Top Chef season-nine contestant Chuy Valencia showcases gourmet Mexican shared plates at Chilam Balam, a garden-level restaurant he owns with business partner Soraya Rendon. Inspired menu items like hibiscus flan, scallops with tomatillo sauce and house made chorizo and peanut butter empanadas keep this cozy, brightly decorated eatery hopping while paying due respect to ingredients indicative of Rendon’s native Mexico City. Valencia grew up in Sonoma California and credits the likes of Alice Waters for much of the farm-to-table philosophy he follows. “It’s the only way to cook,” he says. Chilam Balam teams up with local farmers like Crawford Farm in New Glarus, Wisconsin; Leaning Shed Farms in Berrien Springs, Michigan and Gunthorp Farms in La Grange. A popular favorite beverage at this BYOB is the house made sangria, to which wine from a diner’s personal stash can be added. It’s nice to see Valencia’s innovative approach to gourmet Mexican continue to grow beyond the first few years since Chilam Balam bowed in Lakeview.
Today in the Culture: March 19, 2021 | Arts fight against zoning ordinance grows | Restaurant Week starts DESIGN Culture killer Add Terrain Exhibitions and its Biennial to the list of things threatened by Ald. Sophia King's rezoning ordinance that would limit the use of houses as cultural institutions; they're encouraging supporters to write letters. (Preservation Chicago is collecting signatures on a petition.) DINING AND DRINKING Indulge yourself and save a job and maybe a business Chicago…
