Geno Bahena, chef and owner of Ixcapuzalco, has expanded his holdings with Chilpancingo, an elegant yet lively River North restaurant that opened September 15. The room is rich with detail: dozens of brightly colored paper cutouts dangle from the ceiling beams; huge, vibrant oil paintings hang on the walls; and the floor-to-ceiling oak back bar with a sliding library ladder features dozens of papier-mache viejitos (statuettes of elderly Mexicans) set on the shelves. High-backed vinyl booths in rich green and burgundy comprise most of the seating, and the exposed kitchen in back dishes up the regional Mexican delicacies Bahena’s famous for. The complimentary creamy guacamole with jicama and cucumber slices is a refreshing starter; another appetizer not to be missed is the sopes surtidos, four homemade corn masa boats brimming with different fillings–chicken in red mole, sweet plantain topped with sour cream, black beans with savory mushrooms, and guacamole. The coctel de mariscos–a chunky seafood cocktail of shrimp, scallops, and crab tossed in a fresh tomatillo-avocado sauce served in a martini glass and garnished, oddly, with saltines–is delicious. However the chile ancho relleno–a marinated, chilled chili stuffed with potatoes and chorizo–is uninspired and overly vinegary. The dazzling entrees taste as good as they look. There’s conejo a la poblana, rabbit cooked until it’s fork-tender and smothered in a creamy green sauce of roasted poblano peppers, seared onion, and herbs, served on a stack of tangy chilaquiles layered with braised wild greens. Meat lovers can’t miss with the borrego en mole negro–roasted rack of lamb on a bed of chunky mashed potatoes, in a pool of Oaxacan black mole–and the adventurous should try the nopales asados con mariscos al chipotle, scallops, shrimp, and crab in a smoky chipotle sour cream served with wood-grilled cactus paddles and roasted potatoes. Service is cheerful and enthusiastic; the wine list is a work in progress, but the house margaritas with your choice of premium tequilas are a safe bet. In the style of Topolobampo and Frontera Grill–where Bahena worked for 12 years–Chilpancingo will be paired with Generoso’s Bar and Grill, a more casual Mexican bar and billiard room next door that’s slated to open in mid-October. Chilpancingo is at 358 W. Ontario, 312-266-9525.
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On September 17, partners Sal Ismail and Jaree Kantatan opened Oriente Noodle and Pasta Cafe, a stylish place offering a mix of Asian and Italian dishes, at 3343 N. Clark. oSettimana, a northern Italian restaurant, opened September 26 at 2056 W. Division. oSteve Soble of Spare Time Ventures (Hudson Club) is finishing up renovations on the former Salsa Boracha space at 750 Chicago in Evanston. It’s slated to open as the Firehouse Grill in mid-October. oRed Rock Grill at 160 E. Huron and Oo-La-La at 3335 N. Halsted have closed.
