Late supper at the fabulous Bien Trucha in Geneva, Illinois: Rick Bayless would love this authentic Mexican haute cuisine.
No reservations taken, so get there early to put your name in for a table. The kitchen closes at 8:45 pm. We lost count of how many latecomers were turned away.
Arriving before 7 pm, there was a 90 minute wait, so we started on the patio (cash only) with guacamole and a couple of Tecates. If we'd had more cash on hand, I would have gone for one of their special margaritas made with fresh lime juice.
First available table was outside. We started with cazuela de champinones served with warm corn tortillas and housemade salsa de morita.
Then came ensalada de nopalitos, marinated grilled prickly pear cactus with onion, red pepper, and cucumber with an avocado garnish.
Finally, we had tacos de carnitas, small cubes of pork in red sauce with a pineapple spear tucked into each one, and a side dish of grilled sweet corn seasoned with epazote.
The sun was setting, so it was too chilly for dessert. Maybe next time we'll get a table inside.
If you go (and you should, as this is the best restaurant in Geneva, a town of many good eateries):
Bien Trucha: A Mexican Experience
410 West State Street
Geneva, IL 60134-2104
(630) 232-2665
Note: The first version of this post was composed and published entirely on the iPhone 4 using Typepad's blogging app.
Disappointingly, paragraph breaks did not show up in the live post, and the application inexplicably added a geographic locator. Yes, I was at home when I posted, but I don't need my home address connected to the post.
I could go on about the other shortcomings of the Typepad app, but that rant will have to wait for another time.
