Cinco de Mayo Recs.

I know that Cinco de Mayo is definitely a bigger deal north of the border, but I am entertaining some out-of-towners that want to do it up right tonight. As a self-professed Mexican food afficionado, I should be brimming with suggestions. I just can't seem to piece together the right combination of location, circuses, and quality food. We are on the near northwest side and do not want to have to drive too far after rounds of tequila, which rules out Pilsen, Little Village, and Cicero options. On a side note- is El Chimbombo still kicking? Some of my faves up our way don't serve booze- Puebla, for instance. Pasadita lacks in menu diversity. Veloz is hit or miss. Oaxaquena is an option, but maybe a bit of a drive. Los Nopales is another thought, though I haven't been there in quite awhile. Oh and to complicate matters even more- the guests are on a budget, so no Fonda, Caliente, or Ixcapuzalco. Thoughts? Thanks.

I've never been myself, but El Barco is in your neighborhood and gotten pretty good reviews here on LTH.

I concur with Amata.

For me, El Barco actually scores fairly high on the Circuses Index. There are sizzling platters (ear-pleasing and pretty good) and some of the whole fish are presented as though mantle-mounted, pierced toreador-style with tiny red plastic swords for easy eating. The place seems frequently crowded and very festive...if El Barco sounds good, you should probably make reservations quickly.

(Pricing here is the upper end of moderate)

El Barco is my parent's fave. Not mine. What I find really odd is the chilli oil "salsa" that is served with tostadas. Its really close to Thai style toasted chilli oil, which I suspect that it might be. While I would agree on the circuses- the wall of tequilas, outdoor patio- the food, IMO, has really been quite awful the few times I've been. "Vuelve la Vida" was probably a horrible first choice. The oysters had a funky wet dog aftertaste and the octopus was mush- really gross. My second experience was not much better- shrimp tacos, no garnish, dried out flour tortillas, not good. The quantity of food served on those skillets is borderline wasteful. I probably would be even less likely to take a stab at the limp frozen green beans at home from a doggy bag than at first sitting. I hear that it is a chain with outposts even in Mexico. I find it to be a very odd restaurant. I usually opt for Rudy's Taste across the street for quality Latin American seafood in that price range. Thanks for the rec., though. The hunt continues...

Jefe wrote:Thanks for the rec., though.

My pleasure.

At least the portions were large...

No circuses, but how about Sol de Mexico? The food is outstanding and it is northwestish. And it's BYOB and budget-friendly

3018 N. Cicero, Chicago
(773) 282-4119.

Jefe wrote:El Barco is my parent's fave. Not mine. What I find really odd is the chilli oil "salsa" that is served with tostadas. Its really close to Thai style toasted chilli oil, which I suspect that it might be.

Jefe,

In general I like El Barco, circuses, as Hammond mentions are tip top, Spanish language MTV, pretty waitresses, over the top presentations and good, if not exceptional food. In particular I like what you found "really odd" the deep dark rich oily pasilla chile sauce, which I've only encountered a few other places.La Casa de Samuel in Chicago and El Hidalguense, which specializes in goat cooked over live coals, in Houston another.

I also get a kick out of ordering getting a whole deep fried tilapia with all the trimmings for $10.46. I prefer Las Islas Marias on Grand for similar preparations to El Barco, but my wife gives the nod to El Barco atmosphere wise, guess where we go more often.

Enjoy,
Gary

El Barco
1035 N Ashland Ave
Chicago, IL 60622
773-486-6850

El Hidalguense Restaurant
6917 Long Point
Houston, Texas 77055
713-680-1071
Goat cooked over live coals.

Las Islas Marias
4770 W. Grand Avenue
Chicago, IL
773-637-8233

Jefe wrote:El Barco is my parent's fave. Not mine. What I find really odd is the chilli oil "salsa" that is served with tostadas. Its really close to Thai style toasted chilli oil, which I suspect that it might be.

That style of condiment is quite common in Jalisco. During our visit to Puerto Vallarta, it was ubiquitous.

La Casa de Samuel in Chicago and El Hidalguense, which specializes in goat cooked over live coals, in Houston another.

That style of condiment is quite common in Jalisco. During our visit to Puerto Vallarta, it was ubiquitous.

Learn new things all the time around here. Can't say I've run into the oily salsa at Casa de Samuel or in Purto Vallarta, but definitely more curious about it. Any other field research on oil based salsas?
We opted for La Oaxaquena last night, which was a pleasure for my guests and myself, as I hadn't been there in a year and a half. The stars of the show were the table salsas, each so distinctive, yet all exhibiting a pleasant burn. The creamy one is my favorite- some have said ground pepitas give it its richness, can anyone vouch for this? Guac was a little salty, but deliciously in the chunky camp, full of cilantro and jalapeno. I don't think you can go wrong with melted cheese and chorizo married in a puddle of deep orange grease- the casuelita appetizer was sublime. Ensalada Oaxaquena was built on a think foundation of iceberg, which I could have done without, but the nopales were smoky and tangy without the least bit of typical slime and strips of queso fresco provided a great creamy counterpoint. My entree of enchiladas Oaxaquenas was decent, but the shredded white meat- only chicken was dry and the mole had a burnt chile bitterness that was much mellower in my companion's half chicken with mole, which I attribute to the fortification of the sauce with the chicken's juices. My other companion's enjitomatadas were probably the most authentically Oaxacan dish of the night, sprinkled with very salty queso cotija. I also had a bite of a cesina taco that was quite mind-blowing, charred, salty, and perfect, another taste of Oaxaca. All-in-all a great meal, I really impressed the out-of-towners with another example of Chicago's great regional Mexican offerings- "can't get tacos like these in Ann Arbor". And my friends really liked the $4 margaritas too!