FoodNuts!

Greetings foodies!  I’m Christina (a.k.a. greekalicious) a Greek girl from Indiana living in Chicago.  I have my own personal food blog called Culinary Exploration – check it out if you so desire!  I’m new to FoodNuts and I’m very excited to share one of my favorite Chicago restaurants with you.

*NOTE: I promise not to write a novel every time I post, but this restaurant is so incredible that once I start talking about it – I can’t stop!

Ladies and gentlemen.  I present to you – Frontera Grill by Rick Bayless.

I’ve been living in Chicago for a few years and finally achieved my goal of eating at a Rick Bayless restaurant in February when a friend took me to Frontera for my birthday.  Since Chicago is such a huge city with hundreds of restaurants to go to, I try not to frequent the same spot too many times because I want to get acquainted with all the trendy joints, hidden treasures and classic eateries this city has to offer.  Frontera Grill is the exception to my rule because it is THAT good!

My mom was in town visiting last weekend and I took her to Frontera so we could have an amazing dinner.  They don’t take reservations (unless you have a party of 8 or more and you make them 6 months in advance) so there was a 3 HOUR wait.  I promised my mom it was worth the wait… and at the end of the dinner she agreed that it was!

My whole family shares a love for greasy Mexican food – but Rick Bayless proves that gourmet Mexican cuisine will win you over.  The fresh, spicy and smoky Mexican flavors are enhanced by the use of organic and “home grown” ingredients from their rooftop garden.  Not to mention, they are known for their selection of premium tequilas and hand-shaken margaritas.

Mom and I made friends with a woman from San Francisco (Julie) who was in town for a convention.  She came in a day early so she could eat at Frontera and send photos to her husband via text message.  They are both BIG fans of Rick Bayless.  After almost two hours of waiting we were able to snag three seats at the bar.  This was my first time sitting at the bar, and in my opinion it was more fun!

The bartenders, despite the fact they were crazy busy, made time to interact with their customer dining at the bar.  We included the couple sitting next to us in on our fun and by the end of dinner it was almost like we all were long-time friends!  Our bartender, Jonathan, made us feel right at home, bought us a round of drinks that we didn’t need and talked us into sharing dessert that we also didn’t need.

Sopes Rancheros
Crispy corn masa boats with savory shredded beef, roasted tomatoes, avocado and homemade fresh cheese

I usually go for the ceviche trio for an appetizer, but since my mom isn’t a raw seafood fan – she chose these little bites of heaven and we both were happy with the choice!

Camarones al Pasilla Oaxaqueno
Wood-grilled, adobo-marinated fresh Florida shrimp in a smoky sauce of Oaxacan pasilla chiles and roasted tomatillos, served over queso añejo mashed potatoes, braised local Swiss chard

I ordered the shrimp and it pleased my taste buds with its smoky-spicy flavor.  Wood-grilling these plump shrimp gives the dish an extra boost.  The potatoes were so creamy and silky – I love the añejo cheese blended in.

My favorite part of the dish was the Swiss chard.  Do you see that burst of red/magenta color??  They always say you eat with your eyes first!  The chard was perfectly prepared and cooked.  I’ve ordered dishes with greens at other restaurants and have been left disappointed.  A lot of the time the greens are just thrown in there, so they end up being bland and flavorless.  This local chard was so full of flavor that after I was finished with my plate, I continued to pick around the reamining shimp and potatoes to find the rest of it.

This dish is on their “especialidades” menu, which changes every month.  It might still be available next month – but I wouldn’t risk letting it pass you by if shrimp is your thing!

Tartaleta de Manzana
Tart of local apples (honey crisp, golden supreme, Jonathan) with Mexican cinnamon and browned butter. Salted pumpkinseed streusel, warm caramel sauce, brown butter ice cream, caramel corn.

This is only my second time having dessert here (I had some tres leches cake when I went there the very first time for my birthday).  It was a reccomendation from Jonathan the bartender and was shared between myself, my mom and our newfound friend Julie from San Fransisco.  Although we kept mentioning how full we were, we kept taking bite after bite!

I can always make room for an apple dessert… especially during the fall season.  This one is without a doubt the best one I’ve had!  The choice of apples were some of my favorites, especially honeycrisp.  But the brown butter ice cream and caramel corn were incredible extra touches that gave the dessert an extra depth of flavor and texture.  LOVED it!

This was by far my most fun and most delicious experience at Frontera Grill.  If you live in Chicago or just in town visiting and have never been here before – put it at the top of your priority list.  You won’t be disappointed… even if there is a 3 hour wait! 

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