The rooster, especially the black variety, symbolizes many things in Latin culture—such as strength, power, the sun and good luck.
This knowledge was conveyed to me by Angel, who cooks (and, one might think, does much more) at Dell’ Rooster—a small, colorful spot in West Town (1825 W. Chicago Ave.)
But Dell’ Rooster is deceptive on at least one level: the impressive cuisine doesn’t all revolve around chicken (although it may show up where you least expect it).
For example, take the Valencia-style seafood paella, which consists of shrimp, mussels, clams, saffron, tomato sofrito, bell peppers, Bomba rice—and chicken. However, there are also dishes such as rabo encendido—Cuban-style braised oxtail with sweet plantains, queso fresco, pickled onions and chipotle aioli. And offerings may not necessarily reflect Latin America, such as the warm stuffed dates, with goat cheese, romesco sauce, bacon and black garlic aioli.
My dining companion and I tucked into empanadas—corn and Caribbean (which my friend avoided since he doesn’t eat red meat). We both loved the empanadas, which were optimally crunchy on the outside and filled with delicious goodness. The corn ones contained Chihuahua cheese as well as maize and were topped by spicy aioli, which actually gave them more of a kick than their Caribbean counterparts, which were filled with beef and Chihuahua cheese and topped with garlic aioli.
But the hits kept on coming, thanks to two strong entrees. My friend opted for the Rooster & Son enchiladas, with charred tomato sauce, roasted chicken, crema, cheese, micro cilantro and an egg done your way. I went with the Rooster & Waffles—a more-than-comforting combination of buttermilk-soaked crispy chicken and pearl sugar waffles with maple-rum syrup. But depending on when you visit the spot, your other choices can vary from French toast (with lime custard, coconut, pineapple syrup, whipped cream and blueberry compote) to sweet plantains with cheese to coconut-crusted shrimp to the previously mentioned items. (Dell’ Rooster offers brunch items from the morning to 3 p.m., taking an hour to switch over to the dinner menu.)
Dessert was also pretty satisfying (although not quite on the level of the chicken and waffles) with the chocolate abuelita tres leches cake (topped with chocolate ganache), which certainly had moisture to spare. However, it thankfully wasn’t too sweet. If you’re not full after the app and entree, you certainly will be if you indulge in the cake. (Dell’ Rooster also offers horchata mango panna cotta.)
Also, there’s one other intriguing note about Dell’ Rooster: Its preparations and food are halal-certified. According to Angel, “it’s a healthier way of preparing food.”
One of the joys of writing about restaurants is discovering hidden treasures such as Dell’ Rooster (although it’s been around since 2022)—and sharing my discoveries with others.
Francois Frankie
As most of you know, we’re in the thick of Chicago Restaurant Week, which actually spans more than a fortnight (Jan. 24-Feb. 9).
Hundreds of Chicagoland restaurants are participating, including the Loop spot Francois Frankie, which is known for its French cuisine and the immense carousel bar that sometimes (slowly) rotates.
Francois Frankie is in a tough spot—literally. Located at 222 W. Randolph St., the restaurant (during dinnertime) is primarily the territory of tourists and conventioneers, as the spot is just beyond most of the downtown theater district. During the day, however, the venue benefits from being near several large businesses, including law firms.
It’s such a shame that the place is rarely packed during the evening. (However, I was impressed that it was even half-full recently, as it was so cold a penguin might’ve donned a coat.) The $60 Chicago Restaurant Week (CRW) menu is worth the trip, although my guest and I had to adjust slightly, as the full menu wasn’t ready.
First of all, even though the menu stated that seasonal vegetable crostini was the starter, it wasn’t (and, at last mention, won’t be); instead, each CRW table will have a bowl of potato chips with creme fraiche topped with caviar—which definitely works for me. The French onion soup grantinée was absolutely wonderful, although my friend opted for the Brussels sprouts chips; I initially gave those chips a sideways glance but actually enjoyed them, thanks in no small part to the topping of citrus sea salt.
And the entrees are pretty stunning. The tender beef bourguignon might make you think of Julia Child while the roasted Faroe Island salmon (with braised lentils, cucumber raita and herbs. For dessert, we shared a decadent chocolate mousse cake that was similar to the CRW dessert (which is accompanied with chantilly cream and coffee beans).
Francois Frankie’s lunch (a $30 meal with options such as the Little Frankie burger and the aforementioned chocolate mousse cake) and dinner are under the watchful eye of Chef Matt Ayala, who has returned after working at other restaurants such as Cochon Volant Brasserie. Please be sure to visit this restaurant during CRW; it’s worth the trip.
The Banchet Awards
On Jan. 26, the annual Jean Banchet Awards—honoring the best of Chicago’s culinary scene—were held at Venue Six10, in Chicago’s Loop.
James Beard Award-winning Chef Roland Liccioni was honored for his four decades working in Chicago’s dining industry. Best known for Les Nomades and for leading Le Francais with Jean Banchet, he received the event’s highest honor: the Culinary Excellence of the Year Award.
Avec was named Restaurant of the Year over El Che Steakhouse, Elske and Rose Mary. Other winners included Otto Phan, of Kyōten (Chef of the Year); Maxwells Trading’s Chris Jung (Rising Chef of the Year); Bisous (Bar of the Year); Stumara (Best Heritage Restaurant); Le Bouchon (Best Neighborhood Restaurant); Ragadan (Best Counter Service); and Cariño (Best New Restaurant).
Other honors were bestowed upon Jelena Prodan (Sommelier of the Year); Dear Margaret (Best Hospitality); Tre Dita (Best Design); Elske’s TC Lumbar (Pastry Chef of the Year) and Spacca Napoli Pizzeria (Best Pizza of the Year).
Note: SAVOR visits are pre-arranged, unless otherwise indicated.
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