Jaunted

· Topolobampo
The classiest of all of the joints, Topolobampo is also the priciest. Since Bayless is into seasonal, sustainable food, the menu changes monthly at Topolo. Happily, right now the restaurant is featuring Bayless's menu from the Top Chef Masters finale, so you can taste that complex 27-ingredient black mole that won raves from the judges. Rachael Ray is a professed fan of Topolo, hailing Bayless's guac with pomegranate seeds as one of her favorite dishes.

· Frontera Grill
Less sleek and chic than Topolo, but as you'll see from the long lines waiting to get a table, that doesn't matter. Frontera won a James Beard Award in 2007 for "Outstanding Restaurant." Plus, Frontera Grill was the first Chicago restaurant Bayless opened, and it's where he made a name for himself. Like Topolo, the seasonal menu changes monthly, but the excellent enchiladas de mole poblano seem to be a menu mainstay and you get to sop up more of that slurpable mole sauce.

· Frontera Fresco
The least expensive of the three Bayless restaurants, with all menu items $7.50 and lower, and its location in the seventh-floor food court at Macy's flagship State Street store makes it reminiscent of a fast-food eatery. But this kind of fast food has more spice than Taco Bell could ever muster, as it focuses on regional Mexican delicacies made with natural ingredients.

You can't go wrong with the shrimp quesadilla with poblano peppers and the sweet corn and green chile tamale stuffed with creamy goat cheese. Best to aim for an early lunch since the latter sells out quickly. The greatest thing about Frontera Fresco is that you'll get to savor Bayless's haute Mexican cuisine without the lines or the big bill.

[Ed Note: one time in Chicago, we went to a sparsely-attended Rick Bayless cookbook signing and ended up eating some of his salsa with him, his wife and his daughter. We still have an autographed empty Frontera salsa jar somewhere. Great guy.]

Related Stories:
· Rick Bayless' Restaurants [RickBayless.com]
· Top Chef Travel Coverage [Jaunted]
· All Food Travel Coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: RickBayless.com]