If I could use only one word to describe Chicago's TRU Restaurant, it would be "thoughtful." But as I will explain, the fact that TRU is in most respects very thoughtful simply highlights the minor missteps in the restaurant that might otherwise go unnoticed.

TRU is unlike any other restaurant at which I've dined. From the entry hall to the dining room, TRU feels more like an art gallery than a restaurant. The entry hall is dark and luxurious, and its focal point is three recessed openings behind the maitre d's podium, which feature the produce of the season. (In early August, it was pyramids of white peaches). The dining room is huge and high-ceilinged. Gigantic picture windows reach from top to bottom, and are draped with white diaphanous curtains. The walls are stark white, adorned with modern art on loan from local galleries. And the tables are spaced further apart than I've ever seen in a restaurant, which adds to the museum-quality feel. It's as if each table is on display--each is individually lit by track lighting, and adorned with Chef Tramonto's hand-painted, personally designed glass plating. By the chef's own admission, each table is intended as a "minimalist exhibit bathed in gallery highlighting." Chef Tramonto has paid special attention to the glassware, china, and flatware used for each course--I have never seen such perfect pairings of food and their display before, as I'll discuss further below. But it only makes sense that the artist's tools be perfectly attuned to the art. The chef's vision is clearly realized in each detail, and is no doubt influenced by the artists' culture of the city. Perhaps the most fascinating aspect of the dining room is the automatic frosted glass door that leads to the kitchen--very minimalistic, very futuristic. I loved the entire feel--it was memorable and different. (One thing I noticed was that the clientele was very diverse--couples, groups, young, old.)

A brief word about service, which was as unique as the restaurant setting. Each table was attended to by at least three members of the waitstaff, excluding busboys. Each was very polite, deferential, efficient, and, above all, observant. As soon as we had put down our menus, a waiter was by our side to take our order. As soon as we had finished each dish, but not a minute too soon, our plates were whisked away. And we never had to wait long for our next course. As soon as either one of us made a move to find the restaurant, someone was there to pull out the table and guide us in the right direction. Everything moved liked clockwork, which was impressive, but at the same time, just the tiniest bit disappointing. While the type of efficiency and precision displayed was very fitting to the gallery setting, it took the place of warmth. The French Laundry, to which TRU has often been compared, combines warmth and personal attention with efficiency, and thus surpasses TRU in this area. I have never been intimidated to ask a waiter at The French Laundry to take a picture; at TRU, I was hard pressed to find a moment where I could interrupt the flow of service to make the request. One last, very minor criticism--when we entered the restaurant, we gave our names to be seated. Right in front of us, the maitre d' opened the seating chart, which was covered with dry erase marker dust and writings--it just looked ugly, and was not a good way to start the evening. The maitre d' should have known off the top of his head where we were to sit, or, equally appropriate, should have opened his folder behind a podium so we couldn't see the dirty seating chart.

To compare the food at TRU to the food at The French Laundry is most apt. In many respects, I felt that the food at TRU was a very good imitation of that at The French Laundry. Some dishes soared, some dishes were very good, but fell just short of their counterparts at The French Laundry. Demian ended up ordering the Chef's Market Collection, and I ordered the Grand Collection, both of which looked very promising. We also ordered two glasses of 2004 German Riesling, which I was pleased to see were served in the appropriate glassware (I need to get some of that!).

I thought the bread service was a nice touch. We had the option of three breads, and I eventually tried two of the three--a nutty, almost sweet rye bread and a good, but a little dry miniature biscuit. Both were very much enhanced by a super creamy salted butter. Room temperature! Huzzah!

We began with two amuse bouches. The first was a Provencal Parfait--a refreshing gelee of piquillo pepper, topped with a delicate pepper chutney. Then came a Hamachi Sashimi, fresh and slightly tart with citrus juice and finished with a single cilantro leaf. Both were a wonderful way to whet our appetites in the middle of a scorching summer, and a solid introduction to the cuisine for the rest of the evening.

Our first course consisted of a Raw Maine Diver Scallop, Kusshi Oyster, Italian Black Pearl Osetra Caviar, and Lemon. This course was strikingly similar to Thomas Keller's famous "Oysters and Pearls" dish at The French Laundry, and so it was impossible not to compare the two dishes. As with the previous dishes, Tramonto's version was refreshing and summery, and paid homage to what we were discovering is his love of fresh, clean flavors. At the same time, however, it lacked the oomph of Keller's creamy, warm version that plays on the surprising combination of flavors--salty caviar, creamy sauce, sweet, briny oyster--and textures--chewy, smooth tapioca, delicate oyster, and almost crunchy caviar. Tramonto's version was delicious, but it does not transport, as Keller's version does.

The appetizers, however, were a different story. My Roasted Langoustine, Hearts of Palm, Sunchoke and Brown Butter dish was a firm, juicy, buttery, sweet, creamy piece of heaven. I could eat that dish every day for the rest of my life. Had I not known that "langoustine" is just a fancy word for "prawn," I would have thought I was eating a tender baby lobster--the crustacean version of veal. Demian's Chilled Maine Lobster, Horseradish Panna Cotta, and Tomato Syrup was delicious, but not equally so. It was, again, refreshing and delicate. But given the three previous chilled dishes, it left us desiring a little warmth, and little more mouth-feel from the fat of butter or cream.

I was at once delighted and disappointed with my next dish--a Veloute of Summer Corn and Leek with Corn-Crab Fritters. The corn and leek soup (I am hesitant to call it chowder, because it didn't appear to use cream) was out of this world, and this was the first dish that brought to light Chef Tramonto's brilliant eye for tableware details. The wondrously creamy, perfectly salted, warm veloute was served in a tiny cup, that seemed almost too small for the miniature spoon; in fact, the spoon just fit! And the little handle on the cup was perfect for tipping back the last of the soup into my mouth. I was excited to try the accompanying corn-crab fritters, which I anticipated would add just the right textural and taste contrast--a little crunch, and little more salt. However, the first fritter I tasted was almost tasteless--it was as if it contained no salt. The other fritters were better, but not by much, and turned out not to add much to the dish. Demian's tasting menu continued the chilled dish trend, with a White Gazpacho, Peppered Red Grape, and Marcona Almond Salad. I love the idea of gazpacho and grape--the sweet, firm, juiciness of grape seems to always bring out the flavors in delicate, savory dishes like white fish. Unfortunately, I can't even remember tasting the gazpacho--which means that it was probably good, but not particularly remarkable.

Next came the always much awaited Canadian Foie Gras Tourchon, Salad of Rainier Cherries, Hazelnuts and Radish, and Country Toast. The foie gras was, as expected, delicious. But I am never a big fan of the fatty skin left on the foie--I'd much rather it be removed for me, since it makes slicing and spreading the foie difficult. I was very pleased with the toast, which, while perfectly toasted, did not crumble (which can be annoying when it's being used as the platform for spreading foie)--instead, it was deliciously chewy and nutty. My favorite part of the dish was probably the salad of tart rainier cherries, nutty and buttery hazelnuts, and crisp, juicy radish. It perfectly set off the nuttiness of the toast, while contrasting the smooth, salty creaminess of the foie. Yum! Demian's dish consisted of Farro Risotto, Chanterelles, Fava Beans, English Peas and Asparagus. Since I'm not a fan of risotto, fava beans, or peas, I don't think I tried the dish, but Demian really enjoyed it.

For the fish course, I was served Grilled Loupe de Mer, Braised Baby Fennel, and Tomato-Orange Nage. The most remarkable part of the dish was how perfectly the fish was cooked--crisp on the outside, flaky and moist on the inside. However, other than that, I was not impressed with the dish and am having trouble remembering how it tasted now. Demian's dish on the other hand, a Roasted Halibut, Grilled Scallions, Braised Romano Beans and Ratatouille Sauce, was just out of this world. That ratatouille sauce was thick but delicate, tomatoey, tart, and fresh. It really did a great job of supporting the halibut, which normally I don't care for. This was probably the best dish of Demian's bunch.

We finished off the main portion of the meal with a poultry dish, me with an Organic Michigan Poussin, Caramelized Sweet Onions, and Natural Poussin Jus, and Demian with Roasted California Squab, Celery Root Puree, Strawberries, Celery Leaves and Frisee Salad. Both were skillfully cooked--perfectly crisp on the outside and juicy and flavorful on the inside. My only complaint is that both were only lukewarm, rather than hot, which indicated to me that some timing was off in the kitchen. That, and the fact that the handle of the knife kept slipping off the edge of the plate and into the food, which was very annoying--the only mistake I could see in the chef's choice of tableware. Otherwise, it was a solid way to end the meal. Although I was full, I think I would have really liked to have ended with a red meat course--the meal was so light, that I think some meatiness would left me more satisfied at the end of the meal. Maybe it's just conditioning, but I associate meat with the end of a tasting menu.

We ended up skipping the cheese course, because, honesty, fancy cheese are scary (and smelly!). But the well-stocked cheese cart looked beautiful.

We finished off with dessert, which, like many parts of the meal, was solid but not crazy-good. I was served a Chocolate Merengue topped by a very rich and delicious Chocolate Mousse. This was accompanied by a fruit chutney of strawberries, kiwis, and blackberries--an unexpectedly refreshing, tart and appropriate contrast to the richness of the mousse and merengue. Also on the plate was a very respectable, but otherwise unremarkable Panna Cotta. It looked like Gale Gand, the pastry chef, was trying to cover all the bases for her clients--with a chocolate dessert, a custard dessert, and some fruit. Demian's plate contained a Molten Chocolate Cake (which was good but, not to brag lol, not as good as mine!) and Strawberry Panna Cotta, which tasted too much like strawberry jam. As we found out at the end of the meal, the Earl Grey tea and decaf coffee we ordered was not included...and very expensive. (Why would Earl Grey cost $8???) We rounded out the evening by selecting from the dessert cart of Mignardises and Lollipops. Not to appear a pig, I limited myself to two desserts--a dark chocolate raspberry truffle (mmm, perfect!), and a blood orange jelly (also yummy). The end of the evening was just as well-orchestrated as the beginning--we were brought a copy of the menu for the evening, which was just the right souvenir. And as the evening came to a close, I was finally able to ask one of our waiters for a picture:

Overall, I really, really enjoyed this restaurant. It was unique and memorable, and extremely well executed. The food was very good and consistent, if not at all times amazing. I really appreciated the chef's vision and his attention to detail in bringing to life his vision. I was looking for a Chicago dining experience, and at TRU, I found it.

Three out of four stars

TRU Restaurant

676 N. Saint Clair Street

Chicago, IL 60611

www.trurestaurant.com