There are very few things I would do bad things for. Okay, maybe there are more than a few, but I think most of them can be summed up to all things pork.Chorizo is one of those things. Case in point–the queso fundido ($7.50 USD) @ Frontera Grill.
Chicago is indeed a great food city, and many famous chefs have made their mark on the local restaurant scene. Perhaps one of the most famous would be celebrity chef Rick Bayless, the chef and owner of Frontera Grill and Topolobampo, the city’s first upscale Mexican restaurants that focus on regional cuisine. And although I’ve eaten my way through many of Chicago’s most delicious restaurants, I have never had the joy to dine at these temples of Mexican cuisine. I was lucky enough, however, to sneak in a quick brunch @ Frontera Grill a few weeks ago. Service was great, food was pretty good. I highly suggest going with dishes you are unfamiliar with, because I got a dish I have eaten a million times, and therefore I was able to compare it to other versions I have had in the past—it is just better to go in with a fresh mind. We also hit up some guac, because, c’mon, it’s flipping FRONTERA GRILL. It’s what you do.
One of my dining mates went with a taco platter that had red chile-marinated Maple Creek pork (pastor style), with charcoaled pineapple, slab bacon and red onion ($15.00 USD). Nothing but good reports came from this.
My other dining mate went with a special, the sapitos ($10.50) with were a trio of Xalapa-style gorditas (corn masa cakes) in chipotle-black bean sauce, each with its own topping: scrambled eggs, grilled chicken, chorizo and plantains; homemade crema and queso fresco.
I went with the chilaquiles al Guajillo ($10.50 USD).
This was stupid on my part. Why? Well I tend to like chilaquiles with a tomato-based or tomatillo-based sauce. I knew this would have a dried chile sauce, which always seems to overwhlem my palate. But I got it anyways, and it did overwhelm my palate, but totally my fault. The dish itself was delicious, I just know that I do not like dried-chile-heavy sauces. My bad. My limeade, however, was pretty awesome. All in all, I think Frontera Grill offers a creative brunch that is worth a try every once in a while. Personally, I can’t wait to try their dinner. Yeah. I likes me some Mexican food. ~LTG! *************************************************** Frontera Grill 445 N. Clark St. Chicago, IL 60610 312-661-1434 http://www.rickbayless.com/restaurants/grill.html
