Monday, September 5, 2011

Frontera Grill

445 N Clark St
Chicago, IL 60654

Occasion: First stop for food on our Chicago Trip, not to say that it's the same for everyone else on the trip.  We happened to have been able to get a reservation for four.  We were excited to try Rick Bayless' restaurant.  We came here with all our luggage. LOL!! People must have thought we were crazy. 07.01.11

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On the left: Sparkling Passion: Marisol beer, passion fruit, fresh lime and sweet "hibiscus" tea
On the right: Mexican Mojito: Fresh-squeezed lime juice, muddled fresh mint, organic cane syrup, your choice of tequila or rum, splash of soda
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Trio, Trio, Trio: Sampling of Ceviche Fronterizo, Ceviche Yucateco & Coctail de Atun Tropical
From left to right: Ceviche Yucateco: Steamed Mexican blue shrimp & calamari, lime, orange, habanero, avocado, jcama & cilantro. 
Coctel de Atun Tropical: Sashimi-grade Hawaiian yellowfin tuna, avocado-tomatillo guacamole, tangy mango-grapefruit salsa
Ceviche Fronterizo: Lime-marinated Hawaiian albacore with tomatoes, olives, cilantro, green chile; on crispy tostaditas
They were all delicious, but my favorite was the middle one with yellowfin tuna, avocado and mango-grapefruit salsa.  The guacamole was amazing.  Yujae was actually contemplating as to whether or not we should order guacamole because he said "how good could this gaucamole be?" Well let me tell you, it was pretty darn good. LOVED IT! As I have mentioned in some of my previous posts, I've really grown to love and appreciate the pairing of seafood and tangy fruits.  It's just so refreshing and delicious, the perfect combination.

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Quesadillas Nortenas: Flour tortillas folded over Wisconsin Jack cheese & grilled shrimp. Served with black beans & young greens
It was pretty good, but was not the highlight.  The ceviche took the attention away from this.  I loved the black beans it was served with; absolutely flavorful and delicious.
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Sopes Rancheros: Crispy corn masa boats, savory shredded beef, roasted tomato, avocado, homemade fresh cheese
Delicious.  I just love the crispy corn masa boats.  I first had it in LA and here I am at Frontera Grill trying it again.  The shredded beef was tender and absolutely flavorful.  Each sope also had a piece of avocado topped on top, which added flavor to it.  It was the perfect size and each bite bursting with amazing flavors.  Not sure what kind of sauce was used, but that definitely complemented the sopes.

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Tamales de Elote: Sweet corn tamales (in banana leaves), homemade crema, queso fresco, wood-grilled poblano chile
As a group decision, this was definitely our least favorite dish.  I've never had a real authentic tamale so I was expecting a lot especially from Frontera Grill.  It had texture like cornmeal and there wasn't a lot of stuffing.  The sauce had a little bit of heat and flavors that did not wow me.  I didn't think it was that great.

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