Chef Norman Fenton is at the forefront of Mexican fine dining in Chicago. After earning his stripes at One MICHELIN Star Schwa and Grant Achatz’s The Aviary, he joined Karen Young's fine dining restaurant Wild in Tulum as Executive Chef. There, he discovered his passion for local Mexican flavors, delivering an emotion-provoking dining experience in the jungle.
Bringing his expertise back to the concrete jungle of Chicago, Fenton and Young opened Cariño, serving an intimate and immersive Mexican-inspired tasting menu. Paired with iconic tequila-based cocktails by Denisse Soto, the culinary adventure takes guests on an exciting journey to Mexico.
“Mexican cuisine should have a seat at the same fine dining table as any other highly regarded cuisine in the world,” begins Fenton. “It’s a landscape so rich and complex with tradition and culture that translates into their regional food that just can’t be found anywhere else.”
After training in Chicago fine dining, Chef Fenton moved to Tulum, immersing himself in Mexico’s rich culinary traditions. “The inspiration they provided me with is something I’m forever grateful for: Accepting me into their culture, teaching me many different hyper-regional techniques in their cuisine, and showcasing new ingredients to me.”
With this newfound inspiration, he ventured back to Chicago, where traditional Mexican flavors are uncommon in fine dining, and Cariño was born. Of its captivating dishes, Fenton explains, “I use a very simple approach. I just cook from the heart and from experiences. I choose things that bring me fond memories or overwhelming joy.”
One such dish is oyster michelada, which evokes fond family memories. He reminisces, “that oyster takes me to the tianguis (open-air flea market) in Mexico where I walk through with my wife and children trying the vendors' fare and looking for old soccer cards and foreign currency, while my wife slurps down her michelada that has been studded with octopus and oysters.”
Creative dishes like that adorn the menu, all while never losing the integrity of Mexican flavors. “We don’t shy away from spice; we celebrate it, as they would in Mexico. We nixtamalize all of our own corn in house to create our masa for all of our masa dishes. No matter how modern you get, you just can’t replicate the taste, flavor, and smell of a fresh tortilla without doing it the traditional way.”
Drinks are equally exquisite. Curated by Mexico native Denisse Soto, tequila is a star on the beverage menu. She explains, “tequila is an agave spirit from blue Weber agave. There is a lot you can do to pair a dish with tequila depending on its mineralization and the sugars from the time of maturation on the agave plant.”
Soto starts by choosing the tequila. “There are different brands that are artisanal, and each one has its own ways of making it. I always like to look for the uniqueness behind a bottle, from its family history, the process that they follow, and especially how clean that process is of the specific artisanal spirit.”
Soto reminisces, “José Cuervo has a special edition that is their family reserve on an extra añejo expression. When you go on their tour in México, this is the last expression that they give you to taste, which is amazing. We got inspired by this extra añejo that is aged for [at least] three years, and it represents our culture in every way, from the time they wait on maturing the agave to the aging process, giving this expression many unique profiles.”
She also enjoys blancos and reposados. “I like to taste the profiles of the agave and with a reposado just a little clean layer from the barrel." Reposado tequila is featured in her Southern Manhattan cocktail, which she pairs with Chef Fenton’s huitlacoche ravioli. Of the pairing, Fenton explains, “The toasted nuttiness of Reserva de la Familia lends itself very well to the huitlacoche ravioli studded with many different notes of roasted corn, truffle, and browned milk solids, while cutting through the fattiness of the butter sauce.”
Sharing the full recipe below, Soto adds, “Each ingredient is inspired to pair with the amazing mixtures of our ravioli, full of creamy and soft textures of sweet corn and truffle. This Manhattan is a combination of a sweet corn liqueur, with a chile ancho liqueur to add a bit of spice, and an Argentinian vermouth that adds a slightly dry finish that pairs perfectly with the vanilla, sweet notes, and toasted agave finish from Reserva de la Familia.”
At Cariño, these types of perfect tequila pairings abound. Each drink seamlessly complements each dish, from seafood to meat to desserts. “Fresh dishes like ceviches pair perfectly with tequila,” explains Soto. “It's also perfect with meat to cleanse your palate and appreciate the textures, like a mole, a birria, chiles en nogada. And desserts like dark chocolate, dry fruits or macerated fruits."
One bite, one sip, and you’re there.
Denisse Soto’s Southern Manhattan Cocktail recipe
Ingredients
- 2 oz of Reserva de la Familia Reposado
- 0.75 oz Nixta
- 0.5 oz La Fuerza Vermouth
- 0.25 oz Ancho Reyes Liqueur
- 2 drops of Angostura Bitters
Method
1. In a stirring glass, add all your ingredients, starting from the 2 oz of Reserva de la Familia Reposado, then the 0.75 oz of Nixta, 0.5 oz of La Fuerza Vermouth, 0.25 oz of Ancho Reyes, 2 full drops of Angostura Bitters and then add ice to stir it around for 15 seconds.
2. In a coup add a half of a corn leaf and a Luxardo cherry, to then slowly pour your cocktail over the glass.
Hero image: Kelly Sandos / Chef Norman Fenton
