Wednesday, October 27, 2010

XOCO

Yesterday, Laura and I decided to return to XOCO, Rick Bayless' popular take on Mexican street food, for lunch. Appropriately enough, XOCO (pronounced "shoh-coh") is Mexican slang for "little sister," which is how the cafe is viewed within the Bayless empire. And although XOCO is Bayless' foray into quick-service dining, the tenets of sustainability and local sourcing that govern both Frontera and Topolobompo apply here as well.

Laura and I have been to XOCO for lunch before, right when it opened and the lines were spanning entire city blocks. So it was nice that there was only a reasonable line inside the actual cafe when we arrived. However, even though the lines seem to be a bit more manageable these days, it should be noted that XOCO's system of ordering food and being seated is a little... different. You walk in, get in line, place an order at the counter. Standard fare, except for one twist. While you're in line, a hostess approaches to ask about your seating preferences (aka tell you what's available -- "Counter service okay?"). After you've placed your food order, you reconnect with said hostess so that she can lead you to your seats.

The XOCO menu is divided into parts: tortas from the wood-burning oven, tortas from the griddle, caldos, salads and sides, pastries and bean-to-cup chocolate. (FYI, tortas are sandwiches -- or paninis in the case of those from the griddle -- which are served anytime after 11:00 a.m. and caldos are hearty soups that are served only after 3:00 p.m.)

The tortas from the wood-burning oven are served on big, hearty rolls that are a little too robust for my liking. The bread is fresh and tasty, but the rolls are so big that they get in the way of managing to incorporate every delicious element of the sandwich in each bite. Also, when you bite into the torta, it's easy to lose a lot of the filling, which tends to spill out over the sides. (This is especially true for tortas like the Gunthorp Chicken Breast torta since the pieces of chicken aren't uniformly shaped and don't really lie flat.)

The tortas from the griddle are like delicious paninis with what is, in my opinion, a much better bread-to-other-ingredients ratio since they're made with thinner bread.

All right, that's enough of the overview. Time to get down to business. Between the two of us, Laura and I ordered the chips and guacamole, the Choriqueso torta, the Milanesa torta, the Mexican chocolate hazelnut cookie and the Polvoron.

The guacamole is solid at XOCO. Nothing crazy or crazy creative, just good solid guacamole. They do stick a couple of radishes in it though, so that's a little something different. But other than that, it's pretty straight forward guacamole served with chips that are perfectly crispy without being overly greasy.


The Choriqueso torta is one that's prepared in the wood-burning oven on the hearty rolls. I know I just talked about how the bread on these tortas is too much, but the choriqueso works much better with this bread than the Gunthorp chicken breast did. Here's why: the ingredients themselves don't add as much volume in addition to the bread. You've got Rick Bayless' delicious homemade chorizo, roasted poblano peppers, artisan Jack cheese and a delicious tomatillo salsa. All of these ingredients lie flat -- and therefore, manage to stay in the sandwich when you take a bite. It's a fabulous blend of spicy, smokey and savory. Great sandwich.


However, I have to say that the Milanesa is my favorite sandwich I've had at XOCO thus far. This little panini-like sandwich is one of those "from the griddle" tortas, composed of crispy Gunthorp chicken breast (nothing but the best for Rick) that's been pounded out so it's thin and manageable in panini form, coated in breading and all kinds of amazing spices then fried, black beans that have been coarsely combined so that they're really more of a spread than actual beans, artisan Jack cheese, pickled jalapenos and the amazing XOCO tomatillo salsa. The sandwich is also supposed to come with cilantro crema, but due to my hatred of creamy condiments that interfere with my heat, I took a pass on that. This sandwich is phenomenal. When I first saw it, I thought "wow, this looks like something a little too fried for my liking" -- as somehow I'd missed the "crispy" description of the chicken in the menu. But it was love at first bite. Every element was in perfect balance and all of the ingredients played off of one another in perfect harmony. I could eat this sandwich every day of my life. For real.


Laura and I closed the meal down with two perfect, albeit very unnecessary, cookies. We had the Mexican chocolate hazelnut cookie and the Polvoron, a Mexican shortbread creation that reminded me of a big Mexican wedding cookie. (People with nut allergies beware -- they're ground up and sneakily incorporated into this cookie.) Both were extremely tasty. I'm glad that Laura suggested making a diversion from our usual chocolate and churros selection. I thought I'd regret it, but I have to say that the pastries do represent at XOCO as well.


Speaking of chocolate and churros, definitely try them. The churros are a level above anything I've had anywhere else in the U.S. They're served warm, crisp on the outside, soft on the inside... and the flavor is perfect. To supplement the churros, Rick also turns out traditional thick, high quality chocolate served hot and in a cup (like hot chocolate, but thicker, richer and infinitely better). There are four options: authentic (freshly ground chocolate and water), Aztec (freshly ground chocolate, chilis, allspice and water), chocolate (a chocolate shot and 2% milk) and Barcelona, which I've never had and which is described only as "thick and rich." My favorite of the options is the Aztec, as I love spiced Mexican chocolate. (Well, really, I love anything spicy.) But I have yet to meet a chocolate at XOCO that I don't like.

Next on my list of things to try there: the seafood caldo, which was recently written up in Chicago Magazine's list of the 30 Best Mexican Dishes in the city. Have you had the seafood caldo? Is there something I haven't mentioned that you think is an absolute must-try? Let me know.

XOCO is located at 449 N. Clark Street (right next to Topolobampo and Frontera Grill), on the corner of Clark and Illinois. (The entrance is on Illinois.)

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Bin Wine Cafe

Bin Wine Cafe in Wicker Park is one of my favorite go-to dinner places for the simple fact that it works as well for a dinner out with friends as it does for a date. The space is cool, hip and casual enough that it never seems like it's trying too hard. Exposed brick, warm woods and modern touches (like the tiny vases with minimalist flowers on each table) work together to create an inviting space in the open layout.

The people behind this successful Bucktown eatery are no strangers to the restaurant business. Bin Wine Cafe is the younger sibling of Bin 36 in River North and I have to say this is definitely one of those cases where the younger sib has upstaged the older. I very much prefer Bin Wine Cafe to Bin 36, which I frequented after work at my last agency due to the office's close proximity.

But I am willing to travel for Bin Wine Cafe. Now that Jeff has abandoned his Bucktown roots and therefore eliminated my own Bucktown outpost, a dinner at Bin Wine Cafe requires a little more effort than a casual stroll through the hood. But the drive or cab ride is worth it for some quality wine flights and tasty bistro-inspired fare.

The menu changes seasonally and I've never been displeased with anything I've ordered. Some things have been better than others (a beef stew and the hanger steak frites from last winter's menu, this fall's Gunthorp Chicken breast, the olive selection, various cheese plates, the white pizza, the Top 10 Burger -- yes, Bin Wine Cafe is home to what was named one of the Top Ten burgers in Chicago -- which is only $5 on Tuesdays), but I never leave dissatisfied with the food, the wine or the service at Bin.

Last Friday night, a group of ten of us headed to Bin Wine Cafe to celebrate my friend Steph's birthday. We tried various wine flights, which are also updated frequently -- and everyone seemed to be pleased with the flight they ordered. Some favorites were the Reigning Spanish Reds, The Sexy Reds and The Bin 36 Flight. I'd recommend any of them.

The vast majority of people at the table ordered the Seared Flat Iron Steak and it was pretty tasty, served in a pink peppercorn sauce with Bin's latest take on frites and some little clouds of spinach and cheese that they dubbed gnocchi. The pink peppercorn sauce was a bit more like a straight-up gravy than I'd have liked. It lacked the complexity of a really great sauce, but it was still an interesting complement to the meat. I liked the frites just fine, but don't be fooled into thinking that what you're ordering is anything like the steak frites you'd get at a traditional French bistro. These "frites" are like fancy steak fries -- and if you like steak fries, as I do, you'll be happy. If you had something else in mind, you may be disappointed. The gnocchi were decent, but nothing to write home about. I have to say that this isn't my favorite dish I've ordered at Bin Wine Cafe, which is unfortunate since literally 80% of us ordered it. It was good, but I know Bin's capable of more.

However, my dear friend Brenna branched out and ordered herself the Gunthorp Chicken Breast, which Jeff had the last time we visited, and which is quite delicious. The chicken breast is cooked to perfection and left on the bone so that's tender and juicy when you slice into it. The bird is well-seasoned and the sauce is a worthy accompaniment. All of this is complemented by some slices of chicken rillete served atop a mushroom risotto cake. Very tasty.

For dessert, we enjoyed a trio of gelato (pumpkin, chocolate and apple) and some apple crisps. The gelato was delicious. The fall flavors worked well together and the chocolate gelato was a nice dark chocolate. I could have eaten the entire trio myself. Unfortunately, the apple crisp didn't have enough apple or enough vanilla cream to save it from becoming dry and relatively uninteresting -- which is sad, because it seemed like it could be quite tasty if the proportions were altered.

The service was friendly and attentive, as it always is here. I recommend Bin Wine Cafe, even though my last entree wasn't my favorite dish to date. They do what they do so well so consistently that each meal is enjoyable, even on the nights when I don't order something I feel is the best thing I've ever eaten there.

Friday, October 22, 2010

On The Docket

I am extremely excited about some upcoming foodie adventures in the very near future.

Tonight, some of my favorite people and I are headed to Bin Wine Cafe in Bucktown to celebrate my friend Steph's birthday. I have been meaning to write about Bin Wine Cafe forever, as it's one of my all-time favorite places in Chicago. Bin Wine Cafe is Bin 36's slightly more casual, hipper younger sibling. The space is phenomenal -- especially on a nice night when they open up the garage door in the front of the restaurant and allow diners to fill the tables lining Milwaukee Avenue. I promise that this time I will remember to take photographs and document all elements of the meal. A post on Bin Wine Cafe is coming soon.

Tomorrow night, I'm going to a restaurant I've been dying to try for some time now: NoMI at the Park Hyatt Chicago. I'm feeling a little intimidated about taking pictures inside NoMI, but I'll do my best not to wimp out.

On Sunday, I'll be hanging with the Food Babies crew to watch the Bears game and eat some delicious food at a true foodie tailgate.

Additionally, the graham elliot post is still to come... I'll be knocking these out early next week!

Have a great weekend!

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Seasonal Updates for Big Star

As you may recall, Big Star was home to one of the hottest patios in Chicago this summer -- and that's big news in a city that really, really loves any opportunity to enjoy good weather when we've got it. The good news for Big Star continues, however, with the announcement that they'll be adding an awning and enclosing the acclaimed patio in glass so that the space can be utilized throughout the cold weather months as well.

No worries -- the patio will be heated during the winter. Come summer, the glass enclosure will come down but the awning will stay to provide more shade on the sun-soaked patio. This is excellent news for all of the fair-skinned Big Star lovers; you could get quite the sunburn out there on a sunny afternoon.

In addition to these spacial improvements, Big Star announced that the menu is getting some updates as well. They're adding more tacos and will be doing more beer dinners in the future. Big Star is so beer-crazy that they've teamed up with Goose Island to create their own brew, Deguello, which they describe as "super food friendly." Rumor has it that the beer will be available as soon as early November. Hooray!

Note: graham elliot post coming soon -- it's a doozy!

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

graham elliot

Oh my gosh. graham elliot is amazing. Seriously the best experience I've had in a long time. More to come when I retrieve additional photos from my go-to co-photog Sarah Brick!

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Coming soon...

Hi, Mega Biters:

I leave tomorrow for one of my very best friend's weddings in Washington, D.C. Unfortunately, this means you won't be seeing much blogging action from me in the coming days.

However, once I return, there will be lots to write about. Look for upcoming entries from Sable, Lillie's Q, Bin Wine Cafe, graham elliot and NoMi. In the meantime, happy eating!

And also, congratulations to Mary Lenahan and Eamon Monahan!

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Chicago Pizza And Oven Grinder

If I had to pick just one food to eat for the rest of my life, it'd be pizza. Mostly because it's so versatile. Lucky for me, Chicago has amazing pizza in many forms. Stuffed. Pan. Thin. New Haven-style. Neopolitan. Even pizza pot pie.

That's right. Pizza in pot pie form: it does exist! So it's about time that I write about one of my favorite places for less than traditional -- but still delicious -- pizza. That place is Chicago Pizza And Oven Grinder, located in Lincoln Park at 2121 N. Clark Street.

Laura Cavoto originally introduced me (and a host of our former teammates) to this glorious place a few years back and I can't thank her enough for doing that. So naturally, when we strolled past on our way home from work today, we decided to stop in for some dinner. Every time we go, we get an order of the Mediterranean bread, a chef's salad and some half-pounders. (A half-pounder refers to the smaller half-pound version of Chicago Pizza And Oven Grinder's pizza pot pie. You can also opt for the one-pounder, but good luck with that if you're planning on eating anything else that day.)

When you order the Mediterranean bread, you get to choose between regular and wheat. Once you've made this selection, the Mediterranean bread arrives, piping hot, brushed lightly with olive oil and topped with a mixture of herbs, spices and cheeses. It's amazing. (So amazing that we couldn't wait to dig in before Laura remembered I needed to take a picture.)


The Chef's salad is comprised of cold, crisp iceberg lettuce, roasted red pepper, green pepper, cucumber, pepperoncini, red onion, black olives, green olives, and an artichoke heart. (I know, I know, the picture doesn't do it justice. That's because we served it before I remembered about the photos... I am not a food stylist. I just love food. Give me a break.)


It's a great salad. I don't make my salads at home with iceberg lettuce, due to the fact that there are certainly more nutrient-packed options, but iceberg's got a great crunch that I really appreciate every once in a while. The salad is served on chilled plates, along with a pepper grinder, a jar filled with the same spice mixture that tops the Mediterranean bread and multiple delicious salad dressing options.


One is their classic Italian, made from olive oil, presumably red wine vinegar and a blend of spices. Then there's also the dynamic duo that is their sweet and sour poppyseed dressing and their sour cream garlic dressing. Now, given my aversion to all condiments that are white and creamy, I have never had the sour cream garlic dressing. However, Laura swears that it's fabulous -- especially if mixed with the poppyseed. I personally like a mixture of the Italian and the poppyseed -- no creaminess required. Just a more extreme and delicious combination of sweet and tart.


And then there are the decisions associated with the pizza pot pie. You can choose between original and whole wheat crust, sausage or vegetarian, and mushrooms or no mushrooms. I like the whole wheat crust and I generally opt for the vegetarian with mushrooms, which are whole Creminis, and which I think add something a little heartier to the vegetarian option.

The creation comes to your table straight from the oven, in a bowl with the round golden top adored by pot pie lovers everywhere. Your server takes a spoon and magically inverts the pot pie to reveal a little pizza! The top of the pot pie becomes the crust and reveals a whole lot of delicious cheese atop a pretty tasty tomato sauce. There are all sorts of veggies in this sauce, which make it flavorful without being overly chunky. (Unless you get the mushrooms, which do add some bulk to the interior. Those are the lumps in the photo below.)


Put simply, Chicago Pizza And Oven Grinder makes me happy. I love to go there with good friends and eat until I can barely move. Whether we're drinking wine or Diet Coke with our little (ok, big) pot pie meals, I always have an amazing time.

Two caveats:
1) CPOG (as we've affectionately deemed it) does not take reservations. It does, however, serve amazing food. This means that there's generally a long wait to be seated on weekends. Just warning you. Come hungry, but not too hungry. Or you'll get crabby. (Ok, maybe that last part only applies to me.)

2) CPOG is cash only. Come prepared. There is, of course, an ATM conveniently located nearby. But for those of us who get extremely irritated by paying up to $6 in ATM fees for not using a Chase ATM, you may want to BYOC. (Bring Your Own Cash)

All in all, though, CPOG is worth it. I love these pizza pot pies, their simple salad and delicious Mediterranean bread to come back again and again. You should, too.

Saturday, October 9, 2010

Sweet Mandy B's Fall Cupcakes

The best bakery in the city is Sweet Mandy B's in Lincoln Park. It's true. There are a lot of great bakeries in this city; I don't deny that. But the very best for cupcakes, cakes... and most other things is Sweet Mandy B's.

The storefront is adorable. They've expanded the space within the past year so that there's a cute little cafe attached to the original store. Everything about this place makes me happy -- except how crowded it gets sometimes. (Don't worry -- it's not a constant. By and large my experiences at Sweet Mandy B's have been good -- the service is efficient and the lines move quickly.)

If I'm not baking something for a friend's birthday myself, I head to Sweet Mandy B's and pick up some of their signature cupcakes, featured on the left. Their frosting is delicious, but what makes Sweet Mandy B's so amazing is their cake. It is awesome. I know a lot of people hate the word moist, but it's the only way to describe the cake at Sweet Mandy B's. It's pretty unbelievable. On top of the taste, the cupcakes themselves are (undeniably) cute as a button.

While I do love their signature cupcakes for any occasion, I get REALLY excited when they come out with their fall flavors. One of my favorite things about living in Chicago is the ability to experience all four seasons (however fleeting my two favorite seasons -- fall and spring -- may be) and I seize every opportunity to celebrate each one by changing up everything from my clothes and perfume to the food I cook and consume. So when Sweet Mandy B's comes out with their fall cupcakes, I get pretty ecstatic since flavors like pumpkin and apple tend to be some of my all-time favorites. And of course, Sweet Mandy doesn't disappoint. Featured at left are their pumpkin cupcakes, caramel apple cupcakes and carrot cake cupcakes. (The carrot cake cupcakes are available year-round, but I feel that they're also pretty fall-appropriate.)

My favorites are the pumpkin cupcakes with cream cheese frosting. They have just the right amount of pumpkin and don't have so much "spice" going on that it overpowers everything else. They are perfect. And they're topped with super-cute special fall-shaped sprinkles. The caramel apple cupcakes are pretty tasty, too, and they feature a layer of something similar to an apple compote between the apple spice cake and the sweet caramel-topped buttercream frosting. These cupcakes definitely taste like fall. Lastly, the classic carrot cake is just that: a moist carrot cake cupcake topped with an unparalleled cream cheese frosting. Stop by Sweet Mandy B's at 1208 W. Webster today and get yours.

Happy fall!

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Gilt Bar

The time has come for me to pay homage to one of my favorite bars in River North: Gilt Bar. As it's conveniently located across the street from my place of employment (and visible from many of the windows in our office if you happen to gaze downward), I've been there a few times since its opening this spring. (I have not, however, been to the downstairs cash-only bar Curio yet. No worries -- it's on my list.)

But every time I go to Gilt, I get caught up in the upstairs and find myself sitting in a banquette, ordering three things off of the menu there: the pork meatballs, the burata on toast and an order of the frites. I'm not saying I've never strayed and that there aren't 100 other items I mean to try, but those three things are staples for me, regardless of the seasonal accompaniments happen to be adorning these dishes at the time. (This varies. Currently, it's an heirloom tomato salad with the burata and a fig glaze and some wilted escarole for the pork meatballs.)

The interior of Gilt is stylish and more than a little swanky. Best of all, it hearkens back to the days speakeasies and the roaring 20s, which gives the bar a solid dose of actual personality instead of being just another run-of-the-mill, relatively upscale scene in River North. (However, this also means the place is a little on the dark side and can get pretty loud. Embrace it. Or consider yourself warned in advance.) And given the fact that the chef cut his chops everywhere from the French Laundry to the Ritz Paris, the owner is a vet of Chicago's own beloved Lettuce Entertain You and the space previously housed the amazing Aigre Doux, this place has some serious cred behind it.

All that glitters isn't gold, but sometimes -- if you're lucky -- you stumble across the real deal. Visit Gilt Bar and judge for yourself at 230 W. Kinzie, across from the Merchandise Mart. Then give me a call and the odds are good that I'll mosey across the street to meet you. And also force you to order (and love) the pork meatballs, even if you claim you don't like pork.