Oh No, You Didn't! Pork-on-Pork-on-Pretzel Roll at B&tB

Now, you guys already know how much I enjoyed my last trip to Butcher & the Burger on Armitage in Lincoln Park.  It was awesome, there was Mexican Coca-Cola, yada, yada, yada...

The burger I had this time was just as good (house prime blend with steakhouse seasoning on a split-top butter egg bun, lettuce, goat cheese, mayo, grilled onion, grilled mushroom...all ingredients that make for a soupy, delicious burger that runs down your wrist and dribbles onto your lap).  But it was my sister's sammie that surprised me the most.

She ordered the pork burger.  To me, that didn't sound all that impressive.  I WAS WRONG, KIDDIES.  I am so, so sorry for doubting.

Because this was no ordinary ground pork patty.  It was seasoned like a sausage patty.  Delicious.  Like, seriously awesome.  Add to that the bacon she ordered on top, plus barbecue sauce and cheddar?  Insane.  Delicious.  All on a pretzel roll.  It was a little country-western-Oktoberfest, and I mean that in the best way.  And it was so clean to eat.  No running cheeses or mushroom juice...what a sensible gal.

Of course we got a big ol' basket of the Kennebec fries to split, and I got the glass-bottled Coke.  And we snarfed it all before I thought to snap a photo.

I'll be back for ya in the fall, guys.  I just ate there this afternoon.  I'm already hungry for more.

Happy Summer!

~AF

Food + Art (Part 2!)

Well, kiddies, I've gone to the Park Grill yet again.  This is the...third time?  Once again, delicious.  This time there was tapenade and rustic bread, which I am so happy about.

The bread basket came with a too-small bowl of superb olive tapenade, one that tasted strongly of vinegar and Spanish olives and citrus.  I could've just eaten it with a spoon.  As you can imagine, it was gone before I could snap a photo.

Pear Salad at the Park Grill,
with Chicken

My entree was a lovely pear salad with bleu cheese, reconstituted dried cherries (the waiter never told us what they were soaked in, unfortunately), hazelnuts, and chicken (an added charge, but a wise addition).  It is because of this salad that I'm adding mesclun greens to my list of foods that you cannot eat while still managing to look classy.  Spinach stems hanging out of the corners of your mouth unless you turn every lettuce leaf into a work of origami?  Too.  Much.  Work.  And decidedly unattractive.  No me gusta.

Reuben at the Park Grill.
Anybody else hungry?

Mom finally made it to lunch with us!  She had an awesome reuben sandwich on super-toasty marbled rye, topped with a very pickle-y thousand island dressing.  It had just the right balance of meat, cheese, and kraut.  Well done, PG.  Well done.  It was served with a dill pickle spear and a mound of those excellent fries (which essentially meant I really had pear salad and french fries for lunch, but let's not get too technical, okay?).

My sis got the Grand burger again, and it was grand.  Equally as good as the last, not to worry.  You know what it looks like.  If you don't, check my last lunch-at-the-Park post.

My aunt had the spring risotto, which was lovely and creamy with a strong garlic flavor.  It was made with peas and mushrooms.  I was jealous of her lunch, I'll admit.  Especially since you could eat it and still look sophisticated (darned mesclun greens...).  I forgot to take a picture.  And I'm so, so sorry, lovies.

Our purpose in meeting at the park/AIC was to see photographer Abelardo Morell.  He's hilarious.  And so honest and upfront about his photography.  What a cool guy.  Check out his website!  His photos are fabulous!  His retrospective exhibit will be on display at the Art Institute until September 2.

I know the food photos pale in comparison to a well-executed camera obscura.  But the New York skyline rarely makes me drool...

Peace, Love, and Good Eating!

~AF

A Day At the Park (Grill!)

Hey, hey!  The Foodie's back and ready to dish on some dishes.

On the schedule today?  Pablo Picasso at the AIC, and, natch, lunch at the Park Grill next door.

Today was absolutely gorgeous.  The weather was so warm that I could go without a coat, so of course I obliged.  I could've just walked around outside for hours and hours and hours...but I'm only human.  I was getting hungry.

My aunt, sister, and I were planning on hitting the Picasso exhibit at the Art Institute, and the most convenient lunch spot for us was the Park Grill.  Last time we were there, we had Sunday brunch (chilaquiles, chicken and waffles...ringing any bells?).  Today we were in the mood for sandwiches and salads.

Turkey Pastrami Club at the Park Grill

I gravitated toward a Turkey Pastrami Club.  It consisted of turkey pastrami (as in, turkey prepared in the style of a pastrami with lots of assertive and delicious spices and that perfect, slightly chewy, peppery crust around the edges), thick-cut bacon (can I get an amen?), avocado, heirloom tomatoes, aioli, and alfalfa sprouts, all served with fresh-cut fries and a dill pickle spear.

I liked the sandwich, but I didn't love it.  The concept of pastrami-style turkey was genius, and it was very well executed.  The bacon was ah-mazing.  I love me some avocado.  But the heirloom tomato needed salt and there were altogether too many sprouts for my taste.  The fries were tasty though.

My sister had the Grand Burger, which I would choose for my next Park Grill lunch.  A juicy, well-seasoned beef patty is topped with bacon, onion straws, and cheese, plus a barbecue sauce-mayo mashup (PG sauce) that is surprisingly smoky and delicious.

Sometimes the simple choices are the best, and I wish I had gone with something a little less complex (though I hate to admit it).

Even simpler than the Grand Burger was my aunt's steak salad.  The beef was perfectly cooked and tender, served with a simple salad of iceberg lettuce and a few heirloom cherry tomatoes, all dressed in a slightly creamy dressing.

[Here I would like to apologize for my lack of specificity...I didn't take notes on the dishes and the menu online isn't up to date.]

Honey-Lavendar Crème Brûlée

Apple Galette

Dessert consisted of a honey-lavendar crème brûlée (shared between my aunt and myself) and an apple galette.  The brûlée reminded me of lemon-lavendar shortbread.  And by that I mean I loved it.  The galette was warm and flaky and topped with vanilla ice cream(!).  And it was all gorgeous.

I'm sorry if this post seems a little...lacking in pizzazz.  I'm really tired tonight, lovies, but I'll go back through and polish this up when I get a chance.

Peace, Love and Zzzzz....

~af.

Chicago Restaurant Week: Just the Right Time to Visit Frontera...Again.

I'm back, Frontera! ¡A comer!

I ate at Frontera on Friday, the first day of Chicago Restaurant Week.  And I got the Restaurant Week menu.  Three courses, twenty-two dollars.  You read that right, twenty-two dollars.  That's about how much you'd pay just for an entree!

Restaurant Week lasts until February 10.  Here's a link to Frontera's featured menu, if you'd care to peruse: http://www.rickbayless.com/news/view?articleID=259

Course one, the Huitlacoche Enchiladas, had an interesting balance of flavors.  The French-fried red onions on top presented a glimmer of familiarity in a dish otherwise entirely unique and foreign to me.  The huitlacoche itself wasn't too assertive, something I appreciated since I'd never had it before.  I mostly tasted the black beans, with a hint of...huitlacoche funkiness.  Not bad funkiness, just funkiness.  It's one of those flavors you can't quite put your finger on.  The tomatillo sauce was sharp and acidic, a welcome attribute in a plate of rich beans, fried onions, and crumbled cheese.

Next to arrive at the table was the phenomenally beautiful Gunthorp pork with apricot mole.  The apricot mole didn't scream apricot, but it complemented the pork in a way that only a stone fruit could.  As in any good sauce, the heat in the mole doesn't hit you in the first bite; instead it builds over time, nuanced and complex.  Atop the pork was a grilled apricot salsa, something I had difficulty identifying when the dish was put in front of me.  I enjoyed it immensely.  The salsa's texture contrasted perfectly with the tender pork and smooth butternut squash.  The spinach gave the plate the bitterness it needed to counteract the sweet squash and sweet-spicy mole.

The final movement in this symphony was a superb interpretation of the pastel tres leches.  Perched upon a smear of sweet goat's milk cajeta, the cake is reminiscent of a pound cake that's been dipped in milk.  Not too wacky, right?  Wrong.  Because once we get beyond the caramel and cake, Frontera starts to get a little crazy.  The cake is topped with little dollops of soft, lightly toasted meringue, with a texture reminiscent of marshmallow crème.  Then, in a stroke of genius, the cake is topped with supremes of blood orange and candied blood orange rind.  The sharp citrus, similar in flavor to a cross between a grapefruit and an orange (at least to my taste), kept the dish from seeming too cloyingly sweet.

Dessert went perfectly with my café de olla, its blood orange slices subtly echoing the orange zest flavor in the coffee.

I cannot applaud this special menu more.  Get out there and try it.  It's a fantastic price for fantastic food.  Nothing like a little Frontera to alleviate the winter blues.

~The Amateur Foodie

Hey, Mom! I Got My Lunch From a Couple Guys in a Truck Today!

I wouldn't generally condone just accepting food from someone off the street.  Unless of course the food in question comes out of a giant truck with a cast iron skillet painted on the side.

That, my friends, is the Southern Mac.

They cruise around town, bringing happiness and carbs to the people of Chicago.  I, for one, love carbs, so these guys are awesome in my book.

I'm on board with the mac-in-a-truck idea for a few reasons (not least of all that it's not cafeteria food).  It's convenient.  It's fast.  It's pretty darn economical (six bucks for regular mac, but hey, it's big enough for two meals...and it's not cafeteria food).  And it's delish.

Ah, yes...the Classic.

The guys have a couple options to choose from on the truck, and I almost got a mushroom-truffle concoction.  I plan on getting fancy-dancy macaroni next time, but to truly measure a food truck's worth, I say go for the most bare-bones, simple item available.  Go for the classic mac 'n' cheese.

Classic macaroni and cheese to some is merely a plate of macaroni pasta drenched in fluorescent orange "cheese" sauce.  (No.  No, it's not.  And shame on you for believing that.)  The Southern Mac's classic is made with aged cheddar (thank you!) and topped with buttery bread crumbs.

It was rich.  Nothing wrong with that, really.  It's what you need on a cold day.  But I'd like to make one small, teeny-tiny, itty-bitty suggestion: May I please have a dill pickle with my macaroni?

I know it's weird!  Okay?  I get it!  But I needed something to cut through all the butter and cream and cheddary goodness!  It doesn't even need to be a dill pickle, really.  It can be a pickled tomato.  Or some other sort of pickled vegetation.  It's just that it's a Southern macaroni truck.  I think a pickled accoutrement would not be too much to ask.  But it's really just a humble suggestion.

A lack of acidic side dish will not keep me from the truck though.  I'm eagerly watching the Twitterverse for the next time they stop off in my 'hood.  The Foodie wants some pasta, please.

Hungrily Yours,

-AF

C-c-c-culture, C-c-c-usisine and C-c-c-cold! Last Weekend's Adventures in Food and Art

Brrr, lovies!  It's awfully chilly out there!

I'm posting about what I did on Sunday the 20th.  Why wait so long?  Well, my fingers have only just thawed out...

I met up with my auntie and the sis downtown to check out the Art Institute's new Gods and Glamor exhibit, but first we needed some snackies...lunch actually.  We were pretty much starving.

We ran across the same problem we always have when we meet up along Michigan Ave.  My sister's a bit of a picky eater (not that there's anything wrong with that, love ya, L!) so we didn't really have the option to try out places like the Gage or Purple Pig (which I am a little bit obsessed with...gotta go there and try it...).  We eventually settled on trying out the Park Grill at Millennium Park.

Since it was a Sunday morning, the Park Grill was serving up brunch.  I settled into our booth table and ordered a cup of coffee, a beverage I would recommend if you're not part of the Bloody Mary- and Mimosa-drinking set.  After grasping the mug for about ten minutes, I'd finally regained some of the feeling in my hands.

We all went savory-brunchy with our entrees.  My aunt got Short Rib Benedict, which I unfortunately did not taste.  My sister got chicken and waffles, which I did try, and I got (get ready for it...) chilaquiles!

Elegant Chicken and Waffles at the Park Grill

Let's start with the chicken and waffles.  I am in love with the concept.  Crispy, crunchy, fluffy, salty, sweet...just about the perfect meal, no?  This was the first time I'd ever had C & W, and I'm sorry to say I found this plate a wee bit wanting.

Individually, the items were tasty.  The chicken was juicy and delicious, enveloped in a golden breadcrumb crust.  The waffle was fluffy and just slightly sweet, but it lacked the crisp coating I was hoping for.  They'd drizzled the whole shebang simply with honey.  To create a harmonious and really out-of-this-world dish, I would prefer chicken that is seasoned far more aggressively, maybe even with a kick, and I'd like my waffles to be crisp on the outside and soft on the inside, with a little more sweetness to counterbalance the chicken.

Overall, I liked the concept, I just wanted more from the execution.

Warm, Comforting Chilaquiles at the Park Grill

My chilaquiles were quite the different story.  While not traditional, they packed a whole lot of flavorful punch into one messy-looking bowl.  I've had chilaquiles verdes from Nuevo Leon and enjoyed them immensely.  The chilaquiles from Park Grill aren't trying to replicate the authenticity of Nuevo Leon...and they shouldn't.

PG's chilaquiles featured a red sauce that gave off notes of complex, smoky chiles.  The salsa-braised nacho chips, an integral part of any good plate of chilaquiles, were not uniformly soggy, but I'll be honest, I didn't really mind.  The dish also featured chunks of fall-apart tender carnitas-style pork, along with two over-easy eggs with perfectly runny yolks, guacamole, sour cream, and little cubes of a salty white cheese.

The subtle heat from the sauce built over time, but the runny yolk, guac, and sour cream balanced the meal nicely.

I only regret that I couldn't take my leftovers with me; at the AIC, there's no food allowed...

As for the exhibit, it was fascinating.  I always enjoy Roman, Greek and Byzantine art.  But the showstopper for me was an exhibit on modern fashion from Japanese designers.  Be sure to check it out if you get a chance.

~AF

Installment 2: Sometimes the Best Foods in Life...

...come from Lettuce Entertain You.

Okay, okay...I know.  I have a problem.  I cannot go more than a month without a Lettuce Entertain You meal.  What's that you say?  A twelve-step program?!?  You can't make me!  I can quit anytime I want!!  But why on earth would I want to?

There's this great place I know of where you can get Lettuce Entertain You food...and spend less than $10.

You read that correctly.

And there's five different locations throughout the city of Chicago.

I'll let that sink in.

Two words, lovies.  Wow Bao.  Steamed Asian buns filled with savory meats (and sweet stuff if you want it...my friend said the coconut is delicious).  I usually get the BBQ pork (sweet and savory), the Mongolian beef (a wee bit spicier than I remembered it, but delish), or the chicken teriyaki (how could you possibly go wrong with that?).  I wish I had a photo for you, but it had been a while since breakfast...as soon as I sat down I did my best makeshift Cookie Monster impression.  Bao instead of cookies.  I know, it's a powerful visual...

They cost less than two dollars apiece, and I know I can never eat more than two.  So we're coming in at just under five dollars.  You with me so far?  Now throw in the homemade ginger ale, $2.49, and you've got lunch.  Excellent.

There's one in Water Tower Place, and there's one underneath the Renaissance Hotel at the corner of State and Lake.  Beyond that, you can check their site.

After eating only campus food for way, way, way too long, the highlight of my week thus far has been sitting at the counter at Wow Bao with a friend, enjoying a good meal that was entirely worth what I paid for it.

~AF

Installment 1: Sometimes the Best Foods in Life...

...are worth wending your way through a jam-packed restaurant at 2:30 on a Friday afternoon to enjoy.

Here's my feeble attempt at starting a series.  I say 'feeble' because, as we all know, the Foodie doesn't get out much lately.  But I did last Friday.

For this installment, we're talking real-deal comida mexicana (that's Mexican food, for all you angloparlantes out there).  Now, if the closest you've ever gotten to auténtico has been the drive-thru window at your local Taco Bell, we've gotta have a little chat.  Especially since there's so much more to Mexican food than Nachos Supreme (which, by the way, I'm sure isn't actually Mexican at all).

And this time we're not headed to Bayless Row on Clark Street.  For this installment, we're off to Pilsen.

Now I know what you're thinking: 'Pilsen?!? I've never been there before...is it safe? I'm not so sure about going to new neighborhoods...And how do I get there anyway?'  Calm down, queridos.  We'll work through this together.

Going to Pilsen during the daytime feels far from intimidating.  When I went there, no one was really around because it was pouring rain, but that's neither here nor there.  It helped that I was with someone who was familiar with the area.  If you're in doubt, bring a friend along.  You won't have to venture far from the 'L' station, anyway.  And as always, just be sensible!  Don't look like you're petrified and you have no clue where you're going.  If that's too difficult for you, hop back on the train and head home.

Our destination is about two blocks from the train.  Nuevo León is hard to miss, as long as you don't confuse it with the panadería of the same name just down the street.  When you get off the 18th Street stop on the Pink Line, head past Ashland about a block.  The storefront is colorfully painted, as you can see in the photo.  It'll be on your right.

It almost has a diner-like atmosphere inside during lunchtime.  It is so crowded and noisy, filled with all manner of people, Latino and not.  And the whole restaurant just smells like delicious food.

When you sit down, you get chips and salsa, along with some sort of small appetizer, free of charge.  To drink, they have Jarritos, a delicious soft drink from Mexico (I'd recommend the pineapple or fruit punch...tamarind is also popular, though I've never tried it).  But I'm on an horchata kick, so that's what I had to go for.  It was delicious, not quite as chunky as the stuff from Xoco but still super-refreshing and apparently made authentically, and it only cost a dollar.  One.  Dollar.

I got tacos, because I wasn't feeling too adventurous.  Simple, no-fuss tacos de asada.  They were made with corn tortillas (I'm guessing they were purchased from the tortillería next door) and filled with super-flavorful marinated skirt steak.  Accoutrements came on the side (iceberg lettuce, tomato, white onion).  My only complaint could be that they were a little greasy.  But it isn't a big complaint.  Not when they taste that good.

I brought back leftovers, and the food tasted just as good the second time around.  I'll admit, I did put some Frontera salsa on my tacos when I reheated them later.  But that was only to make sure they didn't dry out in the microwave (I hate microwaving really good food.  I'm always paranoid about ruining it).  Something amazing happens when you put amazing salsa on an amazing taco, and one can hardly fault me for it.

Total bill for the meal (which was more like 2 meals): $7, not including tax.

That's not bad, now is it?

I'd recommend going there at an odd time (like, not during the lunch rush).  Everybody already knows this place is awesome, and according to my Pilsen-familiar acquaintance, there's often a line out the door waiting for tables.  Grab a friend, hop on the train...maybe make a day of it and visit the National Museum of Mexican Art (which, by the way, is free).

I'm gonna find somebody to drag along to Nuevo León one of these days...I'm sort of in the mood for tacos...

~AF

AF Hits a New Neighborhood! Chinatown, Here We Come!

Readers, this is a bona fide Amateur Foodie Bargain Spot.  I had a ton of delicious food, I have leftovers in the fridge, and I spent less than ten dollars.

I'll give you a minute to pick yourself up off the floor and dust yourself off.  Shocking, I know.  It's cheap.  Like, really cheap.

The restaurant I went to is called Saint's Alp.  Apparently it started off as a chain in Asia, but all I'm concerned with is the fact that it's in Chicago.  Because that means I can go there without needing airfare.

Saint's Alp is on Archer Avenue, just a short walk from the Cermak Brown Line stop.

I was lucky enough to be eating with someone who had been there before, and she told us what to order.

I ended up with the Yakitori Chicken Stick Rice Set.  This may take some 'splaining:

For $8.95, you get 3 skewers of yakitori chicken. 

And you get a bowl of rice topped with a savory mincemeat mixture...looks yucky, tastes delicious. 

And you get three big cubes of tofu drizzled with soy (which you will never, ever, ever, ever be able to eat with chopsticks. Don't try, it'll end up in your lap). 

And you get some broccoli (your excuse to say you ate your vegetables).  And something called a tea egg, which I wasn't quite brave enough to try (apparently it was tasty). 

And you get a drink (I ordered a ruby red grapefruit nectar, cold.  It was like a grapefruit slushie, with little cubes of fruit gelatin floating in the bottom. Weird but delish).

Whew.  Are you feeling full yet?  Because I am.

I wish I would have tried the tea, since Saint's Alp is, in all reality, a tea house.  But I'll get the chance at some point.  Because with their decent prices, there's no real excuse not to go back.

~AF

A Bayless Torta Drowning in Sauce...On Purpose, Of Course

Here at last, lovies!  The Xoco post I've promised!

Last weekend my aunt and I were near Bayless Row (a new nickname I'm trying to coin...help a girl out!), but Frontera was closed to prepare for dinner service.  As disappointed as I was, it gave me just the opportunity I was looking for to try a sandwich I'd only heard of from Bayless's pretty-fast-semi-casual-but-still-pretty-upscale torta shop, Xoco ("little sister" in Mexican slang).

It's called a torta ahogada, which literally means drowned sandwich.  It's built on a great, sort of chewy, rustic-style bread.  The loaf's guts are removed to make room for the filling; it's smeared with black beans and stuffed with carnitas (amazing pork, that's all you need to know) and pickled white onions before being placed in a soup bowl with a spicy arbol chile sauce.  It's presented to you with a spoon.  I wasn't sure how to go about eating it.  I picked it up (probably the wrong idea...sauce was running down my wrists), but I guess you could break it down and eat it with the spoon...

Behold, the glory, the deliciousness...the torta ahogada.

I cannot possibly convey to you the deliciousness of this sandwich.  The pork is so tender, so flavorful.  It stands up to the über-flavorful sauce (okay, it's a Mexican spot...la salsa sabrosísima) and its subtleties pair nicely with the sharp, piquant bite of the still-crisp pickled onion.  The beans are a background note of flavor, but I'm sure the sandwich would lack something without them.  Sopping up all that delicious (and spicy) sauce is what the bread is designed for, I'm convinced.

Thankfully you can choose the heat level of your sauce (is there anything you've not thought of, Bayless?).  I asked for mild, and I'll admit my nose started to run a bit from the heat.  The one thing that saved me?  Oh, just you wait...

At Xoco, as with any of Bayless's restaurants, there is a featured agua del día, essentially drink of the day.  The day I was there, the drink of the day was horchata.  I have always wanted to try horchata.  It's a drink made from ground almonds or rice...unfortunately, I didn't have the good sense to inquire at the register what Bayless's horchata was made of.  If I were to venture a guess, I'd say almond.  But it's sweet and creamy and just what you need to cool down the fire of an arbol sauce.  If it's ever featured, be sure to try it!

The perfect end to my meal was the single churro that I brought back to my dorm room in a little paper bag.  It was crunchy, a little chewy, and coated in the most delicious blend of cinnamon, coarse sugar, and crushed cacao.  I only wish I would've eaten it in the store with a cup of chocolate.

Sabrosísimo.

~AF

Burgers Go Gourmet on Armitage

Okay, so I fibbed...I didn't get my posts done when I said I would.  Forgive me?  This post is worth reading, I promise!

There's a fairly new burger shop down on Armitage in Lincoln Park that's garnering all sorts of attention from food bloggers and magazines (hello, Men's Health Manliest Burger Place in America!).  Let me take you to Butcher and the Burger.

It's on the corner of Armitage and Kenmore, and it's not a big space.  I have to be honest.  But it is so cool.  So cool.

Here's how it works:

1. Pick your meat blend (I know! Amazing! They have beef, turkey, and if I remember correctly, some gamey stuff like elk and bison.)
2. Pick your seasoning blend (You get to choose?!?)
3. Pick your bun (Pretzel! Split-top egg! Just lettuce! Just lettuce? Why on earth would I want to do that when they have pretzel buns??)
4. Pick your cheese (Read carefully: They do not charge you extra for getting blue cheese or goat cheese as opposed to, say, a nice cheddar. To the person that came up with this idea: High five. And you deserve a hug...or a medal.)
5. Pick your other toppings (Extra charge for certain stuff, but the griddled mushrooms I had were well worth it.)
6. Sit down and wait for them to call your name.
7. Receive your Hulk-sized burger, served on a wooden cutting board (If you like it, you can buy one!)
8. Drool (Hey, watch it, you...you're just embarrassing yourself.)
9. Eat.  Don't hesitate, just get in there. Though you may need a steak knife to make that burger cooperate (Let it know who's boss!)

Here's the Amateur Foodie's order:

AF's burger...so very delicious!

Prime blend, simple seasoning (Salt & pepper only), pretzel bun, blue cheese, griddled mushrooms.  The only thing that might have improved on this slightly would've been some steak sauce.  But that's just me...

My mom got the steakhouse seasoning, and it was also delicious, probably a little more delicious than my S&P burger...but I did that for a reason.  I wanted to see if I loved the burger without frills (okay, blue cheese and mushrooms are frills...gimme a break!).  And I did.  The meat was good enough to stand alone, without any garlic-powder-paprika-über-flavorful accoutrements.  But I'm getting the steakhouse seasoning next time.

My mom, dad, and I ordered a large fry to split between the three of us...

Oh my lord, there were so many fries!

This picture does the fries and truffle mayo no justice.  It was a mountain. A delicious fried mountain.

Unless you're planning on splitting the fries between eight or so people, you probably don't need to order a large.  But hey, I'm not judging.  They're golden and crispy, not over-salted, not too greasy.  They're seasoned perfectly for going with some sort of condiment...

We ordered a very, very special condiment for our fries: truffle mayo.  Now, usually I'm not a big mayonnaise person.  And mayo with fries?  Eh.  But this?  Oh, was it good...Savory and complex, creamy and yet not too heavy.  At least it didn't seem heavy.  Plus it has truffle in it.  Tell me you can say no to that, I dare you.

Nothing like dipping your deep-fat-fried 'tater sticks in a bowl of more fatty deliciousness...Just be judicious.  Eat the mayo in moderation.  But please eat it at least once, I beg of you.

Coca-Cola de México

And to cap off my calorie-bomb meal (my own doing...felt like I had to go to the gym afterwards, but quite frankly, I was too full to move), I had a bottle of Mexican Coca-Cola, the kind made with sugarcane that comes in a snazzy glass bottle.  You'd think that since it's made with real sugarcane it would be super sweet, but it isn't.  It's refreshing, plus it doesn't make your teeth feel like they're rotting.  It isn't easy to find at restaurants, and Butcher and the Burger seems like the perfect spot to enjoy it.

The whole place feels like a throwback, with lots of butcher-block counter tops, industrial-feeling hardware on the stools that cleverly fold under the long counter, and boxes of beignet mix on old-looking shelves throughout the dining space.  I couldn't possibly have seen all the cool little touches inside the restaurant.  My mom pointed out an old clock waaay up high, near the ceiling.  I should've snapped a photo...I think it was from an airport?

Expect to pay a little extra for your burger than you would at, say, a SmashBurger or a Five Guys.  There's a reason for that.  Custom-blended meat, old-fashioned style, and the ability to customize to your own specifications, maybe more than at any other Build-a-Burger joint in existence today.

~AF

(**Look for my post about Rick Bayless's torta shop, Xoco, over the next few days...and don't forget to look for your favorite foodie on Twitter! @KaitlynKesler1**)

Okay, Kiddies...Still to Come: Premium Burgers and Drowned Sandwiches!

It's too late for me to put up a full post about my food adventures right now...I need to go to bed.  Suffice it to say, though, I ate well on Friday and Saturday.

Upcoming:

• Butcher and the Burger: A Lincoln Park build-a-burger joint with rockin' fries and truffle mayo!
• Xoco: Rick Bayless fails to disappoint yet again with a carnitas torta swimming in spicy arbol sauce...plus my first experience drinking horchata. 
• Garrett popcorn! That is all.

Get ready, guys!  You'll hear all about it.  Hopefully I'll have time during my lunch break tomorrow, but if not, you'll see my reviews (and photos!) by tomorrow night (10 pm, CST).

Peace, Love, and Buen provecho!

~AF

The End of Great Food Recommendations? Certainly Not!

It isn't the end, readers!  The Foodie has found herself dropped into the middle of a veritable Mecca of tasty cuisine.  And our first stop on this culinary journey is the beautiful country of Spain for (you guessed) tapas!

I feel like I'm cheating on Meson Sabika with a sleeker, hipper restaurant.  And I guess in a way I am.  But Naperville is just too far away for me right now!

So there's this place in Lincoln Park, down on Halsted...you may have heard of it.  Or maybe the name just reminds you of a Ricky Ricardo catchphrase.  Of course, I'm referring to Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba.  No, I'm not joking...that's the name of the place.

Anyway, it's a Lettuce Entertain You restaurant, so if you get points...more power to you.  The decor is old-fashioned and cool.  Think a blend of wood paneling, exposed brick and murals, toss in some rockin'-looking Iberico hams (love!) hanging from the ceiling above the bar (not joking...they have hooves on them and they're imported and awesome), and you've got one heck of a spot.

The gorgeous bar is a main feature when you walk in, framed up nicely by the long row of windows to your right when you walk in.  The bartender has a really snazzy mustache (this must be a big trend, because Bayless's bartender has some wacky facial hair too).  And according to my parents and my aunt, their sangrias (both traditional red and seasonal white peach) were tasty.  Not that I'd have any clue.

Anyways...

We went to town trying their tapas, even ordering some dishes that we consider our mainstays at Meson Sabika (just for comparison).

I'm going to make this a photo review!  Something shiny and new!  Read the captions, dearies...

~AF

(For the record, I do still adore Meson Sabika.  It is my first love when it comes to tapas.  And I like it just a little bit better.  But this is an awesome place too.  Nothing scathing on this page, that's for sure.)

Okay.  Clockwise from top: sangria (looked pretty); bread (heartier than Meson...but tastier in a way because it was served with olive oil, not butter!); aceitunes (marinated olives, more of a mix than Meson...I like the variety of it, but the flavor at Meson was far superior. But you should still order them); datiles con tocino (loves, they are so good! Crispy bacon, melt-in-your-mouth dates, dressed in an apple vinaigrette and served with little apple chunks.  There's bacon. Can't go wrong.).

Queso de cabra al horno: Baked goat cheese in a tomato-basil sauce.  Almost as good as Meson.  Missed it by that much.  Sorry, the first was the better in this case.

Meatballs in sherry tomato sauce: They were tender to the point of being crumbly.  And the sauce seemed a little flat to me.  Sorry, but I just wasn't digging it.

Oh. My. Goodness.  That is a plate of sweet potatoes with pomegranate aioli.  Order it.  Order it now.  It is that good.  I could have just eaten the aioli with a spoon.  If only they'd given us more of it...

Skewer of chicken and Spanish chorizo: Not what I would have ordered.  It was my sister's idea, and it was a good way for her to branch out a little.  There's not much that could mess up good chicken and good sausage.  If you're not adventurous enough for pomegranate aioli, this is the route to take.  It's good, just not bold enough for my liking.

Well, she ain't pretty...These are sherry-glazed pork ribs.  And they're good.  Thing is, there's a lot of sherry glaze going on on the plate.  If you like barbecue ribs, you'll probably like this.  It seemed a little more South Carolina than south of Spain.  But it was tasty.

Ask them to bring you a spoon with this item.  This, my friends, is a slow-braised beef shortrib.  And you can cut it with a spoon.  Try it.  It comes with velvety mashed potatoes, and if you're smart you'll have it brought out early, before you've filled up on hearty bread and goat cheese.  I just wish I'd had room for it.  Because it was good...

Pincho de Solomillo: It's so simple.  And simple dishes are where you can tell if a restaurant is doing things right.  Ba-Ba-Reeba sure is.  This was just as tasty as the pincho from Meson, and I may have even liked this horseradish cream a little better.  Just meat and a grill.  And they made it taste good.  This is how you do it.  But I still love my Meson Sabika.

C is for Cookies! Gamboling About in Lincoln Park with the Foodie

Ah, dearies, I've neglected you yet again.  And this evening I am loath to say that I will publish my final two posts from the comfort of my home.  Any posts from here on out will (more likely than not) be sent out from my...dorm room.  I know.  You don't want to hear about the cafeteria food.  And quite frankly, I don't want to tell you about it.

I'm not sure where this blog will go from here.  But I'll figure it out eventually.

For now, let's talk Lincoln Park and beyond!

It should be noted that restaurants along Lincoln Avenue aren't really open for lunch until eleven on weekdays.  It only makes sense.  But my parents and I got there early...and hungry.

After much walking and waffling (unfortunately an activity that had nothing whatsoever with waffles...) over where we should dine, we decided on a bar called Lincoln Station.  Not to be confused with Lincoln Hall.  That's just a hop, skip, and a jump away and is more of a late-evening music venue.

But anyway...It was eleven in the morning.  At a bar.  We were the first ones there, and remained the only ones there until shortly before we left.  There were multiple televisions there, broadcasting soccer, Sports Center, and various other athletic-themed programs...whatever's on at eleven in the morning.  I don't pay attention.  I like hockey, not football analyses.  The sound was off, so all we really had to entertain us was conversation.  Oh, drears...

I'm starting to make a habit of asking servers for meal recommendations.  And it was a good idea!  I had a Southern Spud.  Yes, darlings, a Spud.  As in a baked potato.  Stuffed with barbecued pulled pork, melted pepperjack cheese, and topped with creamy coleslaw.  With a pickle on the side.

When I read the item description, I realized this 'tater was not something I would ever have chosen as a lunch when left to my own devices.  I guess I just figured, 'Eh, why not?'

Allow me to be frank with you.  The potato was as big as my head.  As big as my head.  And buttered.  Stuffed.  Cheese-topped.  And coleslawed.  (Don't ask yourself if it's a word.  You're picking up what I'm laying down.)

I have to admit, I was hungry enough to mow through the slaw (crunchy enough for being scooped atop a hot potato, and a great contrast for the cheese and pork), most of the cheese (c'mon, it's cheese...of course I liked it!), and the delicious, saucy, tender pork (I would just order a bowl of that!).  The starchy meat-cheese-slaw vehicle (i.e. potato), on the other hand?  I hardly made a dent.  But it was all good!  Don't be turned away by the Spud.  But please consider sharing it with a friend.  Or running a marathon afterwards.  Your choice.

My mom got a burger named after Chicago's most famous public enemy, John Dillinger.  I should mention that the restaurant is located just across the street from the historic Biograph theater, site of Dillinger's death.  There's a restaurant called Dillinger's just down the street, but that'll probably be the topic for another post.  Back to the burger: Avocado, bacon, cheddar, griddled onions.  To put it simply, pretty gangster.  (I couldn't resist.)

And the french fries were tasty enough that, although I had a starch bomb the size of a Winnebago on my own plate, I kept snatching them and snacking on them.  They must've been good!

After a little jaunt 'round the neighborhood, we finally got to my dream destination, Cookie Bar!  Cue the dazzling lights and disco music!

Actually, the shop doesn't open until one in the afternoon.  It's down on Lincoln Avenue, in a shop the shape of a pie wedge (someone thought it'd be fun to run the street at a funny angle...).  The owners are theater guys, and the names of a few of their cookies reflect that.  They're so nice!  Much quieter than I thought they'd be...but that's okay.

The decor in the store is modern, yet really simple.  And at one in the afternoon, it is pretty darned quiet.  We were the only ones there.  Again.  I'm guessing the neighborhood really comes alive in the evening.  But who knows?

They were bold enough to call their store a bar, so of course you can get some shots while you're there.  But I'm not sure if you can choose between 2% or skim...That's right, they offer a shot of milk to go with your cookies.

And oh, the cookie's you'll find!  The day we went, there was a Nutella-chocolate chip cookie.  That's right.  You get chocolate with your chocolate-hazelnut spread.  Can I get a 'whoop, whoop?'  And there were some Cookie Bar standbys, like the Lisa Marie (peanut butter, banana, and peanut butter cups), the Sybil (split personality, half sugar cookie, half fudgy, cinnamon-y brownie), and some tasty oatmeal raisin cookies.

From left to right, chocolate-Nutella, oatmeal raisin, and more chocolate-Nutella. Oh yes they did.

I got the Sybil, because I just couldn't resist.  It was way better than it sounds.  And it sounds delicious!

Don't miss the cookies!  You'll regret it if you do.

Now, a final leg of our journey took us to Belmont Avenue, just down the road from Kuma's biker bar.  There's this little place that's been getting a little buzz.  And it's called Black Dog Gelato.

Yes, we got lunch and cookies and gelato.  I went to the gym.  Honest, I did.

At Black Dog they encourage you to sample!  Hallelujah!  I tasted a cinnamon-perfumed Mexican Hot Chocolate gelato, flavored with a kick of cayenne.  Delicious!  But I wanted to go for the shop's slam-dunk signature flavor.

Goat cheese.  Cashew.  Caramel.

No, they would not normally gel into something incredible.  But when you slap 'em together into a creamy Italian-style confection, they get along nicely.

The best way I can describe the undertones of this gelato is funky.  You know, that savory, sour, almost stinky flavor that makes a good cheese awesome.  And it's a flavor that makes a gelato fascinating.  Along with the sweet, flavorful caramel and the salty, rich cashews, this may be my ideal flavor.  But if you don't like goat cheese, please don't order this gelato.  Or at least taste it first, lest you do something irrational.

The cool thing about Black Dog is the fact that you can mix and match your gelatos (actually gelati, but who's keeping track?).  A small is two scoops, and those two scoops can be a combination of any pair of flavors you feel like!  Want watermelon sorbet and mint chocolatey chip?  They'll mix that.  Apple pie and malted vanilla?  Oh, yes.  Whatever you want.

In short, Black Dog is amazing.  Check it out, go crazy sampling stuff, and just pretend it has no calories.  When it tastes that good, who really cares?

Peace, Love, and Tasty Snacking!

~AF

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

Liveblog Coming at You from the Big City!

Happy Weekend, lovies! Lunch at Frontera, after receiving recommendations from the only waiter we've ever had, Alfredo. No Bayless sightings (a shame, really...) but I did see ABC7's own Hungry Hound, Steve Dolinsky (whose job, by the way, I would love to take someday...no offense, but spending my day eating good food then writing about it is something I already love to do). He was enjoying his lunch, but surely not as much as we did. Be ready, kids! The full report will be up in a matter of hours, because typing on my phone isn't nearly as efficient as using a computer keyboard.

Until then, dearies, ¡Hasta luego!

~AF

Rick Bayless: Chef, Restauranteur, All-Around Cool Guy

Rick Bayless is known for many things: his television show, his award-winning cookbooks, and his line of chips and salsa.  But sometimes people forget that when it really comes down to it, he is not just "Rick Bayless, Cookbook Author."  He is first and foremost a chef.

The first time I ever saw Bayless on television, he was on an episode of Julia Child's show, In Julia's Kitchen with Master Chefs.  Out of curiosity, and literally just a minute ago, I looked up the original air date of this episode.  I was not even two years old when this episode debuted, my friends.  And Bayless had already been in the industry for a good ten years or more before that.  Obviously I didn't watch the show on its original air date, but I have seen it nonetheless, and it's really interesting to see that Bayless's take on food hasn't really changed much since then.

My real interest in Bayless's cooking came about as a result of his PBS show, Mexico: One Plate at a Time.  I love Mexican food, and it has always been fun for me to see how it is made.  I knew that he had two restaurants in downtown Chicago, Topolobampo and Frontera (he's recently added a third, Xoco), and ever since I really got into watching his cooking show, I had wanted to try the food at one of the restaurants, even though for some reason I thought I would never get the chance.

My opportunity came at the most unusual of times.  My parents and I had just finished a college visit at Loyola, and were looking for someplace to eat.  I casually threw out Frontera as an option, and my parents essentially said, 'Hey, why not?'

The first thing I noticed when we went inside was the look of the restaurant.  It is just cool.  Just inside the front door, there was an orangey-yellow wall festooned with paper monarch butterflies, meant to represent the migratory route that the butterflies take during the winter.  I mean, how awesome is that?!?

When you walk through the bar area (pictured at left), one of the more unusual pieces of decor are the large, brightly-colored statues perched atop shelves.  They are examples of traditional Mexican folk art, and I'm not entirely sure what they're called.  They look like demons, dragons, and animals, and as bizarre as they may seem at first, they are really beautiful.

There was about a fifteen-minute wait, even though it was about one-thirty in the afternoon on a Wednesday, but boy, was it worth it.  We were seated in a prime spot near the bar, in an elevated alcove where we could oversee the entire room.

The dining room is a cool space.  The walls are that same yellow-orange, which really gives warmth to the space.  The ceilings are industrial-looking, which works for me because it gives a certain openness to the space, which might otherwise have been overwhelmed by the rich paint color and vibrant artwork on the walls.

Now, since this is, for all intents and purposes, a food blog, maybe I should start talking about the food.

As soon as we sat down, we got a bowl of mixed...well, they weren't really mixed nuts.  There were pumpkin seeds, peanuts, pine nuts, and what looked like either lima beans or fava beans.  Whatever you want to call this mezcla, it was delicious, albeit screaming hot.  I do not know what they put in the seasoning, but it was so spicy that I probably downed about three glasses of water before we even got our appetizer.  I didn't care.  It was yummy, so I kept right on eating it.

For our appetizer, we had chips and guacamole.  There it is on the right.  You may think that chips and guacamole is, well, boring.  Maybe it's too predictable for you.  But to say that, you, my friend, would be wrong...so, so wrong.  The chips?  Made fresh in-house and just salty enough.  The guac?  Laden with cumin and unbelievably fresh.  The unroasted tomatillo and roasted tomato salsas that come alongside?  Acidic enough to lighten up the rich guacamole.  The price tag might be a little off-putting, but believe me, Bayless knows how to do guacamole, and it is a wise investment.  The portion was really perfect for my parents and me: enough to whet our appetites, but not so much that we had no room for our entrees.

I tried the tamal of the day (yes, perhaps tamale to you, but at Frontera, it's a tamal).  It was a tasty little packet of fresh corn masa filled with sweet, tender pork, and the whole thing was smothered in a smooth, sweet guajillo chile sauce.  It was served with a smear of black beans and a watercress salad (you read that right: watercress) dressed with a sharp, citrusy lime dressing that cut perfectly through the fatty richness of the pork tamal.  The guajillo sauce was so delicious, so well balanced, that I think I literally could have had it as a drink with my meal.

Halfway through the meal, my mom caught a glimpse of a white jacket.  With the demeanor of a twelve-year-old girl spotting the Biebs at the mall, she seized me by the arm and said, "Did you see him? It's him!"

I thought, no, that's probably not possible.  He's a chef, an author, a television show host...why would he be walking around his restaurant on a Wednesday afternoon in October?  But sure enough, Rick Bayless himself walked right past our table, carrying...his lunch?

And then something amazing happened.  Rick Bayless walked through the dining room of Frontera Grill, sat down at one of the tables, and ate his lunch.  I mean, how cool is that?  He's well-known nationwide, but he still sits in the dining room of his restaurant to chill and eat lunch.

I'll admit, I snapped a photo of Bayless (shown on the right) from across the room, probably much to the chagrin of the two women at the table between Bayless and myself.  But, after all, I am a huge fan.

I will never look at him the same way.  He is not some distant celebrity chef.  He's a normal guy, really.  A normal guy who just happens to own three restaurant spaces on Clark Street in Chicago, and whose food I just can't wait to eat again.  Be ready, Bayless.  I'm coming back.

Mexican Lunch in the Near North: Cantina Laredo

It was hot in the city of Chicago today, food fans.  It could've been worse, but it also could've been better.  And making the conscious decision not to take the bus has done a number on AF's feet.  Put it this way: I'm home now, and I'm wearing slipper socks.

We as a family hiked it all the way from Union Station to the Near North neighborhood, all in search of a good meal.  We really wanted to visit my buddy Rick Bayless, but apparently his place gets a little crowded on a Friday...darn!

We were en route to his tortas-and-caldos cafe, Xoco, but we were feeling famished.  We just happened to pass another Mexican place and decided to stop and rest our tired tootsies.  I felt like I was cheating on Frontera, but honestly, Cantina Laredo is a completely different story.

The entire place feels very chic and zen (not a bad thing, but I much prefer Frontera's splashy colors and cozy booths).  It is altogether modern and airy, with enormous windows all along two sides of the space that let in lots of sunlight.

But you're not hear to read a critique of the design, now are you, readers?

When you sit down, your server brings you crispy corn chips and two different kinds of salsa, one warm and one cold, neither overly spicy.  Pretty tasty.  But the party didn't start until we gave an emphatic 'Yes' to the server's offer of fresh guacamole.  We weren't prepared for what happened next.

A lady rolled a food cart to our tableside.  On the table was a basket of fresh avocado, and bowls of limes, roasted mild green chiles, red onion, cumin, salt, tomatoes, cilantro, and  jalapeño (there might have been some other stuff too, but I wasn't paying much attention.  You can pick mild or hot for your guac, and it is mashed and mixed right before your eyes.  Can you say 'awesome'?


The guacamole gets points just for being so darned fresh.  Plus it's fun to watch your food being made.


My entree was good.  I had enchiladas de barbacoa (really just enchilada de barbacoa, pictured below).  Pretty basic, it was a corn tortilla filled with pull-apart, juicy and delicious seasoned beef.  At Laredo, they top it with a ranchera sauce (tomatoes, garlic), plus chopped fresh cilantro (a must for Mexican food) and crumbled Chihuahua cheese. 

I really appreciate their decision to think beyond the arroz con frijoles most places decide to serve up.  Instead, each entree came with Mexican rice and sauteed zucchini.  I love zucchini, so I thought it was mighty tasty.


When we go out to eat, I'm usually lucky enough to get a taste of what everybody else is having.  This time, I got to try my mom's barbacoa tamale (they called it a tamale, not a tamal...that sort of bugged me) and my dad's entree, which was their fish special (grilled salmon with cilantro chimichurri sauce and cilantro rice).


The salmon was really good.  But I had always thought chimichurri was primarily made with parsley, not cilantro...maybe we're going for moderno, not autentico.


But I must say that tamale was disappointing!  The meat inside was flavorful, but the poor little thing was dry, dry, dry!  The masa they used to form the tamale was unseasoned, and the whole thing was crumbly and...blah.  Even the barbacoa inside, so delicate and tender when used to fill my enchilada, was tough and chewy (kind of like jerky...such a shame).  

I'm so sorry, Laredo.  Your enchilada was tasty but you killed your tamale.  I'll go back for your guacamole and enchiladas, and when I'm able to drink I'll try one of your mojitos (they were about a foot tall and looked wicked!).  But Frontera will always be my #1 in the Near North, and I'll always love their tamales more.  Lo siento...lo siento mucho.

**Side note: PEOPLE WATCHING: I didn't see Rick Bayless there, for obvious reasons.  But I believe I did see Chicago newswoman and co-host of ABC's Windy City Live, Val Warner, eating lunch a few tables away.  I didn't take any pictures of her.  I save that privilege for the inimitable Mr. Bayless.

Until next time, readers,


~AF