Q & A wih Rick Bayless

Rick Bayless doesn’t just cook Mexican food.  He redefines it and he’s been doing so  for eleven years.  What’s even more unique about this Bayless is that he’s American and what he calls, “a translator of Mexican cooking.”  In 1987, he opened Frontera Grill in Chicago.  Since then, he has explored highbrow Mexican at Topolobampo and lowbrow at Frontera Fresco.

If you’ve never visited his restaurants in Chicago, Bayless has also got a prepared food line of his own and numerous cookbooks.  If that’s not enough for one chef to handle, he also just wrapped filming the seventh season of his PBS series Mexico, One Plate at a Time.  We were caught up with Bayless during his annual Macy’s culinary council and got to ask him why he won’t open in New York.

Would you ever consider opening in the New York City?  Do tell…
I would now that we have the staff, but in all honesty I’m a homebody. If the right person came along, who knows? I have this fun game I play with my fellow chefs where IF we opened in NYC, what would it look like, and what about the menu? It’s a bit different from how it would be in Chicago. I will be opening a quick service restaurant with a wood burning oven that sells Mexican tortas, or sandwiches. Meats will be braised in the oven overnight, and in the evening we’ll sell wood oven roasted chicken. In the morning we’ll sell churros with Tabasco chocolate ground right in the window. It’ll be called Xoco, which is slang for “little sister.” In a way, it is Frontera Grill’s and Topolobampo’s little sister, so it’s a nice play on word.

Where do you go for great Mexican food when in New York City? Which other Mexican chefs do you admire?
I should say that New York isn’t the best place in America for Mexican food. However, I do like Zorela, Rosa Mexicano…then there was Suenos and The Rocking Horse Café. I believe La Esquina might be coming back from the ashes as well.  Still, Chicago is THE place for Mexican food outside of Mexico. We’ve trained so many Mexican chefs, and have given them the confidence to turn a homestyle cuisine into fine dining.

What attracted you to Mexican cooking in the first place?
I came from a restaurant family.  I was 14 when I went to Mexico for the first time, and I just fell in love.  Ever since then, I kept going back, not only because I had an intense interest in the culture, but also one in the food as well.

As someone who is not Mexican yourself, did you find it at all difficult to get diners to trust your sense of Mexican cooking?
As luck would have it, I came out with my cookbook a week before opening, so it gave me credibility. It was very fortuitous – I think we would have had a struggle otherwise.

How do you think Mexican food has evolved (or devolved) in the states since you opened Frontera Grill back in 1987?
I think it’s evolved a lot. People realize that there are differences within the cuisine, and that flavors are varied. Not everything is covered with cheese, and it’s not all one color or one texture. I believe diners are generally more sophisticated, and they have more experience. Therefore, they’re willing to give new things a try.

Has Frontera Grill changed?
I think it’s more diverse. For instance, we now serve huitlacoche in one of our dishes – a kind of Mexican corn fungus, and it’s our biggest seller. That says that people are more knowledgeable.

What was the inspired you to open Topolobampo, an upscale Mexican restaurant?   Was there ever a fear that diners weren’t ready for Mexican fine dining?
Well, I opened it two and a half years after Frontera Grill, which is a mid-scale restaurant. And really, opening Topolobampo was my goal all along.  However, I knew I would have to take it step by step with diners. It’s funny – in Mexico City there are a lot of fine dining restaurants!  All of the so-called Mexican restaurants in America have such a raucous atmosphere, but Topolobampo allows one to appreciate the quality of the food. I believe it also established our credibility.

With cookbooks, your prepared food line and your restaurants, would you ever consider working the line again? 
I try to get involved in all aspects of the restaurant, but it’s hard to set aside time for just working the line. I will say that I help with plating for private parties and events, and I change the menus every four weeks – I love it. If I simply work the line, I’m not seeing the whole picture of the restaurant. Instead, I work with the next generation of chefs and help them to refine their own voices. First I let them create a dish, and then we taste it and refine it – it reflects who they are as chefs. I mean, if it was just me running the entire show…and I get hit by a bus, it’s not a good thing! It’s good to have a team of people who share the same vision.

Tell us about your PBS series, Mexico – One Plate at a Time.
We actually just finished shooting the 7^th season. I believe people watch the show for more than just slapdash entertainment – they want to be given content.  I once did a show years ago where it was just shot in a studio. On this show, we actually make sure to shoot on location – it’s a picture po
stcard kind of country. Yes,
we have better healthcare and are richer, but they beat us in spades when it comes to community life. One of the most sacred moments of their day is at 2:30 PM when people sit down together for their main meal.  So when hosting the show, I like to think of myself as a translator to my viewers.

How did you get involved with the Macy’s Culinary Council?
I did a lot of work for Macy’s – it was only a few blocks away from my restaurant. I was approached, and I love teaching and sharing my love for food. I saw it as the perfect opportunity to do just that.

Photo Credit: Cooking With Amy