RIA

On a visit to Chicago I had the good fortune of visiting both RIA and Charlie Trotters (at the time the reigning Chicago restaurants boasting 2 Michelin stars). And although Trotters was expected to be the highlight, in light of it being a chance to visit the venerable institution of fine dining before it shuttered its doors, I was surprised to find that RIA was the true stand out.
In fact, from the standpoint of food quality, presentation, and service … RIA blew Trotters out of the water on all points. I am sad that RIA is now closed as well, because I certainly would have made a point to return to this (once) wonderful restaurant.

One of the best meals we have ever had! So sad that it has closed. Wonderful dinner in a beautiful environment! I still remember our server a year later, John David truly made the meal special!!!

RIA was my first 2 Michelin Star experience in the US.
I liked it a lot, although I expected a little more delicacy for one of the courses (i mean a little bit :)). Nonetheless, the experience was really great and very enjoyable. Thank you Chef :-)
Maybe this will sound inexperienced, or weird, but my favorite parts were the amuse bouche. There were REALLY amazing and delicate. And I want to add, unique in their texture and taste. I have never eaten such delicious and delicate amuse-​bouche anywhere else. We had deep fried brie cheese balls, from Wisconsin (I am not sure) — so rich in flavor and melting so nicely in your mouth.
And my favorite one: some «little rolls» made of foie gras and truffle. I was in heaven :)
I was eating them really slowly to appreciate them as long as possible.
I have taken discretely a photo of them for a souvenir :)
I actually hate taking photos while eating… but these… I did not want to forget!
I’ll upload the photos soon.
The only thing I did not particularly enjoy, (and that’s why I put 4 starts instead of 5) was the sparkling wine selection they bring before you start your meal. It’s very nice and they have a diversified selection, but it kind of forces you to take one… and I was not in the mood to drink sparkling wine at this time… However I still took one because I felt I had to. Maybe I am a weak person :-)
The place itself is very nice. Very sophisticated, modern. The decoration is very well done because it can fit many styles of diners: romantic, business, food-​lovers, classy etc.
Voila! And to conclude:
If I return to Chicago, I will return to RIA :)

Ria & Money both share the same life philosophy:
Life with money is more fun.
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It’s taller; more handsome. It drives faster. It drinks smoother. And, of course, it tastes better… only if you are willing to pay what it costs.
It costs a lot, but it sure is worth the money when you have dinner at Ria because the service here is so impeccable that you actually believe you have more money than you really do.
I spent $ 90 within 5 minutes of being seated. How did that happen?
The sommelier kindly wheeled over a beautiful cart containing a Copper Bucket filled with crushed ice and four bottles of bubbly.
«Congratulations on your 3 Year anniversary. And to start off your evening we have a selection of four delicious champagnes… What may I serve you?»
Conscience: I hope there isn’t a caviar cart followed by a Wagyu Beef cart followed by a Flight of Grand Dessert Cart.
«Let’s start with the Beau Joie Brut Rose.»
This was Tracy’s first Rose and I think she is now a Rose fan. It was worth every dollar.
Ria is tasting menu only. We selected a tandem Spring Menu with a wine pairing. We had been drinking at a Kentucky Derby event earlier so we didn’t think we could handle a full wine tasting. Ria provided us with a half-​pour version so that we could enjoy the pairings without going overboard. That was a nice touch.
The food here is beautifully composed and exquisitely presented. There is a whole lot of care and effort in every detail.
The experience at restaurants with this type of price tag is designed to pamper you and make you feel special.
Ria succeeds… no Ria excels at this.
I cannot think of a better restaurant to celebrate those special occasions that call for Michelin-​starred food, wine, and service. The only caveat is that this is a special occasion restaurant unless you’re a banker.
In that case, you should know that Money never sleeps, but when it eats… it prefers Ria.
$tay hungry my friend$.

Chef Danny Grant is a master of sauces; while he makes use of the entire panoply of available cooking and chemistry, his food never seems contrived like the much ballyhooed Alinea. RIA is much closer in spirit and taste to classic french with a modern outlook.
Before the meal started the assistant wine sommelier wheeled around a Champagne cart. He was very helpful in choosing a glass of champagne at $ 30.00;one glass was all we ordered, but it was excellent. It was clear that this was not included in the tasting menu.
We did not order the accopmpanying wine tasting but ordered wines by the glass; again the sommelier was very helpful and knowledgable.
The Chef’s tasting menu consisted of 7 course supplemented by 6 amuses. Before the first course we had 4 amuse bouches of various texture and cuising, all tasty. The 7 courses we had have generally been described and can be found online as well; I would add that the first course, with scallop, caviar, octupus, crème fraîche and truffle was a symphony of coordinated flavors, the caviar mild and a perfect complement.
We substituted a warm foie gras for the cold foie gras on the menu at an extra cost of $ 17. It was a good move; a substantial piece of foie gras accompanied by kumquats and almond flavoring and a fresh brioche. We split a glass of Sauternes with it. Yummy.
The dover sole course was served with apples, mushrooms and a sauce made with calvados; quite exceptional. I’ve had better sole when it was the only entrée, but in the context of a multi-​course meal it was excellent.
Throughout the meal we had fine, friendly and professional service.
I highly recoimmend RIA for a fine dining experience.

This place is a solid 4. What didn’t make it a 5 is probably due to my high expectation given its two Michelin stars. I was hoping for something only half a notch below Alinea, but I think this place is a full notch below Alinea, if not more.
Three of us went there for a Friday dinner. We all chose the Chef’s tasting menu. The serve was impeccable. The décor is classy and modern. Now comes the food: scallop was perfectly cooked, the dover sole, omg, the dover sole was soooo good. Great flavors and complimented by the mushrooms. The main course would be the wagyu beef and lobster – wagyu was medium rare, I usually eat steak medium, but that medium rare wagyu was very flavorful and the sauce took it to a different level.
I think we had two dessert courses, the first one i don’t remember, could be due to too much wine by that time, or the fact it wasn’t too impressive. The second dessert course was the chocolate/​banana bread. It was great, but I felt like it’s missing something, it didn’t wow me.
Oh and it’s annoying to have to walk downstairs for restroom…

Seldom comes a place where I find myself struggle to describe in words the experience that I had at Ria. It only seemed fitting that my 1700^th review be on this incredible dining experience. This truly remarkable 2-​Michelin Star restaurant deserves far more than it’s «mere» 2 Michelin stars and it’s understated dining room.
The service here is superb. I actually did not book this for my birthday but just to try it out because it was «one of» the Michelin greats in Chicago … and I was so unprepared for how overwhelmingly amazing this place would end up being.
We showed up a little before our reservation, so we were shown to lounge area which is an ultra, ultra cool intimate and cozy little place before the dining room where you can order just about anything while sitting down. The waiter came to us immediately and once he realized we had wanted something of the scotch descendent, immediately headed to the bar downstairs and gave us a list of available scotches at the bar that night. Shortly after our drinks were served, our table was ready.
I never like sitting next to the other person I’m dining with because I prefer to sit across, so this was a slight negative but completely negated by the level of service and the sheer delight of the food that was to arrive. We did a tasting menu, not the large one but the smaller one and it was worth every penny. Each dish came out in perfect fashion, with not even a mark of any mistake on the presentation or the dish itself. The waiters were extremely attentive, polite, but not overly intrusive and very helpful. They continued to educate us about the parts of the food we were curious about and even gave us fantastic tips on local transportation, bars, etc.
This was undeniably a 3 Michelin or above experience at a severe discount at Ria. The whole meal including drinks came out to be around $ 250 with tip and tax and I could not have asked for a better night. Thank you Ria.

I made reservations to RIA in November and had a fun experience. We came a little early before our reservation to check out the lounge and had a cocktail before dinner. I got a Lady Killer, a vodka based drink. Wow, that was strong. Then we shared an order of oysters, which were fantastic.
Once we were seated, we were offered glasses of champagne which we took and ordered a fantastic bottle of red wine. I didn’t really look at the menu because I already knew that I was going to get the Chef’s tasting menu. I thought our meal was excellent overall — the dishes, amuse bouche, and petit fours. Even though my meal was good, I can’t say if there is one memorable dish that stood out, which is why I gave RIA 4 stars only. Everything else — service and timing of our dishes — was great.
On our way out, the chef autographed our menus and gave us a hot chocolate mix to take home, which was quite good. I can see why it earned its Michellin stars, but I was expecting a little more.

Our anniversary dinner at Ria was perfect from start to finish.
I am truly at a loss for words to describe how wonderful all of the dishes in the Chef’s Tasting menu were. From the amuse bouche through the desserts, everything was amazing.
The service was spotless. We ordered glasses of champagne in the lounge before seating– they came by with the champagne cart after we were seated and refilled us with our choice, for free! Very nice touch. Our server and the sommelier were helpful, friendly, formal, but never pushy or pretentious.
Some reviewers are surprised that Ria got two Michelin stars… I’m surprised that they don’t have three. Ria is certainly the best dining experience we have ever had in Chicago.

A beautiful meal is to had here. I did the chef’s tasting and it was a splendid. You would expect a very good meal from this currently 2 Michelin star restaurant, but I would bet good money that Ria will be elevated to 3 stars next month. The food was as good as Alinea, better then L20, much better then CharlieTrotter’s. From plating, pacing, and service this is a fairly flawless dining experience.
I could gush about the textures and flavors, but you really should just try it for yourself. The food is rather impeccable and would say not terribly expensive either. Sure it’s not the thing you do every Tuesday, but it would be a great pleasure if it were.
Yes you will be going to Alinea, but a very close second for me would Ria.

I phoned «Ria» and made a reservation for two on a Wednesday — my only full day off. I was looking forward to a nice evening of being served and having a great dining experience.
We arrived early because I wanted to try the bartender’s «Honeymoon» and have an appetizer at the bar before dinner. The oysters we enjoyed were phenomenal and the «Honeymoon» cocktail was truly amazing. Our bartender was top notch. However the seating area in the bar was quite noisy with a loud child complete with scrapes from the feet of the high chair. The «scrape» sounded like a Unilocal from a large dog getting kicked.
At length, the noise was not a major concern because we were going to close out our tab at the bar and complete our evening in the dining room of Ria.
However, at the hostess stand, our dining experience was dropped to a whole new level. The hostess (lovely woman by the way) led us back to the bar area close to where the loud child was earlier and presented the same exact menus that we could have ordered from at the bar.
I was actually looking forward to the «Ria» menu however, we were given the «Balsan» menu. Now don’t get me wrong, the Balsan menu is really nice, but when it comes down to «my only night off» I want the Denver Sole, the Squab, the marrow with Black Truffle, and Heirloom Tomato. The Chef’s tasting menu I would be happy with, because I had way too much on my mind. What I really wanted was the solid 4 star Unilocal,the two Michelin stars and the chance to go to my investors for a Thursday morning meeting and thank them for my birthday dinner that they recommended and happily paid for.
But none of that happened.

***Ria utilizes high quality ingredients to deliver flavorful food with nice presentations, which puts it in the same class as Providence, Manresa, and The Restaurant at Meadowood***
Ria sits in the beautiful Elysian hotel. The courtyard entrance is incredible; the exterior reminds me of an upscale hotel I would expect to see in Beverly Hills or Vegas. The bar adjacent to Ria is also nice (big marble counter and a nice showcase for drinks and cheese).
Ria’s dining room is comfortable but it is not as nice looking as the hotel. The room is a little too spacious and rectangular. It reminds me of a hotel banquet room. They have definitely done some work to the room, but I was not a big fan of their choices for chairs, shade of carpet, walls, and so on.
While Ria is not my favorite dining room, the food is very good. They properly cooked high quality produce. And despite using a lot of light ingredients, they still churned out distinct flavors (I’ve been to quite a few of these fine dining spots where the food lacked intensity).
Like other excellent fine dining restaurants, Ria shows a strong attention to detail – highlighted by their strong bread. Their bread (baguette) was nice and chewy with a good crust. The butter was soft and incredibly creamy.
The amuses were good too. The Gruyère puffs had a good cheese flavor and there was a nice contrast between the airy center and the crust (though I would have preferred a more distinct crust). Their cucumber gelee with cold cream was refreshing. Their foie gras and truffle ravioli was also good (though not as flavorful as Providence’s foie gras ravioli).
I had the tasting menu and my first course was chilled scallops with caviar and octopus. While the octopus was good (it could have been a little softer), the scallops were very good. They were very fresh as well as soft and moist. The caviar provided a salty punch to the mostly mild dish.
My second course was a rabbit terrine, which had a foie gras center. The terrine was moist and flavorful (nicely seasoned). It was accompanied by very sweet pumpernickel bread that was garnished with radishes, carrots and sweet and plump raisins. The sweet sides went well with the terrine.
My fish entrée was one of the best fish dishes I had in Chicago. The black cod was incredibly moist and flaky. The sauce (which was kind of a mushroom sauce) was creamy and flavorful but not too rich. I liked a lot of the sides as well. The razor clams were good as were the earthy chanterelles. The garlic mousse ravioli was okay (the pasta was too thick).
My final entrée was the guinea hen, which was nicely roasted. It was incredibly moist, juicy and tender. It had a great flavor and was topped with a very satisfying Madeira sauce. The sides were good and fresh. I enjoyed the English peas as well as the tarragon. I also liked the salty flavor of the crispy chicken skin.
The potato gnocchi was good too, but I prefer a more seared and crispy gnocchi (like what I had at Spruce in SF).
I also opted for the cheese plate and it was one of the better cheese plates I’ve had. They have a mix of European and American cheeses (that are similar varieties), which makes it fun to compare. I had several cheeses and they were all creamy. There was great variety in flavors – a slightly pungent flavor to a much stronger flavor. Some of the cheeses even had a little heat.
The cheese garnishes were great – light crisps, candied pecans, moist date cake, incredibly thick and sweet honey, and very delicious walnuts that had been soaked in sugar cane syrup.
Desserts were also good. My pre-​dessert was mint ice paired with very creamy and flavorful coconut ice cream and yuzu pearls. My main dessert was a chocolate ganache that was not too rich (it had a relatively light texture). The dessert came with some very good banana and crispy puffed rice as well as a cool and refreshing salt sherbet.
The meal ended with some complimentary items – macaron, pâté de fruit and a chocolate truffle. They also provided some complimentary chocolate hazelnut candies to-​go. These were okay, but they lacked the crunchy nuts and crispy toffee texture of the similar chocolate hazelnut candies at Bouchon Bakery in Yountville.
Service was very good. My waiter was very knowledgeable about the menu and showed a strong passion for the food. The whole staff was professional, polite and attentive, but they were also very welcoming and personable (which I felt was missing at other Chicago spots I tried).
Pricing is high, but the quality of the food at Ria is noticeably better than several other places in Chicago, LA and SF.
Ria was one of my most satisfying meals in Chicago (as well as anywhere) and it is definitely one to consider if you are on the hunt for a restaurant similar in quality/​style to Providence, Manresa and The Restaurant at Meadowood.
I imagine the hotel does valet parking.

Before February 2011, if you asked me about the best meal I’ve ever had, I’d have hemmed and hawed, twiddled my thumbs, and whistled passed the graveyard — I could pull a great course here or there, but I’d hedge because of some minor misstep or lack of gratification.
Maybe I’m just like my father — maybe I’m just too demanding, or maybe I’m just like my mother — I’m never satisfied — but I could never give an unqualified response.
I no longer need pause. Ria, by a long shot, delivered perfection on a plate. We went with the seven course tasting menu, and I urge you to do the same, not only to experience the breadth of the kitchen but to avoid hard decisions regarding which entrée you crave more. Who needs that sort of agita on a night like this?
Be sure to arrive hungry, because on top of those seven courses you are laid two amuses-​bouche. Ours were a soup and a mousse of white sable. It is quite hard to imagine how creamy and smooth fish can be until Ria whips it into a perfect mousse. This was merely a whisper of delights to come.
Our first course consisted of a perfectly seared sea scallop adorned with a tentacle of baby octopus. This was clearly why Ria is known for seafood, and I have no complaints.
The second course was a minor miss, and that was primarily through advertising. It was rabbit, and I was hoping for a hunk of braised Peter Rabbit, and instead received Peter Terrine. I’m not much of a fan of terrined meat and so was disappointed, although the execution of the style was perfectly fine.
This minor disappointment was quickly forgotten because the next course was a tour de force — Dover Sole in Calvados sauce. The Sole was juicy chewy deliciousness with a hit of truffle, and made us realize why sole filleted tableside is such a delicacy — the fish was gorgeous.
Up next was my meat paradise — seared duck followed by short ribs with bone marrow. These two dishes were both executed to perfection — the duck was deep rare and juicy and the short ribs had the ripe smokiness you expect from them, topped off with the savory flavors of bone marrow.
Sure, bone marrow is a thing these days, but when it is roasted to perfection, you understand why. Anthony Bourdain would drool over this.
Finally, we hit desserts — a one-​two punch of fatty butter and bitter chocolate. First, we had brown butter, cinnamon, and ice cream. Then, our palates reeling, we were knocked out with chocolate, cocoa, and sherbet. I was swooning throughout it all.
What makes Ria better than the rest, however, is not the food, which of course is top notch, but the service. The sommelier, a youthful wunderkind, genuinely cared about his collection, and when I noted, with slight disappointment, that his Cote Rotie selection did not have significant age, he pointed me toward an older, and earthier than usual for the appellation, Gigondas. It was exactly what I wanted and actually much less expensive than I was willing to shell out, an unusual dedication to customer satisfaction. When we killed the bottle, he brought out samples of a couple of their French wines from which I could choose. It was customer service at its finest, and it reminded me why its good to be the king.
In addition, our waiter was extremely knowledgeable about the menu, was fluent in Italian. I know this because, at dessert, he sang happy birthday to Kelly. Opera style. In Italian. Who knew? Kelly loved it, and you can’t buy that kind of surprise. Well, perhaps you can, but its better when you don’t have to.
For a special occasion meal in Chicago, Ria has my unqualified and most highly esteemed recommendation.

NOTE: I was asked to give RIA another chance after a lukewarm first visit on 5÷6÷2011. I agreed, and went again last night (6÷14÷2011). I am editing my original review of 5÷7÷2011 to reflect both experiences as it would be unfair to create a review based solely on the «make-​up session». Thus, this review represents my assessment of RIA overall based on the two meals.
Short Version:
The great service, relaxed atmosphere, understated but elegant décor, fairly simple menu, and fantastic sommelier Dan make me really WANT this restaurant to be a 5 star restaurant. And, I must say that this place is definitely better than Boka and Sepia and MUCH better than Sixteen. And based on the relatively better value and ease of actually booking a table, I would also put RIA above Alinea. However, I must still hold back that final star as overall, it’s the food that gets this Foodie excited and the food still does not astound me.
Longer Version:
Continuing on my Michelin star restaurant quest and admitting up front that this review is biased based on comparison to the other Michelin star restaurants at which I have dined. See all reviews of the list here:
Overall Verdict: I get why Michelin would give this place two stars. While I do not necessarily agree, I would highly recommend this restaurant to anyone wishing to have a meal guaranteed to have great service, a comfortable environment, and good high quality food. This is where to go for anniversaries (instead of Alinea) and business meals (instead of Catch 35, Sixteen, or Boka). I would still prefer Takashi or Graham Elliott at the lower price point for most meals.
Food: Very good but not great. Reminds me of Boka and Sepia, but my second experience was better than the first. Lukewarm food last time was hopefully a fluke as food this round was appropriately served warm. They still have lots of purées, mousses, and sauces. Not exceptionally flavorful.
The chef sends out an amuse bouche at the start of every meal. On my first visit there as a green blob in a small bowl, over which the server scooped out two globs of «gin and tonic» foam. Our entire table tried to be open-​minded but it was just gross. #FAIL! But during my next visit, a halibut mouse with a flavorful green sauce was actually quite good.
First Courses include sea scallops with turnips and flavorless octopus, with consistant quality during both meals. Others seem to enjoy Foie Gras «It was ok. The wine with is was amazing» and the duck egg dish that looked kind of like a soup. My second visit I tried the Squab with chaterelle mushrooms. That was quite good.
Main courses include stuffed quail (cold and mildly slimey during my first meal), lobster («best lobster ever»), and a lamb dish that was «flavorful though unidentifiable». Nothing was hot during my first visit, but the kitchen and server staff fixed that problem the 2^nd round and everything was well prepared. I had the St. Pierre fish course which was AMAZING, and easily the best thing on the menu. Everyone at the table wanted what I had. The least impressed guest had Wild Striped Bass, which I admit bored me tremendously.
Service: The serving staff is interesting. All incredibly friendly and attentive but with very different levels of understanding of the menu. Explaining a dish is more than simply reading the words on the menu. The singing waiter was silent during my second visit. Honestly, he does have an AMAZING voice and the occasional Happy Birthday song would be welcomed. Dan the Somolier was fantastic both times and helped us perfectly pair wine with the meals. I want Dan to do a party at my home! He rocks!
Décor: Beautiful, peaceful yet comfortable room. Décor was fantastic and you could have a conversation.
Value: So So. Similar to Boka in the value category. About $ 150 per person including tip. We had great wine, enough food to reduce my after eating to a few cookies and yogurt, and a few extras thrown in by the Chef.
Bonus: Not pretentious at all. Dress is comfortable chic. Some had on jackets but the restaurant stresses they want guests to feel comfortable. Love this!!!
Tasting menu (6 course) with wine is great for trying out the restaurant but pricey and this time we opted for a la carte. Tasting menu was $ 110/​person for the food and an additional $ 75/​person for the wine. Boka tasting menu is a better value. Given people at our table tried everything on the menu, we feel we had the Tasting Menu experience and can judge the restaurant fairly comprehensively.
Between my two visits, I would say that the majority of the 8 total unique guests would come back to the restaurant. Everyone felt that it was very good though we still would not consider it one of our favorites. We would recommend people try it, however, and see for themselves.
You will have a good meal, with great service and fantastic wine. And Dan.

Happy NEW YEAR!!!
Came here for the late NYE tasting. Swank Elysian Hotel restaurant… yes, please!
Ok so I think it was a seven course menu with a bonus course… and of course, we had to do the wine pairing… wowser. It was quite the bill at the end of the night…
The food was AMAZING. It progressively got better as the night went on. Each dish was better than the last. Everytime a new one came, I was like «Oh, this is my favorite.» And then the next one would come and I was like «Oooo LALA, THIS IS MY FAVORITE.» So the food was definitely worth it… and the wine pairing, even though expensive was DEFINITELY worth it. Everything matched the courses perfectly!
The scene… its a slightly older, stuffier crowd here. We actually saw Frank Thomas that night too… for a second, I was going to run up to him and ask for a pic, but the more sophisticated me said that would be inappropriate… or the people I was with said it would be :)
Now for the PICKS at this place… michelin 2 star?! I mean… you really have to WOW me to get this…
No bathroom on the floor of the restaurant… you have to go downstairs to the bathroom. Pretty annoying… getting in the elevator or going up and down a flight of stairs each time and when you are there for 4 hours (see below), you get kind of annoyed with that.
No NYE countdown!!! WHAAAAA? At 1157, they started passing out super cute NYE hats. At 1159, we were still eating (see below) and I was like are you doing a countdown… there were like yes, but then never happened and you could hear everyone downstairs in the bar cheering!!! Later they came and said their clocks were off!!! Come on really??? Its NYE… the one IMPORTANT THING OF THE NIGHT is the countdown!!! This only happens once a year and you are supposed to be the best of the best… NOT IMPRESSED!!!
The timing of the courses… ok so I really cant decide if I really think this is a con of this place… however, I do have to say it. They were not rushing us, however it went on the end of being semi slow and not timing things correctly. At 1130, we had only had two courses… that was almost 2 hours after we had been sat. We were in NO rush but it seems a little excessive. We finished at about 2AM so it was over 4 hours of eating/​drinking. It was weird when we were leaving because we were the only people left in the restaurant and actually the cleaners were there… REALLY?! We were walking over the vacuum cleaner on the way out the door…

Surprised a place like this has less than 20+ reviews. Anyways, I decided to come here with the family visiting from out of town so I could check off another restaurant off the newly minted Michelin guide — Ria receives 2 Michelin stars in the 2010 – 2011 Michelin guide. Pretty impressive, as there aren’t too many Michelin rated two-​starred restaurants around the country, so you go into a place like this with high expectations.
My family and I got the tasting menu, which is a 6 course meal, consisting of 2 appetizers, 2 main entrees, and 2 dessert selections. We also received 2 amuse bouches, which were both delicious. Overall, the food was very solid — they specialize in seafood, so most of the menu is seafood heavy. Tasting is $ 105 per person. The wine pairing (I highly recommend it) is $ 65pp. 18% gratuity is added on /​included in the final bill. The service is so good that 18% seems like it might be on the low end.
Sea Scallop, Caviar, Octopus, Fumet Blanc
Dungeness Crab, Leeks, Pain de Mie, Carrots
St. Pierre, Apple, Black Trumpet Mushroom, Calvados
Venison Loin, Shallot, Rainbow Chard, Pain d’ Epices
Gingerbread, Cranberries, Figs, Ricotta, Maple Ice Cream
Manjari Chocolate, Black Cocoa, Malt, Smoked Ice Cream
I believe this was the tasting menu we had (from our menu). My favorite dishes were the dungeness crab and the venison loin, although the other dishes were also quite good. For the sea scallops, I didn’t care too much for the caviar, but the scallops were cooked to a rare consistency — actually, I’m not even sure if they were «cooked» or not. The dover sole was okay — very flavorful, but I wasn’t sure if the fish was a bit overcooked, or if that is just the texture of St Pierre. The venison loin was cooked beautifully.
The sommelier, Dan, was very helpful and allowed us to try out some wines before deciding on getting bottles or just the wine pairing. Ultimately, we went with the individualized wine pairings because we wanted to vary our tastes and match the best wines with each course. Dan was also very accommodating in allowing us to split some of our pours (parents can’t drink much), so that was a great way for the parents to try out wines without being wasteful. All of the wines were great — got to try some from all regions of the world, and Dan was great at explaining where the wines came from and how they were produced.
All in all, this place was great. Loved the chairs — very comfortable, but you were able to sit up right and enjoy eating. A bit quiet, but not uncomfortably quiet. Clientele is definitely a bit older. Not a first date place (unless you’re a baller), but a good place for a special occasion, or if you’re just a foodie and want to start tackling the Michelin star rated restaurants! My only complaint? Perhaps larger portions, even for a tasting menu.

This meal will forever stay in my brain, not just because I got engaged right before we ate there, but because this place is truly outstanding. Amazing service, beautiful swanky atmospher, over the top delish food.
We did the 7 course tasting menu and it was out of this world, through in a cheese plate and a couple of amuses and you are in for an amazing ride. The wine pairings were super good, and big olé pours.
I am going to make a point to go back some time! One of my best Chicago meals ever!

A lovely birthday dinner at the picture-​perfect Elysian. The atmosphere mid-​week was very relaxed, though the restaurant became more crowded as the evening progressed. I started the meal with a glass of champagne, but oped not to try the tasting menu as I had work the next day and my experiences with the tasting menus at most restaurants could best be described as soporific or at worst as outtakes from a particularly overwrought (is there any other kind, one might ask?) Girls Gone Wild.
Even though I opted not to go with the tasting menu the server was very accommodating of my choice. He complemented each course with the perfect pour. The menu was eclectic in nature, with a definite bias in favor of seafood. For my first course I sampled the Mussels Veloute, Pasta, Orange, and Lovage. This paired perfectly with the Bernard Fouquet chenin blanc. The main course halibut I ordered is no longer on the menu, as Ria Restaurant has now moved to its fall seasonal tasting. This was excellent, but not as memorable as the mussels. For dessert I had the white chocolate and raspberry. I decided to forgo an espresso in favor of a nightcap – it was my birthday after all.
For detractors who say the food is minimal, both in terms of presentation and quantity, I contend that good things come in small packages. Highly recommended for special occasions.

A great hidden spot for formal (but not stuffy) dining. The setting is beautiful and calm. Polished service. Tasting menu (6 courses if I recall correctly) was a good deal at $ 87/​person.
I recommend it highly for special occasions.

Fancy. Very fancy. Ria, the high end restaurant in the Elysian Hotel is a treat for all senses.
On the walls, the shimmering silk reminds you of glistening ripples of green water. The silver leather upholstered chairs beckon you to sit and linger. The wall art, depicting a school of fish (I think) is mimicked on the back of the menu. And the table itself is set with only the best. Beautiful china and high end, french made, Christofle flatware (worth a visit alone just to see flatware like this. .. oh a girl can dream of the day when she might have it for her own)
The experience begins with a menu of apertifs. We chose a lovely bubbling wine that was not too dry, not too sweet. The champagne flutes glistened in the down lighting adding imagery to the table. A complimentary amuse bouche was sent to the table; fois gras nestled in a macaron seated on a dollop of fruit purée with hazelnut shavings. Delicious!
No matter what the caliber of restaurant, I like to share so that we can taste a range of items on the menu. Ria was no different. Our server was outstanding recommending her favorites and taking into account all our dietary needs and then working to make sure that even split– they were plated correctly.
To begin with we split two of the first courses– the lobster with caviar and blood orange sauce and a «cookie» with apples that also came with some greens. Portion sizes are tiny so sharing two meant a couple of bites each– and even though I couldn’t have the sauce that went over the lobster– it along with the cavier on the plate was the big winner.
The menu is seafood heavy (of the 6 entrees offered– 3 are fish) Our server explained it is all about how «land and sea meet» so there are juxtapositions on the menu that you may not find other places– sturgeon with pork belly, for example. We created our own combination by ordering a fish (Pierre? Never heard of it but it was tasty and mild) and combined it with the dry aged ribeye. The kitchen split the food up for us in the kitchen so it was beautifully presented when it arrived at the table. Both were then «sauced» at the table– one with a light fish reduction and the other with a bone marrow sauce.
Finally, dessert. They like to bring out a cheese cart between dinner and dessert but we took a pass on that and moved right on to dessert. I ordered something with apples a number of ways (candied, poached) with praline ice cream and my friend went with the cherry topped cake. Small portions but just the right amount.
In terms of service, as I said our server was outstanding. Patient, friendly, with no request ruffling her. She knew plenty, not only about the restuarant, but about the interior designers, the artwork, etc. She even took my request for take out at Balsan (the mid scale restaurant) all in stride and made sure my order was ready when I wanted to leave.
Ria is the high end restaurant so be prepared to pay a pretty penny for all of the niceities. Dinner for two with a couple of drinks was about $ 240. Know that an 18% tip is included in everything and the staff says it’s for the guest’s convenience. I tried to tip our server for my coat check and she said that it wasn’t necessary.
Also know that if you drive– give your valet ticket to your server and they will put it on the bill (but it does include a 18% gratuity at that point). It actually ended up being cheaper than the last time I was there as they lowered the valet price. Now it is $ 18 plus the 18% ($ 21) versus the $ 23 it was previously.
Where Ria lacked a little for me was in management. Usually in a restaurant of this caliber, the manager or the chef comes out and greets you or at least makes you feel like your visit is special. There were only four tables with people at them on the night I was there so there were plenty of opportunities for someone to welcome us, but no one did. Even my dining companion commented on it. I think it was a big miss for them as even at the mid scale restaurant in the hotel I had a chance to talk to management throughout my visit.
So if you want to go and see how the «other half» lives, check out Ria. As you chair is pulled out and the crisp linen draped across your lap, you may just catch a reflection of your face in the pristine white china. And if you wonder who that lucky person is, reflected back at you, remember that it is just you.…about to experience a wonderful evening out. And then just smile.