Any one who knows me knows I frequent three (plus two at O'Hare) Mexican Restaurants owned by Oklahoma native , Rick Bayless, whenever I'm in Chicago. Xoco cooks Mexican street food and serves amazing hot chocolate (not the watered down Nestle Quik kind, but luscious , thick Mexican hot chocolate worthy of churro dipping). Frontera Grill (winner of The James Beard Best Restaurant in America) serves food you would recognize as Mexican (not Taco Bell tacos, but mole enchiladas and carne assada). His third restaurant, Topolobampo, his modern Mexican cuisine fine dining establishment was our destination this evening.
Being Beard weekend in Chicago, many restaurants opened for special Sunday night service. Frontera and Topolo were both packed with industry insiders plus more common folk like us looking for a great meal. And what a great meal we had! We decided we had to go with the seven course tasting menu with wine (yes, wine does go marvelously with modern Mexican) pairings. This is not an hour and you're out dining experience but a 3 1/2 hour evening of fine dining like you might find in countries where a meal is more than just the food served but a reason to gather family and friends for an evening of sharing.
The tasting menu rotates on roughly a six week schedule and features a different region of Mexico. The one we sampled was their Chiapas menu which is from the Mexico's southernmost state. I won't describe each course here but highlight some of our favorites. Probably tops on our list was Sopa de pan, a savory bread pudding consisting of bacon roasted brioche with ripe tomatos and raisins in a rich broth. The Angels sang when I took my first bite. Wild caught prawns with a tamal roll, black beans, hoja santa and guaje-tomato sauce was another stand out. And the black cod practically melted in my mouth and was accompanied by a slightly spicy green chili sauce. The wine pairings by Jill Gubesch, sommelier, were creative, playful and surprising which only enhanced an already fantastic dining experience.
Speaking of fantastic dining experiences, did I mention that Topolo is up for the Outstanding Service Award at Monday night's ceremony. I can't imagine a more deserving restaurant. Our waiter took time to describe each course in intricate, loving terms that added to the anticipation of the first bite. This is what makes a good restaurant into a great one. You can just feel the love of the food from those preparing and serving it. I hope you get to have this experience at least once in your life because it is rare and becoming rarer.
Rick and company were on the floor talking to patrons and making sure everything was perfect for their guests. This kind of perfection doesn't happen by accident. A whole team, most of whom you never see, combine to make every meal an unforgettable experience. Besides those mentioned above, Deann Bayless (Rick's partner and wife), Carlos Alferez(Managing Partner), Andres Padilla (Chef de Cuisine), and Joel Ramirez(Sous Chef) were out among the patrons ensuring a perfect evening for all their diners. Tomorrow is going to have to be pretty spectacular to top this!
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