list here.