It is surely a given that I am a difficult person to buy a gift for… even my mother would have told you that. Lauren would not disagree. But it is also a given that when Lauren gets a good idea for a gift for me, nothing can compare.
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Rick Bayless and Dinner at Topolobampo
Such was the case with this year’s Christmas gift… gifts, actually. It all started with the opening of a small glass ornament in the shape of a red chili pepper, followed by an autographed copy of Rick Bayless’s new cookbook: Mexican Everyday. I have developed an unexplainable craving for great Mexican food and have even begun to watch Bayless on Public Television’s Mexico – One Plate at a Time.
I have been mesmerized from the first time I saw him because of his easy-going nature and soft-spoken style of what one might describe as contained enthusiasm. He effortlessly moves about Mexico – from one street vendor or fresh market to the next and one favorite off-the-beaten-path cocina to the next, tasting and explaining Mexican cuisine, speaking fluent Spanish. Then he returns to his home and shows you how to prepare those same foods. Every dish Rick Bayless prepares is simplistic. Yet each invites you to sample the kitchen of another culture… But I digress.
A Fiesta in Your Honor
The rest of the Christmas gift could have been one for the Magi. The certificate in the envelope simply said: “…A fiesta in your honor at an unspecified restaurant to be named.” A train ride and then a short cab ride delivered us to the front door of Topolobampo and Frontera Grill. My mouth was as wide as a Chicago winter pot-hole and I felt like a kid in a candy store. Located in the River North area, Topolo arguably has to be one of the better restaurants in Chicago and certainly the best Mexican restaurant in the city. Period. The menu changes every other week, but if the one we were treated to is any indication, it would not make a difference on which night one were to attend.
Our reservation was a late one. Topolo, as it is often referred to, is a very difficult place to even get a reservation, and there are only about 15 or 16 available tables. But when we arrived promptly at 8:45 pm, our table was ready and waiting. We checked the Cocteles Especiales and discovered that even the drinks were mouth-watering in their descriptions and the choice was difficult.
Getting the Evening Started
Lauren ordered a Blue Agave Margarita (El Milagro Silver tequila, Cointreau and fresh lime juice, shaken at the table) and I chose the Firecracker Margarita (Arette blanco tequila, sweet-tart tamarind, fresh-squeezed lime and the sparkle of morita chili). Lauren’s was as tart and fresh as the day is long and mine had just a hint of fire but was awesomely tasty and refreshing. A complimentary dish of fresh guacamole was brought to the table, along with fresh cucumber and jicama slices for dipping.
Breathtaking – Taste buds Already Working Overtime
The dinner menu was nothing short of breathtaking and was divided into two sections. The top section was the Chef’s Tasting Dinner. It offered five courses of exotic creations, paired with five perfectly matched wines if desired. The other section consisted of a la carte selections from appetizers to salads to entrées. We decided to go the a la carte route this time.
We started with Vuelve a la Vida ~”the classic seaside cocktail: steamed sweet shrimp, lime-marinated halibut and fresh-shucked oysters in Tamazula-sparked homemade cocktail sauce with lime, avocado, white onion and cilantro“: $11.50 and Trio, Trio, Trio ~ small portions of Ceviche Fronterizo, Ceviche Yucateco and Seaside Cocktail (3 other appetizers on the menu) of sweet shrimp and limey halibut: $13.50. Incredibly unbelievable! Each had a separate and distinct flavor of its own, and the flavors within each were separate and distinct as well. My taste buds were already working overtime, sensing everything from the mild bite of multiple varieties to the bright intensity of lime and cilantro to the subtle smoothness of fresh shrimp and halibut.
Masterful and Intricate
The Entremeses and the Platillos Fuertes presented an almost impossible selection task… my mouth was watering so much that I was afraid that I would drool on the menu. From the Entremeses, we decided to split a dish called Sopecitos de Bacalao y Jaiba ~ crispy little potato sopes filled with crab and traditional holiday cod simmered with roasted tomato, green and manzanilla olives: $10, and from the Platillos Fuertes we selected first the Nac Cum de Pascado ~ achiote-marinated day-boat catch braised in banana leaf with tomatoes, chilis and sour orange juice; butternut-studded white rice: $34 and then the Pescado Enchamoyado ~ pan-seared Alaskan black cod glazed with fruity spicy chamoy, served with tangy red onion-poblano escabeche (infused with garlic and sweet spices), roasted organic beets, Covelli Farm fingerling potatoes and apricot-jicama salsa: $33.
If that weren’t enough, add Puras Mandarinas ~ tangerine chiffon cake with tangerine glaze, tangerine-buttermilk ice cream and homemade candied Satsuma tangerines: $8.75 and Crepas con Cajeta ~ buttered crepes with homemade cajeta (goat milk caramel), toasted pecans, fresh fruit and sweet plantains: $8.75 to the mix for dessert… What you have is one of the finest dinners imaginable. Again, the separation of complex flavors was masterful and intricate; each dish standing completely on its own, but never stepping on a single essence of another.
I could not help myself and shamelessly asked our server if he could perhaps persuade Rick Bayless to leave the kitchen for a moment and stop at out table for well deserved kudos. Chef Bayless in person was as unassuming and gracious as his television presence would indicate and we thanked him for an absolutely outstanding dinner and evening.
Topolobampo – Benchmark for All Others
I am unsure of how he does it… I mean, manage the travel to Mexico, do the TV show, and still find the time to appear at his restaurant and create the excellence of Topolobampo and Frontera Grill (a less expensive but equally marvelous venue adjacent to Topolo). It is perfectly clear that Rick Bayless has a passion for which there is little if any equal – at least as far as I know. There are a lot of Mexican restaurants out there, but Topolobampo has raised the bar and literally represents the benchmark to which all others should aspire. It was a dinner and experience I shall not soon forget, with unbelievable food quality and impeccable service. I give it my highest rating – Five Zins – and recommend that you make it a point to make a reservation… soon!
And by the way… it was sooooooo nice to enjoy dinner without the smoke. Thank you Chicago. I hope the rest of the country follows you!
Your Table is Waiting…
Ralph Pancetta
Topolobampo is located at 445 N Clark Street in Chicago, IL.
