So, based on what I considered to be a strong urging in a recent e-mail from R.M., Lauren and I decided to take a trip to Geneva and check out a little “hole-in-the-wall” venue called Bien Trucha that no one would ever suspect housed a restaurant at all, let alone an incredibly good Mexican restaurant.
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If pictures could talk, the photos on the website of Bien Trucha would tell a story to make your mouth water. By the way, the name Bien Trucha is, according to their website, Mexican slang for “On Top of Your Game”
Through the Smallish Front Doorway and…
It was a typical mid-weeknight excursion out to dinner… after a day when the world had seemed to collapse around me. It was definitely a day on which I probably should have stayed home due to a bad attitude. a bad day and a bad attitude is generally not a good combination. But this night was going to be way different.
Here on West State Street (Route 38) in Geneva, resides a place so small that one would most likely miss it unless one knew of its existence (the good news is that, in the fall of 2010, Bien Trucha claimed some additional space and expanded – slightly – the restaurant). The are a pair of tables on the sidewalk just outside the front door for those who don’t mind the noise from the street, warmed by what I can only call a California patio heater – this since I had never seen them at any other venue, anywhere.
It has always amazed me that no one else in this area – at least as of this writing – has them. The outdoor dining season can be extended by many weeks in both the spring and the fall. Yet, there was one here – in what I had thought to be the most unlikely of places. I was already smiling as I stepped through the smallish front doorway into the tiny little restaurant.
Chic, Modern, Clean
I knew that the previous occupants of the building had departed perhaps a year ago and I had received an e-mail telling of the new Mexican restaurant, but I had no clue as to what to expect. The place is very small yet still intimate, and there is room for perhaps twenty diners at most. The seating is close but not cramped and the walls are adorned with chic and modern art and sculptures. Table tops are paper covered but have white cloths underneath, and white votive candles burning in clear and very clean containers resting on the table. Nearby are tiny, square salt and pepper shakers with chrome tops – also very clean. Silverware is wrapped neatly in cloth napkins.
Great timing! A deuce has just become available and Lauren and I are seated immediately, very near to a smallish bar just outside the kitchen where the sound of a blender will not be heard. The owner is acting as bartender and hand-shaking the blended drinks (all signature cocktails are hand-shaken). A very polite waiter dressed in black approaches our table, smiles and, with a very heavy Spanish accent asks if we would care for something to drink.
Lauren chooses a margarita (I forgot the name) and I opted for a shot of Cuervo 1800 that is accompanied by something called Sangrita – almost like a spicy tomato juice. The margarita is akin to a “Topolo” variety with loads of fresh lime juice and incredible flavor. My shot-glass of Sangrita has a touch of heat and is almost as good as the margarita Lauren makes. It is a great aperitif for the tequila.
Beautifully and Imaginatively Plated
The menu is nicely limited, but literally brimming with inventive choices that make deciding on dinner a herculean task. I have not seen such interesting selections in a very long time. My eyes though, are drawn to the bottom of the page and the fine print there that proudly proclaims: “All items are prepared fresh to order, we use the highest quality products and ancient techniques to prepare our salsas.” Worries about the poor day, along with any remnants of a bad attitude, were suddenly swept away. There were more important things at hand… like what to select from the menu.
Munching on some freshly-made tortilla chips and spicy dipping sauce, we made the decision to try the Ceviche: fish of the day (tilapia), lime, extra virgin olive oil, serrano, tomato and onion — $7.95 as a starter, as we contemplated the other delights on the menu. The Ceviche came – as did all the dishes that evening – beautifully and imaginatively plated. It was nestled among interesting greens and accompanied by a small porcelain dish of (I think) Chile ancho sauce that added a slow burn to the tasty morsels.
Our Selections
We also succumbed to a Cazuelita (casserole) of Champiñones: wild mushrooms, Chile de árbol, garlic, onion, crema fresco, over a bed of melted chihuahua cheese – $5.95. Our final choice was a taco order called Pastor: Chile ancho and guajillo marinated pork, cilantro, onion, grilled pineapple, Chile morita salsa – $8.95. The dish consisted of four small corn tortillas, filled with fiery pork and kissed with a sliver of pineapple, snuggled one next to another on a long rectangular white plate with a small dish of dipping sauce… m-m-m-M-M!
Bien Trucha – which, as I mentioned above, is actually Mexican slang for “On Top of Your Game“. Literally it can also be interpreted as “Good Trout. (go figure) I’ll go with the Mexican slang. It may be a small and somewhat unlikely setting for incredibly good Mexican food, but that’s exactly what owner Ricardo García-Rubio serves up.
The dishes are all imaginative and invoke mouth-watering images. No disappointment is anywhere to be found when the plates arrive either. The heat provided by the peppers is easy to handle and the flavors outstanding. There are many items than continue to call for my return to Bien Trucha, and I will definitely answer that call. There are so many other items I would like to try: Crema de Chile Poblana Sopa, Chorizo Cazuelita, Tacos Camaron, Tacos Arrachera, Tortas De Lujo, Tortas Deseada… all magnificamente, I am certain!
Incredibly Impressive
I may be going way out on a limb here… but this may possibly be the best Mexican restaurant I have visited since my dinner at Topolobampo. Obviously not quite in the same class, but incredibly impressive nonetheless, and certainly a style with which even Rick Bayless would be impressed. I am almost afraid to tell anyone about it, for fear that I will never again find a seat upon my return… So don’t tell anyone about this fantastic little Mexican eatery in Geneva. Just kidding! Bien Trucha certainly earns a Four-and-a-Half Zin rating and a place at the very top of your “gotta go there now” list!!
Your Table is Waiting
Ralph Pancetta
Bien Trucha is located at 410W State Street in Geneva, IL.
