La Unica

I know much has been written about the many pleasures to be found at La Unica, but I've discovered a new one (for me, anyway): their soup. I had a great chick-pea soup there last night, which cost $1.99 or something like that, so I thought it would be a cup, and ordered it along with the many other items my family was getting (I would add also that I really liked the special I had: chicken in red mole sauce, which I'd also never tried before -- rich spicy dark mole -- very nice). The soup proved to be enough for a meal on its own, in a big bowl, nicely seasoned and filled not just with chick peas but with big chunks of potato (I think) and bits of sausage and meat as well. It was just the perfect thing for a cold evening. Have some before it warms up!

Toni, la Unica's potaje de garbanzos -- the Spanish bean soup you had -- is indeed a very good version. It is singled out on the GNR and should be ordered every time, I think. A great winter soup and very easy to make at home with whatever leftover cured pork products you happen to have. I've finally come around to liking the idea that you can have this and other Cuban staples with some Colombian arepas and Mexican mole in the same meal. Cuban first, la Unica is now truly panamerican.

Yeah, that's a great soup. I believe that's boiled yuca (not potato) in there. The soup also appears to contain a whole pig, disassembled. You get a huge bowl of very nicely-prepared rice with it, which indeed makes it into a meal in itself. The first time I ordered it I also got a Cuban sandwich -- that was a bit much for me.

Yes, yuca makes more sense. And it's certainly true that in our meal last night we were all over the panamerican lot, with that soup, the mole, along with empanadas, plaintains, and a beef stew my husband got -- not sure where that fit in. Not exactly geographically consistent but oh so tasty.

Traditionally, it's potato. I've always had it with potato at La Unica, but I would not be shocked if they used some leftover yuca. An in-law from Havana once had a spirited conversation with the cook about the fact that a hot dog made it into the potaje that day....

I only noticed it was yuca when I ended up with a piece that still had the core. Could have been potato on other occasions -- who can tell those two apart when they're boiled? Definitely had hot dog pieces in there, more than once. It works.

JeffB wrote:Toni, la Unica's potaje de garbanzos -- the Spanish bean soup you had -- is indeed a very good version. It is singled out on the GNR and should be ordered every time, I think.

Following JeffB's La Unica dictate our late notice lunch group ordered a round of garbanzo bean soup, chunks of tender yuca, garbanzos still retaining a bit of bite, rich broth, lovely even on a not so cold January afternoon.

Garbanzo soup (potaje de garbanzos)


Soupy lard laced black bean are a favorite as are toasty Cuban sandwiches, and a weekday special of tender steak topped with grilled onion and paired with crunchy fried chicken and maduros hit a high note.

Steak w/onions, sweet plantains and Fried Chicken


Squid and rice with maduros was flavorful, if slightly fish forward, with the squid ranging from tender to chewy. Not the dish for all but the most ardent admirers of squid.

Squid with Rice


Chorizo, I believe it was the Colombian version, had a lovely yellowish tint to the interior though subtly spiced. The accompanying arepa was a little more cake like than I've had in the past.

Chorizo w/Arepa


Nice turnout, 8-people, for a short notice lunch and quite a feast for a grand total of $11 per person including tax and tip.

Enjoy,
Gary

La Unica
1515 W Devon
Chicago, IL 60660
773-274-7788

Woo! I guessed right on the amount! Thanks for the lunch, I have to say the sandwich was much better than the last one i had there over the summer which was pretty dry. I'll have to put it back in the rotation.

Octarine wrote:Thanks for the lunch, I have to say the sandwich was much better than the last one i had there over the summer which was pretty dry. I'll have to put it back in the rotation.

Lunch was very good. Although I didn't get to take part in any of the group's food excpet for a taste of the squid and a piece of chicken skin, the croquettas, maduros and Cuban sandwich I ordered were all very good. The Cuban sandwich at La Unica remains my second favorite version in the city!

Some northern projects have put me near La Unica regularly this month, and I've had three hits in a row - first empanadas with a side of griddled Colombian sausage, then a Cubano on excellent French bread, balanced and pressed well, and then steak, egg, and fried plantains, which were all moist and flavorful. I get the sense that some things that are prepared, held, and re-heated have mixed results, but everything I had came out hot and crispy. The kicky green sauce deserves a niche in the condiment shrine. The value and friendly service is there (and I'd need help exploring more of the menu - is anything in the Peruvian section reliably good?).

Main thread:
http://lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=1577

GNR thread:
http://lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?f=29&t=8800