Don’t call it a comeback, it’s been there for years. Grant Achatz’s signature black truffle explosion, the dish that launched his career at Trio is back on the Alinea menu, at least for tonight. It’s not quite like Michael Jordan’s multiple returns to the NBA, but in culinary terms it’s close. Achatz never officially retired the dish, but his vision is to perfect a dish and then replace it, and the storied black truffle course has only been broken out a few times since he left Trio.

I sat down with Chef Achatz this afternoon for an upcoming podcast interview that we’ll post within the next few weeks, and we spoke about the art of retiring dishes, and whether it was a disservice to the diner to do so. You can listen to the five minute podcast snippet below. Don’t mistake the black truffle return as a bit of softness. Achatz is still working tirelessly to develop mind blowing meals. Also, good luck getting a chance to taste the fabled course. Gourmet did just name Alinea the #1 restaurant in America. Also in case you’re wondering, in the snippet below, Achatz references a Victor Pasmore painting on the wall at Alinea. Pasmore is a British abstract artist.

If you have Adobe Flash installed, you can play the file right on this site, below, by pressing the play button. If not, download the file and play it on your PC or on an MP3 player here: Achatz on the Black Truffle Explosion