Frontier ( 1072 N. Milwaukee Ave.; TheFrontierChicago.com ) is seeming ly known for two things: serving primarily Southern cuisine and offering dishes that border on the unusual/rare. ( In the past, I've tried everything from gator ribs to llama meatballs at Frontier, but the place has also served animals such as black bear and even kangaroo. )
Having gone to a brunch at the restaurant recently, I can say that the items there aren't as exotic ( although there is a beef-tongue dish as well as an ostrich burger ). However, the items that are on the menu are more than enough reason to check out Frontier on weekends.
Culinary items are divided into "Oats & Grains," "Brunch Sweets," "Bar Snacks," "Burgers & Sandwiches" and "Eggs." My guest and I sampled items such as the solid deviled eggs ( with chives, cayenne and extra-virgin olive oil ) and the beignets ( larger than the traditional ones, and pretty tasty ).
As for the main dish, I opted for the smoked boar hash—pulled boar shoulder with sweet peppers, red onion, cilantro, potatoes, fried egg and sriracha sauce. The dish was quite good—although I encountered some unexpected heat because of the salsa at the base of the dish. ( I had requested the sriracha on the side and the salsa wasn't listed on the menu. ) Nevertheless, the salsa's heat added to the dish and certainly didn't overwhelm the shoulder.
My friend ordered the chicken biscuit—a concoction with a cheddar-and-leek biscuit, a fried chicken thigh, banana peppers, molasses mustard and cheddar cheese, with the result being a mile-high sandwich that could satisfy almost any appetite. I also ordered the blueberry pop tart to go; it's a tasty supersized hand pie with some crunch, thanks to the almonds sprinkled on top.
Among some of the other dishes Frontier offers for brunch are shrimp-and-corn grits, a bacon flight ( pig-jowl bacon, Frontier Berkshire bacon and wagyu beef bacon ), an ahi-tuna sandwich and a kale salad that comes with jamon—although I suspect vegetarians can say "no" to the jamon. It all adds up to a fine place to try something different ( but not too different ) for brunch.
Dining Out for Life
The annual event Dining Out for Life will take place Thursday, April 28, in various cities across North America. Dine at one of the 3,000 participating restaurants in nearly 60 cities and that restaurant will donate a portion of the day's proceeds to fund HIV/AIDS care, prevention, education, testing, counseling and other essential services in their city.
Volunteer spokespeople include Ted Allen, host of Food Network's Chopped, actor Pam Grier ( Foxy Brown, Jackie Brown ), designer Mondo Guerra, winner of Lifetime's Project Runway All-Stars, and chef Daisy Martinez from Food Network's Viva Daisy.
Chicago is among the cities participating this year. Some of the others include Atlanta, Indianapolis, Philadelphia and the Delaware Valley, Houston, Vancouver Island, Seattle, Key West and San Francisco.
See DiningOutForLife.com .
