I have seen the future of fine dining, and its name is Trio.
Trio offers luxury dining in which most of the luxuries are on the plate. It has a front-room staff that anticipates customer needs with imagination and a true sense of fun. And Trio’s food, in terms of sheer excitement, ranks among that of such masters of the unexpected as Jean Joho and Charlie Trotter.
Many top restaurants offer a dish or two whose novelty causes you to stop in admiration. At Trio, nearly every dish is like that.
Trio-the name refers to the ownership triumvirate of Rick Tramonto, chef; Gale Gand, pastry chef; and Henry Adaniya, sommelier and proprietor-seamlessly weaves French, Italian and Asian influences into contemporary dishes that combine unerring flavor pairings with breathtaking visuals.
Trio’s presentations are so artistic that the food ought to arrive in frames. Indeed, it more or less does; Tramonto and Gand plate their creations on all manner of materials, including granite, mirrors, antique china, marble, glass-I haven’t seen anything borne to the table on a chrome bumper yet, but I imagine Tramonto and Gand could do it if they wanted to.
Their artistry reaches a peak of sorts with the palette of caviar, in which the individual caviars-osetra, salmon, wasabi-infused flying-fish roe, whitefish caviar and various traditional accompaniments-are arranged, in chromatically discrete piles, along the outer edge of a painter’s palette. Rounding out the dish are some lobster ceviche with white truffle oil, a ramekin filled with creme fraiche and a separate plate of delicious toasted brioche. It’s wonderful to share, even if the eating gets a trifle inelegant at times.
Also theatrically-presented is the wok-seared beef carpaccio. The paper-thin meat slices, drizzled with a bit of oil, are laid out on a granite slab. In one corner there are arugula leaves, supporting some insanely good truffled potato salad; in another, a small scattering of coarse salt. You season the carpaccio, if you wish, by rubbing the meat along some of the salt.
Whatever else you order, you must try some soup, which is presented in a stylish cappuccino cup topped with frothed milk. The porcini mushroom soup, served with a parmesan tuille, is a superstar, but on subsequent visits a sweet pumpkin soup and a velvety asparagus soup were no less soothing and wonderful.
Tea-smoked lobster, basted in vanilla butter and served with cubed potatoes and lemongrass beurre blanc, is a special that I hope will be repeated. Heady applewood-smoked filet is paired with mashed potatoes turned vivid green with a massive infusion of wasabi; Tramonto says that Oprah’s Potatoes, the horseradish-y staple at The Eccentric, were his inspiration. And breast of Muscovy duck is simply divine above a fragrant port and star anise sauce, sharing the plate with a rich polenta, and a compote of turnip and prune.
There is so much more. The flawless mushroom risotto, served in a gleaming copper saucepan; four prosciutto-wrapped shrimp, laid in individual, different-colored puddles of aioli; a goat-cheese salad with beet slices and fennel; the venison, with a napoleon of crispy fried and garlicky mashed potatoes; and an earthy, hazelnut-and-herb-crusted rack of lamb.
The goodies that precede the meal are memorable, too. A waiter brings around a basket of homemade rolls and breads, and it’s difficult not to request all of them. A complimentary amuse bouche begins each meal; one night you might find some Copperwell Street noodles (chilled spaghettini tossed in a complex Asian sauce), another night a bit of salmon tartare atop a potato gaufrette.
Gale Gand’s desserts are sensational, sinful and oh-so-satisfying. The matrimonial cake (Trio opened on Tramonto and Gand’s fifth wedding anniversary) is a rich, layered chocolate cake surrounded by tall, jagged shards of marbled chocolate; the dessert is presented on a stack of glass rectangles with “Trio” stenciled on each glass sheet in powdered cocoa. Sticky toffee pudding is a gooey indulgence, given a surprise twist with the inclusion of some white pepper ice cream. And there’s whimsy in the root beer float, in which a pitcher of root beer is ceremoniously poured into a glass filled with root beer granita and root beer gelato.
The best way to experience Trio is via the spontaneous degustation, a you-never-know-what’s-coming-next parade of about 10 small courses, of which four are desserts. Henry Adaniya, a solicitous front-room presence, will match the degustation with appropriate wines, within the budget you designate; in our experience, Adaniya’s choices are usually bargains. Adaniya is similarly conscientious when making recommendations off his wine list; you just about have to prod him into recommending anything expensive. Apparently, the only thing Adaniya doesn’t know about running a restaurant is how to pad the bill.
At meal’s end there is one final treat: A few homemade truffles (tangerine one visit, creme fraiche another) with citrusy tuilles. When these goodies are available for retail purchase, I’ll be on line.
Trio is the first new four-star restaurant in Chicago since Le Prince in 1988. Le Prince couldn’t sustain itself and is closed; Trio, I believe, has much more long-term promise.
So here’s four stars to Trio, and may it bear that distinction with grace. My only real fear is that Trio will improve; I’m not quite sure how I’ll convey that circumstance on paper next time.
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(STAR)(STAR)(STAR)(STAR) Trio, 1625 Hinman Ave., Evanston 708-733-TRIO. Contemporary American. Hours: 5:30-9:30 p.m. Tues.-Thurs., 5:30-10 p.m. Fri.-Sat., 5-9 p.m. Sun., closed Mon. Price range: Appetizers $7-$18, soups/salads $5-$13, entrees $17-$29, desserts $6-$10, 10-course degustation dinner $65; dinner for two of appetizer, soup/salad, entree, dessert, tax and tip: $113. Credit cards: American Express, Carte Blanche, Diners Club, Discover, MasterCard, Visa. Reservations: Strongly recommended. Other: Wheelchair accessible (assisted access to restrooms); no smoking; jacket and tie suggested; valet parking available.