You’d think that chef Geno Bahena would be busy enough.
Chicago’s master of mole — that complex, sweet-savory Mexican sauce — has a certifiable hit on his hands with Tepatulco (2558 N. Halsted St. 773-472-7419), the five-month-old Lincoln Park successor to his gone-but-not-forgotten Ixcapuzalco and Chilpancingo, which helped refine (and redefine) the city’s ideas about regional Mexican cuisine.
But Bahena is nothing if not ambitious. On Mother’s Day, he launched Delicioso y Sabroso, serving as executive chef and general manager. Located near the Indiana border in the Chicago neighborhood called East Side, this is really two restaurants — Delicioso Restaurante and Sabroso Grill — under one roof.
Delicioso is the fine-dining side — think duck breast smothered in red chile ($17.50). Sabroso Grill, which begins serving Wednesday, will be more casual — think tacos, tortas and burritos, with nothing over $10.50.
The dual concept intrigued us. Is Bahena attempting to pull a Rick Bayless? After all, Bahena worked at Frontera Grill/Topolobampo for more than a decade before starting Ixcapuzalco. We drove to East Side to check it out — and, well, to avoid a long wait for a table at Tepatulco.
Mission accomplished: We were the only ones in the place, which is really a shame. Delicioso is already serving some pretty tasty fare, which isn’t a surprise coming from Bahena. While we’re not sure we’d like to take another Skyway trip out to this place (Tepatulco is much closer, thank you very much — and no tolls!), South Siders and folks from Northwest Indiana (a.k.a. “The Region”) will love it.
That said, the layout of these two spaces — which most recently housed Las Fuentes No. 2, but for most of its life was the banquet hall Mr. D’s Villa — is really odd. When you enter the restaurant’s foyer, you’re faced with two doors. The door on the left leads to Delicioso, and the one on the right to Sabroso. Open either door and — surprise! — you enter the same massive room.
Along the left side, walls are yellow, tables are dressed with crisp white linen with Mexican pine chairs, and modern light fixtures hang overhead. That’s Delicioso. On the right side, the walls are pumpkin orange, there are no tablecloths, and Mexican glass chandeliers hang from above. That’s Sabroso. In the center, there’s a wide, tiled floor big enough to host a salsa dance competition.
This interior is still a work in progress, Bahena says. For starters, he’s waiting for more than 200 mother-in-law tongues to line the floors and help define the respective dining areas. He also is constructing an outdoor dining area to be completed this summer.
Even though we had no choice on Saturday, we were glad to be on the fancy side; the food was a delight. We opted to skip a $45 five-course chef’s tasting menu (wine pairings are an extra $19), going straight for the scallop ceviche ($6.50), served with purple onions, avocado wedges and saltines. After reading the menu, which touts Bahena’s philosophy of using local, sustainable ingredients, those saltines kind of threw us. It turns out that ceviches and saltines are not an uncommon match in Mexico. We can see why: The crackers stood up to the ceviche’s vinegary, balsamic punch. We also like the appetizer of “Pueblan-style” tamales filled with poblano peppers ($4.95) in a pool of creamy and elegant poblano sauce.
This being Bahena, moles get a whole menu page to themselves. Each night of the week, one of the “seven famous moles” of Mexico’s Oaxaca state gets the spotlight. On Saturday, it’s red mole. We tried a chicken breast in a smoky, sweet sauce ($16.50), though we could have opted for duck or quail for the same price. Yes, Bahena — though a native of Guerrero, Mexico — does Oaxaca proud.
One more point: Don’t let the white tablecloths fool you. Though Delicioso offers a fairly affordable wine list, this spot does a mighty fine margarita ($7); we tried the New World Passionfruit version, based on a recipe from “Like Water for Chocolate.” We thought Bahena’s plain ol’ lime version was pretty good too.
The good news: You can get either no matter which side you sit on.
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clamorte@tribune.com
