Next Restaurant — Restaurant in West Chicago Township

Upon hearing that Next has a 10 year anniversary menu, highlighting some of the best dishes of the previous 10 years including Alinea, my wife and I decided to check it out. My expectations were set pretty high, and though there were stumbles, Next achieved those expectations.

When we arrived to Next, we were greeted by a friendly host that checked our coats, and were then promptly escorted to our table. The space was equal parts modern and intimate, providing a good ambiance for a large group of friends or a date night. Dinner opened with a bright and fresh Atlantic salmon cornet that tasted as if the fish was pulled out of the water just a few hours before. The second dish was a cauliflower cous cous, explained as a "choose your own adventure" type of dish, and though most of the flavors worked, there was a particular flavor that was a bit too intense for my palette. The other noteworthy part of the dish was the olive that was served on the side, as it was particularly great. After that was the child-like interpretation of fish and chips, which was wonderful in taste and presentation; it was executed perfectly to what it was attempting to achieve, including the way the non-alcoholic pairing was brought to the table. The next set of dishes was easily the highlight of the meal for me.

Starting with the sturgeon and caviar, this dish was perfectly cooked and perfectly balanced, with the rich, buttery sturgeon complementing the saltiness of the caviar. The next dish was an add-on, a white truffle agnolotti, with an abundance of flavor and a bountiful amount of white truffle served on top; it was absolutely decadent, though, steep in terms of pricing. The white truffle dish was followed by the black truffle explosion, which was an excellent duality in flavors. The black truffle further accentuated the earthy aspect of both dishes, and set us up for the main proteins of the evening. Unfortunately, the ascension and momentum the meal had going came to a halt at this point.

Immediately following the triumphant trio of dishes was a squab dish. I appreciate the unique presentation of the dish, but it was unappetizing to me, and this translated to the overall taste. The naan foie gras did not have much of a positive impact to my taste buds either. It was the low point of dinner, but, the redeeming factor was the cook on the squab, as it was glistening and moist. The last of the savory dishes was the Chicago steak. In terms of presentation, it was presented as it would be at a steakhouse, with the main steak having a variety of acommpaniments, sauces, and coarse salt for seasoning. It was a huge amount of food and it could have almost been an entire meal in itself, no complaints from me as we got to take some home. The steak itself was good, tender to the cut and bite, however, it was a do-it-yourself seasoning as by itself, there was little seasoning, but the steak sauce and bearnaise sauce did elevate it. The side salad was good, the baked potato-esque side was okay, and the onions had too much of an alcoholic taste to them to really enjoy. Overall, a good dish, but with faults. Luckily, the desserts remained, and both were fantastic.

Cheesecake came first, and it is hands down the best cheesecake I've ever had. It was a velvety heaven, with the cheese flavor being pronounced, yet, not overbearing. Extra kudos for being presented by itself with nothing else, as it is a confident and bold statement that it truly backed up. The last dish of the night, in contrast, was a theatrical conclusion, with the plating itself being part of the magic; a true joy to see in person. It is a dish that requires being eaten with all of the flavors mixed together, as some components were heavy-handed when eaten alone (such as the marscapone ice cream). Overall, this was the perfect bow to end the night with.

To sum the dinner, Next was a great dining experience, and one that I would recommend. It had peaks and valleys, but the former outweighed the latter, providing rare glimpses of culinary ingenuity that are...

This was certainly an interesting dining experience. Upon arrival we were mind boggled that no one offered to check our coats & winter gear. At this price point, that is UNHEARD of. Upon entering we were seated, then proceeded with the uncomfortable spectacle of what felt like stripping, as we took off layer by layer, (considering the snowstorm weather conditions) in a small shared space, while neighbor diners tried to not be disrupted by it. We were then greeted by our server, or quite frankly not really sure what his role was, seeing that we had several of those throughout the night. We are no novices in the fine dining world, so our initial greet and welcome left us in somewhat disbelief. Were we preparing to dine at Chilies, or at a restaurant with a name to uphold?…. Clearly they are not giving Daniel or Jean George vibes, just the high price point similarity vibes. We opted for the wine tasting in an attempt to enhance our dining experience, but that’s not what we necessarily received. Let’s say most of the wines were an acquired taste….that is the nicest way I can put it. Some of them tasted rancid, to the point in which I spit it back out into the glass, embarrassingly. I remember the wine waiter (that’s what he called himself when we asked if he was the sommelier) explaining one of the wines as having been harvested underground for 12+ years, maturing from soil etc, and my response was “It tastes like it”…… Our meal started out fantastic. We had courses that were some of the best tasting, complex dishes we’ve ever had. A lot of different flavor profiles combining into one another, enhancing each other and combining to create literal flavor explosions in your palate. After the first 4 or 5 courses, things started going sideways and changing drastically. The dishes were no longer some of the best, but rather some of the worst we’ve ever had. I had to leave 4 of them untouched, as I simply could not. The frog legs were soft, squishy, chewy and slimy, quite the opposite of what one would want frog legs to taste like if you ask me. All I could think of were the slimy creatures that come out of hiding on a rainy day. A couple of the “sweet” dessert dishes were far from sweet and “desserty”, but rather robust, and not the good kind. They tasted like the earth, if I can convey the idea here…. For whatever reason this seems to be a trend in fine dining, that of inedible desserts… so already wasn’t expecting much in that department. The most memorable dish was a truffle grilled cheese, which was an addition to the dining experience if you so wished. At almost $100, it tasted exactly as a $100 miniature grilled cheese should. It was one of the best nibbles I’ve ever had. The service of all servers and waiters was mediocre. They explained each dish, some more thoroughly than others. My husband would often listen as our neighbors were presented with their courses, because each description varied, depending on who your server was. The gist remained the same, but just sloppy in general. At this price point I don’t expect “casual” or inconsistencies to occur all across the board. Places such as these strive to work like a well oiled machine, and this was far from that. Underwhelming experience, with some great exceptions for sure. However, we have no plans on returning, nor would I personally recommend this restaurant. I would opt for a different experience, unless fine dining is your thing and you enjoy trying them all in general (just don’t expect the high and...

This is a long one. Next is a difficult restaurant to review. The ever-changing nature of Next means one season's menu is amazing and the next can leave a lot to be desired. After my visit, I completely understand why the Michelin guide took so long to give the restaurant a star. Some of the menus just don't warrant one. Unfortunately, the tribute to Massimo Bottura is one such menu. I'll start with the positives. The service, like their sister restaurant Alinea, is absolutely impeccable. Attention to detail is at the highest level at the front of house. As far as the food, the technique is also beyond reproach. I have no doubt everything was cooked exactly as intended upon conception. The issue here is the conception itself. The tribute to Massimo Bottura seemed to do very little to actually consider the chef or his mindset when building a dish. There was a rendition of a salad that the waiter said, "Massimo would probably hate" because of its unconventional ingredients. That's a weird way to honor a chef and his menu. Another dish, a play on Massimo's famous tortellini, was equally disappointing. The tortellini is special because it celebrates the beauty of simplicity and delicate flavors. The boldly spiced version that we were served was closer to a wonton soup than anything remotely Italian. In general, the whole experience lacked cohesion. Some dishes were celebrations of Italian flavors. Others were "Midwest" twists that had nothing Italian about them. This was most evident in the cheese course. Massimo's famous parmesan five ways became Wisconsin cheddar five ways. It was good, but it leaves you really wanting the original. And this leads to the biggest issue I had with the meal. The value. Needless to say, this is an expensive experience, over $300 per person not including drinks. And despite the service and the expert technique, the raw ingredients themselves were not the luxurious, once-in-a-lifetime delights you'd expect to receive. The beef dish was described as "beef". No particular cut. No particular grade. Definitely not wagyu or aged. If the quality isn't worth mentioning at a restaurant of this calibur, is it worth serving at a restaurant of this calibur? And the cheddar five ways is, at the end of the day, cheddar. Even the most expensive aged cheddar is something an average shopper could afford to add to their weekly grocery list. The "Midwest" twists on Massimo's dishes seemed more often than not to serve as a cost-saving measure rather than an actual enhancement to the dish itself. That's not the impression you want to leave with. I have no doubts that future Next menus will be amazing and well worth the cost. But this menu is just not one worth having, especially if you love Massimo Bottura...