Avoid if at all possible. Terrible.
Don't eat some.
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Frontera Grill
This evening I had the opportunity to go to Frontera Grill in Chicago, restaurant of the famous and familiar Rick Bayless.
I am a mexican food enthusiast, as my friends will tell you...not that you know them at all or can ask. I love all kinds of food and mexican food is at my top. I eat tacos all the time; too often for some. I enjoy a stop at any run down taco shop in the ghetto or wherever it looks like there's fewer english words spoken than Dutchmen at the south pole.
It is with great surprise that I tell you that Frontera was a total disappointment. Seeing Rick Bayless on TV for much of my young life and being so interested in the food he makes... it came as a shock to experience such mediocrity. Frontera was truly a ho hum experience. Service, food, everything.
The dinner started with Guac. I fucking love Guac, and sorry I didnt take a piture but it's slimy green shit with chunks in it so forgive my unwillingness to take a pic. It was some kind of super imaginative number with pumpkin seeds, serrano, epozote, and surprise: Fucking avocadoes. Very undelicious. It looked way over mashed, slimy, and had virtually no flavor. The salsas that came with weren't much to write home about either, but we added them in to rescue the flavorless guactastrophe.
Post-tamaleum, we encountered a flavorful ceviche; sweet and lightly citrusy. A tough batch though I'm afraid. The fishies must have had a long time to swim in the brine because basketballs would have put up less of a fight. No spice, no heat, tough fish. Not thrilled with the ceviche.
My entrée was the "Chile-braised Pleasant Meadows Farm goat. Runner beans, Napa cabbage, arbol salsa" Needless to say when I hear goat and special I immediately revoke my veggie vows to sample one of my favorite meats. Perhaps this revocation was too hasty because the goat, while tender and moist, had no depth of flavor and no indication that this meat was goat. It could have been beef or any other animal really for all I could tell. Now, after purportedly being braised all night in this chile and arbol salsa one would expect a really incredibly deep and rich flavor.... FALSE. All that could be tasted was salt salt salt salt salt. Oh, did I mention it was salty? Because that was just about the only flavor!
So, as much as I like Rick Bayless, and as much as I really wanted to love this place... I can't in good conscience say it was any better than a hole in the wall place in pilsen. The quality just was not there. The level of execution and flavor was missing. I hope to go back some time and be pleasantly surprised again, but until then...... Don't eat some.
I am a mexican food enthusiast, as my friends will tell you...not that you know them at all or can ask. I love all kinds of food and mexican food is at my top. I eat tacos all the time; too often for some. I enjoy a stop at any run down taco shop in the ghetto or wherever it looks like there's fewer english words spoken than Dutchmen at the south pole.
It is with great surprise that I tell you that Frontera was a total disappointment. Seeing Rick Bayless on TV for much of my young life and being so interested in the food he makes... it came as a shock to experience such mediocrity. Frontera was truly a ho hum experience. Service, food, everything.
The dinner started with Guac. I fucking love Guac, and sorry I didnt take a piture but it's slimy green shit with chunks in it so forgive my unwillingness to take a pic. It was some kind of super imaginative number with pumpkin seeds, serrano, epozote, and surprise: Fucking avocadoes. Very undelicious. It looked way over mashed, slimy, and had virtually no flavor. The salsas that came with weren't much to write home about either, but we added them in to rescue the flavorless guactastrophe.
After the Guac, came the Tamales. They were damned good! A sweet corn masa, caramelized onions, sweet crema and salty cheese made for a very interesting and lightly sweet tamal. A delightful little package of goodness with a good amount of moisture and well executed.
 |
| The only good thing we ate! Tamales |
Post-tamaleum, we encountered a flavorful ceviche; sweet and lightly citrusy. A tough batch though I'm afraid. The fishies must have had a long time to swim in the brine because basketballs would have put up less of a fight. No spice, no heat, tough fish. Not thrilled with the ceviche.
 |
| Over cured and rubbery ceviche! |
My entrée was the "Chile-braised Pleasant Meadows Farm goat. Runner beans, Napa cabbage, arbol salsa" Needless to say when I hear goat and special I immediately revoke my veggie vows to sample one of my favorite meats. Perhaps this revocation was too hasty because the goat, while tender and moist, had no depth of flavor and no indication that this meat was goat. It could have been beef or any other animal really for all I could tell. Now, after purportedly being braised all night in this chile and arbol salsa one would expect a really incredibly deep and rich flavor.... FALSE. All that could be tasted was salt salt salt salt salt. Oh, did I mention it was salty? Because that was just about the only flavor!
 |
| Some kinda salty ass goat thing. |
Monday, April 30, 2012
10 years
In just under an hour I'll be celebrating my birthday. I use this as a marker of time since I discovered my wheat intolerance. 10 years. Amazing to think of the things I've had to explain and the people I've been able to meet because of it.
At that time I was obviously not very sure of why I was sick or what to do about it. I recall a school nurse recommending Bananas Rice Apples Tea Toast... Which is fucking ridiculous. That's a great way of eliminating all nutrients and minerals from your diet and a guarantee of getting sicker. It might work if you have constant acid reflux but I can't imagine any situation in which that would be useful otherwise.
Anyway, at some point after a lot of shits and tests as paperwork we figured out that I was sick for no measurable or quantifiable reason.
I went to a special GI doctor and that guy knew what was up. He had a wheat intolerance and had found out in much the same way I had... So he said "get rid of the wheat, take probiotics and meditate"
All three of those things have changed my perspective on where food comes from, what we eat and how it's made.
Meditation has been one of the most significant ways in which I have conquered my ADD and mastered my food reactions. Probiotics brought me back to health and back to life. Eliminating wheat has given me perspective and Empowered me to make informed decisions about what my biology is compatible with.
I am truly grateful to be unable to digest wheat. It has been one of the single most influential and positive changes in my life... But also messy!
At that time I was obviously not very sure of why I was sick or what to do about it. I recall a school nurse recommending Bananas Rice Apples Tea Toast... Which is fucking ridiculous. That's a great way of eliminating all nutrients and minerals from your diet and a guarantee of getting sicker. It might work if you have constant acid reflux but I can't imagine any situation in which that would be useful otherwise.
Anyway, at some point after a lot of shits and tests as paperwork we figured out that I was sick for no measurable or quantifiable reason.
I went to a special GI doctor and that guy knew what was up. He had a wheat intolerance and had found out in much the same way I had... So he said "get rid of the wheat, take probiotics and meditate"
All three of those things have changed my perspective on where food comes from, what we eat and how it's made.
Meditation has been one of the most significant ways in which I have conquered my ADD and mastered my food reactions. Probiotics brought me back to health and back to life. Eliminating wheat has given me perspective and Empowered me to make informed decisions about what my biology is compatible with.
I am truly grateful to be unable to digest wheat. It has been one of the single most influential and positive changes in my life... But also messy!
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Veggies and burrito bowls
Vegetables are for sure some of the most awesome and safe foods. You can buy tons of them and mix em up and they always taste good. They are portable and can be eaten raw or cooked. For some reason I usually think of them as smiley organisms.
A major bonus is that when you go to chipotle and grab a veggie burrito bowl you will have two things guaranteed: 1.deliciousness and a full belly 2. You will have a fantastic deuce the next day.
Oh yeah and it's like $6.50 which is ridiculously cheap for a wheat free lunch that keeps you full and fibrous.
Eat some.
A major bonus is that when you go to chipotle and grab a veggie burrito bowl you will have two things guaranteed: 1.deliciousness and a full belly 2. You will have a fantastic deuce the next day.
Oh yeah and it's like $6.50 which is ridiculously cheap for a wheat free lunch that keeps you full and fibrous.
Eat some.
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Annie's, Mac Cheese
Mac and Cheese, the favorite of 5 year olds everywhere and the staple of babysitters.
What's that? You can't eat wheat or gluten or enjoy anything at all whatsoever because you live in a society totally dependent on chemicals and engineered cereal grains that rob you of your nutrients?
Annie's makes the classic Kraft orange-shit-in-a-box style Mac n' Cheese and it is delicious. Totally great artificial flavor that you've been hoping to find in Glutino's frozen box...except that the mac cheese glutino makes really blows.
Annie's is just like you wanted it; no trace of gourmet flavor just straight childhood goodness.
Eat some. Enjoy some. Welcome to 20 minutes of forgetting your allergy, intolerance, sensitivity etc.
GET THAT SHIT HERE
What's that? You can't eat wheat or gluten or enjoy anything at all whatsoever because you live in a society totally dependent on chemicals and engineered cereal grains that rob you of your nutrients?
Annie's makes the classic Kraft orange-shit-in-a-box style Mac n' Cheese and it is delicious. Totally great artificial flavor that you've been hoping to find in Glutino's frozen box...except that the mac cheese glutino makes really blows.
Annie's is just like you wanted it; no trace of gourmet flavor just straight childhood goodness.
Eat some. Enjoy some. Welcome to 20 minutes of forgetting your allergy, intolerance, sensitivity etc.
GET THAT SHIT HERE
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)