Rick Bayless has taken to social media to celebrate the seventh birthday of one of his most notable restaurants.
The chef and restaurateur, 71, whose speciality is traditional Mexican cuisine with modern interpretations, was referring to Chicago’s Bar Sótano. The establishment turned seven on November 19.
Oklahoma native Bayless is, of course, best known for his PBS series “Mexico: One Plate at a Time.” He boasts a plethora of culinary accolades, including a Michelin star and winning the first season of Bravo’s “Top Chef Masters” back in 2009.
Rick Bayless Celebrates ‘One of My Favorite Spaces’
Rick Bayless took to his Instagram account to share the news of Bar Sótano’s seventh birthday with his 578,000 followers.
The post consists of two photographs and three videos — the most notable of which is undoubtedly Bayless giving a speech to his customers and staff to mark Bar Sótano’s big day. In the speech, he describes the future as “really bright for us” before calling the establishment “one of my favorite spaces in all of our restaurants.”
He captioned the post, saying, “Woohoo! We just turned 7 at Bar Sótano!! Yeah, I know— lots of you don’t even know about our mezcal cocktail bar (with a wonderfully talented kitchen under the supervision of Jackie Hernandez). It’s small and cozy with cocktails and a wide range of food all crafted right in front of you. Trouble is there’s no street entrance. You go in the alley behind Frontera, enter and go downstairs. That’s where we are waiting for you!”
Bayless’ Followers Wish Bar Sótano ‘Feliz Cumpleaños”
GettyBayless’ post featured numerous comments from his followers wishing his restaurant a “Happy Birthday” (“Feliz Cumpleaños” in Spanish).
One follower wrote, “Feliz cumpleaños @barsotanochi – chef Jackie is the best!!”
An additional user said, “Congratulations 🎊🎉🎈🍾,” while another wrote, “Happy Birthday!”
Someone else simply went with a load of celebratory emojis, commenting, “❤️🙌🔥👏😍🥳🎂.”
Bar Sótano’s official website describes it as follows: “Bar Sótano takes you deep into the heart of Mexico, away from the beaches and Big Bus tours. Bar Sótano’s lifeline is the markets. Where aromatic waves wash over you from the fruit stalls. Where meat vendors set out every part of the pig as a prize. Where herb stands promise health in a hundred or more flavors. Where chiles transform from a single-note spice to a symphonic full-body experience.”
It continues: “Mexico’s cuisine, of course, is an ancient and complex one, always adapting and evolving from its millennia-old indigenous roots through encounters with the kitchens of Spain, Islam, Southeast Asia, France and its neighbors to the north. Which means that the country’s collective cookbook is vast, and the craftsmanship of those who keep these flavors alive is remarkable. True, too, of those who craft dozens of agave varieties into distillates called mezcal or sotol or raicilla or bacanora or tequila. Just like the markets, Mexico’s master distillers offer a nearly unfathomable variety of flavors.”
Make sure you head down there if you’re ever in the Chicago area. Moreover, Happy Birthday to Bar Sótano from everyone here at EntertainmentNow!
