Number One Platillo in Pilsen! [Fogata Village]

My favorite Platillo in Pilsen!

The best place to start is at number one! I have a few favorites but only one is number one. Fogata Village has the best platillo in Pilsen; the wonderful Teloloapan Combination. This platillo is basically a Carne ala Tampiquena for people who want less steak and more enchildada!

The Teloloapan Combination features 2 enchiladas with the perfect amount of Chihuahua and queso fresco in and around and sprinkled with raw onion. This comes with a 4oz skirt steak and a dollop of guacamole and the standard rice and beans. Although you can get the enchiladas with either red or mole sauce I always go with the red sauce. Before you think I’m crazy to turn down Augustin Bahena’s award winning mole, I have to say these are Grandma style enchiladas. Some of you may have only tasted them at street festivals or church parties.

The enchiladas at Fogata Village feature an enchilada with a “subtle” touch of cheese. It’s about the tortilla and the sauce as the name enchilada explains. It’s always supposed to be about the tortilla and the chile rojo!

This is the way a Mexican housewife would serve a enchilada in Mexico either because dairy prices are so expensive or the centuries old recipe calls for the focus on the tortilla and the sauce. I realize that enchilada suizas were also invented in Mexico, but I believe that the point of those enchiladas was cheese, cheese, cheese. I think cheese is a little over done in that recipe. I’ll stick with the saucy style enchiladas, if you like the cheesy enchilada you’ll have to ask for it at Fogata.

I’m sure there are those of you who would disagree with me about cheesy enchiladas, but I’ve said my piece. Try the Teloloapan Combination a steal at $10.99!

Happy Eating!
Buen Provecho!

Welcome to LTH, yolanda1720!

A couple suggestions when you're starting threads...
1. I assumed you were talking about a restaurant called "Number One Platillo." If you're focusing on a single restaurant, you should include the restaurant name in the subject line.
2. It's also helpful to include the address (at minimum), phone number and website for a restaurant.

Fogata Village Mexican Restaurant
1820 South Ashland Avenue
Chicago, IL 60608
(312) 850-1702
www.fogatavillage.com

FYI - the website seemed unresponsive when I tried to visit it just now.

I was wondering about the new "Mi Fogata" restaurant that popped up on Western in the old Zaytune space, and after some research it appears this is a reincarnation of Fogata Village in Pilsen (which recently closed to relocate to the North Side). Anyone have any details they can share about either the new or old locations?

Mi Fogata
4322 N Western Ave.
Chicago, Illinois 60618
(872) 208 5710
https://www.fogatavillage.com/

Blast from the past! Haven't tried the new location, but most of the OP rings true to my memory of the original. I frequented it around the time this thread was started and second the OP's rec re the enchiladas. My recollection is that the menu listed "enchiladas tampiquena" or similar, not Teloloapan Combination, but I could be wrong, or it might have changed. The 4oz square of skirt steak really made for a perfectly satisfying meal when paired with two enchiladas and rice and beans (plus the obligatory gratis chips and salsa when you sit down). My sauce was always suiza, neither too sweet nor too acidic, and no heat to it at all. I also occasionally ordered a chicken sandwich here: chicken breast grilled on a flat top, served on a burger bun with lettuce and tomato (I think) plus decent food service fries. It was cheap, maybe $6 or $7.

I went to the new Lincoln Square (Western by Montrose) location. Definite potential, but first visit was a mixed bag.

The space was recently remodeled into Zaytune, so Mi Fogata did not have to do much. One framed piece of Mexicana, although there are so many windows (which is great) that there is not much room for decoration.

Only one waitress and a chef holding down the fort last Monday. Two TVs in dining room, both off, and no music playing. Too quiet, really. We were the only customers until a family arrived. Cash only for now, and BYOB.

Chips and salsa to start. Chips are basic, salsa is a medium bodied red salsa served warm (which my wife did not like, but was fine with me). Menu is left over from Fogata Village, and is insanely long for a new place with one chef. Even has a whole Pasta section! They might consider a shorter menu for a few months. It took a long time to cook our two entrees, and no one was there (and no carry outs or deliveries).

One entree was solid, the other disappointing. Enchiladas mole with a mixture of chicken and ground beef was rich and flavorful. I would order again. Beans were tasty, rice was standard and boring. Typical iceberg and tomato garnish. The other entree was the chile relleno with spicy garlic sauce. The chile relleno was undercooked and tasted too densely vegetal, and the sauce was neither spicy nor garlicy. Not good. The waitress noticed we did not eat it, and when we told her why, the chef whipped up a new batch of garlic sauce. The new sauce was really good, but by then the chile relleno was a bit cold and congealed so the overall effect was OK but not great.

I live nearby and definitely will give them another try. Seems to have more potential than Garcia's, especially the mole sauce. We have been down in the dumps on the Mexican front ever since Los Nopales closed.

spinonejay wrote:I went to the new Lincoln Square (Western by Montrose) location.

spinonejay wrote:We have been down in the dumps on the Mexican front ever since Los Nopales closed.

In that area Taqueria 5 De Mayo will scratch the itch, though its not a big menu. Tacos, tortas, burritos, free chips and salsa, chips & good guac, no booze, order at the counter, cash only and the interior is small and plain.

I dig the tacos, always lengua, sometimes chile relleno and chorizo. It's the sister restaurant of GNR nominee Asadero a few blocks east so I imagine the carne asada is tip-top, though I am not typically a carne asada fan unless I make it myself.

Taqueria 5 De Mayo
2415 W. Montrose Ave,
Chicago, IL 60618

GWiv, thanks for the response, and I heartily endorse that mighty little Taqueria. Only 2 blocks from my house! Great for a take out lunch or dinner, always on point. And faster than the sister joint down the street. But it will not do the trick for a sit down dinner, at least with my fancy wife.

The next time we visit Mi Fogata, we will bring our battery operated blender for Margs. WHIRRRRR.