Vampire Vocab

Alinea was, quite simply, indescribable. I’m not even going to try to describe each course, you all will simply have to go there yourself. The amazement factors in when you think, not only of the food, but the care put into every aspect of your experience. The taste was unbelievable, of course, but there’s so much more to food than just that, as any food blogger would agree.

They appealed to every sense that they could: sight, smell, taste, feel. Even the sounds of the restaurant seemed to encourage and inspire delight: the low murmur of the fellow guests voices, the quiet resonating clink of wine glasses gently falling against each other. The perfectly trained waitstaff were polite, well timed, helpful, and they oozed professionalism. I practically feel like I am defiling the memory of the place by blogging about it.

As for the sense of smell, they left nothing to it’s own devices. When we had a course involving poached steak, to make up for the lack of the grilled flavor, they poured water on dry ice that caused the mist that spilled out onto our table to smell like grilled steak. Furthermore, on another course that seeked to inspire thoughts of a garden, they placed a curling, if lovely mass of tomato vines and flowers upon out table.

The plating was beautiful, careful, precise…much like the food itself. Every positioning was carefully thought out, nothing unintentional.

What blows guests away is, obviously, the food. All my preconceptions were shattered, like glass yielding to a sledgehammer. From the very first bite, I knew that I would trust this chef to feed me whatever he liked. Every texture, every flavor, even the simplest or most seemingly insignificant things drew meaning, contributing themselves, delicious alone, mind-blowing together. It seems that Alinea’s main purpose was to break down every wall that you’ve built, showing you that if you would just relinquish your trust to them, they would guide you to the Oz of the food world. I have always been one of those people who was afraid to fall over backwards even with someone standing right behind me because I’m afraid that they won’t catch me. With this experience, I fell over backwards, but not only was I caught, but I was catapulted into a new realm. There’s no turning back now.

I will never question my mom’s retro recipes after my surreal, dream-like night at Alinea. I will always cradle the memory of that night close to my heart, peeking at its vibrant beauty like a butterfly trapped in my hands, before tucking it into the pack rat corner of my heart, a messy place reserved for things that I love.

I find that Alinea is not just a reflection of truly amazing food, but also of what makes us each a better person. Care for whats important to you. Paying attention to the smallest things. Dedication and hard work. Love, for what you do, and what it does for others. Trust, and the act of inspiring it. Food is not just a means to an end. As my mom says, it’s a love song. What you cook and why you cook it is a form of expression, one that is deep set in our consciousness, but always present. Cooking is an art form. A dance that may be primitive or modern, reminiscent of a sense of family, or honoring the beauty of human innovation. As I was at Alinea, I considered it’s traits and its similarity to the traits of the person who brought me there.

My dad works hard for our family, and goes through life with precision and yet an open mind. He wears his heart on his sleeve and inspires, as well as gives, love and trust, showing all of this with no fear or hesitation. People take him as he is, because he is honest about every aspect of his life and pours his soul into everything he does. He shows brilliance and dedication. He inspires normally contrasting things (like me and my sister) to work together.

His influence shapes things, and every life that he touches seems to brighten a little for his involvement. I can but hope that when I grow to the age when Karl does not beg me not to visit his site, I can reflect a fraction of my fathers traits.

This entry was posted on Friday, August 7th, 2009 at 10:09 pm and is filed under Food, Life, Ramblings.
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