This week, the Chicago Restaurant Weak headed to Topolobampo: the Chicago gem of celebrity chef Rick Bayless and allegedly one of President Obama’s favorite Chicago eateries. While the Mexican food was delicious, the service left a sour taste in our mouths.
The evening was off to a rocky start when our waiter (“Nigel”) quickly confiscated Kaya’s Club Quarters water bottle. However, we were soon distracted by the restaurants smooth yet spunky guacamole paired with jicama and cucumber. When we ran out of things to dip in it, every single one of us broke down and attacked the remaining guacamole with our spoons.
The restaurant’s signature Topolo Margarita was also surprisingly good. However, when we later tried to customize our drink order, we encountered resistance from a puzzled Nigel who “wasn’t sure what sort of taste we were trying to achieve.”
Next, we sampled four different kinds of ceviche – each with their own delectably complex mix of seafood and spice. Our entrees also did not disappoint. The lobster was excellent and the pork with mole sauce (which was highly acclaimed by Nigel) definitely lived up to all the hype.
After finishing our meals, we were a little aggravated when Nigel snidely remarked that “you should definitely have room for desert since you shared some of your entrees.” At that point, these foodies decided to call it a night-- but not before speaking to the manager about Nigel’s condescending customer service.Bottom line: The Mexican food at Topolo was incomparable, but we felt unwelcome in the restaurant’s elitist environment.
