"What's for dinner?"

"Food."
"What kind of food?"
"Good food!"
If my children read this, they will recognize this conversation.

Well, we were in Chicago earlier this week and had better than just good food...we had FANTASTIC food at Topolobampo. I had the Adventurer's Tasting Menu. The pictures are from my iPhone, so they are not that great, but trust me, dinner and wine were fabulous!

*"Tostadas" de Atun y Erizo: Hawaiian ahi tuna carpaccio and fresh Maine sea urchin with crispy tortillas, fresh lime and roasted garlic mojo. Fried leeks, avocado, sungold tomato. (Wine pairing: 2008 Sitios De Bodega "Con Class" Verdejo, Rueda, Spain) *Mollejas de Ternera, Mole Verde: "Popcorn" sweetbreads with green pumpkinseed mole. Roasted local turnip, fried plantain, Bayless Garden microgreens. (Wine pairing: 2008 Brander "Cuvee Natalie" Santa Ynez Valley, California) Cachetes de Halibut con Flores de Calabaza: Pan-seared halibut cheeks with creamy squash blossom sauce. Fresh shell black beans, garlicky "wilted" spinach, Oaxacan string cheese, tortilla crunch. (Wine pairing: 2006 Vincent Giradin Mersault "Les Narvaux" Cote D'Or, France) *Mole de Olla: Rich, red chile-and-epazote broth with 72-hour-braised Tallgrass short rib. Corn masa dumplings (chochoyotes), xoconostle (sour prickly pear) green peas, chayote. (Wine pairing: 1997 Terreno Chianti Classico Riserva, Tuscany, Italy) Mesquite, Peras, Manzana, Chocolate: Warm, nutty mesquite-bean cake with cajeta (goats milk caramel). Negra Modelo-poached Klug Farm pears and apples, dark beer chocolate. (Wine pairing: NV Campbells Rutherglen Tokay, Victoria, Australia)

The restaurant was very busy, crowded and noisy and the server was very scripted, but we still enjoyed our evening very much.