Mexique

Location – 1529 W Chicago Ave (between Armour & Ashland)

In one word – Haricots verts (GB Note:  BYOBoy, this is TWO words…just saying)

Food – Concept : Mexican with an emphasis on French influence. Sounds great, but it didn’t quite come together on a plate. The brunch options were limited, but the place smelled great nonetheless. Fresh.

Any restaurant that calls itself French should make a good quiche, so I tried it here. *Sigh* It was a bit soggy and I think it had deli ham in it? I was confused, and not really into my meal. My date had the stuffed crepes, which were saved by the poblano sauce. Her green beans were amazing though. Score one for the French.

I think my hesitation with this place is that I’m not so sure what they’re trying to do with the whole Mex/French thing. It’s not fusion. It’s more like a highlighting of French influences in Mexican cuisine resulting from the occupation (circa 1860). Muy muy Meta. It has great potential, so I will be coming back for dinner, or for the mussels (when I have baller status).

Drink – I had a Bloody Mary (with cucumber!), my date, a Mimosa. Both delicious. I was surprised to hear there was no espresso. Minus French points.

Service – No line, no wait. There were maybe four other groups there on a Sunday. We were seated promptly. Our orders were taken quickly. I think my quiche delayed our meals a bit, but aside from that, I was impressed with how speedy they were. I am a klutz and spilled my drink and our server brought me a new one and said, “It was the glass’s fault.” Cute.

Scene – Super casual. The décor is great. The space is small, but they use it well. I personally take all things French very seriously, but I also don’t need an occasion to dress up. Another party had a girl with a women’s lacrosse hoodie from my alma mater, and I was close to saying “Put a real shirt on girl, you’re making me look bad!” Don’t wear school/sports/hoodies to brunch.

Occasion – This could be a nice dinner date. Or a brunch for four?

Cost – Solid $15, $20 with drink.

If you like…, try – Bom Bon Americano, Mundial, Maize.

Written by BYOBoy

Angels and Mariachis

Location – 1721 W. Division (Division and Hermitage)

http://www.angelschicago.com/

In one word – Michelada

Food – The way the owners describe their place a “taco bar and rock cantina” is amazingly accurate. My eating partner and I stopped here for a late night bite. I sampled the tacos al pastor (pork). My dish was a platter full of pork with grilled vegetables. On the side I was given tortillas to make tacos (each order gives you 3-4 tacos). The food was fine, but nothing to get particularly excited about. I don’t think I would come here for a full dinner again. Instead, I might grab an fail-safe appetizer like nachos or guacamole.

Drink – So my eating partner told me about this drink called a Michelada. Maybe you’re more drink saavy than I, but this was my first foray into this beer cocktail. It feels like you’re drinking a Bloody Mary meets Margarita meets beer. It was a whole lot of flavor, more than I could handle.

Service – We were there late on a Saturday night. By that point in the night, most people were there just for drinks instead of an actual meal. Despite this, our server paid enough attention to us. I couldn’t hear most of what he said though because the restaurant was SO loud.

Scene – This place is like eating during Dia de los Muertos all year long. I stared at a bunch of skulls hanging on the wall through out the meal. Totally distracting. I stand by my opinion that Wicker Park is the new Lincoln Park. So, if you’re there late at night, expect to see at least one Trixie crying in the bathroom because she’s reading too much into the fact that her crush didn’t acknowledge her when he walked in that evening.

Dress – If you’re me, you’ll wear a comfortable cotton dress with appropriate give (because you know you’ll finish that plate of nachos). Otherwise, you can get by with some clever hipster t-shirt and jeans.

Cost – Tacos and a Michelada cost me $16. If I liked the meal more, I would have considered this a steal.

If you like, try…Uncle Julio’s Hacienda, Zapatista

Frontera Grill

Location – 445 N. Clark (Clark and Hubbard)

http://www.rickbayless.com/restaurants/grill.html

http://www.fronterakitchens.com/restaurants/restaurants.html

In one word – Stirring

Food – As you probably know, Frontera Grill is run by the renowned chef Rick Bayless.  This guy is the expert when it comes to creating gourmet Mexican food.  Frontera is the middle priced option in Bayless’s restaurant mix.  After scouring the menu for a while (over pretty fab guac), I finally settled on pork tacos.  Yes, I wanted to pick something a little more sexy, perhaps something with mole, but my stomach led me to the tacos.  I wasn’t disappointed.  Everything on my plate was wonderfully seasoned.  The food really felt sophisticated.  Surprisingly, I was stuffed after lunch, so I didn’t take advantage of dessert…this time.

Drink – You drink the margarita here.  I was content with the standard Gold Margarita.  At first, I thought it tasted weak.  Then an eating partner instructed me to stir it and all of sudden, it was perfect.  My only beef is that if I order a drink, it should be ready to drink when I get it.  Needing an extra stir is minor, but if you have a reputation to hold, take care of the details.

Service – Despite the stirring episode, the service overall was good.  We came at lunch, when the restaurant is unexpectedly busy.  I always felt well attended to and our server was able to give us good recommendations and confirmed I was doing something good in ordering the pork tacos.

Scene – It’s lively here.  There’s music playing and colorful art all over the walls.  Compared to its more upscale neighbor Topolobambo, Frontera is more business casual.  Jeans and a tee would be under dressing, but a suit is overdressing.

Cost – You’ll probably dole out $30 – 40 here for dinner.

If you like, try…De Cero, Zapatista

Mundial

Location – 1640 W. 18th Street (18th and Ashland)

In one word – Friendly

Food – I was really excited to visit Mundial as I had received so many recommendations to go there. Mundial changes their menu (which I loved), so my experienced eating partner had as new of a menu as I did. We started with the empanadas. I liked that the dough was really flakey! For my main, I got the squash ravioli. It was served with a coconut cream sauce, probably not the healthiest choice…but those are the sacrificies I make in order to report on good food! We then ordered two desserts – both full of cream and sugar. My favorite was actually the ice cream recommended to us by our server.

Drink – The place is BYOB. As you know, I’m a real fan of BYOB, it’s the easiest way to keep costs down in a meal.

Service – I think by the end of the meal, we were good friends with our server. She took pleasure in the fact that we enjoyed the meal. It was really refreshing to be in a place where the staff felt responsible for whether or not their customers had a good experience.

Scene – I thought it was going to be a lot more trendy than it was. On a Thursday night, the place was filled with 30 and 40-somethings. I noticed that the floor was linoleum, which gives the restaurant a more casual vibe.

Dress – No need to dress up, especially going into summer. You’d be fine in jeans and a nice shirt (for both men and women)

Cost – We ordered a lot and I tipped really well, as a result, it was $39/person. However, I think you don’t have to order as much and could eat for $30.

If you like, try…May Street Cafe

Zocalo

Location – 358 W. Ontario (Ontario and Orleans)

www.zocalochicago.com

In one word – Spicy

Food – I went to Zocalo when it first opened and didn’t have a satisfying experience. I equated it to the restaurant being new, still trying to find its groove. I went back last weekend. Still not satisfied. My general complaint was that the spices were too powerful. I couldn’t taste anything because of the burning sensation on my tongue. We started with the trio of guacamole. This was the high point of the meal. You get the traditional guac, the spicy guac and a fruit guac served with tortilla and plantain chips. I loved the plantain chips. For my entree, I tried the tilapia tacos. While I’m no chef, I felt like I could make it at home. I didn’t need to pay someone else to do it. Besides there being too much spice, the tacos were kind of soggy. My eating partners chose the enchiladas and the skirt steak. Same issue – the food was too spicy.

Drink – This place is known for its tequila selection, but we opted to get a bottle of cheap wine (Santa Rita Reserve). It wasn’t amazing, but it helped make the spice go away.

Service – I found our server to be very pleasant and able to answer all of our questions about the menu.

Scene – With our early dinner reservation (6:30), I found it hard to judge the scene. When we were dining, it seemed like a lot of 30-something groups of friends were having dinner. At that hour, most of the clientele was from the neighborhood. The bar area is quite large, so I’m curious if it starts getting more sceney later in the night.

Dress – Jeans works just fine. Beware of a potential influx of halter tops, I think a lot of folks come here before going to the clubs in River North.

Cost – I paid $34. I thought it was too much for what I got. I left with buyer’s remorse.

If you like, try…Lalo’s, de cero

Salpicon

Location – 1252 N. Wells (Wells and Division)

www.salpicon.com

In one word – Broadway

Food – We came here for a friend’s birthday, so we were somewhat indulgent. Here’s what we ordered: guacamole picado (standard, but that’s good in my eyes) and queso empanizado (kind of reminds me of Greek saganaki). None of the entrees grabbed me that night, so I opted for two appetizers as my main course: Ensalada espinica con queso de cabra (spinach salad with goat cheese and sesame seeds, unexpectedly satisfying) and one of the specials, empanadas filled with lamb (also quite satisfying). Three of my eating partners had the chiles dona queta (peppers stuffed with veggies), which they were raving about. That might be the perfect vegetarian meal here. The other eating partner had the double-cut pork chop, which he said was just okay. For dessert, we had the tres leches cake. That was some good stuff. I would come back here just for that; it was like eating whipped cream (which is a good thing).

Drinks – We sampled the margaritas. Nothing amazing, but they quenched my thirst.

Service – This is where my “In one word” comes from. I had some issues with our server. I felt like he was using his time at our table as his audition for a Broadway revue, at any moment he was going to break out into a showtune complete with jazz hands. His performance was over the top. Telling me the specials doesn’t have to be done as a soliloquy. One thing I can say is that he knew his stuff. Every question we threw his way, he was able to answer in his stage voice. He was being shadowed by a trainee, which was a little bit awkward. The trainee kept crowding one of my eating partners when she and the Broadway server came by the table, the restaurant obviously hasn’t taught her about personal space yet.

Occasion – It’s not super cheap here, so it’s better to come when you have an occasion to celebrate. Birthdays, dates you want to impress, and anniversaries (not the super important ones) are perfect for this spot.

Dress – This is one of those places where if you make any effort, you’re okay. Old Town isn’t super formal, so nice jeans or a cute dress work.

Price – We split the meal and each paid $56 including tip. Like I said, not super cheap, but I was very full when we left.

If you like, try…Zocalo

Adobo Grill

Location – 1610 N. Wells (North and Wells) or 2005 W. Division (Division and Damen)

www.adobogrill.com

In one word – Guacamole

Food – When you get here, order the guacamole before even looking at the menu.  It’s their claim to fame.  They’ll have someone come to your table to make the guac to your specifications.  My friends and I then shared four appetizers:  quesadillas (which have huitlacoche, my favorite!), empanadas potosinas (this was the best), salbutes de pollo (marinated chicken on tostadas) and taquitos dorados (filled with mushrooms and potatoes).  For the four of us, this was a perfectly portioned meal.

Drink – The server told us that they have the best margarita in the city, so we tried it.  Best?  I don’t know, but it was good and worth ordering.

Service – While a little bit nerdy, our server was attentive.  No complaints from me.

Occasion – This place is great when a friend from out of town visits.  It’s loud and has a party feel to it.  A lot of people come here before seeing Second City (which is next door to the North/Wells location).  If you want less of a scene, go to the one in Wicker Park.  It’s big and isn’t as cramped as the Old Town sibling.

Cost – For a margarita and my share of the guacamole and the four other appetizers, I paid $22.  I thought that this was reasonable.

If you like, try…de cero, Uncle Julio’s Hacienda, Carnivale

Xel-Ha

Location – 710 N. Wells

In one word – Guacamole

Food – This new spot in River North is all about the cuisine of the Yucatan Peninsula (that’s in Mexico, idiot). I went as a party of 6 and no one was disappointed. I have an unhealthy love for huitlacoche (it’s a corn fungus that’s considered a delicacy), so I ordered the quesadillas filled with fungus. It was excellent, fresh ingredients, interesting salsas. I had a bite of a venison taco and realized I should have ordered that as well. The chopped venison is served cold with fresh tortillas. We also indulged in guacamole and I think it’s one of the better versions in Chicago.

Drinks – The variety of cocktails at Xel-Ha is vast. They specialize in wine and tequila. But, I decided to try the mojito de milagro since the bartender recommended it. It was great, not too sweet and went down easy (too easy, watch yourself). I also sampled the Xel -Ha margarita. It comes in one of those giant goblets, which immediately indicates that it ought to be a group effort. The rest of my party tried the mojito boz, which is a blackberry mojito. Not sure if it was the best pick, but they enjoyed it.

Service – So as a large party, I believe they stuck us in the ‘party room,’ i.e. a closet on the side of the restaurant away from the rest of the patrons. I was offended at first, but after a while, we grew into the space. Thankfully, despite being removed from the rest of the restaurant, they did not forget us. The service here was eager. They’re still in that period where they need to develop a customer base, so we got great recommendations and the food came in a timely fashion.

Occasion – It’s actually pretty nice here. You could come for work or with sophisticated friends and not be disappointed. I saw a couple date scenarios (albeit they were all very awkward dates). It’s another time where you might have to put away the fleece, but you can still wear your jeans.

Cost – It’s not cheap. For my meal and two drinks I spent $40. So it’ll be some modest meals for me till the next payday.

If you like…, try – Zocalo

Caliente

Location – 3910 N. Sheridan

www.calientechicago.com

In one word – Unfulfilling

Food – Okay, I am usually easily sold on Mexican food, but Caliente just didn’t do it for me. I found the food to be far too standard. There was nothing special about it, they gave me no reason to trek all the way to Uptown. I started with the ensalada fresca which sounded promising: spinach, mango, jimaca, cucumber and an orange vinegrette. Only I never found the vinegrette. Call me picky, but I don’t go for the dressing-less salad. I had the tamales as well…nothing exciting to report. My table shared the empanadas, there were supposed to be three types. Only two varieties ended up at our table…Entree portions are large here, but I’m a fan of quality over quantity.

Drink – It’s BYOB, which I appreciate given that I’m still struggling with my New Year’s resolution to stay within my budget.

Service – Pretty standard. Our waiter knew about the dishes and went to ask the chef for any of our left field questions. There’s a relaxed feel about this place, so the service is not too formal.

Occasion – I came to catch up with friends, that seemed to be the general trend amongst the other patrons. You could probably come here if you were in a very stable relationship and wanted to go some place low key (and not impressive).

Dress – Jeans are totally appropriate. Anything more would be overdressed.

Cost – You’d probably spend $20 – 30 a person here. The portions are huge, so I’m pretty sure you’ll go home with a doggie bag, but I still don’t know if this place is worth the price.

If you like…, try – Uncle Julio’s Hacienda (but keep in mind that Caliente is much much much more low key than UJH)

de cero

Location – 814 W Randolph

www.decerotaqueria.com

In one word – Margarita

Food – They have dubbed this place a “modern day taqueria.” I don’t know if that claim is truly on par, but I do still like it here. What’s good about it is that the food is simple and clean (“de cero” = “from scratch”). It’s Mexican food without the usual side effects. I love their taco sampler. It’s sort of the “greatest hits” of the restaurant.

Drink – Guava margarita and hibiscus margarita are my recos.

Service – Not the best part of the place, but no reason to keep you away.

Occasion – You can go to DC for really any occasion, though it does seem as if the place is mostly full of couples (not necessarily romantic couples, just pairs of people eating together).

Scene – Like the food, the look of this place is really clean. All the aesthetics really come from the patrons.

Dress - Trendy works here, but you can stay casual.

Cost – $30 will get you a drink, an appetizer and an entrée (and possibly dessert).

If you like…, try – avec