“Paint” Dessert at Alinea’s 20th anniversary tour at Bellagio in Las Vegas

“Paint” Dessert at Alinea’s 20th anniversary tour at Bellagio in Las Vegas

Paint refers to the “Table Dessert,” which first debuted in the late 2000s. Achatz famously grew tired of traditional plating and decided to use the table itself as a canvas. In the original Chicago version, the chefs would lay down a silicone tablecloth and “paint” the dessert in front of you with various sauces, crumbles, and nitrogen-frozen elements.

This was a revolutionary move in the late 2000s that changed how many restaurants thought about ending a meal, and it’s still fun today.  This version featured citrus, chocolate, and licorice, and no matter where you dip from your seat, you get a nice balance of acid, fat, and sugar.