Alinea

Description: Alinea in Chicago, could be a blueprint for the restaurant of the future, but - lucky us - we can eat there now. Chef owner Grant Achatz and partner Nick Kokonas run the show but the enterprise is a collaborative one with designers, sommeliers, suppliers and - of course - chefs all key to the creative process. A process that unfolded online in the 'Alinea Project' long before the guest was seated in May 2004. The self-confessed 'web geeks' are continuing in the same vein with the publication of their rad new Alinea book - out in Autumn 2008 - a quite unconventional publishing story, given it was launched with an online trailer and comes with an interactive website which can be added to over time. For the non-virtual experience, you'll want the famous 'tour' menu - 25 courses for $195.