Enchiladas Potosinas in chicago?

My mom went to San Luis Potosi, Mexico last month and she brought two things in bulk, Enchiladas Potosinas and encandelados (I don't know how you spell it but it's walnuts covered in evaporated milk and then cinnimon sprinkled- soo good). She buys them in bulk because they are very hard to find anywhere else but SLP, if not hard impossible. We ran out of the enchildas just a few days ago and I was left with an unappeasable addiction to them. I searched them on google and this site pulled up- but when it pulled up I forgot about the enchiladas and distracted by the many many places. I ended up visiting Honey 1 on S. Western a few days ago, Great BBQ. My cousin who came with me couldn't stop saying, "they snapped!" On this forum I saw Knappy's but is now closed, and other resturants that carried Enchiladas but they seemed overprised. But to get to my point and question.


Does anyone know where I cany by Enchiladas Potosinas in chicago by the bulk or at a good price? Close as possible to authentic.

Hi Carlitos,

welcome to LTH!

Unfortunately, I don't have any good leads for you. Besides Kappy's, which as you know is closed, two other restaurants in town that I know used to have them, La Escondida and El Charco Verde, are also now closed, El Charco Verde just a few days ago.

My impression at El Charco Verde was that they were heating up frozen enchiladas -- but I don't know whether they made them themselves ahead of time or whether they bought them from a supplier.

If you ever find a place in town selling them, please post and let the rest of us know!

Amata

Amata wrote:...La Escondida and El Charco Verde, are also now closed, El Charco Verde just a few days ago.

My impression at El Charco Verde was that they were heating up frozen enchiladas -- but I don't know whether they made them themselves ahead of time or whether they bought them from a supplier.

I noticed earlier today a sign on the door of the old Charco Verde space, a sign saying that they will reopen under new management. Presumably then there will be another restaurant there and probably a Mexican restaurant but beyond that, who knows what they'll be serving.

I miss Kappy's...



Antonius

Thanks for the welcome Amata.

It's good to know i'm not the only one.


--Carlos

EL Vaquero on the corner of 18th and Damen serves this delicacy. They only make a certain number a day and when I went after 7:00 they rarelt have it. Try it for lunch.

I do second your enthusiasm for this. I like it a lot too.

Can someone describe these hard-to-find treats?

1000 words follow:

That photo is like one of those optical illusions where the image changes depending on how you look at it. It could be titled "Something Really Delicious/Baby Doesn't Like Avocado".

I'm not sure about a thousand words, there. Cogito: think enchiladas with the chile mixed into the masa, rather than as a sauce the tortillas are coated in.

Cogito, VI asked a similar question back in the El Nuevo Kappy's thread and here's what I wrote there.

http://lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?p=25328#25328

Sure, Rob. The usual kind of enchiladas are "en-chile-d" by the tortillas being dipped in a chile-based sauce. These from San Luis Potosi, on the other hand, are "enchiladas" by having a puree of chile ancho worked into the raw masa dough before they are cooked. They are filled with cheese (and the ones at Kappy's also had a bit of poblano chile in the filling) and cooked through. I think you can see from the photo that they aren't covered with sauce, but rather garnished with crema and crumbled cheese. The platter of 5 enchiladas plus beans, rice and a bit of salad was $4.99. I thought the enchiladas were quite nice (though the beans and rice were nothing special), and I also enjoyed a champurrado (masa-based beverage flavored with Mexican chocolate) with my lunch. ...

Here's the picture which the above text refers to:

A natural place to look might be San Luis, at 2903 W Diversey, which is pretty good and has enchiladas potosinas on the menu (though I have not tried them). I was also surprised to see them listed on a menu for El Jardin Cafe, the 'rita bar on Clark near Wrigley (the smaller, more restaurant-ish one on the same stretch of Clark). Truth be told, El Jardin Cafe has a fairly extensive menu and, while it has been years since I've been, the food isn't (wasn't) as bad as you might expect.

my friend suggested a restaurant, Hacienda los Gutierrez at somewhere near 26th & sawyer, that might have these. I loved them at Kappys.

I tried to find anything about hacienda los g, but could not. anyone been there or heard of it?

leesh

They are definitely on the menu at the El Jardin Cafe.

I tried them on a whim one time several years ago..and it has become my staple order when I eat there. You can get 3 for $6.

Hi Carlitos,

I was born In San Luis Potosi and remember my mom and aunt taking me to El Mercado where there were street vendors making enchiladas by hand on the sidewalks. They were fried in a giant mexican wok. They were served with diced onions and cueritos. I also remember tacos potosinos which are like enchiladas (tortillas dipped in a chili sauce) but were stuffed with cheese and onions and served with cooked potatos and carrots. You can buy these types of enchiladas at Mexican Festivals here in Chicago, but Ive never seen any one sell the enchiladas potosinas until I tried Kappy's. They are now closed.

So to answer your question as to where to get these in bulk, I found this place around the corner of my house about twenty years ago. It's called La Betania and they are from my home town of San Luis Potosi. The grandmother makes the enchiladas by hand and packages them to sell. It's a very tiny store with a laundrymatt in the front and the store tucked away in the back. They cost $6.49 for a pack of 18 enchiladas and they are very tasty, all you have to do is fry them in a little oil and serve them as you wish.

La Betania
2800 S. Tripp
Chicago, Illinois 60623
(773) 247-3186

For the lack of a better phrase.... I Love you...

I'm sure many others who have been searching will too..
I'm going tommarrow. I will let you know how it went.

Thanks Taco.

--Carlos

Thanks for the great tip, and I especially love your username.

Don't know if this will be helpful but I just had take away dinner from a cute little shack on Elston called El Potosi. I had the al pastor enchiladas smothered in salsa verde served with the requisite beans and rice.

The al pastor had a complex flavor with a nice undertone of cinnamon and a slightly bitter, coffee-like flavor. The salsa verde was not as intensely flavored as I usually like, but it was still quite good with just a bit of heat at the end.

El Potosi has two locations:

3710 N. Elston Ave.
Chicago IL 60618
(773) 463-2517

and

2903 W. Diversey
Chicago IL 60647
(773) 276-0691

I don't know if they'll have what you're looking for but I've got to think that a joint named after the place your mom just visited could be your best lead for these rare enchiladas.

Good luck in your quest.

Buddy

They've definitely got 'em at the Diversey location - I've eaten them. They were, if I recall correctly, a bit tough.

BEFORE


...


AFTER


Thanks Taco!
They are soo good; I bought them and rushed home for a taste. My mom, who is from San Luis Potosi was so happy with them. They are authentic to the bone. I will be going back for more.

Your welcomed Carlitos!

Jesse

Taco al Pastorius wrote:Your welcomed Carlitos!

Jesse

And thank you from me as well! I just popped in tonight since I was running errands in the neighborhood and picked these little guys up. I've never had enchiladas potosinas before. I ate four of them before I even had a chance to get home and fry them, they were so good! Frying them only made them that much better. I will definitely return and stock up. Thanks for introducing me to this delight!

Jesse wrote:I ate four of them before I even had a chance to get home and fry them, they were so good! Frying them only made them that much better. I will definitely return and stock up. Thanks for introducing me to this delight!

Now I'm just concerned, I hope you didn't eat them raw; I believe the tortilla is raw if not fried, unless you microwaved it.

-Carlos

I did eat them raw. No problems with it. Is there anything wrong with eating fresh/raw masa? The toritillas are just masa and lard, right? It's never hurt me before.

I sense a new food trend: The Raw Mexican Movement. I'll whip up my famous "menudo crudo", and carnitas al "tartare".

One more option: The newly opened restaurant, Caoba, near North and Damen, has enchiladas potosinas on their lunch menu.

They're actually pretty darned good. $6 for four+rice+beans, so somewhat cheap by the neighborhood's standards.