Advertiser & Editorial Disclosure: The Bulkhead Seat earns an affiliate commission for anyone approved through the links below. This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. We work to provide the best publicly available offers to our readers. We frequently update them, but this site does not include all available offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities.
I’ve attended several United MileagePlus® Visa dinners in the past and had the opportunity to dine at the latest one in Chicago last night. This dinner was held at Torali Steakhouse, which is housed within The Ritz-Carlton.
United and Chase produce 14 of these dinners annually across the country (in cities near United’s hubs). These are a great use of United MileagePlus miles as each seat costs only 15,000 miles. This includes:
- Passed canapés
- Multi-course dinner with wine pairings
- Cocktail demonstration
- Complimentary coat check
- Complimentary valet
- Gift bag
- Taxes and gratuities
The dinner started out with drinks and passed canapés on the Torali Rooftop (it’s on the 12th floor, which also houses Torali Steakhouse).
Cocktails were served including an Aviation martini and several types of wine.
A cocktail demonstration showed guests how to make the Aviation cocktail.
Passed canapés included Tuna Tartare Cones, Apricot Cheese Purses, and Potato Croquettes.
We then moved inside to the seated dinner. Tables varied in size from those for two diners through a huge table that seated around 20. We had our own table.
The four-course dinner was quickly served with wine pairings for each one.
Scallop Crudo was first. My husband liked his, but mine smelled and tasted off.
The second course was Burrata with Heirloom Tomatoes. This was tasty and the slaw it was served with was delicious.
Third was Braised Short Ribs. I loved the sauce and the meat was quite flavorful.
Finally, we had Sambuca-Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta for dessert. I’m not a fan of Sambuca, but the flavor was mild.
Gift bags were provided as we exited. Inside, there were wooden chopsticks, a clay dish made by Northern Clay Center, and a cup for making Moscow Mules.
Anthony’s Take: The meal was tasty, overall, and this was definitely worth the 15,000 points per person to attend. The Ritz-Carlton looked lovely and we’ll need to have a staycation there soon.
Anthony’s Credit Card Pick: The United℠ Explorer Card is the best card for regular United flyers and one of the two United cards I hold. The annual fee is waived the first year, then it’s $95. With it, you get 2 miles per $1 spent on United Airlines, restaurants, and hotels (booked directly through the hotel); 1 mile per $1 spent on all other qualifying purchases. Other benefits include: upgrades on award tickets for Premier® members (a benefit not offered to anyone else other than GS members), a free checked bag on every flight, a 25% statement credit on purchases made onboard (think Wi-Fi or snacks), two United Club℠ passes (annually) and priority boarding with Group 2. Learn more.
User Generated Content Disclosure: The Bulkhead Seat encourages constructive discussions, comments, and questions. Responses are not provided by or commissioned by any bank advertisers. These responses have not been reviewed, approved, or endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the responsibility of the bank advertiser to respond to comments.
Advertiser & Editorial Disclosure: The Bulkhead Seat earns an affiliate commission for anyone approved through the links above This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. We work to provide the best publicly available offers to our readers. We frequently update them, but this site does not include all available offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities.
2 comments
Nice review. Any chance you have an idea what the meal would have run at retail price? I value United miles at close to two cents per so I’m trying to ascertain the value.
None of the dishes served are on the menu, but the restaurant is fairly pricey.