Hooked On The Soup - A Frontera Mix-Up

A month or so ago, my friend, oh let's call him Gene, suggested lunch at Frontera Grill. Frontera Grill! Rick Bayless' crowning jewel of a restaurant, which is located near my office, had been on my list of restaurants to dine at for years, so I immediately agreed. Keep in mind, I had spent the past 4 years in NYC watching Rick's PBS show constantly (no cable) and developing a mild obsession with the rather attractive chef. And it's not just his tight(so tight) t-shirts and sharp glasses that had me hooked - it was the food I saw him construct on his beautifully done show, Mexico-One Plate At a Time. But I digress. I was excited.

On the day of lunch, I head over to the very crowded Frontera, am seated at a table while guaranteeing that Gene is "right around the corner", only to wait...and wait...and wait. I hide from the hostess when she walks by. My phone rings. It's Gene.

"I'm here!" he says
"So am I!" I counter
"But I don't see you anywhere," Gene answers, "And it sounds really loud where you are."

This is when I become suspicious.

"Frontera Grill on Clark?" I question.
"Ooooohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, oops. I meant the Frontera Grill on the 7th floor of Macy's. The Frontera to go."

Ooops indeed. I didn't even know Macy's served food on the 7th floor of the store! So I rush over to Macy's, also close to my office, and laugh it off. I arrive to find Gene at Frontera Fresco - a sort of Frontera-to-go, also run by Bayless. Still Mexican food, and cheaper than Frontera proper, I discover that Frontera Fresco makes THE WORLD'S BEST TORTILLA SOUP. I am now addicted and if I go a few days without it, I start to twitch.