Moto (restaurant)
Moto was a
Moto was run by executive chef Homaro Cantu until his suicide in 2015. Sister restaurant iNG was located next door and served "flavor tripping cuisine" based on "the miracle berry", which makes sour foods taste sweet.
History
In 2003, restaurateur Joseph De Vito, who had previously opened a burger joint and a classical Italian eatery, was looking to open a new restaurant. He wanted it to be unusual and was considering
Nestled among warehouses in Chicago's meatpacking district, Moto opened in January 2004.[3] Initially, guests were confused. People would come in looking for sushi and leave when offered a degustation menu instead, De Vito recalled. Enough people braved the menu, however, and soon the restaurant was discovered by foodies.[2] Cantu soon earned a reputation for shocking guests. For example, one feature was synthetic wine squirted into the glass with a medical syringe.[4] An industrial-sized tank of liquid nitrogen was kept outside the restaurant to make hot food cold and give fishes odd shapes.[2]
In the kitchen, Cantu employed unusual devices such as a
Initially, food critics were not impressed saying Moto sacrificed deliciousness in favor of cleverness.
Cantu eventually took over ownership of Moto. In 2010, Moto was the main focus of a TV show called
On April 14, 2015, Cantu committed suicide.[4] Moto was closed the next several days, reopening on April 18. A special "celebration of (Cantu’s) life" menu was offered for three days in which 10–20 former Moto employees offered contributions. Executive chef Richie Farina commented "The last thing he would want was for us not to be in the kitchen cooking ... We're going to continue to do what he taught us and what he would want."[6] Following his death in 2015, Director/Producer Brett A. Schwartz of StoryScreen directed and produced a feature-length documentary film called Insatiable: The Homaro Cantu Story (2016). Insatiable had its world premiere at SXSW (South By Southwest Film Festival) in March 2016. The film includes many scenes shot inside Moto and iNG.
In January 2016, Cantu's widow Katie McGowan announced the sale of Moto to the Alinea Group, a restaurant in Chicago. McGowan, who inherited Moto after her husband's death, said that the sale was a "bittersweet decision" that came "after deep reflection of the lasting impact" her late husband Cantu had made with his innovative restaurant.[7]
Menu
The menu at Moto changed frequently.[2] A typical ten- to twenty-course tasting menu at Moto began with an edible menu. Often, guests would be encouraged to crunch the menu itself up and add it to a bowl of gazpacho to create "alphabet soup."[3] One of the restaurant's hallmarks was the use of edible paper. The soy- and cornstarch-based parchment with vegetable juice as ink was typically used in two to three courses each night. Often an edible photograph accompanied a dish, such as a photo of a cow flavored to taste like filet mignon.[3] Explaining his use of the paper in 2005, Cantu remarked "Gastronomy has to catch up to the evolution in technology" and said he was attempting to change preconceived notions of what food is.[3] Moto customers are "sick and tired of steak and eggs", he said. "They're tired of just going to a restaurant, having food placed on the table, having it cleared, and there's no more mental input into it other than the basic needs of a caveman, just eat and nourish ... there's so much more we can do."[3]
Another early Moto signature dish used a three-inch-square super-insulating polymer box that was heated to 350 °F (177 °C) in an oven. The box was then placed on the guest's table and a small piece of raw fish inserted to cook before their eyes.
In 2005, Cantu began experimenting with liquid nitrogen to flash-freeze food, and helium and superconductors in an attempt to levitate them. He purchased a
The Spring/Summer 2012 menu at Moto featured 15 courses, including "Reconstructed Corn," "Forest Foraging 2.0," "The Explosion," and "Smell the Glove." The meal begins with a menu without words, in which the 15 courses are downsized into bite-size portions, with the dessert courses made into savory versions so as not to spoil the palate.[9] As of 2015, the menu starts with a "preview" course with miniature versions of all the courses to come. There are no options to pick from, although the staff discusses allergies and food dislikes at the time a reservation is made.[10]
Reputation
A 2005 review by The New York Times, described the Moto customers as "a trend-conscious crowd."
Forbes' ranked Moto #44 on its 2012 list of "The 100 Best US Restaurants."[11] Author Patricia Schultz listed Moto as one of the 1,000 Places to See Before You Die in her best-selling travel book.[12]
References
- ^ Walkup, Carolyn (January 9, 2006), "'Molecular gastronomy' more than 'making paper' for Chicago's Moto", Nation's Restaurant News
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Jennifer Reingold (May 2006). "Weird Science". Fast Company. Retrieved April 16, 2015.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i David Bernstein (February 3, 2005). "When the Sous-Chef Is an Inkjet". The New York Times. Retrieved April 19, 2015.
- ^ a b c d e f Pete Wells (April 15, 2015). "Homaro Cantu, Science-Minded Chicago Chef, Dies at 38". The New York Times. Retrieved April 15, 2015.
- ^ a b c "Homaro Cantu, Chicago chef who blended food and science, dies at 38". Washington Post. April 14, 2015. Retrieved April 16, 2014.
- ^ Mark Caro (April 16, 2015). "Richie Farina, other Moto alumni to reopen restaurant Saturday". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved April 24, 2015.
- ^ "Moto Restaurant Sold to Alinea Group After Chef Homaro Cantu's Death". NBC Chicago. 22 January 2016. Retrieved 7 February 2016.
- ^ ISBN 978-0470293515.
- ^ "Moto Restaurant 2012 Spring/Summer Menu". YouTube. Archived from the original on 2021-12-14. Retrieved 23 August 2012.
- ^ a b "Moto". Michelin Guide. Archived from the original on February 16, 2016. Retrieved April 25, 2015.
- ^ Olmstead, Larry (2012-03-13), "Just Released - The 100 Best US Restaurants", Forbes
- ISBN 978-0761168713.