Travel Reference
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signature dish is the barbecue pork tenderloin garnished with apple chutney. Close
with a Granny Smith apple tart or bittersweet chocolate cake with espresso ice
cream and black peppercorn-caramel sauce. Other chefs may wow the food crit-
ics with their spectacular presentations, but Crofton has built her reputation with
accessible dishes that attract a low-key crowd of satisfied regulars.
535 N. Wells St. (between Grand Ave. and Ohio St.).
&
312/755-1790.
www.croftononwells.com. Reserva-
tions recommended. Main courses $18-$29. AE, DC, MC, V. Mon-Thurs 5-10pm; Fri-Sat 5-11pm. Subway/El:
Brown Line to Merchandise Mart.
Frontera Grill & Topolobampo
MEXICAN Forget all your notions
of burritos and chalupas. Owners Rick and Deann Groen Bayless, authors of the
popular
Authentic Mexican: Regional Cooking from the Heart of Mexico,
are widely
credited with bringing authentic Mexican regional cuisine to a wider audience.
The building actually houses two restaurants: the casual Frontera Grill (plain
wood tables, terra-cotta tile floor) and the fine-dining Topolobampo (white linen
tablecloths, a more hushed environment).
At Frontera, the signature appetizer is the
sopes surtidos,
corn tortilla “boats”
with a sampler of fillings (chicken in red mole, black beans with homemade
chorizo, and so on). The ever-changing entree list features fresh, organic ingre-
dients: pork loin in a green mole sauce; smoked chicken breast smothered in a
sauce of chiles, pumpkin seeds, and roasted garlic; or a classic
sopa de pan
(“bread
soup” spiced up with almonds, raisins, grilled green onions, and zucchini). Yes,
you can also get tacos (with fillings such as portobello mushrooms, duck, and
catfish). The Baylesses up the ante at the adjacent Topolobampo, where both the
ingredients and presentation are more upscale.
It can be tough to snag a table at Frontera during prime dining hours, so do
what the locals do: Put your name on the list and order a few margaritas in the
lively, large bar area.
445 N. Clark St. (between Illinois and Hubbard sts.).
&
312/661-1434.
Reservations accepted at Frontera
Grill only for parties of 5-10; accepted at Topolobampo for parties of 1-8. Main courses Frontera Grill
$15-$21; Topolobampo $20-$29 (chef's 5-course tasting menu $70). AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Frontera Grill Tues-
Thurs 11:30am-2:30pm and 5-10pm; Fri 11:30am-2:30pm and 5-11pm; Sat 10:30am-2:30pm and 5-11pm.
Topolobampo Tues 11:45am-2pm and 5:30-9:30pm; Wed-Thurs 11:30am-2pm and 5:30-9:30pm; Fri
11:30am-2pm and 5:30-10:30pm; Sat 5:30-10:30pm. Subway/El: Red Line to Grand.
Gene & Georgetti
STEAK/ITALIAN Another vestige of old Chicago,
Gene & Georgetti is a family-run steakhouse that has been serving up steak and
Italian fare in a wood-frame house in the shadow of the El since 1941. The
restaurant is dark and clubby, and the (exclusively male) waiters seem to have
worked here for decades—and they no doubt have been serving some of the same
patrons all that time. Gene & Georgetti has a popular following, so expect to wait
in the bar area. The first floor is smoker-friendly; nonsmokers get tables upstairs.
Although the place is best known for steaks, pasta and Italian specialties are also
an essential part of the menu. This is not the kind of place you come to make the
scene, but fans of old-time restaurants will find plenty of local character.
500 N. Franklin St. (at Illinois St.).
&
312/527-3718.
Reservations recommended. Main courses $18-$37.
AE, DC, MC, V. Mon-Sat 11am-midnight (open Sun during major conventions). Subway/El: Brown Line to
Merchandise Mart.
Green Zebra
ECLECTIC/VEGETARIAN Chicago's a red-meat kind of
town, but if you need a break from all the beef, it's worth tracking down Green
Zebra. Its out-of-the-way location hasn't deterred diners, probably because this
is the newest offering from chef Shawn McClain, who's won raves for his seafood
