Kahlo-inspired drinks, menu items tie in to the Frida exhibit
Visitors taking in the visual splendors of the "Frida Kahlo: Timeless" art exhibit this summer will have many opportunities to "team with the theme" via Mexican cuisine.
Many restaurants and bars in Glen Ellyn, Wheaton and surrounding suburbs are creating Kahlo-inspired drinks and dishes to capitalize on the art exhibit set to open June 5 at College of DuPage.
For instance, the Santa Fe Mexican Restaurant in Glen Ellyn plans to offer a "Frida Flight of Tequila" from its bar. The golf course restaurant Reserve 22 at Village Links of Glen Ellyn has added flourishes to its taco buffet bar directly from "Frida's Fiestas: Recipes and Reminiscences of Life with Frida Kahlo: A Cookbook," which was compiled by Kahlo's stepdaughter Guadalupe Rivera with author Marie-Pierre Colle.
"We already have a booking for 30 people busing in from Wisconsin who wanted a luncheon after their tour of the exhibit," said Reserve 22 food and beverage director Brad Chapple.
He also touted the restaurant's tropical greenery on its outdoor patio as a visual attraction.
"We're joining in the hullabaloo," said Alicia Hauge, a co-owner of Common Good Cocktail House in Glen Ellyn. "Other people's art inspires our art."
Hague said Common Good Cocktail House is creating cocktails with plant garnishes inspired by Kahlo's artwork. They're also engaging with a San Diego-based artist who goes by the moniker Catathant this summer to create artwork for the bar.
"Patrons will be able to sip on Frida Kahlo-inspired drinks in the patio while Frida Kahlo-inspired art sits in the background," Hague said.
Other area dining spots are ready to serve Frida fans. In Wheaton, specialty menus can be found at Extract Juicery, Suzette's Creperie, Altiro Latin Fusion and Hale Street Cantina.
Other participants include Lombard and Glendale Heights locations of El Famous Burrito. Elsewhere in Glen Ellyn are the Mexican restaurant A Toda Madre, while Two Hound Red is producing a Mexican-style dark lager.
And for amateur chefs, Marcel's Cooking Experience in Glen Ellyn is offering several Mexican cuisine cooking classes this summer, with the Kahlo exhibit as an inspiration.
"I think it's such an honor for COD and Glen Ellyn to have this exhibit," said Jill Foucré, the owner of Marcel and specialty food shop Marché. "I don't think of this as necessarily cashing in, but if tons of people come to downtown Glen Ellyn this summer, that's fantastic and we'll be ready."
One establishment missing from the fun is perhaps the most obvious: the on-campus, College of DuPage student-run gourmet restaurant Waterleaf. According to COD spokeswoman Jen Duda, Waterleaf is currently not scheduled to reopen this summer due to ongoing COVID-19 protocols.
But it's also clear that area restaurants and bars are more than ready to capitalize on Kahlo.