Is Grace Restaurant In Chicago Worth The Trip?

The restaurant is very discreet and there isn’t a huge sign outside so you would probably miss it if you drove by.  If you don’t have a good eye, you won’t notice it.  It’s kind of like a drug deal.

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The atmosphere was very welcoming and the tones of the restaurant was very warm.  There is a big window to look into the kitchen and it seems like the dress code was Business Casual. When I say “it seems like business casual”, that’s what people wore while I sported my 2pac t-shirt, jeans and sneakers.  As always, I got the usual disgusted stares from other guests as walked by in slow motion with four fingers up and two twisted in the middle.  W.

The hostess was great, friendly and very welcoming. The wait staff was decent overall but not the greatest I’ve experienced.  There was one who stood out from the crowd and she was amazing.  I totally forgot her name but she definitely deserves a promotion.  She did an amazing job explaining the dishes and was always pleasant with a smile on her face as if she got laid before she came to work.

However, the rest seemed a bit hesitate, nervous and under trained.  They had trouble explaining the dish and its ingredients.  They didn’t exude the confidence of other waiters in their class.  Maybe it was an off night but they seemed nervous like teenage boys who are about to lose their virginity for the first time.

Anyway, we got a tour of the kitchen and the chefs slaving away while we took pictures of them.  Once again we got the disgusted stares due to being able to get a kitchen tour with our outfits.  It’s an amazing kitchen and definitely one I would want in my house if the chefs were included and slaving away as I scream obscenities at them for not cooking things right.

Now, the menu.  We went with the Fauna menu.  Grace was an interesting experience and the presentation was really impressive.  It was one of the better 3 Michelin starred restaurants in terms of presentation.  It was really creative.  It makes me wonder if the whole kitchen was high as shit when they came up with some of these ideas.

1. Alaskan King Crab – This was served with Kalamansi, Cucumbers and Lemon Mint.  It was presented in cup with a glass-esque cover where you tap on it and then it broke apart into the glass.  The presentation was impressive and it was fun to see the cover fall into the cup.  It’s kind of like Cinderella’s glass slipper if she was drunk and the Prince hooked up with her step-sisters instead.

   

2. Miyazaki Beef – There are two Japanese beef that are considered the cream of the crop, which are beef from Kobe and Miyazaki.  Who gives a fuck?  Both are damn good.  A portion of the beef was thinly sliced and served on top of the romaine, peanuts and Vietnamese herbs.  It was buttery, rich and everything you could imagine if you had won the lottery and wanted to spend it all on booze and drugs.

   

3. Pear – The presentation on this dish was exquisite and simply art.  The dish was immerse in a pear outer shell and you had to break the shell to eat it.  Once separated, there was brown butter, milk, balm and a braised pear.  The other ingredients wasn’t overly sweet, but the juices from the pear was really sweet.  It was sweeter than a guy at the bar trying to take a girl home.

   

Overall, Grace was a good overall experience.   Would I consider Grace one of my top dining experience?  I don’t think so.  It seems like Grace is missing that certain something.  For example, it’s a group of married women who can’t be a full group unless they have that one friend who is still single.  I wouldn’t rush back to Grace like a crazy ex-girlfriend or how I would do with Benu, Saison, Chef’s Table At Brooklyn Fare, Momofuku Ko, Sushi Zo, Eleven Madison Park, or even Per Se.  I hope you noticed the douchey name dropping of all these other restaurants.

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