Churro and chocolate at XOCO
My friend and I decided on a whim to check out XOCO, the new restaurant offering from Rick Bayless. It just opened Tuesday, and neither of us had read much by way of reviews, so we weren’t quite sure what to expect.
We had to wait in line for about a half hour (1/3 to 1/4 the usual wait of neighboring Frontera Grill), but while in line we got to watch the bustle of the open kitchen, as cooks slid delicious looking tortas in and out of the wood-fired oven. Adding to the fun, Bayless himself was there, offering advice and direction to his staff, sampling the food, and occasionally taking time out to meet a fan, pose for a picture, and even check Twitter.
The highlight, to be sure, had to be the churros and chocolate. Not the doughy travesties you get at the ballpark, Bayless’ churros were crisp and soft, with a bit of chocolate added to the salty-sweet covering. And at $3 for a plate of 3, they were impossible to pass up.
And the chocolate … unquestionably the best hot chocolate I’ve ever had. I had the Barcelona, which looked to be the richest mug on the menu. It was thick without being heavy and the perfect balance of sweetness and bitterness.
The only odd thing about the churros and chocolate was that we ended up having to eat them before the rest of our meal. Since you place your order at the counter after standing in line for a half hour, you have to order everything at once. And they hand you fresh churros right there at the register, with the chocolate following shortly after you find your seat. It didn’t ruin the meal in the slightest, but it was still a little unorthodox to start a meal with dessert.
Of course, now I want to start every meal with dessert.
