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Edwarian Ladies, Paris - 1906

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Bombe Ceylon.Paris 1906.Next restaurant. Chicago, IL.

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The Golden Ticket - Next: Paris 1906

During my transcendental meal at Alinea in January, the Escoffier course was one of the most memorable among the twenty plus courses we were treated to by the culinary genius, Chef Achatz. This was because it was the polar opposite of Achatz’s usual “Modernist Cuisine,” as it was straight forward, not hiding behind a fog of liquid nitrogen and foreshadowed the highly anticipated opening menu of Next.

We were fortunate enough to have tickets for dinner during Next’s second week in operation. Upon being seated, we were handed a card to start our culinary voyage back in time to the Parisian dining room of the Ritz at the turn of the last century. “Auguste Escoffier's life was framed by La Belle Epoque, a period of political stability, technological innovation, and a thriving economy before the chaos and horror of World War I.” Thankfully, Next proved to not be an upscale Epcot dining experience. Instead, the dining space is neutral, yet the exposed ironwork above conjured thoughts of an airplane’s fuselage – fitting for the time travel we were about to experience. It would be impossible for Next to not carry some of the hallmark DNA from Alinea that has made it the finest dining destination in the country. Whether or not Chef Achatz is stoically pacing the dining room as he was during our visit, you can expect service to be impeccable, the wait staff to be humorous, conversational, yet incredibly knowledgeable of the cuisine, and there not to be a single fingerprint on any of the silver platters. The eight course meal began with four hors d'oeuvres, each engaging the palate and full of sensory detail. Everything from the brandade presented in eggshells which featured rich cream custard and chopped truffles, to the silky foie gras set inside a buttery brioche with quenelle of apricot jam, was decadent. It’s at this point where I feel compelled to remind you to appreciate the details, notice the micro herbs, etc. that are exactingly placed with precision using jeweler’s tweezers. Next up was the turtle consommé, which our waiter informed us was historically served to excite the appetite ahead of a large meal. The clear broth was delicate and earthy, but what stole the show with this course was the wine. On the nose it had smell of a fortified spirit, but on the palate it completely dissipates into the flavor profile of the Savagnin varietal’s distant cousin, Gewurztraminer. The dish of the snapping turtle consommé snapped back and the lid of the serving vessel fell into my bowl, and as a testament to the high level at which service is executed at Next, my dish, and those of my fellow diners were immediately cleared and the well choreographed front of the house instinctively swept into action, poured us another glass of sparkling wine, and started the course over. Many have noted the fourth course of chicken, universally looked over during most dining experience as menu filler, as the most surprising of the Paris menu, however, I found the Filet de Sole Daumont to be my favorite of the evening (besides the duck). The small spool of sole was placed in the center of a shallow pool of Sauce Normande, a creamy, buttery, sauce with the essence of shellfish. Perhaps more intriguing were the perfectly synergistic accompaniments, the stuffed, hand-carved mushroom, fried fish roe, and the stuffed head of crayfish. The well documented pièce de résistance was the Caneton Rouennais a la Presse – simply anointed “The Duck.” Without belaboring the point, the duck is perfection. It had crisp and unctuous skin, perfectly cooked meat laced with thyme, and the sauce, oh the sauce, a lavish and umami laden concentrate of duck. I was so smitten with the sauce that I mopped the plate and extra gravy boat dry with my mini-boule roll. As we segued into dessert, Salade Irma was presented with a beautiful edible flower placed atop a salad of greens, asparagus, cauliflower and radish tossed in a pleasingly acidic dressing. An excellent palate cleanser. The Bombe Ceylan was flawless, and subtle, which to me at least played to its detriment coming off the zenith of the menu just minutes before. To conclude the meal, a gleaming tray of Mignardises was placed in front of us. Our waiter suggested eating the pistachio nougat and salted caramel in sequential order so that the lingering flavor of the nougat would combine with the dissolving caramel and be reminiscent of a Snickers candy bar. Dining at the hands of Chef Achatz has been known to cause spontaneous emotional outbreaks, tears of joy, laughter, and the final Mignardises brought out the latter. Perhaps attributable to the eight generous pours of wine; our table erupted in laughter upon consuming the sugar coated beet flavored jelly. The clarity in which the beet flavor hits your senses as the final bite of the meal was completely unexpected and playful. Although getting tickets to Next may be even more difficult than securing a reservation at Schwa, persistence will be rewarded with the meal of a lifetime for the simple fact that it is the inspired emulation of a meal from a bygone era you would otherwise never had the opportunity to experience firsthand.

Executive Chef Dave Beran greeting us at the entrance of the kitchen.