Recently in Mexican Category

There were no crimes against fish at Mexique. The trout was perhaps the best dish at the table.

We recently ate out with Emily Szopa of the Chicago Dining Examiner to try the French-influenced Mexican cuisine at Mexique. We enjoyed excellent service, wonderful appetizers, outstanding entrees, and desserts to die for. The only question I had at the end of the evening was why there wasn't a line to get into the place. Tune in for the details.

(13.3 M)

00:00 - 00:54 Playing influences
00:55 - 02:46 Atmosphere & service
02:47 - 05:33 Appetizers? Order all of them? Next time, definitely!
05:34 - 09:25 Cleaning our plates
09:26 - 12:05 Dessert? Order all of them? Yes, thank you.
12:06 - 13:15 Very varied wine
13:16 - 14:28 Wrap-up & sign-off

Chef/Owner Carlos Gaytan serves up an amazing menu.

Mexique
1529 W Chicago Ave
Chicago, IL 60642
Get directions

Average price per person: $65

Related Chicago Bites Posts:
Frontera Grill
Green Zebra
Mixteco Grill

Online buzz about Mexique:
LTH Forum
TimeOut Chicago

The goat cheese enchiladas were tasty and light.

We recently spent a rainy afternoon at Jack Rabbit, formerly Brioso, located in Lincoln Square. The margaritas and bread pudding dessert chased the gloom away, but how did the rest of the meal go? Listen in to find out.

For those expecting our review of MK in place of our review of Graham Elliot, what can we say? We appear to be doomed, DOOMED, to not get that show out. We're wrestling with our technical demons and hope to stuff them back into the cupboard soon. Send whatever karma you feel appropriate.

(10.3 M)

00:00 - 01:32 Fresh vs. pre-made
01:33 - 03:43 Nothing out of the ballpark. Go Tigers!
03:44 - 06:00 Past menu, present menu
06:01 - 07:41 Dangers of bonding
07:42 - 09:03 Tasty but disgusting
09:04 - 09:56 Atmosphere
09:57 - 11:11 Wrap-up and sign-off

The Mexican bread pudding was yummier than it looked.

Jack Rabbit
4603 N Lincoln Ave
Chicago, IL 60625
Get directions

Average price per person: $45

Related Chicago Bites Posts:
La Fonda
Mixteco Grill
Taqueria La Oaxaquena

Online buzz about Jack Rabbit:
Check Please
Timeout Chicago
WBBM

Check out our Jack Rabbit photos on Flickr.

The red snapper looked good, but it wasn't.

Tammy and I had a hankering for Mexican food last week, so we joined friends for dinner at Taqueria La Oaxaquena.

Heavy plastic covers the bright fabric tablecloths there and the chairs have seen better days, but overall the space is pleasant. The dining room is bigger than many local restaurants and that makes for easier access, which I like. The staff (most of whom are native Spanish speakers) was attentive, and our waitress knew the menu well. Unfortunately, the food wasn't very good.

Taqueria La Oaxaquena is supposedly known for its mole sauce, and Tammy’s Enchiladas Oaxaquenas en Mole were the best thing on the table. That dish overshadowed the other entrees, a trio of homemade salsas, and my favorite standby –- the guacamole. Still, that's not saying much. There are certainly better places in town for mole. Mixtexo Grill comes readily to mind -- the food there is roughly the same price and three-times the quality.

The other entree worth mentioning is the Huachinango Con Mariscos – an entire red snapper, complete with head and tail fins. A striking dish that drew "ooos" and "ahhs" from diners at neighboring tables, it too fell woefully short on taste. It was bland, overcooked, and disappointing like the rest of the meal. I was especially disappointed because I'd read rave reviews of this place on the Web. Were we eating at the wrong restaurant? Perhaps this is a recent fall from grace? I wonder.

Taqueria La Oaxaquena did exceed expectations when it was time for dessert. The tres leches cake was one of the best I’ve tried this summer. And I would know since I've recently had tres leches at Mixteco Grill and Cafe Selmarie.

I'd go back to La Oaxaquena only if I happened to be in the neighborhood. I wouldn't make a point of it.

Taqueria La Oaxaquena
3382 N Milwaukee Ave
Chicago, IL 60641
(773) 545-8585
Get directions

Average price per person: $25

We had two orders of guacamole.

Related Chicago Bites Posts:
Austin, Texas Round-up, Part 1
Mixteco Grill

Online buzz about Taqueria La Oaxaquena:
Metromix
Yelp

Check out our Taqueria La Oaxaquena photos on Flickr.

Mixteco Grill's pork chop in an excellent Oaxaca mole sauce.

We hit the newly opened Mixteco Grill this week on a quest for mole sauce. It's a hot and crowded little hole-in-the-wall spot, but does the mole sauce make up for all that? Pass the chips and turn up the volume! That's all I can say.

( 10.9 M)

00:00 - 01:01 Talking about mole sauce
01:02 - 02:55 Reservation woes
02:56 - 05:07 Appetizers & BYOB
05:08 - 07:50 Mole is the centerpiece
07:51 - 09:11 Excellent dessert recommendation
09:12 - 11:35 Ratings and sign-off

Mixteco Grill
1601 W Montrose Avenue
Chicago, IL 60613
(773) 868-1601

Average price per person: $30

The tres leches cake was an outstanding recommendation by our waiter.

Related Chicago Bites Posts:
Adobo Grill
Austin, Texas Round-up, Part 1
Frontera Grill
La Fonda

Online buzz about Mixteco Grill:
LTH Forum
Time Out Chicago
Yelp

Check out our Mixteco Grill photos on Flickr.

Rick cooked for us!

Bridget and I were fortunate to eat at Frontera Grill the day after Rick Bayless & Company won the 2007 James Beard Award for Outstanding Restaurant. Far be it for us to disagree with the James Beard Foundation -- it's an outstanding restaurant! Listen as we share our experience with "Bayless Cuisine".

(6.6 M)

00:00 - 01:50 Fingers on the pulse
01:51 - 03:45 Margaritas!
03:46 - 09:38 Dishin' on Bayless cuisine
09:39 - 11:11 A celebrity moment
11:12 - 14:21 Service, ratings and sign-off

Frontera Grill
445 North Clark St.

Bridget rates Frontera Grill 10/10
Tammy rates Frontera Grill 8/10

The flan tastes as good as it looks!

Related Chicago Bites Posts:
Adobo Grill
De Cero
La Fonda Latino Grill
Xel-ha