Sweet Sixteen

SIXTEEN | Trump restaurant a towering triumph

The restaurant Sixteen is on, yes, the sixteenth floor of Trump International Hotel & Tower Chicago. The building is 92 stories high, so plunking the restaurant less than one-quarter of the way up is probably a good thing for people who are averse to eating too high off the ground, but does nothing great for what some are suggesting will be a great view on the uppermost floors. Now there are better views on-high for dining -- Everest, NoMi, The Signature Room (John Hancock Center) -- but I'm not sure there is anything to match the understated opulence of this restaurant and all that swirls around it, view or no view.

And swirl it does, from the valet who took my car (I knew I should have had it washed) to the men in gray suits that direct you to the elevators (which are lined with exotic zebra wood), to the men in gray suits who greet you as the elevator doors open on the sixteenth floor.

After checking in at the reservations podium, we were escorted down a wide hallway that is lined on either side by glass-enclosed vaults of wine (one side for red, the other for white). To the left is one dining room of grand stature (another dining area to the right was less formal, so I figured it was used more for breakfast and lunch).

The main dining room is impressive. The ceiling, which is some 30-feet-plus high, drips with a chandelier that is in itself a work of art (19,000-plus Swarovski crystals, our waiter told us). One wall of this dining room is all class and glass, and another wall is West African wood, and each wall curves this way and that. The ratio of staff to customers had to be two of them for one of us. It's all quite something.

You saw it coming, didn't you? Expensive? Yes. Very. But it's all relative. The food was wonderful, the service was without fault, and the enjoyment was without compromise. Is Sixteen for everybody? Not a chance. Power-hitters, the "see and be seen" scene, special occasion -- that's what Sixteen is all about. But be prepared to fork over up to eighteen bucks for an appetizer (tuna confit), and forty-four bucks for an entree (lamb loin), and, say, thirteen bucks for dessert. Do the math on that and you come up with $75. Add on a glass of wine or a cocktail, tax and tip you are looking at a low end of $100 a person.

Executive chef Frank Brunacci knows how to up the flavor amp, but there is nothing shocking (no foams, gels, or powders, thank you) to worry about.

An amuse-bouche arrived -- celery soup with paprika oil and nibs of smoked trout. It was a fitting and delicious prelude to appetizers.

Quail breast got together with a smattering of duck goulash with succotash, a beet jus drizzle and a perfectly poached quail egg and a five-spice rice chip. It wasn't as filling as it sounds; the portions were each two-bite in size, though the overall proportions and flavors were nicely balanced.

The Thai soup was rich and creamy and studded with Gulf shrimp and shiitake mushrooms with a subtle flavor of toasted sesame oil to round out the lush flavors.

It's black truffle season, so truffle lasagne turned out to be a layered composition of pasta, puree of sunchokes, escargots and shaved truffles. A $28 lasagne! Definitely not for the faint of heart.

Entrees of note included lamb loin done "sous vide." Two tender, incredibly delicious, meaty cylinders of lamb were arranged with salsify and trompette mushrooms. The sauce that pulled it all together (according to the menu) was a "fresh harissa." Harissa is generally a zinger, as in hot, so this was not harissa in the true sense; rather a condiment made with roasted red bell pepper chutney and roasted plum tomatoes. Nevertheless, it worked just fine with the lamb.

The fillet of smoked Tasmanian trout got a light pan-frying (the silky texture, subtle flavor was exquisite), the accompanying white asparagus was delicate, and the half-moon ravioli, filled with potato and horseradish, luxuriated in silky cucumber milk. A perfect balance of textures and flavors.

While dessert was on its way (the waiter practically insisted that you order dessert up front, because of "the intricate detail that goes into each one by pastry chef Hichem Lahreche"), a mini-taste of apricot compote was served (excellent).

Praline croustillant is a fancy name for a banana napoleon in which super-thin sheets of the praline sandwich caramelized bananas. A knob of lime-tequila ice cream and a swizzle of caramel sauce finish it off. An elegant and enjoyable way to finish the event.

Pat Bruno is a free-lance writer, critic and author. Email brunoeats@aol.com.

Have you recently dined at Sixteen? Let us know what you thought. E-mail weekendplus@suntimes.com with a 75-word (or less) review of your dining experience. Please include your first name and city.

Harissa can be used as a sauce or a condiment. Its provenance is North African, and it is often referred to as a Tunisian hot red sauce made with a base of hot chili peppers.

Harissa can be used as a sauce or a condiment. Its provenance is North African, and it is often referred to as a Tunisian hot red sauce made with a base of hot chili peppers.

The term sous vide ("under vacuum") as employed in the preparation of the lamb loin at Sixteen has to do with a cooking method in which the product (lamb in this instance) is heated in water (the lamb is placed in a vacuum-packed air tight plastic bag) for an extended period of time at a low temperature. The theory is that this method enhances the flavor and improves the texture. Many high-end restaurants use this cooking technique.

The hottest item on many Italian restaurant menus right now is burrata. I had my share of this delicious creation while in Italy last November, and I am hooked. Burrata has an outer shell of solid fresh mozzarella, while the inside is fresh mozzarella and cream. Incredible texture, incomparable buttery flavor. You will find it at Cafe Spiaggia, Carlucci in Downer's Grove, Ballo on North Dearborn, and the hot new Natalino's on West Chicago Avenue.

Sunday Brunch of the week: Green Zebra, 1460 W. Chicago, (312) 243-7100. Hours: 10:30 a.m.-2 p.m. every Sunday. Some of the offerings include whole milk organic yogurt and granola ($7); baked cheese fondue with Granny Smith apples and sourdough bread ($9); artichoke and olive oil hummus, herbed flatbread ($7); frisee salad, poached egg, confit potatoes, pickled onions, mustard dressing ($7); grilled vegetable flatbread, mascarpone ($8); fennel soup, candied Meyer lemon ($5); homemade sticky buns and cheesy grits, too. Great brunch, great prices.