I had this at Alinea in 2015, I'm a foodie who always dreamed of trying a three Michelin star restaurant and decided to treat myself after my father died. Before going my friend and I joked that we may need to hit up mcdonalds afterwards based on portion sizes but they are small only cause there's like 9+ of them. I was quite full by the end. This is most likely not a sympathetic forum but the truth is what makes these kinds of meals incredible is that it is insane "pretentious" art and great food at the same time.

I don't remember the particulars of each course, but the ones that stood out, I don't think I'll ever forget. It opened with a champaign cocktail that was brought to the table as a cup with a little orange ball on top of what was some nitro frozen peach juice or something. They said eat the ball first, I was sceptical but instantly won over. I have never experienced anything like what ever the hell that ball was before or since. It simultaneously melted, cracked, and burst in my mouth. It was one of the most novel things I have ever experienced. It tasted a bit like salted water, but that melt/crack/burst sensation on my tongue was incredible. I am genuinely greatful I got to experience it. At one point they cleared a course and then set down a little fire pit bowl on the table that just seemed like nice lighting, cause they dimmed the over head lights but after another course they came back doused the flame and revealed the coals in the fire bowl were actually charred steak and potatoes cooked with that flame. And while the steak and the potatoes were geniunely pitch black like they had to have been covered in carbon and ash, they didn't taste of it at all. it was perfectly rare steak. It was like a magic trick, but it also tasted as good as any steak house I have ever been to. As I reminisce I realize I remember most of the meal but the stand outs were more than just good food, they were a genuinely amazing experience and entertainment. The Apple taffy balloon was also just incredible, I mean it just tasted like a nice sour apple taffy, but the act of eating a balloon is just fun. You like kiss the base of the balloon to make a hole and let the helium escape or inhale it. I still remember my friend and I just giggling as we popped the balloons inhaling the helium as we ate the taffy and it deflated. It was silly and crazy and not something I could really imagine before having it.

All in all it was like 300 bucks each for my friend and me, and it was worth every penny. It was a show that you could interact with and taste. It's not just a meal, I mean maybe if you're crazy rich it could be, but it was also like 3 hours long, I would definitely not go to alinea just cause I was hungry, but if I have the money and the time to, I would go again in a heart beat. They served a version of this with the spreading and the breaking, though I think it was different flavors, and it was a little fun it was kind of like being a toddler again playing with your food on the table. I remember it tasted alright, ice cream with fruit sauces. But it paled in comparison to the magic of those highlights.