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Topolobampo: Jumps from the Kitchen to
the Plate
CHICAGO- I was once lucky enough to have a few precious
hours between flights in this great town. There was
no hesitation as to where it would be spent, in the
care of restaurateurs Rick and Deann Bayless, owners
of Chicago's unique Mexican restaurants, Topolobampo
and its little next door brother, The Frontera Grill.
That was years ago and a 48 hour visit to the city
late this spring allowed me yet another glimpse and
sampling of the Bayliss magic. Rick and Deann have done
more for the understanding of Mexican food in America
than any two people I know. Their passion is exhaustive,
with regular field trips to visit markets, study ingredients
and cooking techniques, equipment, artwork and feasts.
And they present a full package in their brightly colored,
fun, art-filled settings.
Their enthusiasm for and knowledge of this land of
hot peppers and cilantro, corn and smoky chilies, plantains
and black beans literally jumps from the kitchen to
the plate. This is not the sort of restaurant one can
be ambivalent about, it gets under your skin, takes
a swat at your palate, leaves you dreamy as you walk
out the door, having just sipped their heavenly Elixir
Tropical, a mixture of papayas and mango, raspberries
and jicama (a crisp root vegetable with the texture
of fresh water chestnuts) in a cool tropical broth.
But I am getting ahead of myself. An ideal late spring
starter consisted of a seviche , a perfect palate opener,
a finely acidic, highly spiced modern style preparation
of raw baby scallops marinated in lime juice and seasoned
with chipotle peppers, oregano vinegar and olive oil.
Then we moved to serious eating, sampling their classic
Lenten dried shrimp cakes (Tortitas de Camarones); as
well as very light Yucatecan enchiladas, prepared with
homemade tortillas and bathed with a smooth and savory
pumpkin seed sauce.
But one of my favorite dishes of the evening was the
Sopa Azteca, a dreamy soup made up of a dark broth flavored
with chile pasilla, garnished with grilled chicken,
avocado, cheese, thick cream and that perfect touch
of crunch, crisp tortilla strips.
Each dish is beautifully presented and though the food
appears complex, a single main ingredient is always
the star. As in the best dish of the evening aged Wisconsin
Crawford Farm leg of lamb, served with an earthy corn
mushroom sauce and teamed up with sweet roasted garlic
and chile pasilla. Equally stunning is the rabbit loin
set over a banana leaf braise of poblano chiles, carrots,
garlic, and fingerling potatoes. The roasted Serrano
salsa was the perfect foil for all these ultra-fresh
ingredients.
Vegetarians would delight in the Tama Azteca, a monumental
layered casserole of zucchini, corn, Swiss chard, poblanos
and a delightfully smoky tomato sauce.
What to drink with all this? We had the rich red Spanish
Tempranillo from Ribera del Duero region just north
of Madrid. The fashionable wine from the pale and aromatic
Rioja grape stands up perfectly to all of the Bayless
fancy dancing with spice and pungency. Other good choices
include a floral white Viognier from the Andrew Murray
vineyards in Santa Barbara, California or a Napa Valley
Riesling from Stony Hill.
TOPOLOBAMBO (and Frontera Grill)
445 North Clark Street
Chicago, Illinois
Tel: 312 661 1434
Closed All major credit cards. Five-course tasting menu
at $55. A la carte, about $45, not including service
or wine.
ON THE
Back Burner
Shaw's Crab House
It had been about 10 years since I had the pleasure
of dining at Shaw’s Crab House, a rabbit warren
of dining rooms decked out with lots of Americana as
well as lots of the city’s inhabitants. The place
was packed on that Friday night in spring, with hordes
of happy hour revelers still tucking into that day’s
oyster sampling (from Nova Scotia and Oregon, British
Columbia, and Martha’s Vineyard no less), washing
down the sweet and succulent bivalves with lots of malty
beer or oyster friendly wines.
This place is amazing, though not the spot to be for
a quick or quiet or romantic evening. Service can be
uneven and slow, but trust me, if it is fresh fish and
shellfish you want in Chicago, then it is worth the
wait.
Along with the astonishing selection of fresh oysters,
sweet Dungeness, Florida Stone Crab and soft-shell crabs
in season, Shaw’s serves incredible crab cakes,
and, on the evening we visited the most delicious, moist,
pure-flavored Roasted Alaskan Halibut steak you can
imagine, paired with roasted fingerling potatoes and
asparagus. The wine list is largely American, and the
key lime pie, totally awesome: tangy, pert and the perfect
way to end an evening.
Shaw’s Crab House & Blue Crab Lounge
21 East Hubbard Street
Chicago, Illinois
Tel: 312 527 2722.
Open daily. All major credit cards. About $35 per person,
not including service or wine.
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