Mexique - Brunch, Chicago Restaurant Week

While most of the restaurants I have gone to for Chicago Restaurant Week I have dined at before, several are in a different context than in the previous time (or times) that I have dined there.  I had previously dined at Mexique, the Mexican restaurant that uses French techniques in their cooking and presentations headed by Chef Carlos Gaytan, for dinner and I had their wonderful tasting menu.  For Restaurant Week this year they were also offering a brunch and lunch menu (lunch during the week and brunch on the weekend), so I decided to come on a weekend afternoon to try their brunch menu.  The restaurant, while not full when we arrived, was definitely getting busy and it kind of struck me funny that we were seated at basically the same place I was seated the last time I dined there (It wasn't the same table, but it was one table over) so my point of view was essentially the same.  We started things of with Pozole Verde, a Hominy Stew made with Roast Pork and Salsa Verde and also included Red Onions, Carrots, and a Chicharron.  It was very hearty with pork that was so tender it basically melted in your mouth and a spicy flavor that provided a good burn at the beginning, but dissapated quickly.  The Chicharron was crispy and flavorful and went well with the flavors of the pozole.

For my main course, I went with a Huarache de Asada, a fried corn cake with steak.  In addition to the Flank Steak, which I had Medium Rare, it also had Fried Black Beans, Spinach, and a Goat Cheese Fondue Topping and a thinly sliced Radish garnish which was crisp and flavorful.  This was very good, but a little surprising because other huaraches that I have had were thicker and were able to be eaten with your hands, similar to a tostada.  It probably was a good thing, though, that the huarache was thinner because with the wealth of meat and the fondue topping, if it had been attempted to be eaten by hand it would have made a mess all over the place.  The steak was very tender, the beans provided a depth of flavor and the cheese fondue provided a lot of sour goat cheese goodness.

The other entree that was offered was a Chorizo Crepe with Fried Potatoes and topped with Salsa Roja.  One of my companions ordered this and loved it and while I did only have a small taste, I found that it did have some great flavors and textures.

I don't normally eat dessert for brunch, although I do try to do both sweet and savory.  As dessert was part of the meal, I decided to struggle through it.  We were served a French Toast Bread Pudding with Orange Juice Marshmallows, Pepitas, Coffee Ice Cream, Raspberry Sauce, and a light sprinkling of Powdered Sugar to top things off.  This had all of the flavors of a traditional breakfast and I felt that with the traditional flavors represented, it brought us full circle.  It was an excellent finish to an excellent brunch and one I may definitely have to repeat.