We're Ba-ack! Frontera Grill, Take Two!

Darlings, darlings, darlings!  We made it in! Lunch on a Friday at Frontera!  Admittedly, I was upset when I called yesterday to make a reservation and they said they weren't accepting any more.  But we arrived 20 minutes before the doors were set to open for lunch service, and we were seated right away!

Unfortunately the Chef (a.k.a. the Rick Bayless) wasn't in the dining room for me to photograph this time around.  According to his Twitter feed, it sounds like he's spending some time in Mexico.  Good for him...Chicago's weather lately has been far from ideal.

We ended up seated in the bar area (gorgeous! Absolutely phenomenal!).  And we got to see Alfredo again.  Now, I didn't mention Alfredo in my previous post.  But he was our waiter then too.  You can tell he loves being there, and believe it or not, he recognized us!  Once again he took great care of us...when you go, I'm sure any waiter would be fine, but I hope you get Alfredo.

As far as my meal, it was a mixed bag.  A delicious, phenomenal mixed bag.  I tried a new drink!  I tried a new coffee!  I had more guacamole and a tamal!  Here's the scoop:

Now, I read somewhere that a tasty beverage called "agua fresca" was "trending" right now.  I don't normally follow trends, but when I saw that there was an agua fresca on the menu, I had to try it!  It was a delightful passionfruit-orange spritzer.  It's pictured in the photo at the top (the drink to the left is my sister's non-alcoholic sparkling limeade, the middle one's mine, and the drink on the right is my aunt's zingy mojito...although tasty, not something I can order.  I just needed a third drink to balance the photo.  It's...nevermind...).

We got guacamole!  Ah, yes.  Delicious, velvety, perfect guacamole!  You've already seen pictures of it, so I didn't take another.  It's the same, and just as tasty.  (Plus, we'd already ravaged about half the bowl by the time I realized I needed to snap some blog pics).

My entree was a tamal yet again.  I know, I know.  For the sake of my dear readers I should be going out on a limb!  But it wasn't any tamal.  It was a duck tamal!

Delicious, luscious duck tamal at Frontera Grill on Clark St.

I have not ever had duck before.  (I know!  Gimme a break, already!)  It was delicious.  The meat was not seasoned to death; you could still distinguish its unique flavor.  The tamal itself was enrobed in a smooth, spicy sauce and topped with mushrooms (I ask you, could that get any better?).  A small garnish salad completed the dish.  The salad provided that perfect brightness needed to lighten up what could otherwise have been a really heavy dish.

The mark of a truly great restaurant is the ability to present a dish where there is nothing on the plate that the diner does not want to eat.  If the decorative banana leaf underneath my meal were edible, I would've given that a shot too.  Need I say more?

Now you know me, readers.  I tasted everybody's dishes too.

Pork tenderloin that unfortunately wasn't mine.

Mom and Dad both got a pork tenderloin dish that included some fantastic mashed sweet potatoes, spinach, and a deep, dark, savory sauce that I think was a mole (I'm sorry, I'm not absolutely sure!).  It was finished off with walnuts.  If I didn't consider emoticons to be poor blog etiquette, I would insert a smiley here.  I could find no fault in the pork tenderloin.  Except maybe for the fact that it was on someone else's plate.

Pork tinga tacos...before they become tacos

I had another case of food envy when I tried my aunt's pork tinga.  Slow-roasted pig with chorizo mixed in?  Ah-mazing.  The dish came in a boat, topped with fresh avocado, with corn tortillas on the side.

Mexico City-style cheese quesadillas with guacamole

My sister had cheese quesadillas.  But not just any.  They were Mexico City-style.  Think potsticker-shaped pastry filled with ooey-gooey Jack cheese and served with guacamole.  As someone who generally finds cheese quesadillas to be sort of blah, I have to admit I wanted to ask for a second taste.

But the fun was only starting.  Dessert was still to come.  I was being stubborn, and I thought I couldn't possibly eat one more bite of food.  Instead of a dessert, I ordered a beverage and offered to have a bite of my aunt's dessert.

I saw cafe de olla on the dessert menu.  I've heard this referred to as "cowboy coffee" by somebody...I'm not quite sure who.  It's a staunch brew, sweetened with Mexican piloncillo sugar and spiced with a heady blend of cinnamon, clove, and orange zest.  I had no idea how amazing it would be...I just wanted to give it a try.  It's now my new favorite caffeinated beverage.

Blueberry bread pudding.  Cue the applause!

My aunt had a blueberry bread pudding (Budin de pan) with a citrusy-tasting ice cream and granola crumble.  I'm a bread pudding fanatic, and although I already felt ready to explode, I have to admit I pretty much split it with her.

Lime flan (L) and caramel flan.

My mom and sister shared a duo of flans, one lime and one caramel, each topped with macerated raspberries and teeny-tiny sugar cookies.  The lime was unexpected.  It had the flavor of citrus while still feeling luscious and silken.  And raspberry-lime?  A match made in dessert-food heaven.

Chocolate cheesecake and coffee

And then we have the chocolate cheesecake...the chocolate cheesecake my dad ordered.  In a Mexican restaurant?  Yes.  Don't knock it 'til you try it.  Cookie crust, marbled vanilla and chocolate filling, served with a strawberry coulis and smooth strawberry ice cream.  Don't question it.  Just love it.  Put it this way, my dad was reluctant to let us taste it.  He wanted it all to himself...frankly, I don't blame him.

Our outing was capped off with a visit to Chicago's Art Institute to view the visiting Roy Lichtenstein exhibit, along with a stroll though Millennium Park to snap a photo in front of the Bean.


Lunch was hours ago, and I'm still full.  The verdict?  Success.  And now, on to the next spot.

Peace, Love, and Fabulous Eating,

~Amateur Foodie