With summer in full bloom, Sixteen, the Michelin Two-Star, Forbes’ Five-Star restaurant at Trump International Hotel & Tower Chicago, looks forward to progressing against its 2016 guiding theme: A Study in Ingredients, spotlighting the diverse nature and versatility of individual ingredients. In Executive Chef Thomas Lents’ kitchen, seasonality is the focus as demonstrated by the restaurant’s ability to showcase unique interpretations of quality, relevant ingredients. Sixteen values its relationships with local growers and producers, who extend the same level of passion toward excellence in terms of product.
Retaining a consistent format to previous 2016 menus, current ingredient studies include: The Family of Lobster, A Study of Legumes, The Season’s Thistles, Corn: The Arrival of Summer and The Field of Flowers and Herbs. Guests can select one or more dishes in each of the following categories:
To Begin
- Spanner Crab/Sweet Corn/Summer Blooms from the Garden
- Variation of Peas/Nordic Sea Trout/Citrus Chaud Froid
- Violet Artichoke/Smoked Foie Gras and Squab / Green Almond and Cherry
To Continue
- Sea Buckthorn/Lavender Poached Langoustine/Petit Pastoral Salad
- Razor Clam/Summer Melons / Espresso
- Alliums and Hearts of Palm/Rouget/Red Wine Sauce
To Follow
- Bitter Orange-Saffron Nage/Maine Lobster/Marigold Leaves and Flowers
- Forms of Green Asparagus/Four Story Hill Farm Veal/Vin Jaune Sabayon
- Green Onion Dashi/Porcelet Au Lait/Onion Blossoms
To Conclude
- Dark Milk Chocolate / Cherry / Goat’s Milk
- Elderflower / Raspberry / Black Tea
- Blueberry / Sweet Corn / Basil
New this summer, Sixteen is working with ingredients grown in the rooftop garden located on The Terrace at Trump. What began as an experiment guided by a collaborative effort between the culinary team at Sixteen, The Terrace at Trump and urban landscapers has presented the kitchen with an incredible range of hyper-locally grown herbs including Genovese, Thai, and lemon basil, Mexican oregano, mint julep, peppermint, rosemary, papalo, lavender, pineapple sage, chives and several varieties of tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers.
The yield from the rooftop garden is incorporated in select dishes on Sixteen’s current menu, most notably the seasonal Summer Melons dish with Razor Clams and Espresso which uses cucumber flowers, cucumber vines and baby cucumbers, as well as the chocolate mint and a concentrated mint oil for garnish. As part of the Sixteen’s “To Conclude” course, the garden’s Thai and global basil flowers and fresh basil from the garden adds to the Sweet Corn, Blueberry and Basil dessert. Varieties of chives, thyme and flowers are incorporated throughout the menu including the Lavender-Poached Langoustine with Sea Buckthorn and a Petit Pastoral Salad.
The complete four-course tasting is priced at $175 per person, with a smaller three-selection menu (choosing one dish from “To Begin,” “To Follow,” and “To Conclude,” categories) available for $160. Elongated and abbreviated menus, as well as a la carte menu items, are available upon request. Wine pairings, curated by Sixteen’s Sommelier Parag Lalit, may be added for $125 for the Cru pairing, $250 for the premier pairing, and $750 for a reserve pairing.
