I had dinner at Frontera Grill last time I was in Chicago, with my friend and fellow foodie, Chad. As mentioned in an earlier post we had thought to go the previous time I was in the city, but Rick was visiting Mexico with his staff and so the restaurant was closed.

This time we would not be deterred. Frontera is basically a first-come first-served place. We showed up at about 6:00 on Tuesday evening, and expected maybe a brief wait. What we didn’t expect was a one and a half to two hour wait. As I said we would not be deterred, so we said “Fine, we’ll wait”. Making the best of it, we went around the corner to another member of Bayless empire: Xoco, which Suzanne and I had visited when she recently visited Chicago. We spent a pleasant hour or so over beer & chips & guac discussing work, tech, girls, dating, etc. and generally discovering our shared interests.

Back at Frontera we had a a brief wait before our table was ready. We were seated across from the bar were we could admire their extensive tequila selection. In addition to that there were all sorts of funky stuff on the walls: paintings and sculptures of a sort.

After perusing the menu (which changes semi-regularly) we decided to start with some ceviche. Trio, Trio, Trio:(a sampling of Ceviche Fronterizo, Ceviche Yucateco and Coctel de Atun Tropical.) Very nice, very fresh, and with a very nice heat level. The presentation was elegant.

Keeping with the theme, we chose another ceviche appetizer. Ceviche Verde: ( Sashimi-grade Hawaiian ahi tuna with Mexican “chimichurri” (cilantro, parsley, roasted garlic, serrano chile, olive oil), fresh-squeezed lime juice, cucumber and jicama. Roasted fennel, fennel pollen, dry Jack chicharron, pinenut crunch.) Brilliant. The Ahi was tender , complimented by the crunch of the chicharron.

We decided that we should try the Mole, seeing as that’s a Mexican classic. Specifically, Enchiladas de Mole Poblano: (homemade tortillas rolled around Gunthorp free-range chicken, doused with Mexicos most famous mole; black beans.) The chicken was tender, the mole was rich. It did not disappoint.

The other entree we decided to try was another seafood dish: Pescado y Camarones en Escabeche: (fresh day-boat catch and fresh Florida shrimp in tangy escabeche of white onions, guero chile, rich lobster stock, passion fruit, bay leaf and sweet spices. Grilled green beans, crispy garlic.) Plated very nicely on a banana leaf which, alas, in the low light conditions didn’t provide adequate contrast for a good photo (that iPhone4 camera is looking better & better). So I served myself some on a tortilla that accompanied the dish, and took a picture of that. The fish and shrimp were cooked perfectly. The green beans were delicate, garlicky, and retained just enough crunch.

And then it was time for dessert! And at such a well known Mexican restaurant, what to have for dessert? Why, flan, of course. Two flanes, actually! Duo de Flanes: (a duo of Mexican caramel custards: one with Bayless Garden lavender (and a touch of honey), the other with pure aromatic Mexican vanilla. Spence Farm mulberry-black raspberry salsa.)

These were quite different, one was velvety smooth, while the other had a more custardy texture and taste. Both were delicate and delicious. I wasn’t sure about the black raspberry salsa that accompanied the flanes. The contrast between the smooth custard and the crunchy raspberry seeds seemed too striking. Nonetheless, the dish was uniformly delicious.

Another thing that can’t be passed up when considering dessert at a good Mexcian restaurant: Chocolate! In this case Bunuelo de Viento: (crispy rosette-style bunuelo dipped in Xoco’s homemade Mexican-style chocolate with white chocolate-tequila crema and drunken Klug Farm peaches and blueberries.) Wow. The combination of the dark chocolate, the crema, the peaches, and especially the blueberries was over the top. An excellently decadent way to cap off the meal.

Not much was left.

Frontera Grill, 445 North Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60654