| 16 September 2009
I’m a snob when it comes to Mexican cuisine.
There. I said it.
I’m a snob about Mexican cuisine (yes, I said cuisine again; it’s not just “food”) because I spend a lot of time in Mexico visiting family, and I’m the author of a Mexican cooking blog called “The Other Side of The Tortilla.” I’ve spent much of the last few years dedicated to learning our family recipes and exploring traditional Mexican cooking.
So when I got a chance to preview Xoco, the newest Rick Bayless offering situated next door to his two established restaurants, Topolobampo and Frontera Grill, I was slightly skeptical as I approached the corner of Illinois and Clark Streets. Partially because I’ve been to the famous Churrería El Moro in Mexico City and have lots of fond family memories standing outside their street-front window, watching the churros being made while my father-in-law explained to me the history of El Moro or a story about any given time they brought my husband there as a little boy.
I was a little leery that any other place could live up to my experiences at El Moro. Also, I was curious how Bayless would bring traditional Mexican foods like cochinita pibil to the masses á la lunch counter-style, and if people would buy it — both literally and figuratively.
I started out with jamaica to drink. I was impressed; it tasted just like the jamaica I make at home. But jamaica is pretty hard to mess up, I told myself. While I waited for my food to arrive, I tasted chips, salsa and guacamole. (Let me stop here and say if you’ve ever bought Frontera Grill salsa from the grocery store, I’d skip the chips & salsa and save room for other delights. It’s good, but not worth filling up on when there are so many other menu items to try.)
Then I moved on to the churros. I was nervous. Would they live up to my high expectations and comparisons to El Moro? I took a breath, and then a bite. I was in heaven. They had flecks of Mexican chocolate mixed with the sugar they were rolled in, which gave them a nice little extra flavor that was unexpected. I dipped them in my Aztec chocolate: a mixture of freshly ground chocolate, water, chile and allspice. At that point I felt a little guilty about cheating on El Moro, but it felt so good.
Another thing that caught my attention was that Xoco sells Boing fruit juices served in glass bottles like you’d get at a lunch counter in Mexico. Another positive check in my authenticity column. One woman sitting across from me though, who was clearly not Hispanic, started out with a Boing de fresa. Unfortunately, she didn’t like it and made a big deal about wanting a Coke instead.
The others at my table ordered dishes slightly out of their comfort ranges such as the shortrib red chile soup, and the carnitas and seafood soups. To my surprise, they raved about their choices after the first few hesitant slurps. When I asked if they’d come back and eat the same dish again, I got a “definitely” answer from each one. Ok, I thought, maybe not all the gringos get it, but some do.
And then the menu item I came most wanting to try: the torta de cochinita pibil. The Bayless version includes wood-roasted suckling pig marinated in achiote, black beans, pickled onion and habanero on a bolillo. The bread is specially made for Xoco by Labriola Baking Company and has a less traditional bolillo taste and is closer to a sourdough, but is incredible nonetheless. Making cochinita is an involved process that includes marinating the meat overnight before cooking. Suffice it to say the next time I have a hankering, I know where to get my quick fix.
I didn’t think I could possibly eat anything else during my visit, but then, like magic, a piece of chocoflan appeared in front of me. And it was awesome. The chocolate cake part was dense and brownie-like but not overly chocolatey, so as not to overpower the taste of the flan on top. I noticed on the paper version of the menu I’d received upon entering Xoco that chocoflan wasn’t listed, and felt a pang of disappointment. It didn’t last long though. I spoke with chef Amado Lopez, and he saved the day by confirming that it would be a regular offering.
The bean-to-cup chocolate concept is fantastic to watch, and I got to go behind the kitchen counter to check it out as they’d just pulled some cacao beans out of the oven. On the other side of the counter was a machine that was “juicing the beans,” a 5-hour process of spinning and whirling the ingredients to create the chocolate. A few people stopped in front of the window to watch, and it made me think about the many times I’d stood outside of the window at El Moro, my face practically pressed to the glass watching with fascination and eager anticipation, knowing I was about to enjoy what was on the other side of the window.
Are the churros at Xoco excellent? Yes. Are they the same as the churros from El Moro? No. Does that mean I’m not going back to Xoco for churros? No way, José. I love churros, and when I can’t go to Mexico City to eat them, Xoco is my new next best thing.
INFOBOX
Where: 449 N. Clark St.
Hours: Monday- Saturday, 7 a.m.-10 p.m.
Info: (312) 334-3688, www.xocochicago.com
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