Kasama’s tasting menu has reached a point of maturity and increasing acclaim that demands another look…
Two Michelin Stars
My last meal at Oriole left me feeling that the restaurant was undergoing a bit of an identity crisis…
Alinea, even at its lowest point, is still synonymous with Chicago gastronomy. Any serious attempt at reckoning with the best must look very closely at what it has to say…
Ten years after Oriole’s debut, I cannot think of a tougher or more rewarding test for a restaurant that has earned its place in Chicago’s all-time fine dining pantheon…
These past few experiences affirm that the kitchen has built a foundation through which its best ever work may now be realized.
By and large, I enjoyed what I tasted at Oriole back in September. Two months later, where do things stand?
Since writing about Oriole “2.0” in February of 2022, I’ve visited the restaurant another 13 times…
With your hundredth visit looming in early 2023, the time seems ripe to step back, reflect, and review the creative output that has flowed ceaselessly from Ada Street’s colossus of seasonal American cuisine.
Oriole reopened in July of 2021 with all the promise of a new experience in an improved space. Though already ensconced among Chicago’s most elite chefs, Noah Sandoval chose to pursue–and fulfill–a grander expression of his vision. The chef unveiled Oriole “2.0,” and you think that moment provides the perfect opportunity to finally engage more deeply with his work.
Ever promised the world and delivers first-time guests a pretty fine experience. And you think most visitors will leave the restaurant feeling satisfied by the novel food, polished service, and refined atmosphere. They’ll feel satisfied because the heightened expectations were just about met, but you’ve never felt those expectations were truly surpassed.