The reign of Spain: Wicker Park’s Mama Delia receives a Michelin Bib Gourmand
We at Bonhomme Hospitality love a good challenge.
During the downtime of Covid, we decided it was time to give our beloved Black Bull an update after a successful 9-year run. In June 2020, we launched Mama Delia, a Restaurant, Sherry Bar and Ultramarino (neighborhood gourmet market), offering Chicago a contemporary Spanish culinary experience. This past May, Michelin took notice and awarded it a Bib Gourmand.
“As our guests’ knowledge of Spanish food and ingredients grew, we kept pace, challenging local palates with new ingredients and dishes along the way as we explored the rich regional history of a country close to our hearts,” says Bonhomme Group Founder and Creative Director Daniel Alonso.
“We’ve continued to work with our purveyors in Spain — our friends, really — to ensure the products we use are the very best that each special corner of the country has to offer. Via our frequent trips to Spain each year, we have been able to experience first-hand all the culinary shifts this dynamic country has experienced and bring those innovations directly back to our guests."
Created by Maison Bonhomme, Bonhomme Group’s concept and design studio, Mama Delia embraces an evolution in Spanish dining that showcases Exec Chef Marcos Campos’ favorite ingredients from Spain, his growing relationships with some of the country’s finest purveyors, and his passion for discovering new flavors and techniques from around the world and right here in Chicago. Mama Delia also reflects the current culinary direction in Spain of embracing cultural diversity while respecting its roots.
That means at Mama Delia you’ll find dishes ranging from Huevos Rotos Shooter (chorizo & oyster sofrito, truffle egg yolk, fried egg and potato foam) and Datiles de la Mancha (cured lamb belly-stuffed dates) to some of the best paella in Chicago.
At the heart of Mama Delia's wine program is a focus on natural wines that comes, well, naturally. While natural and organic wines may be trendy right now, that’s been business as usual for years at a number of vineyards in Spain and Portugal, many of which are represented at Mama Delia. Like the food, Mama Delia’s cocktails aren’t afraid to utilize exotic ingredients and sometimes wander into savory territory.
“I feel that one of our greatest strengths as a diverse multicultural team of creatives is our shared passion for storytelling, people and culture,” says Alonso. “At Mama Delia, we combine these individual and collective pursuits with folkloric Spanish traditions and culinary conventions to create a distinct aesthetic approach.”
