porkapalooza

Hey Swavory readers, aka the charming and dapper Matthew. Sorry for the delay in posts, I've been jamming out in Chicago the past few days at Lollapalooza. I had bookmarked a massive list of restaurant to try in Chicago but I got distracted by the music and made it out to only one - Rick Bayless' Xoco. I ventured out for the tortas and was pleasantly surprised when i saw their dessert menu.Guess which one I ordered?
The Maple-pecan-bacon streusel with salted caramel sauce of course!
Not the most beautiful presentation, (though it did come in a compostable cup) nor the most delicious combination of ingredients, but it was tasty. A 2.5/5. It tasted like normal soft serve with caramel and granola, the maple, pecan and bacon flavors were overpowered by the dairy. I'd recreate it with bigger chunks of bacon, candied pecans and the salted caramel and toppings whipped in, mcflurry style.

The dairy came in handy when we ordered our tortas. My friend Char ordered the Cochinita Pibil, wood roasted suckling pig with achiote, black beans and pickled onions. The torta came with a side of habanero sauce which the waiter warned was spicy upon delivery. Being the extremley competitve person Char is she challenged the waiter and proceeded to drink the habanero sauce all in one gulp.

The waiter was so impressed he brought us a free sandwich, an Ahogada - golden pork carnitas, black beans, tomato broth, spicy arbol chile sauce, and pickled onions. Char then proceeded to slurp all of the soft serve, down an iced coffee and a glass of milk and then spent the next 20 minutes in the bathroom.
A fiery start to a fiery night with Gaga rising to the occassion with her sparkler bra.
Next time I'm in Chicago. Urban Belly and Belly Shack for Urban Belly Ramen and Bacon Chocolate Chip Soft Serve.