We’ve been fans of Chef Rick Bayless for many years. His long-running TV show Mexico: One Plate at a Time has been a family favorite of ours — it is not only informative about regional Mexican cuisine, but also teaches various cooking techniques that we’ve incorporated into our daily lives. Season after season, we’re still learning as we watch. We’re also huge fans of his wonderful restaurants here in Chicago — Topolobompo and Frontera Grill are both phenomenal.
We were overdue for a visit so we headed downtown for the Saturday brunch at Frontera Grill to celebrate my husband’s birthday. Awesome food as usual!
Frontera Grill opens at 10:30 a.m. on Saturdays and we made reservations ahead of time since we know the line can get quite long. We arrived a bit early and took advantage of walking around the city for a bit. Our six-year-old got a kick out of watching the boats sailing by on this unseasonably warm, late-autumn morning.
After our brief walking adventure, we arrived back at Frontera just as they were opening – we were seated immediately and our daughter had a blast coloring the cool Mexican-art-inspired sheet they gave to her to pass the time.
Food choices for this particular trip did not disappoint (they never do — we’ve always had great experiences here).
Our starters included side dishes of the Frontera Hot Cakes – Three Sisters Garden corn pancakes with whipped goat cheese & one of the best maple syrups we’ve ever had.
Our other starter was a side dish of the Jicama Street Snack (jicama/pineapple/cucumber salad with fresh lime and crushed guajillo chile… WOW)! The serving size was way larger than we expected and was a combination of chilled yumminess. We all fought over the last bite. The six-year-old won.
Onto the entrees – I had the Yellow Mole Enchiladas. Holy “Mole” these were great! Fresh corn tortillas with a wonderful filling of braised kale, turnip & mustard greens and topped with an Oaxacan amarillo mole sauce. The dish was served with a side of black beans & topped with crispy onions.
The birthday boy chose the Sopitos – three Xalapa-style corn masa cakes each with a different topping – scrambled eggs on one, grilled chicken on another and chorizo & plantains on the third. Topping things off with the chipotle – black bean sauce and wow!
The wee girl selected the Quesadillas with Rice. We also ordered a bowl of black beans for her, too. Not your run-of the-mill quesadillas by any stretch – more of a turnover pillow of cheesy goodness. Regarding the beans, her quote was “wow, Chef Bayless sure knows how to cook awesome black beans!”
Add to the mix the unbelievably awesome Mexican Hot Chocolate we had…seriously, we could drink gallons of this lovely stuff…and our next visit can’t come soon enough!
of some of Rick’s wonderful cookbooks other products available for purchase.
If you love traditional Mexican food, great service & a relaxed atmosphere, be sure to make time for a visit to Frontera Grill the next time you are in the Chicago area – you may even see Chef Bayless while you’re there. For a fancier experience, check out Topolobompo – both restaurants share the same main entrance at 445 North Clark Street Chicago, IL 60654-4682. Reservations recommended: (312) 661-1434