Feb 18,
2004 -
Atmosphere - Intimate and cosmopolitan, Tru is located
downtown just off the Magnificent Mile. The only slight deviation from
perfection is the somewhat visually cold and sterile setting that begs for
some color and warm decoration. The stunning high ceilings add to the
starkness of the one large white wall that has but one small white artifact.
Compounding the challenge is the fact the two of the walls that are all
glass windows facing onto the street are covered in plain white curtains.
One chance to liven and brighten up the room with a large colorful bouquet
is lost with a simple colorless stark bouquet (See examples -
Bouchon,
Aria) of eucalyptus in the center of
the room. - Atmosphere - 4.5/5
Food - The traditional French cuisine met lofty
expectations. They are a standard bearer for elegant high imaginative
cuisine. Every course was fabulous with a different selection served to each
patron. Each course was better than the previous one. The Hudson Valley Foie
Gras was incredible - a memorable highlight of the evening, in addition to
the imaginative 'caviar staircase'. Presentations were beautiful artistry (see pictures below). Food -
5/5
Wine - The winelist is extensive but it is well
thought out and boasts an impressive array of wines for all palates and
budgets - from the most demanding connoisseurs to the budget conscious
neophytes. There are selections of top rated vintages and top producers as
well as modest offerings from Burgundy, Bordeaux, the Rhone, Australia,
California as well as a very respectable list of Champagnes, stickies, and
desert and port selections. There are deep extensive vertical selections for
the first growth Burgundies and Bordeaux, as well as great selections of
lesser depth for top seconds such as Pichon Lalande, Montrose, Gruaud
Larose, Leoville Las Cases, and Ducru Beaucaillou, There are vertical
offerings of Penfolds Grange, Bryant, Dominus and the like, without being pretentious or
overbearing. These are tastefully mixed with entry level respectable
selections. What is most impressive is the carefully selected vintages
include all the top years that date back to 1961 and no space wasted on
recent vintages that are not yet ready to drink. There are also some creative
as well as hard to find
selections that offer a lot of tempting choices for the learned wine
aficionado. There are also a nice selection of large format bottles in
magnums and double magnums, half bottles, and a small limited selection of
wines by the glass. Our wine selections were fabulous and acceptably priced
- Paloma Napa Valley Spring Mountain Merlot 2000, and Shafer Red Shoulder
Ranch Carneros Chardonnay 2001,
(see Wine
Journal - Tru). Wine - 5/5
Service was thorough, gracious, friendly, attentive and
non intrusive that did a masterful job in pacing a long arduous flight of
courses (see below). Staff were knowledgeable and articulate in presenting
selections as well as the extensive cheese cart. Well done. 5/5
Overall - 19.5/20 |