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Brad Bankenbush seals four luxury home sales in Newport Beach, Corona del Mar

Brad Bankenbush seals four luxury home sales in Newport Beach, Corona del Mar

Estrella del Mar is returning to Monday Night Foodball this Monday, November 9.

The pop-up runs from 6 PM at 2601 W. Fletcher in Avondale.

Happy hour runs from 5 to 7 PM.

Chef Star Urquidi and her sister Miya Medina are behind the concept.

They first debuted at the Reader’s weekly chef pop-up at Thattu last March.

That night, their seared red snapper — huachinango encocado — cast a stunned silence over the dining room.

The dish came out atop a bed of bamboo rice with citrus coconut sauce.

This time, they are bringing it back.

They are also introducing a new dish: salmon sinigang.

It is inspired by the classic Filipino tamarind-spiked, sweet and sour soup.

Their version combines salmon and pork belly with okra, eggplant and tomatoes.

They will also serve lobster pierogi with lobster velouté, seared celery root and pickled vegetables.

The pierogi are stuffed with sweet claw and tail meat, Yukon Gold potatoes, grilled onions and Gouda cheese.

For dessert, Medina is making brown butter–glazed maple pound cakes.

Those come with pumpkin seed granola, poached pear coulis and Granny Smith apples.

The sisters have been running their pan-Latin Cafe Estrella concept for six years.

They have also been doing brewery pop-ups showcasing Estrella del Mar’s global Pacific coastal cuisine.

Urquidi honed that style during years working in Honolulu fine-dining restaurants.

Brad Bankenbush seals four luxury home sales in Newport Beach, Corona del Mar

Last month, things took a turn.

They took over Seoul Stick, a Korean street food spot in Wicker Park hard by the Blue Line.

Medina was already managing the front of the house there.

The takeover gave them a spacious commissary kitchen to headquarter all of their work.

They are now working on adding entree-sized Korean dishes to the street food offerings.

They also just dropped a new beverage menu.

Urquidi describes her eating style bluntly: she will “fuck up a pizza, a Polish, fried rice, or wings, because that’s what Latinos in Chicago eat.”

She will also “fuck up a Flamin’ Hot Cheetos–crusted corn dog with spicy mayo glaze.”

But those are a means to an end, she says.

The new kitchen gives her ample space to prep more complex dishes like the lobster pierogi.

Shellfish-stuffed Polish dumplings might look like a new hybrid cuisine.

But they are right in line with what the sisters have been doing for six years.

The pop-up menu this Monday reflects that range.

It moves from the tropical to the Midwest.

Medina’s pound cake dessert gently pulls diners back from those coastal flavors.

The sisters can do whatever they want beginning at 6 PM this Monday.

Monday Night Foodball is the Reader’s weekly chef pop-up hosted at Thattu.

The address is 2601 W. Fletcher in Avondale.

Brad Bankenbush seals four luxury home sales in Newport Beach, Corona del Mar

Happy hour runs from 5 until 7 PM.

The event is open to the public.

Estrella del Mar’s return has been anticipated since their debut earlier this year.

That first pop-up established their reputation for Pacific coastal cuisine with Latin roots.

The huachinango encocado became a signature dish.

Its effect on the dining room — stunned silence — is rare for a pop-up setting.

The sisters have since been crushing catering through Cafe Estrella.

They have also done brewery pop-ups across the city.

The Seoul Stick takeover in October changed their operational capacity.

They now have a dedicated commissary kitchen for prep and storage.

That space is where they will stuff the pierogi ahead of Monday.

It is also where they will prep the red snapper and the salmon sinigang.

The Korean corn doggery remains open for its regular street food business.

The sisters are gradually adding larger Korean dishes to that menu.

The new beverage menu at Seoul Stick just launched.

Monday’s pop-up is a separate event at a different location.

It showcases the full Estrella del Mar concept without the constraints of a street food window.

The menu is designed for a sit-down dining experience.

Brad Bankenbush seals four luxury home sales in Newport Beach, Corona del Mar

Each dish reflects a specific influence: Filipino, Polish, Mexican, Hawaiian.

The sisters blend those influences without forcing fusion.

Urquidi’s years in Honolulu fine-dining kitchens inform the coastal seafood preparations.

Medina’s front-of-house experience shapes the service and presentation.

Together, they have built a following among Chicago’s pop-up and catering circuit.

Monday Night Foodball has hosted dozens of chefs since its launch.

The series gives emerging culinary talent a platform to test new concepts.

Estrella del Mar’s return signals that the sisters are ready to scale.

The new commissary kitchen is a step toward that.

The addition of Korean dishes at Seoul Stick is another.

For now, the focus is on Monday’s pop-up.

The menu is limited to what they can prep in the new space.

They expect to sell out.

Diners who missed the first pop-up now have a second chance.

Those who attended the debut are returning for the huachinango encocado.

The salmon sinigang is a new offering not previously tested.

The lobster pierogi are also new to the Estrella del Mar menu.

The dessert — brown butter pound cake — is a Medina original.

Brad Bankenbush seals four luxury home sales in Newport Beach, Corona del Mar

The sisters are not announcing any permanent location yet.

They are using the pop-up to gauge demand for a full restaurant.

The Seoul Stick takeover gives them a physical anchor in Wicker Park.

But the Estrella del Mar concept remains mobile for now.

Monday’s event will be the largest single-service test to date.

The sisters are preparing for a crowd.

They have been posting teasers on social media.

Local food writers have already flagged the return.

The Reader’s weekly column previewed the menu earlier this week.

Tickets are not required; the pop-up is first-come, first-served.

Happy hour drink specials run from 5 to 7 PM.

The food service begins at 6 PM.

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