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Next and Aviary Are the Two New Grant Achatz Projects

Get ready for the future.
Get ready for the future. Photo: courtesy of Next

We thought we’d have to wait until tomorrow for Grant Achatz’s big announcement, but we have an exclusive tip from Partner Nick Kokonas at the James Beard Awards. Brace yourself. As we had guessed last week, Achatz will open a Molecular Gastronomy bar called Aviary. But that’s not the biggest news. According to Kokonas, the second project is a new restaurant called Next. The menu will completely change every three months. Instead of taking reservations, tickets will be sold for each dinner, which people will have to pay for in advance. We know this sounds strange, but follow along folks, there is a beautiful video which will help to blow your mind.

Next will focus its menu on the cuisine of a specific city from a certain time period. So we’ll get Paris in 1912, Sicily in 1949, and, perhaps most astonishingly, Hong Kong in 2036. Guests will purchase tickets to the dinners ahead of time. If they can’t show up, it’s their job to find other people to show up. I’m not sure if we have any precedence for this. According to Nick Kokonas, “Next will be four star dining at three star prices.”

No location has been announced, though both will be in Chicago and will be stationed together. Also, no definite opening date. More news to come tomorrow, but we think this is enough for one night. Please pick your jaw off the floor and watch the video.

Next and Aviary Are the Two New Grant Achatz Projects