Last Thursday night myself and few stalwart friends braved the midwest monsoon and headed to Mexx on Rush Street for a pre-birthday celebration (for those of you that want to mark the actual date on your calendar for future reference it's August 24). Since it was insanity outside and I knew that my neighborhood in Lakeview looked like the tornado scene from Wizard of Oz I was more than happy to instead go out for some Mexican inspired drinks and dinner. Mexx is part of the Whiskey Bar chain and it's right at Rush & State, that's right, sitting right smack dab in the middle of the Viagra Triangle. About 360 days of the year I make fun of this part of town but every so often I get the inkling to make a trip over to the neighborhood and I'm glad I did for Mexx. In what used to be a dark, velveted bark that was total cheesiness that fit right in with the likes of Jilly's. Mexx has been redone into a more rustic, wood-hewn Mexican decor with big, chunky furniture with only the teeniest Mexican flair. While watching for the flock to come in from the storm I had a pomegranate margaritas, while delicious it really tasted nothing like pomegranate and more like the jungle-juice that I used to drink out of a garbage can at fraternity parties. This isn't necessarily a complaint - I loved the jungle juice - it led to many a fun night (I think, it also had the tendency to erase my memory) so needless the drink is strong but if you don't feel like reliving your college years before dinner then you might want to take a pass. As we ordered an appetizer and wondered how many of our friends had been swept away into the Chicago river, Mexx passed the first test for my "what makes a good Mexican restaurant" - they did not skimp on the guacamole!!! They brought a heaping dish in fact and sitting a table with several other chip and guac lovers we weren't even able to finish it. However, I'm glad I saved some room because my dinner was great. A ton of options looked enticing on the menu, ensuring that I'll be back but I went for the steak with some au-gratiny, poblanoey (love that description) potatoes and a light mole sauce - not only was it beautifully plated but it was also a treat going down. And while I didn't sample them the beef enchiladas and chicken poblano that others got at the table also appeared to be enjoyed by our water-logged group. The service was also a bonus, very attentive and friendly with the house manager stopping by several times to check in on everything. My one complaint -no candle in the dessert for me but I blame that on my dining companions rather than the restaurant how could they be expected to know my birthday (this year at least, for next year they better be ready).
Go to Mexx now if you are looking for a little VT vibe without having to inhale a side of beef.
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