New Mexican Food Coming to Chicago in ROSCOE VILLAGE

I'm not certain when, as the contractors are behind schedule, but Chicago will have a New Mexican restaurant in the vein of Red Sage and Coyote Cafe in the near future. We recently met the folks behind the new restaurant located right next door to Piazza Crappa on Roscoe in Roscoe Village. It's aptly named Taos and from what I've heard from our restaurant owner friends - they're spending their money smartly, certainly a good sign.

Taus? As in Michael Taus of Zealous? Could that be?

MAG, thanks for the heads-up. Always on the lookout for new Mex.

Hammond

So this is NOT the Mexican-looking thing going in about a block east of Western? That looks like a restaurant as well, but it's not next to anything.

On the other hand, the wine store space looks like it's back on the market.

Nope, the Mexican looking place is Que Rico, a second location of the place on Southport.

The wine store has some complicated zoning issues. Suffice to say, it ain't over till it's over.

MAG-
When I first read this thread, I thought "a new Mexican restaurant in Chicago, BFD". Then I realized you meant a New Mexico (as in the state) restaurant. That might be interesting, indeed. Did you misspell the name? Should it be Taos?

I certainly did. Trying to do too much at once, as I am apt to do. I will edit accordingly.

weird story - don't know if this adds much to what's already here, but I'll share anyway.

A few weeks ago, I was getting my hair cut at Sal's on Roscoe. The customer who came in after me was obviously well known by the shop owner and it turned out he owns the gelato shop on Roscoe at Hoyne. Anyway, he mentioned that he knows the building owner where Taos is going in. It's supposed to be a southwestern menu (New Mexico) and it was running behind schedule for opening. They had hoped to cash in on the important summer foot traffic in Roscoe Village. I'm not sure when it will open however, as that may have been discussed after I paid and left.

Well, if they have red and green chiles, posole and sopapillas, my husband will be in heaven! Coyote Cafe and Red Sage (in DC, right?) were both owned by Mark Miller. Is this new restaurant a Mark Miller venture?

Simon wrote:A few weeks ago, I was getting my hair cut at Sal's on Roscoe.

I thought Sal retired and moved to Florida. Did someone buy the business and keep the name?

ekpaster wrote:Well, if they have red and green chiles, posole and sopapillas, my husband will be in heaven! Coyote Cafe and Red Sage (in DC, right?) were both owned by Mark Miller. Is this new restaurant a Mark Miller venture?

Uh...I'd assume it was Coyote Cafe in Santa Fe (also owned by Mark Miller).

Yeah, a younger guy took over Sal's. My father-in-law always loved getting his hair cut at Sal's while visiting us here. He said he basically got six months' worth of barbershop chatter in one haircut.

Uh...I'd assume it was Coyote Cafe in Santa Fe (also owned by Mark Miller).

Right. Coyote Cafe is in Santa Fe and Red Sage is (was?) in DC.

Mike G wrote:Yeah, a younger guy took over Sal's. My father-in-law always loved getting his hair cut at Sal's while visiting us here. He said he basically got six months' worth of barbershop chatter in one haircut.

Yea I miss the old guy. He toned down his act a lot when the neighborhood changed. He was a real hoot before the yuppies moved in.

midas wrote:

Simon wrote:A few weeks ago, I was getting my hair cut at Sal's on Roscoe.

I thought Sal retired and moved to Florida. Did someone buy the business and keep the name?

as others have noted, a younger guy is cutting hair there. I never had the opportunity to meet Sal, but I like the shop now. The barbershop chatter is nice and there's often a frosty beer ready for me when I sit down.

Has anything come of the New Mexican place? Is it open? I keep forgetting to check when I'm in the neighborhood, and the internets didn't yield up any info.

geli wrote:Has anything come of the New Mexican place? Is it open? I keep forgetting to check when I'm in the neighborhood, and the internets didn't yield up any info.

Taos is listed in the "Recently Opened" section of this week's Time Out Chicago.

Santa Fe-inspired cuisine rules at this casual new Roscoe Village spot, whose menu features corn and bean-spiked wraps, honey-chipotle barbecue ribs and tamarind-adobo-glazed salmon.

Average main course: $16

Taos
2114 W. Roscoe St.
Chicago
773-248-6899

OMG! Please post if anyone gets there before me. Just needs to know if they have red and/or green chile. If they don't, I won't be able to understand how they could call themselves a New Mexican restaurant.

I'm afraid...very afraid. None of the dishes in the T.O. quote says Santa Fe to me. Wraps? BBQ Ribs? Salmon?* Maybe they're talking about some glitzy-spa up in Taos inspired food. I'll be standing by for a report.

* Of course, at Bill/SFNM's house anything is possible.

Yeah, it sounds right up there with De Cero. Oh well, as close as I live I'm sure I'll be able to report myself, shortly.

Somewhat OT, but does anyone know what became of the New Mexican restaurant "La Casita De Santa Fe" that used to be on Ogden Ave. in Cicero? It's been gone a long time.

They say it's easier to be negative than positive when commenting about something and that couldn't be more true when evaluating the worst overall dining experience of the year, Taos in Roscoe Village. What worries me about such a claim is that I had one of my top dining experiences of the year the night before.

Anyway. You know those places all over rural America that attempt some style of ethnic cuisine but the guy running the show hasn't a clue about that culture’s cuisine? Well, Taos is Chicago's closest version of that concept.

We ordered 2 appetizers, a tomato and corn chowder soup and marinated pork skewers on a bed of beans and rice. The most accurate way to describe the soup would be to open a can of ready-made tomato sauce, add a dollop of creme fraiche and slap on a few strips of tortillas. No joke, if you did reproduce it in this fashion, you'd get a better result simply because the jar tomato sauces, along with loads of added sugar, also add other spices. This was a thick, unseasoned, sugary tomato sauce they called a soup. Totally inedible. As for the pork skewers, again, bland as hell and incredibly leathery meat on a bed of some flavorless white rice and black bean concoction. At $6 and $9 respectively, one of the year's biggest rip offs. It should be noted that Taos has the overly sugary element down pat for every dish we tried.

Entree-wise, not much better (better?). We had the poblano "picadillo", undercooked dry beans with coagulated globs of cheese and other unnotable stuff wrapped in a poblano pepper. A vegetarian nightmare. This disaster warranted about 3 bites before throwing in the towel. Trix had a monstrous burrito with a 90% salad composition and traces of chopped "braised" skirt steak that took us back to a childhood place where we played with our food. Good thing mommy wasn’t there. Another nightmare.
We also ordered a grilled mahi-mahi steak with a coconut mole (tasted like nothing more than coconut milk out of a can) that I barely remember.

Even though I was graciously greeted to dinner at Taos, I felt like I had just been scammed. Violated, really. The owners were obviously more interested in putting their efforts and money into decor and on that front, I still walked away feeling slighted.

If this place makes it a year, I’d be utterly amazed.


P.S – For the record, trix thinks I’m being overly mild.

But how were the portions?

I'll try and get there in about a month to see if the food catches up in any way shape or form. Pigmon, any recollection of red/green chile sauce on the menu? - And if it's too hard on you to think back on the entire experience (which sounds like something I would made a scene about ) don't try and remember too hard. Sounds like someone needs to
ask the "chef" to actually taste the food before serving it. If the food doesn't catch up, then they'll get what they deserve. Such a simple concept. Wonder if the owner spent a weekend in New Mex, went to two restaurants, and "fell in love" with the food and culture. PS - I lived in Albuquerque before, and if you don't know the answer to the question "red or green?" you got no bidness cooking "New Mexican" food.
Even the Burger Kings out there would ask "red or green?" for your whopper.

seebee wrote:I'll try and get there in about a month to see if the food catches up in any way shape or form. Pigmon, any recollection of red/green chile sauce on the menu? - And if it's too hard on you to think back on the entire experience (which sounds like something I would made a scene about ) don't try and remember too hard. Sounds like someone needs to
ask the "chef" to actually taste the food before serving it. If the food doesn't catch up, then they'll get what they deserve. Such a simple concept. Wonder if the owner spent a weekend in New Mex, went to two restaurants, and "fell in love" with the food and culture. PS - I lived in Albuquerque before, and if you don't know the answer to the question "red or green?" you got no bidness cooking "New Mexican" food.
Even the Burger Kings out there would ask "red or green?" for your whopper.

and that's one of the many reasons I love New Mexico; the Burger King chile question.

Christopher Gordon wrote:... and that's one of the many reasons I love New Mexico; the Burger King chile question.

I too like the idea that a chain had to adjust to the local culture, though I can't too excited about BK. But a Bobcat Bite burger with green chiles, now that's a burger...


http://lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?p=60640#60640

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seebee wrote:Pigmon, any recollection of red/green chile sauce on the menu?

Seebee,

I would assume that the Ragu tomato sauce that I described above would be considered their version of a red chile sauce.

But I'm seriously not sure!

ok, my curiosity is nagging at me...where did your "top dining experience of the year" take place?

Regards,

Donna

Dammit. All I want is a breakfast burrito with green chili. Is that too much to ask???

Rachel, you're killing me now. I forgot all about breakfast burritos - "green."
After I moved from Albuquerque, I moved to Denver, and man o man, did I find a joint for breakfast burritos with green chile. Sounds like this "New Mex" place is a bust tho.

Pigmon,
I read your post to a friend of mine from New Mexico. He laughed his ass off. However, when I told him the name was Taos, he said it made perfect sense. He told me there are similar places all over New Mexico, that cater to the tourist trade. You can usually pick them out by the pinkish orange, purple and turquoise motif with the howling coyote graphic (you know the one). He said the restaurant is probably trying to appeal to Chicagoans who have vacationed in New Mexico and have eaten the dumbed-down southwestern tourist food.