pairing wine with Mexican food

Last year, at the Frontera Farmer Foundation dinner, Conrad and I and the rest of our table successfully bid on a prize at the silent auction. In fact, we’d sort of managed to win prizes in past years, which is how we’ve enjoyed cocktail parties in the Bayless’ backyard. This time, however, we opted to bid on a different prize. And so it was that yesterday, after weeks of trying to set it all up, we were at Frontera Grill for a private group wine pairing instruction session, to be followed by dinner in the restaurant.

The whole group of us enjoy food and wine – most of us had been to at least one of the wine apiring dinners before. We all are huge fans of Frontera, and more specifically, we’re all huge fans of Jill Gubesch, the sommelier. Jill’s personality is bright and friendly, and she really knows her stuff. Wine with Mexican food? Oh heck yes. Go there, put yourself in her hands, and enjoy some terrific pairings! The event promised to be quite good.

Conrad and I arrived at Frontera

around about 5:10 yesterday, a little too early for our wine-pairing and dinner at Frontera Grill. Given time to kill, and having bumped into Jim and Dianne, we went round the corner to enjoy a couple of lemonades with them, sitting outside Xoco. When we returned to the restaurant, we were promptly led through it to the elevator to head upstairs. We'd been in the Library Room and demo kitchen before, but never with such a small, intimate group. We didn't know quite what to expect. I actually had wondered if it would be as informal, as casual as the cocktail parties – we would stand around, chat, taste a few glasses, munch on a bit of food. Instead, we arrived upstairs to find a table fully set with six glasses at each place,

information sheets, and Jill and two colleagues putting the finishing touches on things.

We greeted Jill, Conrad and I gave her a bottle of a BC wine we’d tried last weekend in Vancouver, and then took our seats with Jim and Dianne, Bob, Glen and Sue, and Susan and Andrew. At first we were curiously quiet, listening,

like kids feeling out a new teacher at the start of a school year. It didn’t take too long, though, before we were freely chatting in between sips. Though we had spit buckets, I admit, not one of us dumped anything!

Jill started us out with the Ceviche Fronterizo, the house ceviche of tuna.

We each had a small dish, and there were baskets of tortilla chips on the table for eating along with it if we chose. She had two wines that she felt were great matches, but she also suggested we try two others to understand how, good as they may be, they weren’t matches for the tartness and other aspects of the ceviche. A Champagne went best with it, in my opinion, but the suggested Riesling was also a good match. The marvelously floral Spanish white (and here I have to plead that not only did I not bring home the information sheet – I will happily rely on Jill’s suggestions when next I dine at Frontera or Topolobampo – I can’t pull all the names from the restaurant’s online wine sheet since the document keeps crashing both my browser and Adobe Reader) was wonderful on its own but not as good with the fish. The rich red? Turned bitter. Drink what you like, in other words, but some things really do make better sense together than others.

We moved from there to a green pipian. Because they knew we had a meal ahead, they served us dishes of the sauces along with the chips and some fresh corn tortillas. Jill explained that we wouldn’t get the full sense of the pairing because we wouldn’t have the protein and other components of a complete dish, but we would understand the sauce and wine together at least. The pipian was better suited to the floral Spanish white, though I actually rather liked it with the Riesling. In fact, I came back to that Riesling more than once (and had a re-fill), and found it was a good partner for what we tried. Jill thought in part it might be the cooling temperature of the wine, and that’s reasonable, I think. I still liked it. Oh, and the pipian? I was bantering with a couple of the others about what fish it would go well with, though we all agreed we’d love it on some eggs!

Up after that was a more straightforward chile sauce. Guajillo? Chilaca? I can’t recall now – I do recall Jill showing us some different chiles,

having us smell one of them, and her explaining different ideal matches. Conrad found the chile sauce a bit too hot, though it wasn’t really scorching. I was eating it by the spoonful, if that gives any indication. I also liked the Riesling with it, though I also thought the Topolovino blend was good. There was a Pinot from Central Otago, and Conrad (unsurprisingly) gravitated toward that.

The last sauce was the complex black mole, the one that takes so many ingredients and so much practice. Good gosh were these sauces tasty! And it was with this last one that the lush Spanish red made an excellent match. I still was trying everything with that Riesling anyway.

So that was six wines with savoury pairings. We were then given a flute and glass so that we could have a sparkling and a still dessert wine. We were introduced to the restaurant’s pastry chef, Jennifer, and served two small desserts. Now let me digress here. For a long while I thought desserts at Frontera and Topolobampo were nice. Not super. Just nice. I didn’t often think to order them. In recent times, though, I’d noted a change, and it has to be thanks to Jennifer, who has been there about three years. Desserts are now something I keenly look forward to at the restaurant, and the small samples highlighted why. A lively, slightly tart fruit soup with mango sorbet floating in it? A chocolate cake layered with a crème fraiche buttercream, then served with strawberries and piloncillo ice cream?

Oh yes, yes please. The sparkling wine worked well with both, though I preferred the still dessert wine with the cake. Either way, though, we all won.

And then it was 7:30 and time to head downstairs, somehow needing to honour our reservation and have a bit of dinner!

Frontera Grill recently overhauled its menu, rather dramatically, and it now features a number of small plates. That was a welcome change given how we’d already consumed so well upstairs. Conrad and I ordered a bottle of a Pinot while others started off with cocktails – two other couples ordered wines eventually, and the six of us shared pours quite happily. Conrad and I also decided to order three small plates between us. We sought Jill’s advice based on our wine, and from among so many enticing possibilities, we got some good options.

• Chicken in Wild Ramp Crema: Wood-grilled Gunthorp chicken breast, local asparagus, roasted fingerling potatoes, wild ramp crema. Crispy epazote.
• Duck Carnitas Queso Fundido:
  
  Otter Creek organic cheddar, duck leg carnitas, grilled knob onions, pickled jalapenos & vegetables
• Molotes:
  
  Corn-masa "torpedos" filled with grilled woodland mushrooms, homemade ricotta, roasted poblano chiles & epazote. Spicy avocado-tomatillo salsa, Nick's watercress, anejo cheese.

He and I also ordered one dessert, but again shared with the others who had ordered dessert, too. Among us we had the

• Tres Leches de Coco:
  
  Coconut tres leches cake, honey Manila mango sorbet, coconut crunch, mango salsa with Bayless Garden herbs.
• Tartaleta de Chocolate Oaxaqueno:
  
  Oaxacan chocolate tart, toasted mezcal meringue, bittersweet chocolate-raspberry ice cream.
• And (of course, because custard is a magic ingredient for me) Duo de Flanes:
  
  A duo of caramel custards: classic Mexican vanilla bean & Gentle Breezes honey with Bayless Garden lemon verbena. Honey-poached apricot & honeycomb candy.

No further wine by this time, and though I was tempted to have some decaf to finish the evening, I refrained. Instead, we wound down, and by 10:30 were in a cab home, ready to drink a good bunch of water before bed and anticipating a slow morning today!

Conrad and I opted not to go to the foundation dinner this June because we’re a little overwhelmed by so much else on our schedules. A shame. Last night was so much fun, so very worth doing. Ah well. Perhaps one day we can make it back to the Library Room for a private dining experience to remember.

Dinner Like No Other

I should be in bed already - a late night last night after a big big dinner (with wine pairings and more to drink) and an early morning today to go to the gym. I will be glad of sleeping in this coming Sunday, I think.

Enough griping, though - on to the food discussion.

I love Frontera Grill (and Topolobampo and even the new place at O'Hare, but I've yet to get to Xoco). Love it. Conrad is with me on this, and you can be sure that at the wedding reception one of the tables will named for Frontera. And Yoshi's, of course. But definitely a Frontera. For several years now - the entire time they've staged it? - we've attended the Frontera Farmer Foundation dinner. The 2011 edition was last night.

A Dinner Like No Other is how they bill it, and this year it was a clever homage to Chicago neighbourhoods. Great idea! A Frontera spin on some of the foods found around town. The menu promised much... and delivered.

Conrad and I arrived in time to line up outside for the opening, and as we made the end of the queue, Jill, the sommelier, came outside. She was exhausted from a long day and much hard work on the event, and we were sorry not to enjoy her company that night. We'll make up for that, as I'll explain in a bit. Susan and Andrew were right behind us - they're part of a group of Saturday lunch regulars who have taken us under wing and with whom we've enjoyed this dinner (and others) several times now. A fine group, and who better to dine with?



Bob was the ringleader, and we all split up as couples so that we could mix well. I found myself between Sue and Glen (down from Milwaukee) and across from Susan. Easy, fun conversation all night long. At various points one or two of us (we were 9 in total) would go patrol the silent auction, so there were plenty of opportunities for chat with others. More on the silent auction in a bit.

The food. A confession: I ate meat. I'd really been trying not to. I found through the cleanse that I really feel better confining myself to fish and occasional poultry. I'm trying to eat a little healthier. Last night, though, was a set menu with wine pairings. No beef, happily - that's the worst on my system. Instead, I just ate it all, made no fuss, and felt off this morning. Ah well.

We were greeted with a strawberry-rhubarb margarita, an excellent cocktail, a great start.

The amuse was an homage to Greektown: mini lamb "gyros".

First course: Thai fried chicken, in honour of Argyle Street. Served with a local beer, the Goose Island Matilda. Ah, that crispy skin! A bit of zing. Mmmm...

Next: homemade bratwurst as a spin on the Lincoln Square fare. I was taken with the creamy chipotle mustard most of all. That's not a dig at the rest of the late, merely an appreciation for the condiment. Served with a delicious 2009 August Kesseler "R" Riesling Kabinett.

The fish course was the best. I honestly think Frontera does fish better than anywhere in town. Garlic marinated Alaskan halibut with canneloni. An homage to the Italian neighbourhood on Taylor Street. The wine was fine but the least remarkable of them all, a 2009 Domaine de Bernier Chardonnay.

The meat course was roasted suckling pig on a beautiful mound of Iroquois white corn grits. I admit, the pork was so tender. This tribute to a corner on the south side was paired with a South African red, the 2010 Boekenhoutskloof "The Wolftrap" Franschhoek valley. Lovely. I managed to score an extra pour of that.

Dessert was a lemony chess pie with strawberry preserves and a remarkable ice cream: hoja santa-vanilla bean. In honour of Chicago diners, a nice touch. Instead of a dessert wine, there was a lemon cordial made with tequila na infused with basil and hoja santa.

And then we enjoyed some decaf.

We did not leave hungry, that's for sure. We left with a goodie bag, though, and better still, two silent auction prizes. As a table, we successfully bid on a wine pairing class with Jill. Hooray! I can't wait for that one. And as for the other, well, a present for Conrad from me. Of course it's not a surprise. Of course I'll enjoy it with him. A 1.5 L bottle of a Central Otago Pinot Noir. Not inexpensive, but isn't he worth it?

We were giddy boys in the cab ride home, I have to say. June 2012 - what will that dinner like no other bring us?

(all of the photos from last night are on Flickr)

wine pairing dinner

Following the overindulgent evening at Nightwood this past weekend, we took a few nights off, more or less, dining a little bit lighter and more simply. Back to that again after last night. Maybe back to that for a good little while to come.

I am an unabashed fan of Frontera Grill and Topolobampo, and the yearly series of late winter/early spring wine pairing dinners are an especially good reason for us to dine there. Last night was the first of this year's (we also have reservations for the April dinner), and as usual, it was really something. Here's a rundown of the evening that was:

• a cooking demo upstairs in the test kitchen. Rick Bayless showing us how to make achiote shrimp.
  I am firmly of the opinion that the man is an excellent teacher, and even though I have some reasonable knowledge of Mexican food, I come away from these demos having learned new things. Also, we all get to sip darn good margaritas while we watch and listen. And then a small serving of the shrimp for each of us before heading down to the Morales Room for the meal.
• wines from Bethel Heights Vineyard in Oregon. The Casteel sisters were in attendance to talk about the wines and meet the guests. Our favourite? The Chardonnay paired with the second course. We asked Jill for more at the end of the night and were thrilled to be given some.
• the first course, ceviche verde. Sashimi-grade Hawaiian bigeye tuna tossed with avocado, jicama, charred fennel, cucumber, lime, cilantro, and roasted garlic. Bayless garden Ruby Streaks radish micron, pinenut crunch. Quite good, with the crunch being most memorable (which is an odd thing to say, but I did like it!).
• the second course, pampano en mole verde. Garlic-marinated pompano served with classic green pumpkinseed mole. Enchilada of hoja santa-flavoured mashed potato, grilled frisee, crispy kale. I want buckets of that sauce, and I'd love some eggs with it. Or a bath. Conrad and I agreed that it was our favourite pairing.
• the third course, puerco en salsa de pasilla y huitlacoche. Adobo-marinated pork with full-flavoured sauce of pasillas and huitlacoche. Iroquois white corn torta, grilled green beans, crispy black trumpet mushrooms. HUITLACOCHE! YES!!! Another sauce I want buckets of, thank you.
• the dessert, pastel de chocolate y naranja rosa. Gooey clourless chocolate cake layered with dark chocolate-lemongrass crema and blood orange "curd". Candied and fresh blood oranges, caramelized cocoa nibs. I used to like-not-love the desserts at Frontera, but for a couple of years now I've been blown away by them, and this was the case last night.

Other things that were great about last night included the company. RAD was next to me, and there were other familiar faces from past dinners at the table. We had a terrific time and good conversation.





And then there's Jill. I don't think I've sung her praises on the blog in a very long time, and that's just wrong. Jill remains one of our favourite people, and a trip to Frontera means we get to talk with her a bit. Plus, frankly, she looked gorgeous in that patterned blouse last night. (that's her, standing behind our table - the only decent photo I had of her)

So cheers, here's to my expanding waistline and my lack of self-discipline. It's a bean, cauliflower, and tomato soup for us tonight for dinner, and I intend to get to a rare (for me) Thursday night swim practice to atone for overdoing it midweek.

But oh man, it really really was worth it...

(more photos from last night are up on Flickr!)

still here

Look, I know it's been a while. I've spent time recently thinking the blogging thing - why am I doing it, for whom? No, I'm not overcome with angst, but I did realize that the blog hasn't been as fulfilling as it used to be. And I'm not yet sure whether and how to continue. I'll think on it more. I have, however, been adding photos to Flickr. I've not forsaken social media.

But golly, much has gone on since last I posted:

Garden party at the home of Rick and Deann Bayless of Frontera Grill, a prize won in a silent auction. No, they weren't there.

A good bye dinner at Mercat a la Planxa for CG before she moved away. Excellent dinner, bittersweet having to have it.

I had a few days in Baltimore with my best friend, Todd. Conrad joined us for most of it, and among the highlights was a long-awaited dinner at Woodberry Kitchen. And I ran a marathon.

Conrad and I had concurrent conferences in Pittsburgh, a quite appealing city. The time there was marred only by the cold I was suffering post-marathon.

John and Bryan treated us to birthday dinners at Frontera Grill.

I spent a long weekend in Toronto with Allison, my Best Woman, and her husband, Sean. Much shopping ensued.

There's a lot more I could write, I know. I have baked and cooked. We've had other meals out (like Sunday night, at Yoshi's celebrating Rachel's birthday). It's been a lovely autumn all in all.

Many of those moments are no longer fresh in mind, though, and I think it best to not look back too very much, just move ahead. I'll return to the blog again, certainly, even if it's to close it down. I still don't know. For now, though, a glimpse of a busy and fulfilling autumn.

Dinner Like no Other (8th annual)

(it occurs to me that it's actually a very nice thing that I have had to wait until a night when Conrad is out of town overnight for work to write this blog post)

This year marks the 8th time Rick Bayless and company have staged the Dinner Like No Other, a fundraiser for the Frontera Farmer Foundation. I think we've been to nearly all of them and enjoyed them hugely, not least because of the great people we've dined with. This year was no different.

Conrad and I got ourselves prettied up,
then headed downtown where we joined RAD again. He had assembled a table of familiar faces, so Jim (on the right with RAD) was there, and so was his wife Dianne. Glen and Sue had come down from Milwaukee. Andrew couldn't make it, but Susan and Conrad had a hoot all night long chatting away at their end of the table. We were sitting in the Frontera side again, and the mood around the table was spirited. And heck, that was even before they had poured us each a Copa Mundial Margarita (Tres Generaciones blanco tequila, Moon on the Water sake, Klug Farm strawberries, fresh lime). We sipped, Rick Bayless spoke to the assembled guests, introduced some of the farmers,
and then on to the food!

An Asian influence spun through the menu this year, mostly with good effect. I know now everyone cares for kimchi, but I for one rather like it. The amuse went down well. Tostadita Asiatica - City Farm radish kimchi, Nichols green onions, Alaskan king crab, crispy tortilla.

The courses are paired with wines, but this year there were two changes. First, Jill (the sommelier - we LOVE her) was not there, having worked the afternoon event. I hope she got the bottle of wine we brought for her. Second, the first course was paired with a local beer. Frankly, the pairing was a little lost on me - not at all bad, but the food just outshone the ale so very much. Our salad, then. Ensalada de Esparragos - grilled Klug Farm asparagus in miso butter. Pasilla chile compote, egg yolk custard, Gunthorp bacon, Bayless microgreens. Paired with 2010 Goose Island "Sophie" Belgian-style farmhouse ale.

When I saw the menu, it was the soup course I zeroed in on. Nettles. Cool! Plus, I'd had a chilled soup at the last wine pairing dinner at Frontera, and it was a wonder. This was no less delightful - look at that colour! The wine was an excellent match in this case. Sopa Verde - chilled soup of Spence Farm nettles and roasted poblano chiles. Whipped ricotta cheese, fermented black garlic, slow-cooked Iron Creek tomatoes, brioche croutons. Paired with 2009 Dona Paula Torrontes, Argentina.

I think Frontera Grill is one of the best places in the city to get seafood, but I think this was the weakest course of the night. The fish was fine in itself, and the go alongs were alright. But that was the problem: I wanted more than alright. I wanted Zap! Pow! It didn't happen. I will say that the wine was even better when sipped with the food. Halibut con Frijoles Negros - wood-grilled Alaskan halibut with Three Sisters Garden black beans and fermented black bean broth. Spicy Nichols snow peas, peanuts, crispy onions, furikake. Paired with 2008 Cono Sur "Vison" Pinot Noir, Chile.

Ah, but while the fish was fine, the pork was delicious. All those herbs singing together on my tongue, and a rich red wine that could handle them. This was a great end to the savoury portion of the meal. Puerco al Coco - Maple Creek pork shoulder braised in coconut water. Green papaya-mango salad with banana blossoms, Spence Farm quelites, homemade rice noodles, Living Waters herbs. Paired with 2009 Boekenhoutskloof "The Wolftrap", South Africa.

Ah dessert, bringing us full circle with the strawberries. Was it the angelica that had the unfamiliar and wonderful flavour? I'm not sure. I really liked this a lot, though. Isla Flotante de Fresa - Little Farm egg white meringue, Klug Farm/Seedling strawberries, peppercorn natilla, Bayless garden angelica, Living Waters micro basil.

With dessert, a pour of Tres Generaciones anejo tequila. I sipped some of it, but I didn't need it, and again, the nuances of tequila can be lost on me.

The night isn't just about food, though. There are raffles (we didn't win anything YET AGAIN). There is a silent auction (we sort of won, as a table, a cocktail party in the Bayless' garden) in which Jim successfully bid on the chef's jacket Rick Bayless wore to cook a recent state dinner at the White House. So there were were, a few of us (Robert and his wife Katie came by, the two lovely young women at the next table - I forget their names), trying it on, having a laugh.




The night wound down and left me thinking it's too seldom that Conrad and I make it down there to dine, much as we love it. Maybe some time next month (not-so-subtle hint coming up) I'll get in an early or belated 40th birthday nosh there. We'll see.