Funny you mention whether or not the artist is in residence, because the subject of the likelihood of sighting a celebrity chef came up in the Foodist column in the August issue of Bon Appetit. What caught my attention (and yes, this is the kind of thing that catches women's attention) was that the Foodist referred to the celebrity chef as "he" and the Food Network watcher as "she." Something tells me it would never have occurred to the Foodist to choose other pronouns for those roles.

Based on Bayless's tweets (including pics+videos) he's frequently in the kitchen for service. He seems pretty hands-on.

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.

I've also seen him at the Sunday Wicker Park Farmer's Market.

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.

... i think of the "celebrity chefs" (which honestly is probably a degrading title for just about everyone that was in TCM) bayless is probably the most down to earth and still in the kitchen. i've been to frontera when i've seen him sitting at the kitchen counter eating, which also means he was in and out of the kitchen. if he's there he'll make a point to go around and say hi to diners, take pictures, etc. and because he hasn't expanded wildly like he could have, there's a good chance he's there. he's willing to sit around on twitter telling you about what he's tasting for his restaurants that night, etc etc. i actually really enjoy his twitter musings, if you're not on twitter it's a good reason to sign up.

if there's anything TCM did really well, it exemplified what a down to earth guy bayless can be and hopefully will still be.

though i'm a bit saddened though that we've been anticipating XOCO for over a year and a half (way back when it was a furniture shop going out of business and we heard bayless was opening it as a way to get a better wood-fire oven into his other places--long before it had a name--and now this 'quick serve' place is going to probably have a line around the block because its cheap and his popularity)

i don't think it'd happen any time soon, but as long as he doesn't open shop on vegas we should be fine. (or if they start serving brunch on that crazy sunday instead of saturday)

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.

yep - i've seen that before too

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.

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

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).

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

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.

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).

And I don't doubt this one bit, but the larger the restaurant gets, and the more restaurants/locations you have, the more reliant you become upon the rest of the kitchen staff. Even just limiting himself to the downtown area requires him to work countless hours and shuttle back and forth between multiple addresses. It's hard enough work and ridiculous hours just being a chef, and he's so much more than that in terms of responsibility.

The reality of the food and drink business is that margins are very small. Even if you have a single room that operates at maximum capacity you are not going to take a whole lot of earnings out unless it is a very big room. I think there is a tendency to see "empire building" by well known chefs as a pure exercise in ego... and there is probably some truth in that... However, if you are a successful chef, if not a "celebrity" personality, and you wish to have the same sort of financial security that similarly successful people have in other business fields, you are nearly forced to open multiple locations. We all appreciate the pure passion and talent for the craft that the best chefs demonstrate but there is also nothing wrong with them making a living. These are craftsmen and not artists. I think Rick's philosophy is one of the most realistic and refreshing out there. He understands the necessities of the business but plays to his desire to remain firmly in control of his product. Cooking and running a kitchen is like playing golf. Even the best have bad days (or even a bad hole on a good day) but it does not mean that they failed to put their time in or lack the proper method.

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.

Right - I think in both cases, this was a lapse in execution. I don't think it has much to do with the scale of the operation, though.

Though his tongue tacos made the menu at Frontera, according to his twitter feed, Bayless is putting his 'life story in four courses' menu (with a bonus desert of fresh peach tart with goat cheese & pumpkinseed frangipane!!) on the Topolo menu for the next 4 weeks.

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.

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.

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.

If this is your goal, don't make the mistake I made once - the bar-like seating in the Frontera dining room (what I'm presuming was the original bar before any expansions) does not count as the 'bar area' and the Topolo menu is not available if you sit there. I was excited since there there was an open seat (the bar area proper was absolutely packed) and I had seen something on the Topolo menu earlier that day that was really calling to me. Oh well!

By the way, in your experience, does the 'bar area' include the tables in the bar area or is it limited to the seating at the bar itself? I don't mean to be nit-picky but I've sat in those tables before but have never been offered the Topolo menu as an option.

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.

The "bar area" includes both the seats at the bar and the 10 or so tables immediately around it. i.e. all of the seats in the first picture here: viewtopic.php?p=179893#p179893

Also note, the tables in the bar are basically a free for all. I've seen it get ugly when a few parties have their eye on the same table.

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.

Sounds like an isolated incident to me -- or at least one that has nothing to do with the size of the Bayless empire -- but the bottom line is that one person cannot be expected to be present at even a single restaurant during every hour that it's open. That's just an unrealistic expectation, imo. At some point even the the task of expediting has to be delegated to others.

=R=

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.

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.

For as long as I can remember, the Topolo menu has been available ONLY at the actual bar. Not at a table in the Frontera dining room, or at the smaller bar that's in the dining room. Of course, I ALWAYS just sit at the real bar, so this is just what I've been told by the bartenders.

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.

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.

Tuna in Oaxacan Black Mole:


The tuna was perfectly seared, with a hint of smoke from the phenomenal live-wood stove in that kitchen. But yeah, that mole deserves whatever prize it is ever awarded. It's just a phenomenally complex yet balanced array of flavors. I won't pretend to know what goes into producing those flavors, or that smooth, silky texture. I'll just say that everyone should have this mole at some point in their life.


Cochinita Pibil With Crispy Pig Trotters:


This was a fascinating presentation. The succulent pork had been compressed just a bit, so that it could be formed and then seared, creating an unbelievably fantastic textural mix.


Cochinita Pibil After Sticking a Fork In:

When I stuck a fork into the cochinita cylinders, the crusty exterior gave way to beautifully sour, sweet, spicy shredded pork.


Crispy Pig Trotter Component:

The toasty crunch on the outside. The rich, unctuous pig on the inside. I can't imagine ever forgetting this.


Blueberry Tart With Sweet Corn Ice Cream:

The highlight here was the crispy, light tart shell which reminded me of cannoli. The berries and ice cream were good too, but note to chefs everywhere: PLEASE throw out the maltodextrin in your kitchen. The powdery yellow substance on this plate creates a horrid paste instantly upon contact with saliva, just like everything else I've ever had that has been maltodextrined.



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.

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.

Beautiful pictures . . . looks as good as it did when I saw it on television last night. Just when I thought I wouldn't be returning for a while, I suddenly have the urge to find myself a seat at the bar and enjoy the same meal.

Sounds like an isolated incident to me -- or at least one that has nothing to do with the size of the Bayless empire

Especially when we just saw Bayless have to serve something on TV that got overcooked when he was within 10 feet of it the whole time. It happens... at least if you have GE Monogram appliances in your kitchen!

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?

I had some disappointing experiences a few years back and had pretty much given up on it in favor of its various proteges' places (Mixteco, Sol de Mexico, Fonda del Mar, etc.) (I also no longer worked within walking distance.) But a lunch I had there earlier this year with a foreign visitor was as good as I had ever had there (and totally pleased him as something uniquely Chicagoan). So sure, give it another try, or try one of those other places and see if you like the style at all.

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?

Could you be a little more specific? Why was it a let down? What were you expecting and what did you get? What other Mexican restaurants in a similar genre do you like?

Kenny, do you mind if I ask how much? We're contemplating a variety of tactics to try this meal too and are curious, since the information doesn't appear to be available otherwise. Thanks.

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.

great review and pics. the crispy pig trotter looks awesome.

thanks for posting.

btw I also enjoy the bar area @ Frontera, but then again I love tequila, and checking out the bottles on hand

The full five course tasting menu was available for 90 bucks. I did not get that, opting instead for the tuna (13, iirc), cochinita (38, iirc) and dessert (9, iirc). The rice dish was also available ala carte, but the quail was not - I believe the tasting menu would be the only way to try the bbq quail. I also had several margaritas and a fantastic sipping tequila, so this was not a cheap meal.

jimswside wrote:btw I also enjoy the bar area @ Frontera, but then again I love tequila, and checking out the bottles on hand

Next time you're there, ask for Gerardo if he's not the one already taking care of you. The man is passionate about his tequila, and really seems to know his stuff. On his recommendation, I finished last night's meal with this:



Apparently, Casa Noble is the first tequila maker to try single-barrel aging, and they use charred French oak barrels. This single barrel Añejo was incredibly rich and smoky, with significant vanilla and caramel notes. It was really special.