Alinea

Not shying away from performance and theatrics, Chef Grant Achatz’s flagship restaurant continues to be one of the city’s most immersive experiences. Combining scented vapors, hidden ingredients and tableside service, dinner is a constant mix of whimsy and surprise. Signatures like the black truffle explosion or bourbon-maple cured Arctic char are woven in with a series of small, at times diminutive, courses that involve a number of unexpected ingredients and preparations. Dessert offers pure, childlike delight, starting with an edible helium balloon and ending with a nitro-fueled, Pollock-esque creation that’s sauced, splattered, cracked and glittered directly onto the table.