Frontera Grill, Rick Bayless’s iconic Chicago restaurant, has been serving vibrant regional Mexican cuisine since 1987.
The lively River North spot bursts with color -- folk art, bright walls, and a menu that features guacamole, moles, tacos, and tamales.
The restaurant features accolades like the James Beard Foundation’s “Outstanding Restaurant” award and a Michelin Bib Gourmand distinction.
Frontera Grill’s guacamole is famous because it’s prepared fresh to order, using high-quality avocados and vibrant, authentic ingredients.
It is presented in a molcajete with warm, house-made tortilla chips. It’s become a signature dish and a must-order.
The avocados are perfectly ripe, creating a creamy base that’s lifted by zesty lime, sweet tomato, crisp onion, and just enough chile heat to keep things interesting.
The Ceviche Trio includes the Shrimp & Scallop Ceviche Verde (creamy, herb-green ceviche of Mazatlan blue shrimp and Baja bay scallops, avocado, cucumber, jicama, serrano, and knob onions), Tropical Tuna Cocktail (Hawaiian yellowfin tuna, tomatillo-avocado salsa, and tropical fruit salsa), and the Classic Frontera Ceviche (Hawaiian albacore, lime, tomatoes, olives, cilantro, green chile, and Tostaditas).
Ceviche is a dish where raw seafood is “cooked” by marinating it in acidic citrus juice—usually lime or lemon. The acid causes the proteins in the fish or shellfish to denature, which changes their texture and color, making them firm and opaque like they’ve been cooked with heat. This process also imparts a bright, tangy flavor that complements fresh herbs, onions, chiles, and other ingredients typically mixed in. Because the seafood isn’t heated, freshness is crucial, and ceviche is usually served chilled to keep it safe and refreshing.
In the midst of my meal of guacamole and ceviche, I also enjoyed bites of the Tomatillo Salsa: a tangy green salsa made with fire-roasted tomatillos, cilantro, garlic, and serrano chile, and the Roasted Tomato Salsa: a rich red salsa featuring sweet tomatoes, fresh cilantro, and earthy New Mexico chiles.
To finish things off, I enjoyed the hot chocolate, which is rich, and bittersweet.
"Frontera roasts a huge burlap sacks of cacao from groves in Tabasco, Mexico. They winnow and grind them under a heavy granite wheel – all handmade, in-house in Chicago. They simply mix the best quality chocolate with the perfect amount of organic Mexican sugar."
Grade: A
