Kennyz wrote:danimalarkey wrote: And I know, I know, Chef Rick isn't on the line in the kitchen these days, ....
Hmm, what makes you say that? Based on what the servers tell me, he is in the kitchen most days, and I have personally seen him emerge from the kitchen during service at least twice in the last 12 months.
TheWindyCity wrote:One Saturday late morning, I saw him walking through "Marshall Fields" on the 7th floor, hang up his coat, and start sampling the prepared food trays of fillings, like a quality control inspector....very impresseive that he keeps a finger on even this satellite location.
BR wrote:Perhaps if he only had to oversee one of those restaurants (versus the empire he now runs) things would be different.
headcase wrote:BR wrote:Perhaps if he only had to oversee one of those restaurants (versus the empire he now runs) things would be different.
Ummm.... I'm pretty sure food at both Frontera and Topo comes out of the same kitchen. Unless you are counting the food court outpost as a restaurant.
SSDD
Mike G wrote:Bayless has said that he's consciously kept his "empire" within about the space of a single zip code so that he can visit any part of it without spending his life on airplanes instead of in kitchens. As chefs with multiple locations go, he seems as hands-on as you can get (and it's also not like he has a problem transmitting what he knows to his staff, to judge by all the people who've gone on from there to start their own excellent places).
BR wrote:This is true, but my point is that the volume of food coming out of that one kitchen (and his food court) is substantial and there is no way he can address every minute aspect of every meal. Even Topo/Frontera combined is a pretty big space. Hence, I'm suggesting that he probably had an opportunity to taste the peanut mole (which was probably prepared well in advance), but that he might not have noticed that the duck (prepared just before serving) served with the mole was overcooked. Again, just look at the situation last night with the shellfish - he knew his sous chef had overcooked it and yet there he is overseeing the whole process. But there is only so much he could do personally.
pacent wrote:Just called Topo, and the receptionist says reservations are all booked up through the end of September. Unfortunately, the menu from the show is currently only slated to run through September 12th.
Kennyz wrote:pacent wrote:Just called Topo, and the receptionist says reservations are all booked up through the end of September. Unfortunately, the menu from the show is currently only slated to run through September 12th.
You can get the full Topo menu at the Frontera bar.
BR wrote:I've seen Bayless in the kitchen too (as recently as a few weeks ago) and he's always at the front of the line and smiling at the Green City chefs event and he is a very nice guy and obviously very talented. That being said, even he has to make sure the talent around him matches his in intensity and execution. At a place turning out as much food as Frontera and Topolobampo, he cannot possibly ensure that every single dish at both restaurants meets his demands (just look what happened with the shellfish dish he had his sous chef assist him with). A friend of mine and I both found this out without question a few weeks ago when we were both served an amazing peanut mole . . . but unfortunately both dishes were marred by overcooked duck. Perhaps if he only had to oversee one of those restaurants (versus the empire he now runs) things would be different.
Darren72 wrote:Dan, my understanding is that you can order from the Topolo menu from anywhere - in the bar, in Frontera, etc. In the bar area, you can also order from the Frontera menu. In either case, you have to specifically ask for the Topolo menu.
eatchicago wrote:Darren72 wrote:Dan, my understanding is that you can order from the Topolo menu from anywhere - in the bar, in Frontera, etc. In the bar area, you can also order from the Frontera menu. In either case, you have to specifically ask for the Topolo menu.
This has also my experience and understanding. They'll serve you from either menu in either place at any table in the whole joint. If someone was denied the Topo menu somewhere then that policy has changed within the last 18 months or so.
Kennyz wrote:The ever-changing Frontera/ Topolo menus are full of enticement, but I knew what I was there for tonight. I wanted to taste what won Bayless the title against the ranks of some of the country's best chefs. I wanted his atún in oaxacan black mole and his cochinita pibil with crispy pig trotters.
The toasty crunch on the outside. The rich, unctuous pig on the inside. I can't imagine ever forgetting this.
Sounds like an isolated incident to me -- or at least one that has nothing to do with the size of the Bayless empire
DutchMuse wrote:A little over a year ago, my partner and I moved to Chicago and I was excited to go to Frontera Grill, given the buzz and everything I had heard about it. What a let down! I thought I must be missing something; it was, to me, surprisingly mediocre. Wondering if the restaurant simply had an off night, I returned twice more, to identical reactions and experiences. I've never understood how this restaurant garnered the accolades it has, unless it has taken a nosedive from its earlier days.
I have yet to go to Topolo and want to...maybe it will be a more fulfilling experience?
Kennyz wrote:I arrived tonight 5 minutes before opening to find at least 50 people waiting in line. By the time I entered at 5:10 or so, there was just one seat at the bar. Whew, I got it. I think I was the only one there planning to hang out for dinner - everyone else had a buzzer and was waiting to be buzzed for a table. I don't get it: the bar is a terrific place to hang out for dinner, but no one seems to want to do it. There were people with buzzers waiting for four tops in the Frontera dining room, while 2 four-tops remained unoccupied in the bar, waiting for first-come-first-server grabbers. When I left, they were quoting a 3-hour wait, but I still think one could have sat in the bar after waiting no more than 20-30 minutes. The place had a wonderful air of excitement following last night's Top Chef victory for Bayless, and I'd guess that I was one of no more than a handful of non-tourists looking to be part of the celebration.
Crispy Pig Trotter Component:
The toasty crunch on the outside. The rich, unctuous pig on the inside. I can't imagine ever forgetting this.
Frontera Grill stands the test of time, putting out phenomenal meal after phenomenal meal. That cochinita pibil was among the best things I've ever eaten.
jimswside wrote:btw I also enjoy the bar area @ Frontera, but then again I love tequila, and checking out the bottles on hand