Felix’s 50th Birtday: A Day of Meals, Dim Sum + Alinea

A big birthday day. Turning 50! Liz helped me celebrate by more or less overloading me with food, all throughout the day.

To start the day, Dim Sum at MingHin in Chinatown.

Favorite childhood treat: egg custard tarts.

Getting some noodles in, for longevity.

The rest of the photos here are taken much later in the day, for our dinner at Alinea.

Not sure I can do justice with the recap (it’s been some time since the meal, and I’m sharing these images many months later).

I’ll say this: if you’re not familiar with Alinea, look it up. And if you happen to have access to Netflix, watch the episode of Chef’s Table that focuses on Alinea. That should give you all the context you need.

In the meanwhile, here’s a small little video excerpt..

Worth calling out here: of the many incredible dishes, this is perhaps one of the most iconic. The edible helium balloon (Helium, Green Apple, Taffy).

Ingredients, prepped before our final item: dessert, served on the table. Another iconic Alinea staple.

An incredibly indulgent day/night. 50 times around the sun. Here’s hoping there’s another 50 more.

Related:
Birthday Outing: Secret Stash, Museum of Illusions, Drinks at Cherry Circle Room, Dinner at Chicago Firehouse
Dim Sum with the Hutte Family, Sending Jasmine to Loyola
Dim Sum at Ming Hin (Chinatown, Chicago)