Rick Bayless Teams Up With Zachary Engel In A Different Kind Of Chicago Way

In politics, the "Chicago Way" is legendary.

It means a quid-pro-quo, sometimes involving influence, other times money, and occasionally violence, as you might remember from the movie, The Untouchables.

But this week, another kind of Chicago Way was on display — culinary generosity.

On Wednesday night, two James Beard Award winning chefs teamed up in a unique collaboration that combined their food styles to benefit a favorite cause.

Rick Bayless,legendary in Chicago for his modern takes on Mexican food, hosted Zachary Engel, who just opened his Middle Eastern restaurant, Galit, with his partner Andres Clavero.

The Mexican-Mediterranean Mashup took place at Bar Sotano, Bayless' new basement hideaway that focuses on tapas-like plates and unique cocktails.

The pair offered a menu with three parts — Mediterranean-inspired dishes from Galit, Mexican-themed dishes from Bar Sotano, and a Mashup section, with plates that combined the directions of both restaurants.

Those dishes included Engel's already-famous hummus, topped with grilled patty pan squash in salsa macha verde, which had serrano peppers, toasted hazelnuts, roasted garlic and Baja olive oil.

There also was kibbeh naya ala Mexicana, a twist on the roast lamb dish that is a staple of Israeli, Lebanese and Syrian cooking. Galit's lamb ragout was set on a base of Bar Sotano's lamb tartare, which had a guajillo-arbol salsa.

And, the taco del dia included Galit's falafel with roasted tomatillo salsa and fresh herb and pickled vegetable garnishes. (You can see photos of the evening on my Instagram page.)

Half of the proceeds went to benefit Impact Culinary Training at The Hatchery Chicago, a program developed by Bayless that is open to young people aged 16 to 24 years old.

The program, meant to develop future restaurant personnel, includes eight weeks of classroom instruction followed by a four-week internship at a Chicago restaurant.

However, from a business point of view, the evening exemplified something I've noticed about Chicago in all the years I've lived and dined there.

The restaurant business can be notoriously competitive. Investors get demanding, chefs jump ship, staff bounces from place to place, gossip abounds.

But, there are cities where the relationships between restaurants are more collegial, and Chicago is one of them.

Across the city, there are numerous stories of restaurant owners helping each other. Early on, Barry Sorkin, the co-owner of Smoque BBQ,received unsolicited restaurant advice from Ina Pinkney, then the owner of Ina's restaurant, and now a Chicago Tribune breakfast columnist.

Likewise, Sorkin has collaborated on dishes with Tony Anteliz, the owner of Cemitas Puebla,which specializes in sandwiches from Puebla, Mexico.

Chicago chefs frequently take part in charity events, like Green City Market's Chef BBQ,held Thursday night in Lincoln Park. Even though Chicago is the country's third largest city, the restaurant community is friendly and tight-knit.

Bayless told me he's delighted to help boost Engel, whose new place is getting plenty of attention, including three stars from the Tribune, which called it a "Mediterranean masterpiece."

The pair met a few years ago through Alon Shaya, the New Orleans chef whose former restaurant, Shaya, won the 2018 Beard Award as the country's best new restaurant.

At the time, Engel was chef de cuisine at Shaya, where he became one of FORBES' 30 Under 30 in Food and Drink, and subsequently won the 2017 Beard Award as the country's rising star chef.

Alon Shaya has since opened two new places, Saba in New Orleans, and Safta in Denver, while Engel came north to open Galit, named for his toddler daughter, earlier this year.

Dining at Shaya gave him "enormous respect" for Engel's food, Bayless told me. And as soon as he heard Engel was on his way to Chicago, the pair began talking about teaming up somehow.

Bayless says he's happy that Engel has opened his place in Lincoln Park, a popular residential neighborhood, but less known for quality food.

In recent times, Chicago's hottest dining areas like Fulton Market and the West Loop have gotten saturated with new places from chefs such as Stephanie Izard and Paul Kahan.

Meanwhile, Bayless is now facing high rents on the stretch of Clark Street where his restaurants have been located the past three decades. So, Engel's location may help attract other restaurants to that part of town, Bayless says.

The crowd at the Bar Sotano collaboration included many of Bayless' regulars at Frontera Grill, Tompolobampo and Xoco. He circled the room, greeting them, and sent them over to meet Engel.

Watching the diners interact, and bubble about the food, it seemed less like an evening in a restaurant and more like a dinner party, with two hosts, and a flock of their talented assistants.

Also playing roles in the event were Olivia Duncan, director of the beverage program at Galit, and Rishi Manoj Kumar, the chef de cuisine at Bar Sotano.

No matter Chicago's reputation for friendliness, it was still a remarkable thing for Bayless, arguably Chicago's best-known chef, to do for somebody who was new to town.

But then, that is the Chicago Way — at least among restaurants, it seems.

Oh, and the food? I'd eat the falafal taco again any time.

Source: Forbes.com

Powered by NewsAPI.org

Keywords:

Rick Bayless • Chicago • Chicago • Quid pro quo • Untouchability • Chicago • James Beard Foundation Award • Rick Bayless • Chicago • Mexican cuisine • Restaurant • Mediterranean cuisine • Mashup (music) • Bar • Tapas • Mediterranean cuisine • Polish cuisine • Mexican cuisine • Polish cuisine • Bar • Mashup (music) • Chinese cuisine • Hummus • Grilling • Cucurbita • Salsa (sauce) • Serrano pepper • Capsicum • Toast • Hazelnut • Roasting • Garlic • Olive oil • Kibbeh • Lamb and mutton • Dish (food) • Staple food • Israeli cuisine • Lebanese cuisine • Syrian cuisine • Cooking • Ragout • Bar • Lamb and mutton • Steak tartare • Guajillo chili • Salsa (sauce) • Taco • Falafel • Roasting • Tomatillo • Salsa (sauce) • Vegetable • Garnish (food) • Instagram • Cooking • Chicago Bulls • Ageing • Education • Future • Employment • Classroom • Education • Internship • Chicago • Business • Chicago • Restaurant • Gossip • Chicago • Restaurant • Restaurant • Chicago Tribune • Breakfast • Puebla City • Sandwich • Puebla City • Chicago • Green City Market • Chef • Lincoln Park, Chicago • Chicago • Mediterranean Sea • New Orleans • Time (magazine) • Chef de cuisine • Forbes • Saba • New Orleans • Denver • Chicago • Lincoln Park, Chicago • Chicago • Fulton-Randolph Market District • Near West Side, Chicago • Stephanie Izard • Rick Bayless • Clark Street (Chicago) • Restaurant • Frontera Grill • Xoco • Rotary International • Food • Restaurant • Party • Drink • Manoj Kumar • Chef • Chicago • Chicago • Chef • Chicago • Taco •