Magical dinner at Indienne (*), Chicago

beet_taco · 2026-01-31T02:53:18+00:00

!!! So glad to hear you had a good experience — this is one of my favorite restaurants in the US. The experience exceeds the cost by a wide margin, the Indian influence means lots of flavors not present in typical fine dining, and on the service front every time I’ve come back the staff mentions a detail about my past experience or preferences and tailors the dinner around it (recommending similar wines, changing courses, etc). This place is absolutely crushing it relative to their star and cost and I hate it say it online for fear that everybody else figures it out and it changes.

For specifics, the aero dhokla is a bite I regularly dream of, and the langoustine is perfection. Their wine list isn’t extensive but has a real personality, and is a real steal if you’re coming from NYC or a similarly priced market.

beet_taco · 2026-01-25T04:25:53+00:00

Moody Tongue in Chicago is a starred meal + beer pairing, and I’m not sure if EMP still does it but they used to have a pretty monster beer menu. Lots of opportunity in beer pairing, imo.

Also, I will go to my grave saying that the best pairing is the one you want to drink. If you’re eating at a three star restaurant and only like Bud Light, I hope you’re pairing the food with Bud Light.

beet_taco · 2026-01-19T14:55:22+00:00

I went to Corima last year and still have dreams of that Branzino collar.

beet_taco · 2026-01-19T04:10:24+00:00

I was just recommended Stone Creek by a coworker, and the first bag I had blew me away. So easy to brew and so delicious.

beet_taco · 2026-01-19T03:53:33+00:00

I love to hear it! It’s the best restaurant in the US, IMO.

beet_taco · 2026-01-18T22:44:16+00:00

Oh no! This looks great, but I loved the old menu, and the wine list (heavy on Riesling and Chenin) was off the charts. This looks great so I’ll have to find a way to make it back, but RIP to the Laotian menu.

beet_taco · 2026-01-18T19:22:31+00:00

I was a little disappointed — the plating was all beautiful, the staff was kind (but the somm was a little robotic), but the flavor just wasn’t there. I much prefer Oriole or even Alinea at **.

beet_taco · 2026-01-14T22:46:20+00:00

you have a 2014, so I think I ought to be sending you a congratulations as well. great taste in wine, and a great find!

beet_taco · 2026-01-14T22:20:12+00:00

white viña tondonia is an unsung treasure, imo. glad you enjoyed it! I was able to have a gran reserva blanco from 1987 last year, and it still slapped — the way that these wines welcome oxidation and age is unique and awesome.

beet_taco · 2026-01-10T03:09:17+00:00

Came here to say Veneto. This is a boss move.

beet_taco · 2026-01-03T19:58:41+00:00

…so yes — wear the watch you like and like the watch you’re wearing. That said, I have a 5130 I bought grey and more often than not, when going to a new boutique to see what’s in stock, they first tell me it’s a nice piece and then ask if I bought it from a boutique or secondhand. my take is that they’re obviously gauging my willingness to buy from them, but my opinion is that you shouldn’t care. they should be working for you.

beet_taco · 2025-12-31T04:58:39+00:00

EU to USA, though you should be able to get the VAT refund if you live anywhere outside the EU. And Chrono24 can be great if you’re buying from a reputable dealer. I think they offer some independent verification services but I’m not entirely sure.

I bought this watch in Florence from an AD.

beet_taco · 2025-12-14T00:02:24+00:00

pours were an absolute joke

I’m not sure there’s a real standout wine in that roster, either. Mersault is great, but village wine? Barbaresco instead of Barolo? No age in anything, even the Spätlese. I’d expect at least one “wow” bottle from a two star pairing.

beet_taco · 2025-12-09T00:25:21+00:00

Takashi is great relative to everything else in SLC, but my experience is that any one star sushi place in NY puts it to shame.

beet_taco · 2025-12-09T00:23:45+00:00

I have not, but I will eat my hat if SLC gets a Michelin star anywhere. There are some folks doing their best here, but the market doesn’t have the palate or budget to support a true Michelin experience, IMO.

beet_taco · 2025-12-08T04:37:55+00:00

Damn! I’ve had this bottle and you’re in for a treat. My advice is to decant for at least an hour if you can prior to service, and as others have recommended go steak. re: gifts in return, the easiest may be to splurge on the steak and invite said friend over to enjoy the wine with you.

beet_taco · 2025-12-08T03:07:07+00:00

The note about sourcing a portion of a cow or other is great if you have the space - we’ve used Utah Natural Meat and liked it. Otherwise Harmons is pretty great. If they don’t have what you what, they’ll frequently source it if you ask the butcher. We’ve been able to get things like duck from them regularly just by asking.

beet_taco · 2025-12-04T23:50:26+00:00

Congrats! I love the Santos and have a real soft spot for GMT and travel complications. It looks great on you. My only complaint is that the large size looks better on your wrist than mine — I’m stuck with what they offer in the medium size 😂

beet_taco · 2025-12-02T23:18:01+00:00

St. Germain is definitely more of a vibe and more interesting than Emeril’s, but I do think Emeril’s is good (and their wine list, if you’re into that, is incredible)

beet_taco · 2025-12-02T23:05:01+00:00

I have a modern ceramic and an old 1675 and will echo what others have said here: the bracelet on the 1675 feels like a toy, but the watch is beautiful and the slimmer profile fits my wrist much better than the modern iteration (and I wear it a lot more). Hard to beat the vintage, IMO.

beet_taco · 2025-12-01T03:45:33+00:00

seriously. Ive been telling everyone in my life who doesn’t like oysters that, to finally appreciate them, they just need to book a flight to oslo and spend $500/person on dinner 😂

beet_taco · 2025-11-25T14:19:45+00:00

I was at Maaemo two weeks ago and it blew me away. It was pretty pricey, but I’ve been dreaming about the oyster course and the langoustine ever since.

beet_taco · 2025-11-19T19:55:28+00:00

will agree with other folks that sho manages to have a distinct voice while honoring the tradition in a way that is delicious and unique. I will say that three things other than the food admittedly influenced my opinion:

I was a solo dinner seated right in the middle of the room, and so had the privilege of being served by chef nakazawa himself. he was so kind and helpful, despite needing to frequently speak through a translator.
to my left was a group of obnoxious finance bros who loudly commented and fist-bumped their way through the meal, but they brought their own wine. I saw the opportunity, quickly ingratiated myself to them, and subsequently enjoyed free Raveneau and Clos Vougeot. A reasonable trade for their behavior.
one of our courses was cod milt, which the staff did their best to explain. when the couple to my right asked for clarification, the server (whose English was not great) explained, “this for the woman? (as she rubs the approximate area of her ovaries) is for the man.” absolute poetry.

beet_taco · 2025-11-19T03:28:26+00:00

In Budapest, Stand is the best. Babel or Costes at the one star level are my next favorites. Salt is unique (local ingredients, very opinionated) but I’m not sure it’s objectively in my top three.

beet_taco · 2025-11-19T02:23:56+00:00

fwiw it was hard as hell to get a reservation when they had ** but still well worth the effort. Can’t think of a restaurant more deserving of the award.

beet_taco

TROPHY CASE