$$$$Price: Expensive • American • West Town
Passionate, skilled, original--these are the words that leap to mind after my first meal at Frontier. As a former restaurant critic, my standards are high. Every single dish was skillfully done with a core of creativity and lusciousness! As a lover of the best of NOLa (and not all New Orleans food is great), I immediately recognized the influence of the Crescent City.
To be honest, I was afraid that the dishes would be corny, as they so often are in the North. Instead, they were expertly executed on the core flavors and techniques and ingredients, but with a modern flair. For ex., the gator bites were perfectly chewy and crisp, but the crispy kale and saucy bits would earn it a place on any creative menu. Chargrilled oysters are nothing without quality, salty Parm, and here Frontier delivers, too. The burnt edge mac cheese ranks among the best eats in the city in my book. Similarly, the smoked and braised elk shank has my whole heart--fall-off-the-bone tender, elegant, and still wholly accessible. Not overthought nor showy, but a skillful dish that speaks for itself and the skill of this kitchen. I also want to give a shout to the thick-cut salmon, roasted on a cedar plank, with crispy edges and a silky, luscious, rare center as requested.
I also want to thank whoever set the prices. They are more than fair at a time when so few menus are. Making food at this level is insanely time-consuming, but the pricepoint makes Frontier much more accessible than many of its peers. Frontier is a place we will return to again and again because of that. Chicago...support these incredibly talented and passionate kitchen and front-of-the-house teams!
This is not a paid review or a bot. Merely one diner who was truly impressed and appreciative of a great meal for our family for my birthday.
