In the February issue of Vanity Fair there’s a provocative and problematic essay by food writer Corby Kummer on the tyranny of fine dining; or how extravagantly priced, multihour, multicourse tasting menus supposedly subjugate the desires of the diner in favor of egocentric cheffy autocracy.
But Duffy’s not one of Kummer’s tyrants. You do have a choice—between two nine-course menus, one vegetable focused, the other a bit meatier. Each of these costs $185, which after wine, tax, and tip positions Grace as the second-most expensive restaurant in the city (after Alinea, with Elizabeth a close third).
Surprisingly for a chef known for his light touch, some of the heaviest courses appear on the flora menu. A sunburst-colored squash soup, given texture by toasted “waffle” croutons and crunchy bits of acidic crab apple, is richly substantial, while a pasty chestnut puree adorned with sliced black truffle and crunchy shards of dehydrated almond milk is a bit too much for the midpoint of the menu.
Service is relaxed without abdicating formality, but it’s still immature—a server twice failed to describe one of the dishes on the table. Not the end of the world, but the price point of a meal such as this tends to amplify those sorts of gaffes, which, under other circumstances, would be insignificant. For $800 and change you may find yourself slowly savoring a dish only to stop to wonder why all the tablecloth skirts are wrinkled. Restaurants iron out details like these over time, but for whoever’s paying the check, they’re likely to linger much longer.
652 W. Randolph 312-234-9494grace-restaurant.com
