Food Just Like Art

“Food, just like art, is another form of expression” – Mezcalina Website

Right on! I could not have said that any better.

After another wonderful invite to a hosted dinner, this time at the upscale Mexican restaurant called Mezcalina in the Lakeshore East neighborhood of downtown Chicago. I was blown away by the hospitality and generosity of the owner and staff of this restaurant. Not only were we treated to at least an 8-course meal with drink pairings, we were literally given the chance to try every single item on their menu (and then some since they went out of their way to accommodate us vegetarian and vegan folks). Wow, is all I can say!

Mezcalina Beautiful Art Work

Before we get to the good stuff (the food of course!), I want to point out that this restaurant is stunningly beautiful. Mezcalina supports several non-profit organizations throughout Mexico by promoting Mexican artists of Oaxacan origin and showcasing their work worldwide. Mezcalina actually has 20 custom paintings and 3 sculptures which are a collaboration of over 18 artists all working together for the same cause. That, my friends, is really pretty cool.

Not surprisingly, the food was presented in such a beautiful manner, it really did look like a masterpiece of art. But, no worries, we didn’t just sit and stare at it. We dug in! And it was fantastic.

While many of the main dishes were all meat focused, the restaurant was very accommodating to vegetarian and vegan diets. We were even told that anyone coming in to the restaurant can call in ahead of time to give the chef a heads-up to accommodate any dietary restrictions.

Instead of list every single thing I ate and drank (which frankly is kind of a blur after the yummy chips and guacamole because there were so many courses), I am going to list out a few of my favorite items:

Specialty Margarita – Mezcal Joven De La Casa (tequila), mango, tamarind and guajillo peppers with a chili salt rim
Elotes – traditional Mexican “corn on the cob” with queso cotija, cream, chipotle sauce and chili blend powder
Mexican Pizza – thin, flat, crunchy shell topped with refried beans, sautéed spinach and zucchini, fresh diced avocado and topped with melted cheese
Vegetarian Enchiladas – sauteed spinach and mushroom and cheese enchiladas in a green tomatillo sauce and red ranchero sauce
Sueno di Chocolate – a flourless chocolate cake with a rich espresso flavor