Unbreaded

Rick Bayless’ Mexican Sandwiches Make Chicago My Kind Of Town

Chicago’s “it” chef, Rick Bayless, has opened his first new restaurant in 20 years, and wouldn’t you know, it’s a sandwich shop.  The master of authentic Mexican cuisine has already earned his place among the nation’s most acclaimed chefs, but in opening Xoco, Chef Bayless wanted to offer the simple, fresh, affordable flavors reminiscent of Mexico’s street vendors.

Excerpts from the Chicago Tribune’s review:

It may not occur to all of Xoco’s customers that they are feasting at the most scrumptious bully pulpit in town. It may not immediately register that the jamon torta, made with Iowa La Quercia prosciutto, Wisconsin Otter Creek organic cheddar and a sourdough bread custom-developed by Labriola Bakery in Chicago, represents anything beyond a really tasty ham-and-cheese sandwich. But it will eventually.

Most tortas are baked to a crusty finish in a wood-burning oven. The bread is bolillo, a slow-fermented sourdough-like Mexican bread. A few tortas are made in a panini press, using a very similar but flatter bread called telera. The telera-made tortas are more crispy than crusty, as in the Cubana torta, a variation on a classic Cuban sandwich that’s so delicious (helped by fresh avocado and chipotle mustard) it outshines the real thing.

Among the wood-baked tortas, the woodland mushroom version, with its garlicky notes and Prairie Farm goat cheese, is sensational, as are the pepito, made with Tallgrass Beef shortribs, jack cheese and pickled jalapenos, and the excellent cochinita pibil, a pork torta served with a lethal habanero sauce on the side.

Chef Bayless is a vocal advocate for locally-sourced, sustainable foods and conscientious business practices.  He is a prolific blogger, tweeter, TV star and now, sandwich-maker.  Sandwiches are the vehicle through with great foods can be offered at lower prices, where people can experience new flavors without overdrawing their checking account.  And when a “can do whatever he wants” chef thinks so too, we get all warm and fuzzy inside.

Rick Bayless’ low-key Xoco delivers affordable excellence [Chicago Tribune]

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