Wonder Where Rick Bayless Is Going to Eat?

One of my (Rich) favorite cooks/cookbook authors, Rick Bayless of Chicago's Frontera Grill, is over at the Market District store in Bethel Park this morning from 11am-1pm.

When you have the opportunity to live in Mexico for a year and travel around a bit, you quickly learn that Mexican food has very little to do with burritos.  Tacos are more a midnight snack or quick between-meals bite than they are lunch or dinner.  And you can easily go to a different restaurant every night for years and never encounter either tacos or burritos. 

Much like the US, each region/state in Mexico has a distinct style and way of using ingredients that are most common to them.  A true red snapper veracruz is amazing.  But it's not the snapper, it's the "veracruz" that makes the dish.  Like provençal, it's a style.

If only that were true here.  It seems all we get here are combo plates.  When I lived in Boston, we had the Forest Cafe.  In Connecticut we also had numerous options where the menus did not feature numbered dishes.  And in New York there was Maya and Rosa Mexicana.

Pittsburgh has nothing remotely close to an actual fine Mexican sit-down restaurant.  OK, Taco Loco on Carson is authentic, but it's still just tacos.  And El Campensino is the only joint we've found capable of making Chilequiles (one of the world's greatest breakfasts!).

When is somebody going to try and open a fine - or even just good - Mexican restaurant around these parts?

No, Mad-Mex doesn't count.  They're Tex-Mex/AZ-Mex, not actual Mexican.

Now, I'll excuse myself by telling you I haven't been to Beechview lately and I understand there may be some hope up there.  We just don't get out as much these days.  So if you know of anything up there, please pass it on.

Btw, did I mention that Rick's Frontera Grill also serves Intelligentsia?  We don't sell Rick's custom blend ourselves, but you can buy it and try it from Intelly's online store.

The man has great taste.  Sort of makes me want to follow him around and see where he eats lunch today.

(UPDATE:  Got an autograph on my old copy of "Mexico: One Plate at a Time".  At 12:20 I was the only one looking for an autograph.  Seemed odd, about seven Market District managers standing around waiting for a crowd that wasn't coming.  Such is the lack of understanding and apathy toward Mexican food here I guess.  Rick was getting ready for a food photo shoot and wasn't talkative.  We left a card saying we offer Intelly coffees - he gets his Frontera blend from Intelly - and he should stop by on his way to Shadyside.  But he didn't.)

Comments

[Kinsey]

I went to the Rick Bayless appearance at the Bethel Park Market District and it was fabulous! Rick gave a great demonstration from 11 to 11:45 signed cookbooks and talked to guests immediately after. There was a big crowd of probably 50 people and the managers did a great job with the autograph session so everybody got to talk to Rick without being rushed. Afterward I saw him having lunch in the café of the store.

The week earlier I saw Sarah Moulton at that Bethel Park store as well. The managers said that these types of events will continue on throughout the year and can be fond n marketdistrict.com. I love that place!

[Rich]

Thanks for the clarification - guess I got there too late for the crowds. If that's the case, wonder why they advertised his appearance for two hours instead of just one - sounds like it was more an in and out.

If he ate there I hope he pointed out to the prepared foods manager that salsa verde is green, not red. You'd think after several weeks with the new setup somebody would've noticed.

Btw, sounds like you're a bit excited over Market District. Work there maybe? If so, please help us understand how the name change corresponded with a $1.00 increase in the price of a simple baguette ;-)