Deconstructionism/Reconstructionism

Similarly, Rick Bayless describes the cuisine he serves at his Chicago restaurants as “classic Mexican food with contemporary twists in a contemporary context.” But, in his opinion, “the most important thing we do is understand the soul of what’s being done in the cuisine and capture that in our food. Flavors should take you to the heart of a cuisine.” Bayless believes that the culture and substance of Mexican cuisine lie in its sauces, so he is careful to respect the integrity of all the sauces prepared in his restaurants. “They’re all prepared traditionally; we don’t take any liberties at all. Deciding which meat or seafood to pair it with is almost an afterthought,” he says. “And we also respect another tradition of using lots of sauce on the plate.” Beyond this, Bayless’s own interpretation comes into play when deciding which meat to pair with which sauce, whether the meat should be roasted or stewed, and how the dish will be plated and presented to the customer. The success of his interpretations is determined in part by his restaurants’ Mexican customers, to whom he says he listens carefully. “When they tell me ‘this dish tastes just like home’ or ‘that transported me back to my childhood,’ I know we’re on the right track,” he says.