Without any warning, Rick Bayless opened another outlet of his popular O'Hare sandwich shop. There was much rejoicing. more ›

The classic Mexican sandwich can be found all over the city, not just at Xoco. Check out some other Torta options. more ›

Restaurant week may be winding down, but it’s not over yet! Restaurant week runs until Sunday, Feb. 27, leaving you plenty of time to squeeze in a reservation or two. Still trying to decide which menu to take on? Read on for a review of one of Chicago’s best R-week deals: Topolobampo. more ›

Throughout the blizzaster, Rick Bayless was like a lighthouse in the storm. He kept his restaurants open, tweeting that anyone trapped downtown was welcome. In addition, he may be the only celebrity chef in history to brag about the accomplishments of his valet parking crew (Grover and Luis) - wonderful to give credit to everyone. And boy, do they deserve it! The valet parking crew created the official snowman, or "Blizzard 2011 mascot," for Frontera. Check after the jump for some great tweets. more ›

Luck and last-minute travel plans collaborated this week to land us at O'Hare airport's Terminal 1, mano-a-mano with Tortas Frontera, the brand new sandwich shop and bar by Chef Rick Bayless. Fresh off a meal-less flight and sporting a withering lunchtime hunger, we lined up to try one of the tempting tortas. more ›

Bon Appétit sure has been on a Chicago kick lately. The Purple Pig made its list of best new restaurants in the country earlier. Now the magazine deems Chicago as the best city for cheap eats in America. Can't disagree, but the Chicagoist staff pleads bias here. more ›

If the kitchens of Frontera Grill, Topolobampo and Xoco seem strangely devoid of Rick Bayless in the coming weeks, you can blame President Obama. Bayless has been tapped by Obama to head the kitchen for the upcoming state dinner with El Presidente of Mexico, Felipe Calderón. The New York Times reports that the celebrity chef will be helming the kitchen on May 19th, the second celebrity chef to run a state dinner menu. Marcus Samuellson, currently receiving the arrogant-jerk-edit on this season's Top Chef Masters, cooked for the Indian Prime Minister back in November. more ›

Today through Wednesday, we're counting down the top 9 stories of 2009 according to the Chicagoist staff. more ›

Thanks largely to his win on "Top Chef Masters," Rick Bayless is riding an unprecedented wave of popularity that shows no signs of cresting soon. At present, Bayless is arguably the most recognizable chef on the planet, if not the United States, putting in 15-hour days between the kitchens of Topobolampo, Frontera Grill and XOCO. Anticipation for XOCO, Bayless's paean to Mexican street food, was already at a fever pitch before his winning "Top Chef Masters" turn with his usage of Twitter. While we were able to get in and out on XOCO's opening day — XOCO opened on the same day as the Oprahcalypse on Michigan Avenue — subsequent days haven't been so fortunate. Diners heading to Bayless's Frontera compound on Clark Street have been subjected to an average 2-hour wait time to any of the restaurants. more ›

Sad news for Soul Food fans this morning: Helen Maybell Anglin, who founded South Side staple Soul Queen, passed away yesterday at the age of 80. Take a pilgrimage to 90th and Stony Island this weekend in Ms. Anglin's honor. [Sun-Times] more ›

Rick Bayless has consistently been in the news in recent weeks. First, there was his winning Top Chef Masters and earning a $100,000 check to his Frontera Farmer Foundation. After two years of planning, today Bayless opens XOCO (449 N. Clark St.). Inspired by the legendary Churreria El Moro in Mexico City, XOCO is Bayless's tribute to Mexican street food: tortas, hearty soups, churros and chocolate. Anticipation among food media and foodies, not to mention the pared down, simple menu, has primed XOCO to be the Publican of 2009. more ›

Top Chef (and twitter) Master Rick Bayless has just released the menu for XOCO in advance of the new restaurant's Tuesday opening. The menu lists 11 tortas; 8 of them made in a woodburning oven. Christ on a stick! They sound amazing on paper. more ›

Rick Bayless, who's probably the most Twitter-savvy chef out there, announced an opening date of September 8 for XOCO, his highly anticipated street-food centric restaurant at 449 N. Clark. more ›