I've been to Chicago enough to have sampled a number of the many restaurants in this city famous for restaurants. There are two that I remember more than the others. One is a 50's style burger joint (I can't recall the name), where the waiters and waitresses zoom around on roller skates and are trained to insult the customers. For instance, if you interrupt the waiter, expect them to tell you to "Shut the hell up!" Fun place.
The other is Spiaggia...a Universe away. With 40-foot windows that open a view to Lake Michigan, this is the kind of place that Gordon Ramsay could walk into and not think of changing a thing. This is the pinnacle of fine, handcrafted Italian dining. The Cafe Spiaggia shares the same roof with this iconoclastic restaurant. I've been there twice and enjoyed both visits, although much of the fare was unrecognizable on the menu, mainly because they are treated with ingredients that were imported and considered to be rare in the States. The entire experience is layered and textured to be unique and the service was impeccable.
The first thing I noticed when I walked in was a spiral staircase that led up to a platform that housed a piano. According to the owner, the piano was the first appointment to be installed and the rest of the restaurant was built around it. The interior had a muted elegance and the kitchen, which was open through glass, invited diners to pay a visit and experience a kitchen which was as clean as a surgery room. It was great watching the sous-chefs putting the finishing touches on the plates.
I hadn't seen food presented this nicely since I was in Belgium. Everything was done perfectly and nothing was sent back. The two plates that I remember the most were the Screaming Scallops, which were presented in open shells and were hot as hell. The other was braised, julienned baby calve's liver. I don't know how they did it, but each tiny spear was identical to the others, with nicely browned tips. Everyone enjoyed their meal.
There should, however, be warnings at the door for the unaware. The A la Carte dinner items had no prices. But, you could go another way, ordering off the tasting menu, where you can fill yourself by sampling eight items. Price? $165.00 per person and another $90.00 for a sampling of eight different wines. That's the "budget" menu! On my second visit to Spiaggias, six of us ordered A la Carte, along with wine, some Dom, cocktails, sides and desserts. The tab? Well, let me put it this way: It would have fed 1000 Ugandan refugees for a couple of years. Not an everyday experience. I guess that is what makes a dining experience like this a memorable one. If the highest tier restaurant you're used to is something on the level of an Outback, there will be times when you don't know what to do with your hands...
