Which is better: Everest, L2O, or Tru?

[Pininfarina]

Hello I'm new here but having been reading discussions for months, so I am familiar with some of the etiquette, etc.

Anyway, I was wondering which of these restaurants is the best for an overall "special" feeling. I have read a few other threads asking nearly the same question but I figured it couldn't hurt to get a few more opinions. Also, I believe there have been some changes in chefs since those were posted.

Pininfarina

[streaksinthesky]

for me it is l2o all the way. i have dined under all three chefs and actually had an extended tasting there about a month ago. i have been to the other two in the last year (tru twice) and really liked both meals but neither were on the same level as l2o imo. also worth noting is that l2o has the best bread program i have experienced, easily trumping anything in chicago along with per se and the other nyc 3 stars.

[chicgail]

It's hard to choose "better" among those three. I don't think you can go too wrong whichever you choose. Everest may be a little more traditional in ambiance. The food was extraordinary, but I have have bad service issues there. Get a table at the windows. Tru is more contemporary in feeling with both food and service hitting the mark. I, too, have not been to the new L20, but reports are good.

[Pininfarina]

Would you mind saying what the service issues consisted of?

[chicgail]

Sure.

But let me say at the outset that the service gaffes were particularly notable because of the huge disparity between the functioning of the kitchen and the front of the house. The food was wonderful.

Here goes:
I ordered a drink before dinner that was not served
One member of our party was offered a second helping of bread, the rest of us weren't
Our entrees were brought to the table exactly as our appetizers were cleared with no break - as though no one in the kitchen or the FOH was monitoring that.

Now is that terrible? No. It's just that for such a notable restaurant with a pretty extravagant price point, it seemed peculiar. Given the stature of Everest (no pun intended), I would have expected the staff to be properly trained.

Maybe it was a bad night. Maybe my expectations are high. While other people (on this board and elsewhere) have expressed service problems at Everest, certainly not everyone has experienced them.

[HoosierFoodie]

I have had very similar experiences as Chicgail and I've had service issues a few times at Everest. The food has always been great but I've had timing issues, wine service issues (after Alpana Singh left) and other annoying things. I would say that they are a bit inconsistent in the service area but I wouldn't tell you not to go. The view is fantastic and if you have a passing interest in wines from Alsace its a great opportunity. That said, I would recommend Tru or L2O slightly above Everest.

[huiray]

"(after Alpana Singh left)"
----------
D'you mean after she left the floor (~2008?) or when she left Everest completely?

There was once when the floor sommelier was this blonde lady whose name escapes me, when I wanted only a glass of wine rather than a full wine pairing or a bottle and asked for a suitable one - I left the choice to her - to accompany what I was having. It took three requests (passed through the waitress) for the glass of wine to appear, and the sommelier did not even bother to come by my table. In the end I got a glass of unremarkable Riesling. That was not good wine service. Table service for the excellent food, OTOH, was good.

[HoosierFoodie]

When she left the floor. I believe she left the floor to take a job with Lettuce Entertain You. Either way, the service declined.

[nsxtasy]

Everest is part of Lettuce Entertain You, so when she left Everest to become Director of Wine and Spirits at LEY, it was a promotion within their organization.

She is working on opening her own restaurant, the Boarding House, while continuing to host "Check, Please!" on WTTW Channel 11.

[HoosierFoodie]

Yes, I know, thanks.

[nsxtasy]

I've had meals at both Everest and TRU that were absolutely "special" in every way. Not L2O but it was under a previous chef and I haven't returned since then. I think you should be able to get an excellent meal at any of these three. Each has its own ways of differentiating itself - the view of the city and the wine list at Everest, the contemporary decor at L2O and TRU, the complimentary amuses bouches and mignardises at... all three :) etc.

[nsxtasy]

You might want to take a look at the sample menus on their websites to get a better idea of their style of food, etc:

www.everestrestaurant.com
www.trurestaurant.com
www.l2orestaurant.com

I should mention, I have had the very best service ever, at any restaurant in my entire life, at Everest. Service was also excellent at TRU; there were minor service issues at L2O, particularly with the wine service.

[Pininfarina]

Thanks for the info, I've heard a lot of conflicting things about Everest service but I'm leaning towards it right now.

[nsxtasy]

Here's why I say Everest had the best service I have ever observed in a restaurant. I still remember two different examples during dinner. Seated at the table next to ours was a couple with their five-year-old daughter. A waiter noticed that the sun was in her eyes, and politely addressed *her*, rather than her parents, to ask if she would like for him to lower the blinds. Also, when my iced tea was served with a slice of lemon, I gave the slice of lemon to one of my dining companions for her glass of water. I made no request, but for the rest of the meal, the waitstaff served me iced tea without lemon, and my companion's water was replenished with a slice of lemon each time. Subtle stuff, to be sure - but that's what *should* differentiate restaurants of this caliber. Anything more serious than that ought to be a fluke, maybe the result of a new employee or one having a bad day, and hopefully not their standard operating procedure, or they probably wouldn't stay in business for long.