Latkes at Casa de Isaac

Isaac and Moishe told me today that they'll be serving three different types of Mexican-style latkes for Chanukah starting tomorrow night (12/4). One is with the traditional apple sauce and sour cream on the side, the second is served with a guajillo chile sauce and the third is called especia which isn't spicy but served in a tomato broth.
The boys welcome everyone to their restaurant to share the recipes that their Mama made for them when they were growing up. With Mama Nava still in Mexico, their wives and sister have made Mama's latkes for the boys.
I'm looking forward trying the latkes.
Best regards,
GP Bob

La Casa de Isaac
431 Temple Ave
Highland Park, IL 60035
847 433-5550

Mmmmmm, we'll be there with dreidel's on.

If anyone plans to go to CdI for latkes in the next day or two, please post something. I hope to get there for lunch or dinner on Thurs. with my wife and try at least two of their latke specialties.
Regards,
GP Bob

I am trying hard to Like LCDI. I really want to like it. I have been several times for lunch and dinner. I have seen the huge crowds and I have read the unending praise here on LTH, much of it from people whos opinions I usually agree with. Apart from the Posole, which I found to be very very nice, everything else is kind of ordinary imho. I have had the chilaquilles, taquitos, chicken in mole, enchiladas and veracruz style snapper. I have tasted the salsa and guac.

While nothing has been bad none of it, except the posole, was great or even very good. All of the above mentioned dishes were underspiced, overgarnished (in the case of the taquitos at least) and not made with the kind of loved I was hoping for. The enchiladas were really a goopy mess and which was sad because when someone advertises that a dish is mom's recipe that should mean something more then lots of plain sauce and cheese placed under a broiler. Enchilada's made moms way should mean something.

Anyway, I do love the posole--i found the hominy soft, the soup silky and the garnish of onion, peppers and lime wedges a perfect balance of sweet, tart and heat. I will go back for more posole. I hope the other dishes were just off on my visits. Anyone have any other suggestions on what to order when i give this place another try

We were first ones into Isaac for dinner tonight -- we expected all the LTHers to be there in force and thought we needed to get in early for the latke treat. Perhaps the snow kept people away, but Isaac and Moishe were ready for us!

As Grandpa Bob said, they are serving three kinds of latkes -- traditional, with sour cream and applesauce ($3.90); a second kind with a tomato sauce that was kind of sweet ($7.00); and a third with guajillo chile sauce (same as they use on some of the enchiladas, $7.50). Each plate comes with two; the traditional are more of an appetizer, and the others are a dinner plate with rice and black beans.

We enjoyed all three. They were very light and fluffy (for latkes, at any rate). Both Isaac and Moishe stopped by to explain the preparation. They hand-grated whole potatoes (no mix), and sauteed them very lightly. I could swear Isaac said something about putting them on the grill, too. At any rate, there was no oily consistency to them at all.

Traditional:


Tomato sauce:


Guajillo:


They were very filling -- we weren't sure whether to order dinner or not, and our waiter checked with us several times whether we wanted to order anything else. In the end, I'm not sure we needed to, but I had never tried their desserts, so it seemed like the night to do so...these are torrejas (Mexican bread) with ice cream (tasted like french toast!):



The traditional latkes tasted especially good with both the applesauce and the already-on-top sour cream. Mr. DebsDiningDigs liked the tomato sauce-y onces the best, while I enjoyed the smokiness of the guajillo. I usually get the guajillo sauce on the enchiladas, so it was yummy to try it on something else.

Isaac and Moishe indicate they will be serving the latkes for the entire month of December. Be sure to stop by and wish them a Happy Hanukkah, and ask about the upcoming changes to their menu.

Re: iblock9 -- it's true, some of their salsas are mild and some dishes are standard fare, but they're always willing to accommodate your preferences. My dad was in town and said he didn't think the salsa was hot enough...they brought another, same result...they brought out a third that they hand-made for him and he loved it. We were at Nuevo Leon in Pilsen over the weekend, and the tampiquena was so much blander than the juicy, flavorful one at Isaac. I think they really try hard to make everything great, and the personal service helps even more so.

Thanks for the input, Debdiningdigs. I'm planning to take my wife to CdI for latkes, hopefully tomorrow some time. We'll have to choose between the three dishes because our eyes have become larger than our stomaches as we get older.
Regards,
GP Bob

Well I finally got over to CdI today and tried their latkes. Isaac and Moishe talked me into trying the especia version. There's a photo above and the latkes are served in a tomato broth. Most unusual dish.

I got there around 2 pm and Isaac was making latkes on a well-oiled grill.

I like sitting at the bar between the lunch and dinner crowds and watching the their nephew, Tally, and others chopping tomatoes and cukes and carrots and lettuce. Most people outside of the restaurant business don't realize how much preparation is done prior to actually cooking the dishes. It's a beautiful thing!

Best regards,
GP Bob

so what did you think? I would go back ... but not order them all

Debdiningdigs:
I truly enjoyed the especia latkes in the tomato broth. A really unusual dish. Not spicy at all even thought "especia" means spicy.
I'll have to try the other CdI latkes too.
Best,
GP Bob

Grandpa Bob wrote:Debdiningdigs:
I truly enjoyed the especia latkes in the tomato broth. A really unusual dish. Not spicy at all even thought "especia" means spicy.
I'll have to try the other CdI latkes too.
Best,
GP Bob

I don't speak a lick of Spanish, but far as I can tell...and what seems logical to me anyway; "especia" is a bastardizaton of "especial" meaning...um..."special" (as in olympics) or, perhaps "specialty"...not "spicy"

Especia @es.wikipedia.org

It doesn't mean "spicy" in the "picante" sense, it just means "spices" or "spiced" generally.

Si, senors. I never did well in Miss Garnder's Spanish class in 1952.
Regards,
GP Bob

Christopher Gordon wrote:

Grandpa Bob wrote:Debdiningdigs:
I truly enjoyed the especia latkes in the tomato broth. A really unusual dish. Not spicy at all even thought "especia" means spicy.
I'll have to try the other CdI latkes too.
Best,
GP Bob

I don't speak a lick of Spanish, but far as I can tell...and what seems logical to me anyway; "especia" is a bastardizaton of "especial" meaning...um..."special" (as in olympics) or, perhaps "specialty"...not "spicy"

ahhh...Google loses to Wikipedia!

Here's the translated version of a Wikipedia article that I found in Spanish by doing a Google search of "especia."
Ya' learn something new every day.
GP Bob

Forgot to include the Wikipedia URL on "especia." Here it is:

It was a pleasure to head over to Isaac's today and give the latkes a try. We tried all 3 preparations and these are definitely not my bubbe's latkes, by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, other than the pics posted above, I've never experienced anything like these before . . .


Traditional latkes with sour cream and cotija cheese



Latkes Especias



Latkes Guajillos

Across the board, the latkes were tasty with a crisp edge and a tender bite. As was posted above, they did not seem overly greasy -- or even fried in the typical manner. I've lost my voice, so it was difficult for me to ask questions about how they were cooked but it wouldn't surprise me to learn that these latkes had spent some time on the grill. Their texture was very satisfying but not at all familiar (as far as latkes go) and the cooking method, I'm guessing, accounts for their distinctive mouthfeel.

My favorites were the especias. I thought the well-seasoned, tomatoey sauce complemented the latkes very well. It was a nice match that highlighted the potato flavor without obscuring or interfering with it. I liked both of the other presentations too but this rendition impressed me the most.

It was great seeing the pride that both Isaac and Moishe took in serving these dishes, which obviously carry a lot of meaning for them. I'm grateful that they decided to share some of their holiday traditions with their customers and I look forward to making the latkes at Isaac's one of our annual holiday traditions, too.

=R=

I had lunch at CdI today and asked Isaac when he plans to serve his latkes for the forthcoming Hanukkah season, which is late in December this year.
He told me that several customers have been asking about the latkes they served last year.
So starting this Sunday 11/23 they'll be serving all three styles mentioned above. They plan to serve the latkes throughout the month of December.
If you haven't tried them before, now is the time. Enjoy.
Best regards,
Grandpa Bob