Alinea to Offer 17-Course Vaccination
By Ari Loundy
CHICAGO, IL - As Chicago ramps up efforts to distribute the vaccine, Alinea has stepped up to be a rather surprising partner. Alinea, the Chicago restaurant known for their Michelin starred food and extensive tasting menus, has begun to offer a new 17 course vaccine experience.
“Normally, receiving a vaccine is quite bland, for lack of a better word. You might feel a prick of pain, and potentially a low-grade fever, but there’s nothing more than that.” said Nick Kokonas, the owner of Alinea. “We believed we could not only help distribute more vaccines, but also transform it into an enlightening experience that stimulates all five senses.”
Served in a section of the restaurant decorated to evoke the feelings of a doctor's office or a Walgreens pharmacy, the experience begins with a delivery of the vaccine information and EUA waiver served on a pillow scented of rubbing alcohol. Following that are several more courses that evoke the experience of receiving the vaccine, and they even include some of the ingredients. The highlight of the meal, according to early reports, are the courses focused around the four components of RNA: Adenine, Cytosine, Guanine, and Uracil.
“It was a real challenge to design courses around the A, C, G, and U of RNA.” Head Chef Grant Achatz told us. “But I’m proud of the results. It turns out that Cytosine has a very soothing mouthfeel, and the flavor of Uracil complements very well with salmon roe and cayenne pepper.”
Of course, it would not be Alinea without some theatrical flourishes. Course 15 is served at the very beginning of the meal at an incredibly cold -110 °F, and must be allowed to warm up during the course of the meal. Every course is also served with a wine pairing.
Early reviews are extremely positive. “This is the only real way to get vaccinated.” said Jared and Susan Lewis, who work as lawyers but asked we note they worked at a River North Jewel and qualified for 1b. “It was medical, yet delicious. Full of incredible flavors and textures, and I could actually feel the antibodies being developed in my bloodstream. We used to think Schwa’s MMR vaccine was the best we’ve had, but this tops that.
The experience concludes with the presentation of the diners’ vaccine cards, which are then decorated with various chocolates and desserts directly onto the card and the table, along with a date four weeks into the future for when they should return to repeat the whole process. Overall, the whole vaccination process takes three and a half hours, costs $4000, and is not covered by any insurance.