Friday night we planned a rendezvous in Chicago: Bella and I flew from SFO and David from YYZ/BOS. The plan was to go to moto, and hit a museum on saturday.

I had a fulton sunrise (gin, white grape juice and brandy with frozen grapes) to start. The meal was amazing, starting with the 0-course menu, which was edible — a cinammon-nutmeg spiced cracker with persimmon chutney and butternut squash sauce.

I couldn’t get a very good shot of the menu… along with the meal options, it had printed on it “no flash photography” and “moto restaurant welcomes the gessel family.”

The choice is basically 5 courses (1-2 hours), 10 courses (2-3 hours) or the Grand Tour Moto 15 course meal (4-5 hours). And feeling a bit over-indulged after our upgraded flights, we passed on the wine pairings and ordered a bottle of worthy cabernet sauvignon sophia cuvee, napa valley.It being already after 9 pm, we went with the 10 course and started the meal with a Greek Salad — fried black octopus (which Bella LOVED) and kalamata olive chips served from a copper pan of liquid nitrogen.

Next was Greek Salad, again. But in a small white cup: a very light slightly warm broth of cucumber, onion, vinegar… Bella didn’t like that one so much.

Then came Caribbean shutome with cold-grilled jerk pineapple. Bella was pleased with the fish, not so much the pineapple, although we loved it, especially the stainless steel frozen grill.

Course 4 was bbq pork and baked beans, which were served in the form of a cold soft noodle, along with liquid corn bread.

Moving along to the truffle dish that was permeating the dining room: pasta and quail… crunchy macaroni with wisconsin cheddar and chicken fried quail, dusted with white truffle powder.

Half way through, and we thought wow, we’re getting a bit full… out comes Fruit and bubbles: a sharp melted cheesiness with persimmon sorbet covered with apple cider foam…. mmmmmmm…

Next dessert was the two and three dimensional truffle: a paper cotton candy note and a white chocolate truffle filled with candy liquor. We got seconds on the 3d truffle and found out how they made it (freeze the liquor into a ball, then dip in chocolate and let the inside melt).

Now at this point, our waiter Joe comes out and asks if we’d like to try a few extra courses from the GTM? We’ve been telling him stories about our LN2 Ice Cream and the places Bella’s been. He asked her what her favorite restaurant was, to which she answered Tre Cristi in Siena. He wasn’t expecting that! Of course she was by far the youngest person in the restaurant, and the couple at the neighboring table were so impressed, and thought of their 10-year old whose favorite dining establishment was McDonalds. As for the extras, we say YES.

To cleanse our palates, we get the ginger beer fizz, injected from a syringe.

Here it gets a bit fuzzy… there was definitely a bacon scone. And white truffle creme bruleee. And something with caramelized apples. But I’m not sure if that was one or two courses.

The lamb corn dogs with chickpea curry sauce were a huge hit.

As were the steak and eggs: an egg white cube filled with spinach, and thinly sliced rib-eye. Paired with richard partridge, cabernet sauvignon, napa valley 2003. a much more peppery red than the worthy, which went well with everything, the partridge was definitely for the steak.

And then more desserts, with a glass of Ferreira, 20YR TAWNY, portugal:

A plate of cold coffee biscotti and warm almond milk.

s’mores like you’ve never had them: chocolate gelato filled with liquid graham crackers dressed with marshmallow in various forms.

And lastly, the very thing we’d been hoping for :*: frozen flapjacks :*: a precooked lightly spiced pancake batter fried on a box of liquid nitrogen, served in a spoon of maple syrup.

Bella, having tried everything and washed it all down with 4 shirley temples, was pleased. We happily paid the bill (they only charged us for the 10-course) and thanked Joe and the rest of the staff for EVERYTHING — seating us late and holding our luggage and all the wonderful food and stories…