Mixteco Grill: a Mexican Adventure

Do you ever feel while eating at a restaurant that something really special is happening in the kitchen? That sort of feeling typically comes to me when I eat at a place for the first time and feel really really happy. This is exactly what happened last night while eating at Mixteco Grill, a newish Mexican restaurant in Chicago. I started with the Uchepos Gratinados, an addictive corn tamal with green poblano sauce and cheese. The green poblano sauce was sexy, flavorful and the tamal perfectly moist. I could have a hundred of these. Then, I had pork chops in a yellowish pumpkin seed infused mole. It was just terrific. Overall, a beautiful, creative and welcome addition to an already outstanding Mexican lineup in Chicago.

Comments

NAHA

Elie, love the name. Love the picture. Love NAHA. This was my first trip to NAHA and I couldn't have been more satisfied. I walked in with two colleagues and was seated by the window along Clark Street- just beautiful. The space is open and refreshing, but not bare. And the pop music added a kind of informality to what is a very formal dining experience.Because it was cold and rainy (actually, my only pseudo-complaint is that the heat needed to be turned up a bit), I started with the soup of the day- a potato soup. The presentation was beautiful! Cool, fresh tuna in the center of the bowl, the warm soup poured around it table-side.For lunch the halibut with sweet potatoes and other seasonal flavors. It was perfect. The halibut was light and moist, and there was a warm sauce poured on top, which again, was fitting for a rainy October day. I left nothing. Dessert- the almond clafoutis. We all oo'd and ah'd when the desserts came. From the foam creme anglaise to the spaghetti ...

Coffee, Coffee, Coffee

I am not sure how you like yours, but I drink all kinds. The constant is that I never use any sugar and, I would ALWAYS rather have my coffee in a cafe, or a coffee shop. I guess growing up at our house, coffee was always a time to try and get whomever of your neighbors is around, assemble, eat pastries (some would smoke) and TALK. Invitations were yelled orally from balconies, except in the mornings where people take turns hosting the coffee hour (you can always go on Monday to so and so's house for coffee). Anyhow, things have changed a lot, some for the better (I think much better coffee) and some to the worse. Around here, we are blessed with amazing local roasters -like Metropolis and Intelligentsia- that supply the majority of our local coffee shops (See this for a brief description of the coffee scene here). The drink that I order more often than not is a double espresso with foam on top (or machiato - I find the descriptive name easier). Anyhow, on the right, you will find ...

My Black Bean Soup

It rocks! Comforting and satiating, bold and hot...the deep color represents the taste in every way. Start with a bag of quality black beans, rinsed and then put in a pot with water, and a mixture of garlic, peppers, onion, and green herbs! Simmer for hours and voila! The best fall / winter soup. Learned it from Daisy Martinez, a chef on TV.

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