It would seem that Alinea and The Wiener’s Circle represent opposite ends of the Chicago culinary spectrum: the former a triple Michelin-starred establishment and the latter a no-frills hot dog joint.
In an unlikely twist, the two iconic Chicago restaurants may be teaming up for a collaboration. First reported by Block Club Chicago, Alinea co-founder and head chef Grant Achatz hinted at the endeavor in an Instagram story posted earlier this week.
According to Block Club, Achatz’s story showed a picture of a gourmet corn dog with the caption “@wienerscircle How do you feel about a collab?”
The Wiener’s Circle reposted the story on their instagram shortly after, responding with “How bout f— yes where do we sign?!”
Achatz told Block Club that the collaboration could come sometime next year, coinciding with Alinea’s 20th anniversary.
Alinea first opened in 2005 and has since become a globally recognized fine dining destination, largely due to Achatz’s progressive, scientific approach to cooking.
The Wiener’s Circle on the other hand is about as far away from fine dining as you can get. The classic Chicago hot dog stand is best known for its surly customer service and cheap comfort eats.
The two restaurants have leaned into their opposing positions in the Chicago culinary landscape before, poking light-hearted fun at one another on social media. With a corn dog collaboration in the works, it seems the dueling eateries are ready to settle their beef once and for all.
Despite his fine dining background, Achatz is no stranger to experimenting with some of Chicago’s traditional flavors. The acclaimed chef added a deconstructed take on the Chicago hot dog to Alinea’s menu in 2016, according to Block Club.
While the exact details are still in the development stage, Wiener’s Circle’s social media manager Ragen Eggert expressed confidence in Achatz’s vision for the collab.
“He’s so creative and he’s amazing at what he does,” Eggert told Block Club. “I’m sure whatever he does, it’ll be out of this world.”