Results tagged “rickbayless”

       

Thanks largely to his win on "Top Chef Masters," Rick Bayless is riding an unprecedented wave of popularity that shows no signs of cresting soon. At present, Bayless is arguably the most recognizable chef on the planet, if not the United States, putting in 15-hour days between the kitchens of Topobolampo, Frontera Grill and XOCO. Anticipation for XOCO, Bayless's paean to Mexican street food, was already at a fever pitch before his winning "Top Chef Masters" turn with his usage of Twitter. While we were able to get in and out on XOCO's opening day — XOCO opened on the same day as the Oprahcalypse on Michigan Avenue — subsequent days haven't been so fortunate. Diners heading to Bayless's Frontera compound on Clark Street have been subjected to an average 2-hour wait time to any of the restaurants.

In case anyone hasn’t gotten the memo, the economy sucks. In our beat, that usually means more coverage of expensive restaurants closing their doors, but there is a larger world beyond the reach of truffles and foie gras. Visits to the Greater Chicago Food Depository are up 35% this year, as more and more people need help to feed their families. Some of Chicago’s best chefs have decided to do something about it - and you can help them out. Plus, you can get some pretty amazing food. What could be better?

I am a chef who likes to cook more than proliferate and manage restaurants. That’s why Frontera Grill, Topolobampo and, now, Xoco are all together. I can slide from one kitchen to another, tasting and training and coaching and cooking. Cooking is why I became a chef, and I never want to get too far from it.

Sad news for Soul Food fans this morning: Helen Maybell Anglin, who founded South Side staple Soul Queen, passed away yesterday at the age of 80. Take a pilgrimage to 90th and Stony Island this weekend in Ms. Anglin's honor. [Sun-Times]

Rick Bayless has consistently been in the news in recent weeks. First, there was his winning Top Chef Masters and earning a $100,000 check to his Frontera Farmer Foundation. After two years of planning, today Bayless opens XOCO (449 N. Clark St.). Inspired by the legendary Churreria El Moro in Mexico City, XOCO is Bayless's tribute to Mexican street food: tortas, hearty soups, churros and chocolate. Anticipation among food media and foodies, not to mention the pared down, simple menu, has primed XOCO to be the Publican of 2009.

Top Chef (and twitter) Master Rick Bayless has just released the menu for XOCO in advance of the new restaurant's Tuesday opening. The menu lists 11 tortas; 8 of them made in a woodburning oven. Christ on a stick! They sound amazing on paper.

Rick Bayless, who's probably the most Twitter-savvy chef out there, announced an opening date of September 8 for XOCO, his highly anticipated street-food centric restaurant at 449 N. Clark.

WBEZ's Andrew Gill celebrated local chef Rick Bayless' big Top Chef Masters win by rounding up some Bayless appearances on WBEZ from back in the day before he was the Master. Enjoy!

      

"That mole was the hardest thing I've ever cooked in my life, as I didn't have a recipe available. The 27 ingredients I used were from memory," Rick Bayless told the assembled crowd between commercial breaks at Frontera Grill last night. Bayless threw what was essentially a victory party last night, screening the "Top Chef Masters" finale to a host of media, VIP and haiku masters like Benjy. If you've never witnessed Bill Kurtis firing off the fiercest finger guns this side of Joe Biden, you're missing one of life's guiltiest pleasures.

If you ever wondered what a reality show looked like where contestants were civil to each other, there was no backstabbing and maneuvering to save one's own ass and had a host that made Padma Lakshmi look hyperactive, "Top Chef Masters" was that show. That's not to say the show didn't have its moments: Ludo Lefebvre acted so above it all that Stolpman nicknamed him "LeDouche;" Tim Love showed signs of a drinking problem when faced with making a meal in a dorm room; the crestfallen look on Art Smith's face when told he was cooking a vegan and gluten-free dish for Zooey Deschanel and her party.

Here are some links to check out in between Madden '10 sessions:

What are the chances that Top Chef Masters suddenly became interesting this week? Let's find out. Tonight we have Wilo Benet from San Juan (who looks better with that goatee), Rick Bayless from Chicago, Cindy Pawlcyn from Napa, and Ludo Lefebvre from L.A. As soon as we see judge James Oseland (Editor-in-chief of Saveur Magazine) who gives us some background on Pawlcyn, we remember where we first saw him. He was a judge on Iron Chef and always spoke with food in his mouth, which kept dribbling out. We don't care. We sort of love him. You know why? Because he has that nerdy-ass charm our Korean mother always told us was such a good thing. What can we say. Some shit sticks better than others.

After going into Stephanie Izard overload recapping "Top Chef: Chicago" we decided to sit out recapping "TC5". Well, and we had a very strong feeling Radhika Desai wasn't going to win.

With the ongoing success of "Top Chef," it was only a matter of time before Bravo decided that they would expand the franchise by opening up the competition to already established chefs. The idea for this has been in the works for close to a year.

Realizing a long-held goal, the folks at Green City Market are set to have the market open year-round. Starting January 17 and running every first and third Saturday until April 18, vendors and farmers will hawk their wares at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum (2430 N. Cannon) from 8 a.m.-1 p.m.

You may recall that Rick Bayless helped ring in the new Kids Café at the Marillac Social Center on the west side, one of eight throughout the country sponsored by Uncle Ben's rice to raise awareness of the growing hunger issue in this country. The goal of the café is to eventually serve over 12,000 meals in the next twelve months and to teach children about healthy eating and exercise habits.

Rick Bayless is hosting a cooking demonstration 3 p.m. this afternoon at the Marillac Social Center (212 S. Francisco) to celebrate the opening of its new Kids Café, one of eight throughout the country sponsored by Uncle Ben's rice to raise awareness of the growing hunger issue in this country. The goal of the café is to eventually serve over 12,000 meals in the next twelve months.

How many of you knew there was a Chicago Culinary Museum and Chefs Hall of Fame? You're not alone, as right now it's mostly virtual, although they have had exhibits.

There are a thousand reasons why summer dining in Chicago is so fantastic. One of the best being fresh, locally grown ingredients and it doesn't get any fresher than when chefs grow their own ingredients in restaurant or home gardens. An increasing number of chefs are doing so including some of our faves: Rick Bayless of Frontera Grill, Paul Kahan of Blackbird, George Djurovic of August Grocery, (just to name a few.)

Gourmet and Cookie Magazines are teaming up for Kids' Restaurant Week. Things kick off Saturday morning at Green City Market with cooking demonstrations from George Bumbaris of Prairie Grass Café, Rick Bayless and the Spatulatta girls, Olivia and Isabella Gerasole. Throughout the week, families may dine at participating restaurants from 5:30-6:30 p.m. Children ages 11 and under pay their age for dinner; all others pay $20.08.

The New York Times Magazine ran an interesting interview yesterday with Frontera Grill's Rick Bayless, with accompanying photos taken at his Bucktown home. Bayless cops to not cooking Mexican at home, which makes sense since he's around it five days a week at Frontera and Topobolampo. Bayless also grows a substantial amount of the produce for Frontera - about $25,000 worth - in his backyard, which is in line with his localvore sensibilities.

Gourmet Magazine's September issue is a special "Latino America" issue, which means that not only is it chock-full of recipes for moles, tamales, and other delicacies, but that it also features multiple articles on Latino American cuisine in the U.S. Time Out Chicago food writer David Tamarkin has an article documenting the fantastic Mexican food scene in Chicago, highlighting specifically the number of regions and styles of cuisine our fair city offers. And while...

A funny thing happened to Chicagoist during cooking classes at Macy’s Culinary Studio: We discovered we are sorely lacking in the patience department. Here we thought we were simply going to improve our culinary skills, and then we ended up with a little self-discovery lesson along the way. Blame it on the heat coming from the two stoves or the wine we sipped between chopping, either way, we learned fairly quickly that a watched pot...

If it hasn't been drilled into your heads yet, street festival season is kicking into high gear. This week, we'll highlight a couple to check out, as well as feature one of the more humorous press releases to reach our inbox this week. Strap it on! We'll Call Ours the "Triple Bypass": Wendy's is hosting an online contest to see who can design their next burger. Folks who log on to www.thisismyburger.com can choose from...

The James L. Beard Awards — the Oscars of the culinary world — were handed out last night. Though Chicago didn't win a large number of awards, we did win one of the most important ones, so we can take solace in that.

The International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) is holding its annual Cookbook Expo this weekend in Chicago. And, for the first time, they're opening it up to the public. This is your chance to hobnob with some of your favorite cookbook authors and chefs, who will be on hand to sell and sign their latest books. The event runs from 5-6 p.m. tomorrow at the Hilton Chicago. Even though it's free, reservations are required; e-mail...

Takashi Yagihashi cut his culinary teeth right here in Chicago at Yoshi Café and Ambria before moving off to become executive chef at a restaurant outside Detroit. After a short stint in Las Vegas, and after winning the James Beard award for Best Chef in the Midwest 2003, Yagihashi returned to Chicago yesterday with the opening of a noodle stand on the seventh floor of the State Street Macy’s. Contrary to how that may sound (we don’t think Yagihashi has serious financial problems and is slinging noodles to anyone who’ll buy ‘em) this appears to be a well-calculated move for the chef who is scouting West Loop and River North locations for a possible restaurant opening next year.

The restaurant was conceived in early 2004 through the partnership of Angel Hernandez and Luis Montero (previously of Mia Francesca), and Raul Arreola, a Rick Bayless pupil and Frontera Grill/Topolobampo veteran. Those are some pretty decent credentials, and the seasoned background definitely shows in every aspect of Fonda’s character. Warmly painted orange walls, covered with vibrantly colored paintings and photographs, mark the small, 60-seat dining room. The open, stainless steel kitchen is clean and remarkably quiet, and adds some buzz to the dining room. The muted lighting is perfect and won’t show the beads of sweat forming on your forehead once the chipotle glaze hits your palate.

No, "Chicago Treasures" is not a citywide treasure hunt. It’s a lecture series — spawned by the Chicago History Museum and hosted by "Eight Forty-Eight"s Steve Edwards — that brings together two influential Chicagoans for a conversation centered on a single theme. This Thursday’s segment will pair local chef Rick Bayless with Rafael Pulido, aka “El Pistolero,” a Spanish language radio personality, for a discussion about the deepening connections between Mexico and Chicago. Bayless is...