Mexx Kitchen at the Whiskey
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If star chef Richard Sandoval of Modern Mexican–the group behind luxe neuvo Latino restaurants such as New York’s Maya and Pampano and Las Vegas’s Isla–hadn’t collaborated on Mexx Kitchen at the Whiskey, no one would pay much attention to the cozy folk-art-decorated room tucked behind Rush Street’s see-and-be-seen Whiskey Bar. And even though the press has taken notice of the food, drinks and quick bites seemed to be what the handful of businessmen, tourists, and locals wanted on my visit. Problem is, Mexx Kitchen has an identity crisis. Servers are fine with beverages–many tequilas, margaritas (decent, not great), cocktails (skip the misguided mango-mint mojito), and beers–but less adept at pacing meals. The menu is divided between marginally upscale renditions of Mexican favorites and much more sophisticated fare. Well-balanced guacamole with crisp chips would be at home in a neighborhood spot, as would chilorio sopes brimming with pulled pork, queso cotija, chopped lettuce, tomato, and crema fresco. Walleye ceviche swimming in guava-citrus sauce with diced watermelon, jicama, and mint was a refreshing alternative to everyday tomato-based versions. On the other hand, a trio of too-fragile, extremely salty Mexico City-style steak tacos made me wonder why I was spending $10 for what would cost half that at my local taqueria (where they have the sense to double up on the corn tortillas). The highlights came from the more sophisticated camp: creamy balsamic-painted roasted corn soup with a huitlacoche dumpling and a picture-perfect entree of seared coriander-chile-crusted tuna slices propped up around mashed boniato on a hibiscus-blood orange-habanero emulsion. Flaky banana dessert empanadas were fun but anticlimactic. –Anne Spiselman
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