The Albert Awards

The Albert Restaurant Review:

About the restaurant & décor: Is this a dining room or movie set? That might be one of your first thoughts upon entering this breathtaking scene, where 12,000 carefully selected science books (an ode to Albert Einstein) command the walls. Sketches, watercolors and oil paintings perfectly accent the space, a regular destination for Hotel EMC2 guests and the well-heeled denizens of Streeterville. Quiet and refined, this photogenic spot would be ideal for a business lunch, a romantic dinner or happy hour.

Likes: Striking scene and artful plates.
Dislikes: Only one salad option for lunch.

Food & Drinks: Executive chef Larry Feldmeier (Sixteen) weaves artistry through his plates, whether it's a creamy cauliflower soup or Mission fig with beets and black walnut. The dinner menu splits among Garden, Grain, Sea and Field choices, with texture, color and flavors shining through every bite. Look for playful juxtapositions – a coffee vinaigrette laced on delicata squash or a sour melon and mint on a tempura maitake mushroom. Even the Prime skirt steak is elevated with its pairing of eggplant caviar. For a sweet finale, savor the fluffy chocolate chestnut semifreddo. A solid wine list embraces old-world and West Coast pours. Meanwhile, breakfast and brunch feel like special occasions with simple yet decadent dishes: a truffle omelette, purple potato gnocchi and hunky chicken katsu sandwich. Zap to life with Square Biz, a coffee absinthe-flavored cocktail with rye whiskey and cask-aged pineapple.