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First Look: Sixteen

16 things we loved about Sixteen, and one thing we did not

By Chris LaMorte

February 8, 2008

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I'm no fan of media boor Donald Trump. But I'll give him this: When he develops a property, he puts a damn good restaurant in it. His first Chicago project, the Trump International Hotel & Tower, looks like it's going to be no different. On Wednesday, Sixteen, located on the hotel’s 16th floor, began dinner service. We checked it out on opening night and can think of about, oh, 16 things we loved about it—but also one real bummer.

1. The views. And it's really all about the views. Frankly, if dinner turned out to be a can of Hormel chili, I'd return. Though the stratospheric floors are still under construction—you must walk under scaffolding when entering on the ground floor—the cranes aren't visible. From North Michigan Avenue to the Loop then on to the West, the dining room's panoramic sweep, enhanced by 32-foot ceilings, is among the best views in town. Plus, you're low enough to the ground that you can see details of some of the skyline's crown jewels: The Wrigley Building's so close you almost touch it.

2. That chandelier. There are 19,079 Swarovski crystals hanging off that shimmering 14-foot inverted iceberg of a fixture.

3. The marigold in my drink. Get there early and have a $14 handcrafted gastro-cocktail at the bar. The Fields Fizz (a high-end screwdriver) came garnished with an edible flower and lemon-peel twist.

4. A wine in my price range. Entering the dining room, you pass a glass-encased wine gauntlet. OK, they call it a “gallery,” but when I spied some of the big names on the meticulously arranged bottles I started sweating. Yet the sommelier helped us find a not-bad Burgundy for under $50. The well-edited list (if you can call nearly 900 bottles well-edited) does favor the kind of wines those on expense accounts love (there are also hotel-style markups), but we give it props for making sure there are some off-the-beaten path selections too.

5. The elevators. The zebrawood veneer is irresistible to the touch, but we rocketed from the lobby to the restaurant so quickly I didn't leave many fingerprints.

6. The cheese platter. Literally. The platter itself is a carved wood slab that looks like it was created from a whole stump.

7. The pre-dessert dessert. A complimentary mini-"parfait" arrived in a shot glass with a demitasse spoon perfect for digging out the BB-sized Cocoa Puffs-like bites on the bottom.

8. Fully-loaded fish. The turbo-charged turbot ($35) was clean and flavorful, but a thin pool of chimichurri sauce put the dish into overdrive.

9. Those chairs. Hey, I love good armrests, and these cream-colored seats were cozy enough to sit in all night.

10. Apples and oysters. Appetizers are on the small side, but the trio of Kushi oysters in a light apple jelly was crisp and delightful ($16). The ossetra caviar on top? Perfect.

11. The desserts. You have to order them at the beginning of the meal, and we can see why. Pastry chef Hichem Lahreche touched something very primal at our table with his meticulous work. Sharing stopped as we grew quiet and indulged. The Study of Strawberry was a stunner: Five preparations of succulent berries, including a luscious jam-filled beignet ($14).

12. Peanut butter, ketchup, sriracha and sesame ... on trout. Trust us. It's good. Australian-born chef Frank Brunacci doesn't mention those ingredients (called bang bang sauce) specifically on the menu description for wild Tasmanian trout ($29) but our waiter sure did. The fish was meaty, full-flavored, cooked to perfection and struck the right balance between heat and sweet. It also serves as a good example of this chef's seamless multinational style. I'd love to return for Brunacci's multicourse, $82 tasting menu—or better yet, the $110 blind tasting menu, which will change daily.

13. That really big potato chip. The asparagus salad ($13) comes with a giant, golden-brown, paper-thin potato crisp, nice for scooping warm Bearnaise sauce.

14. The free post-desserts desserts. If they weren't so good, we'd say this was getting ridiculous. But we loved the postprandial petit fours of nougats, tiny truffles and beignets.

15. Understated service. No New York attitude here: From making my reservation to the approachable sommelier to our server, it was down-to-earth Midwestern hospitality all the way.

16. The anticipation. A terrace is planned to open summer 2009.

The one thing we didn't love ...They're already completely booked for Valentine's Day. Tip: Put your name on the wait list. If something opens, you'll wow your sweetie for sure.

Chris LaMorte is the Metromix dining producer. clamorte@tribune.com