For Part 1 of my birthday, Nick took me to Frontera Grill for lunch because I’ve been DYING to try the mole that won Rick Bayless the title of Top Chef Masters. Good reason? Hehe
Click here for the Menu’s for all 3 of Rick Bayless’s restaurants!
*Frontera tip* The restaurant DOES take very limited reservations (contrary to what many people tell you), so plan ahead to guarantee yourself a seat!
We were seated right away at a cozy table that was jammed pretty closely to its neighboring tables. A little awkward, especially since the people next to our table kept pointing and talking about the food we ordered because…it was literally 3 feet away from them. But ANYWAYS…
An amuse bouche snack of deep fried nuts were placed on our table. A little on the greasy side, but well-spiced, salty, and perfect for hungry diners or those enjoying Frontera’s famously delicious margarita’s. Which…I didn’t order. (Sorry! I’m just not much of a drinker. The only thing I love is strawberry daquiri’s. hahahah) Now I regret it…a little.
Nick and I couldn’t decide what appetizer to order, so we got the big sampler platter!
Entremes Surtido: appetizer platter of cheesy quesadillas, crispy chicken taquitos with sour cream, tangy ceviche tostadas, crunchy jcama salad and guacamole and tortilla chips served with 2 salsa’s
Overall Tastiness: Will have to depend on what component of the platter we’re talking about. Overall – SO VERY AVERAGE even though they have fancy names. Here’s what was on the platter in detail. You can order all of them separately…which I will next time.
- Quesadillas Capitalinas: Mexico City-style quesadillas (corn masa turnovers) stuffed with Samuels locally handcrafted Jack cheese and fresh epazote; guacamole to daub.
Tastiness: C. Nick didn’t enjoy this at all, which is strange because he loves cheese and fried food. These were literally fried dough stuffed with cheese and almost non-existent guacamole.
- Taquitos de Pollo: crispy taquitos filled with chicken, black beans and poblanos, with homemade sour cream, and aejo cheese.
Tastinss: B. Quite good on the inside, not too greasy on the lips, but easily forgettable.
- Tostaditas de Ceviche: crisp little tortillas piled with lime-marinated Hawaiian blue marlin, manzanilla olives, tomato, serrano, jcama and cilantro.
Tastiness: A. I’m a die-hard ceviche fan and these were fresh, the fish were perfectly seasoned, a little tart, had good chewy texture, and went perfectly with the salsa.
- Jicama Callejera: crunchy jcama, cucumber and pineapple with fresh lime and crushed guajillo chile
Tastiness: A-. I really enjoyed the cold refreshing tart jicama salad and especially the pineapple slices. They offered a good flavor contrast to the other fried goods on the platter.
Guacamole – Honestly, I think chipotle has the winning recipe here. Overly salted that day! Better off buying it at Xoco, Frontera’s cheaper neighbor sister store.
Our Entrees
Enchiladas de Mole Poblano: homemade tortillas rolled around Gunthorp free-range chicken, doused with Mexicos most famous mole; black beans. 14.75
Tastiness: A-. Nick ordered the mole so I could satisfy my craving with the salmon and graciously allowed me to clean 1/3 of his plate. Hahaha. I literally couldn’t stop eating the enchiladas in mole. The shredded chicken in the tortillas were so well spiced and moist it didn’t need mole. However, the mole was certainly delicious!!! It was bold, smoky, a little sweet, a little spicy, and complex. Like a very special BBQ sauce almost! Nick ate the rest excluding half the black beans. He was not a fan of it hence the A minus!
Pescado del Dia: fresh day-boat catch of the day. Market price.
My description: Mexican marinated and wood grilled wild atlantic salmon served in spicy creamy peanut reduction sauce. Served with a side of refried black beans.
Tastiness: B+. Nick and I agreed the peanut sauce was rather Asian flavor-wise. It tasted just like sweet curry, except much thicker and super peanut-y. The best part of the dish was the PERFECTLY seasoned and grilled salmon, which had a little crunch from the charred edges while the core was still slightly raw. I would have been happy with just the fish.
There were also grilled zucchini pieces in the sauce, which was phenomenal. Everything came with ~6 warm homemade tortillas and a disappointing batch of refried black beans. It was so dry on the outside and tasted bland on the inside with a strange sticky consistency. I didn’t even finish half of it, which is SAD considering black beans are my favorite beans in the world!!
Dessert(s)
Pan de Muerto: Warm brioche Day of the Dead Bread sandwiched with chocolate-Negra Modelo ice cream, calabaza en tacha (Spence Farm pumpkin braised in unrefined cone sugar). Tequila-infused cherries. 8.25
Tastiness: B. Quite a conflicting dish I must say. The highlight was most definitely the negra modelo ice-cream!! Creamy, sweet, a teeny bit alcoholic and mysterious, this beer-based frozen treat now has me curious. How do you make it Rick?? Sadly, the brioche was stale and the cute colorful beads topping the dessert were a DISASTER to eat. They’re so hard on your teeth, overly crunchy, and adds nothing to enhance the flavor of the dish. What a nuisance. Lucky there was yummy sweetened pumpkin and those tequila infused cherries…*drool*
Chocolate Cappuccino: Intelligentsia Black Cat espresso and Oaxacan chocolate steamed with hot milk 5.00
Tastiness: A-. If you love bittersweet chocolate (like the 70% dark cocoa kind) you will love this! It was steamy, slightly sweet, not too creamy, and definitely the perfect blend between chocolate and coffee. Oh YUM for me, but too bitter for Nick. Guess who got to finish it all?
RATINGS
Taste: 4/5 (Hit or Miss. Watch what you order!)
Originality: 4/5 (You have pretty standard appetizers, but there are some really creative entrees!!)
Plating: 4/5
Value: 3/5 (It may be a 2.5 if we went for dinner…pricey!)
Service: 3/5. (Twice, 2 different servers forgot Nick’s “birthday request” after he secretly hunted them down to tell them. Frontera is either understaffed or they really don’t’ give a darn about us…but at least our waiter was knowledgeable and they got our orders right!)
And that was my 2 hour birthday brunch at Frontera Grill. Thanks for joining!! I might be back…for the chocolate cappuccino and my margarita!
***
AND for the Giveaway winners….
DRUM ROLL PLEASE!!!
Krema Peanut Butter Winners
Here are your random numbers:
50 26
Timestamp: 2009-12-01 15:54:16 UTC
#73: Nicole – “1. I am from Chicago, Illinois but currently live in Tulsa, Oklahoma for a bit!
2. I apparently can’t find Krema PB in Oklahoma…but I can buy some when I’m in Chicago next week or for Christmas!!”
#26: Melinda – “Doesn’t look like it is sold in Maryland My fave PButtery thing is adding it to ice cream.”
SodaStream Winner
Here are your random numbers:
89
Timestamp: 2009-12-01 16:27:25 UTC
#89: Lillian H. – “I would choose Ginger-ale (diet), Lemon-Lime, and Peach Mango if I win. If I could create one, it’d be Lychee-Mango! I’ve also added you to my Google Reader. Love your blog and great giveaway!!!”
Congrats Ladies!!! You’ll be getting an e-mail from me!!! 🙂
Great review!
Those entrees sound awesome
Aw that dessert is so pretty/cute! I love splitting events! I celebrated my birthday for 3 days! Haha. Can’t wait to see the rest of your birthday.
YAYYYYYYYYYY!!! I am emailing you now my address! THANK YOUUUUUUUU!!!!!
I loved him on top chef masters and I am jealous of your dinner!!
that Enchiladas de Mole Poblano looks very yummy…and that’s the thing I ALWAYS ALWAYS order in the Mexican restaurant.. but this is the first time I see a black enchilada!!
the dessert looks very cute too! is it a “kid”style dessert? haha
glad you had a wonderful birthday!!!
Haha, that would be a good enough reason for me to visit a restaurant as well 🙂 Gotta see what all the fuss is about!
I have to say that the meals look quite yummy and the salmon you described sound phenom. The perfectly cooked salmon is one of the tastiest things ever! I’m drooling over the ice cream description, cappuccino, and enchiladas as well! You have a way with words, Michelle…makes me wanna eat!
Hi Michelle! Sorry I’ve been so MIA lately…don’t get me started 😉 BUT — great review, as usual! You always know just what to say to get me hungry and I love the detail and care you put into describing each dish. I now know exactly what to get/not to get if I ever get the chance to go to Frontera! What a great birthday present…glad you enjoyed yourself!
Congrats to the winners of your giveaways! So bummed I didn’t enter…gah!
Hope to perhaps see you soon!
WOW!! Rick BAYLESS!!! You’re SO freaking lucky…I’ve always wanted to try his food ever since watching him on TV. You can always count on his food for being original. I would definitely love that mole and ceviche!
Congrats to the winners. Enjoy it!
Next up, Ricky B.
This disturbs me: SO VERY AVERAGE
Ok so I admit when I lived in Chicago, I never went there. There were too many other fabu restaurants and living on budget, I couldnt be just going out all the time. 10 yrs later, I am sad I didnt go. But not after I hear that.
Great restaurants should not be hit and miss. Everthng on the menu should rock. Period.
Again Michelle, you totally rock w/ your reviews. And I know you did have some awesome looking food, but sometimes one or two meh things can kill the deal. Don’t I know 🙂
oxox
I can’t believe I won, I am so excited. Thanks for the review on the restaurant. The dessert looked interesting. The kids here made day of the dead bread for their Spanish project and it was kinda funny to watch them do it.
I LOVEEE TOP CHEF!! I thought I would just point that out 🙂
This restaurant looks fantastic, wow. The dessert is just staring at me and asking me to eat it……and I love the sprinkles!
Awesome recap Michelle! I haven’t been to those Rick’s restaurants since we moved to the burbs – about the only thing I miss about working downtown is going to restaurants on my lunch break!
That being said, too bad the apps were not memerable! But you’ve given me some great ideas to try to recreate at home. 😀
Thanks for the review. I’ve always wanted to go to Frontega and now I know what not to get to make it a great meal!
check out my blog for a chobani giveaway 🙂
i’ve always been curious about rick bayless’ food. it always looks so good on tv!
Oh man, that mole dish looks amaaaazing! I’m glad you had a great part 1 of your birthday!
that place looks really interesting, negra modelo ice-cream?? I have never even heard of it! It really would annoy me though that the tables were 3 ft apart!
I haven’t had Mexican food in forever and the cheese on those taquitos just drove me craaaazy!!! Craving some now 🙂
Congrats to the winners!!
Great birthday dinner!! That dessert with the bitter (dark?) chocolate sounds phenomenal!!
❤ jess
xoxo
I hate being crammed right in with people when I am eating–but that food makes it look SO worth it 🙂
WOW WOW WOW! That meal looks sooo insane!!! Everything looks delicious, and I am totally craving Mexican!!! I wish I could get better so my taste buds could come back and be normal!!!!! Then it would be worth it to go out and eat!!!
hugs to you Michelle!! have a fabulous weekend!!!!!!
OMG Michelle i seriously adore your detailed and uncensored reviews 😀 My cuz has been to that restaurant since she just recently moved to Chi-town, so she uses any visitors as an excuse to go! I am a huuuuge fan and critic of Mexican food so I must go…. and I can see how their attempt at “fusion-style” dishes can sometimes go astray! Glad u had a fab and delish bday love!!
Glad you enjoyed your bday dinner!! What a great review!! Haha yes that IS a good reason to try out a restaurant! =D Have a great weekend girl! ❤ ❤
great birthday lunch! the enchiladas smothered in mole look incredible!
omg girl. seriously? WE NEED TO GET DINNER TOGETHER… im serious. we would love the same exact stuff and go nuts. youre myy fav ❤
I have never made mole in my life and always try to order it when I see it on a menu. Wow. Check out Botin on my blog! These are restaraunts where we can’t help but feel alive!
What a fantastic birthday brunch! I’ve never heard of deep fried nuts…interesting! And all that food looks delicious!
Have a great Tuesday!
dear rick bayless,
you creep me out on your cooking shows, but your food looks divine. i will forgive your creeper personality if you hand over that brioche dessert.
thanks,
holly
love you girl!
Love Rick Bayless!!-even though I was pulling for Michael Chiarello to win!
I now want mexican for dinner tonight 🙂
The pics look delicious, even if the menu items weren’t all A’s 🙂
Mexican food in America is really of a superb quality, I found (at least compared to back home). And your meals look really darn good! Especially the oozy cheese in the Quesadillas… YUM! Love the look of the enchiladas too. What a fabulous way to celebrate your birthday!
What a data of un-ambiguity and preserveness of valuable experience concerning unexpected feelings.