Bacadilo Market

Marrying his Southern heritage with Spanish techniques, chef James Martin's Chicago kitchen is an ode to both cuisines

My breakfast order at Bocadillo Market got out of control. Ordering a cortado at the granite coffee bar, I caught sight of an almond and egg-yolk-rich pie glowing on the counter. I had to have a slice, along with several of the restaurant's namesake bocadillos. The first of the Spanish sandwiches was a tangle of fried squid drenched in herby aioli. Then, translucent slices of Serrano ham and Mahón cheese, and another of tender pulled smoked lamb rib piled on a bed of fresh herbs and pickled green beans and carrots.

After two hours in the bright, sunny dining room, I was very full, highly caffeinated, and not quite sure where I was.

The sandwiches and coffee were excellent-but I wouldn't describe Bocadillo as an all-day café. The walls are lined with imported Spanish conservas, olive oils, and cured meats, yet to call this place a market doesn't do chef-owner James Martin's vision justice. The menu subtly weaves together both Spanish and Southern food cultures, resulting in dishes like a gambasal-ajillo-inspired shrimp and grits with Manchego cheese and ñora pepper hot sauce that made me wonder why someone hadn't introduced me s this combination of flavors and cooking techniques.

When Martin left fine dining kitchens to start his own restaurant, he didn't want to be confined by expectations that his kitchen would be just one thing. That meant exploring the similarities between Spanish dishes particularly those brought over by the Moors of North Africa and the Low Country-influenced ones he grew up eating as the D.C.born child of Southern parents.