Alinea and Per Se

Alinea was the first notable American restaurant to fully embrace Ferran Adria’s deconstructivist ideals and apply them to a Continental kitchen style. Located in Chicago, Alinea is one of the few 3-Michelin starred restaurants located in the U.S., and has accomplished this while retaining a distinctly American air. For example, one of the entrees, a pheasant breast, is accompanied by burning oak leaves, adding an olfactory suburban element to a very European dish. Alinea’s chef, Grant Achatz, approaches cooking as a science project, and exemplifies the art of molecular gastronomy in a populist, American way.

While Alinea takes a distinctly American route in its approach towards molecular gastronomy, Per Se, located in NYC, charges down an entirely different route. Thomas Keller, the head chef, takes a very traditional European approach while still utilizing American elements; for example, one of his desserts is donuts and coffee, with an Italian twist, as the coffee is a semi-freddo. Another 3-Michelin Star restaurant, Per Se exemplifies the more maximalist nature of molecular gastronomy used by Blumenthal, utilizing foams and jellies in a glorious excess.