Achatz's Next: Restaurant

Foodies all over Chicago, the United States, and the world over are aware of chef Grant Achatz and business partner Nick Kokonas’s three Michelin-star rated restaurant Alinea. The pair will soon be unveiling their new and ambitious restaurant Next. In typical Achatz fashion he will be pushing the idea of what a restaurant is. Next, and the adjacent lounge Aviary, will be a collaboration of the same creative design team as Alinea; industrial designer Martin Kastner, architect Steve Rugo, and interior designer Tom Stringer. Every three months the restaurant’s menu will reflect great moments in culinary history (or future). Instead of reservations, patrons will purchase “tickets,” and compared to Alinea, the prices will be extremely affordable. According to their website, “food will be $40 to $75 for the entire prix fixe menu. Wine and beverage pairings will begin at a $25 supplement.” I’m looking forward to experiencing the new restaurant when it eventually opens. It seems very interesting, and I’m confident Achatz, Kokonas, and their supporting cast will pull it off.

You can gather additional information about the restaurant via their website www.nextrestaurant.com.

New Zealand

About five years ago my wife and I visited New Zealand and Australia for a few months. During this time, we spent a few days in Christchurch, NZ, the location of yesterday’s earthquake. It was a beautiful city that had a beautiful juxtaposition of Victorian and modern design. We were fortunate enough to stay right on the city’s main square that contained a microcosm of the city’s architecture composed of a beautiful cathedral, a modern large-scale sculpture, and a busy city center. Today as I woke up I was devastated to hear that Christchurch was hit with its second earthquake in a matter of months. However, the city was not as fortunate following the more recent earthquake. Today’s quake resulted in at least 65 deaths and a large amount of damage.

Our thoughts are with you New Zealand. We wish you the best as you recover from your recent misfortunes.



Proud to join Jameson

The last week and been interesting to say the least. To make a long story short, I am officially with Jameson Real Estate, which will become Jameson | Sotheby's International Realty on February 8th. I am excited to now be a part of, in my opinion, the best real estate brokerage in the Greater Chicago area.

The Shuffling Of the Agents

For those involved in the residential real estate industry. Taxes owed, the dropping of franchises, etcetera have caused many of Chicago’s top real estate agents to speak with other top brokerages in the city. This has been the same with my own company, formerly Sudler | Sotheby’s International Realy and now simply Sudler. As a result, you will soon begin seeing signs reading Jameson | Sotheby’s International Realty (that doesn’t sound right to me, yet). Sudler is about to undergo a transition similar to the Chicago Bulls in the late 90s when Michael Jordon, Scottie Pippen, Phil Jackson, and company left the windy city. The exodus has already begun, but it is far from finished. I personally will be making a decision either this weekend or sometime next week. I’m certainly ready to make a decision, because I’m so annoyed by the couple phone calls per day from other firm’s managing brokers who want to take you out to lunch to listen to what they can offer you and to consider their company.

For those of you not in the industry, you may be wondering what this means to your realtor? The answer is very little as long as they’re moving to another top company. A good agent is certainly not defined by his or her brokerage. However, the company will determine how good of tools the agent has. For me our affiliation with Sotheby’s has brought a great amount of international exposure to my luxury listings. This is something that no other company can offer, and is my primary factor for considering other companies.

Alright I’m off to meet a client. My clients don’t care if I move somewhere else as long as I keep serving them well.