Restaurant Ecuador on Diversey

Restaurant Ecuador on Diversey

The menu says it’s been around since 1985, but I never noticed it before. The windows at Restaurant Ecuador are streaked with inelegant graffiti, and the interior looks like it’d be downscale even in a suburb of Quito, but the folks who run it – Luis and Isabel Valero -- seem very nice, and Luis could barely contain himself as he described some of the dishes to me. I sensed he might be a new owner, but I couldn’t say for sure. Here are some of the dishes that caught my eye:

Ayacas: Ecuadorian tamale with chicken

Choclo serrano con queso: cheese-covered big corn (not mote, which is the hominy I had at El Condor last weekend, but big corn).

Llapingacho: potato patties topped with eggs, peanut sauce and steak

Sancocho de pescado: fish and plantain soup

Morocho: white corn cooked in milk and cinnamon (a dessert).

I dropped in around 7:50 PM, and Luis mentioned they closed at 8:00 PM, so I didn’t order anything, but plan to be back. I searched the site and found no recon on this place, though I'd definitely be interested in guidance if any one here has been there.

I mentioned El Condor to Luis and he said their food was very different. “We’re from the coast,” he explained, “and they’re from the mountains. They eat mostly potatoes; we eat mostly plantains.”

Restaurant Ecuador
2923 W. Diversey
773.342.7870

Sounds great. I can't wait to hear how you like it -- and can hardly wait to try it myself. I loved the food in Ecuador, and while I've learned to make a few of the dishes (the chicken tamales and llapingachos most especially), there are many dishes I don't make and have not had since I visited.

And should anyone wish to consider visiting Ecuador itself, I would highly recommend it. Fabulous country -- highest indigena (indigenous people/Indian) population of any country in South America, glorious rain forest, volcanoes, cloud forest, arid regions, Inca ruins, the Equator, colonial architecture -- and great food. Lots of fresh fruit and seafood -- plus, as the folks who own the restaurant mentioned, potatoes and plantains.

But until you can get that plane ticket, it's nice to have the option of dining a la Ecuadoriana while you're still here in Chicago.

thanks for your post, i didn't know about this restaurant!
but yea i def meet my home's cooking and there are a few spots in chicago.
If the owner told you that their food is costeña (from the coast) they are also sure to have ceviche and great plantain dishes like empanada de verde and my favorite, caldo de bola de verde.. an amazing soup with yucca and two meat filled plantain balls. as far as i know only REstaurant Mi Ciudad has them but i'll definitely look into this one.
If you have gone to both costeño and serrano (from the sierra/mountains) Ecuadorian spots, they both have llapingachos (which originated in the mountains, following the rule of thumb form the owner). However, costeño llapingachos are more compact and are a little more yellow due to the addition of achiote. Serrano llapingachos (such as those served in La Sierra or La Peña) are more loose and squashed. I love them both.
Anyways i'll stop babbling, i often don't get chances to talk ecuadorian cuisine and thanks for the lead on a new spot.

cdkatuofc wrote:If the owner told you that their food is costeña (from the coast) they are also sure to have ceviche and great plantain dishes like empanada de verde and my favorite, caldo de bola de verde.. an amazing soup with yucca and two meat filled plantain balls. as far as i know only REstaurant Mi Ciudad has them but i'll definitely look into this one.

I brought home a menu and there is a "Caldo de bola" listed with the description "Vegetable soup loaded w/beef and stuffed plantain." They also list several ceviches. Here are a few other dishes I did not recognize but that seem promising:

Pica-Pollo (fried chicken with cassava and plantain in a hot sauce)

Seco de chivo (what I believe is a typical Ecuadorian stew)

Humitas

I hope to come by for dinner with The Wife and will post comments and pix.

Hammond

Not to be a cynic / KillJoy....
But -
I drive past there almost daily.....and I NEVER see anyone inside.
To my sense - NOT a good sign.
I mean, there's such a thing as <i>"undiscovered gems"</i>...and then, "Restaurants-that-no-ones-covered-'cause-they-aint worth-the-effort".

Hombre de Acero wrote:Not to be a cynic / KillJoy....
But -
I drive past there almost daily.....and I NEVER see anyone inside.
To my sense - NOT a good sign.
I mean, there's such a thing as <i>"undiscovered gems"</i>...and then, "Restaurants-that-no-ones-covered-'cause-they-aint worth-the-effort".

Well, like you, I've never eaten there and have no idea if the food is good or not, but I do know that they used to have very odd hours (11:00 AM to 3:00 PM, basically just a lunch place).

Stopped in at Restaurant Ecuador tonight around 7:00.



Luis, the genial dueno, alerted us that they were about to close (I called earlier to confirm they close at 8:00, so they were not exactly ready to bring down the blinds). Moments later, two others came in, and Luis gave them a similar heads-up: they actually apologized and offered to go elsewhere, but Luis assured them it would be okay and they could be served. Overall, this seemed an odd way to welcome guests, and may explain why the place is perhaps not as busy as it might be.

Still, we had a lot of new foods I don't recall every having had before, including a black clam ceviche.



The clams were chewy and flavorful, their tiny bodies tinting the liquor black. The toasted corn on top was a nice touch, adding texture and flavor.

My favorite dish was llapingacho, a well-composed (if ill photographed) platter of two griddled potato pancakes, topped with eggs and peanut sauce, with a side of salty Ecuadorian sausage. The spudcakes proved a most excellent and absorbent platform for soaking up deliciousness and balancing richness, with the wiener, a good counterpoint.



Incidentally, Restaurant Ecuador is now open for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Hammond

it appears to have closed-
"Due to Remodeling"

Paper on the Windows.
Never a good sign.

And the cute little Organic Bakery down the street at Diversey and Sacramento has decided to only do the Street Market- no mo' RETAIL.

If they're closed for good, that would really be too bad. Last week I had a nice chat with an Ecuadorian cab driver about his favorite spots in Chicago. This was far and away at the top of his list. His suggestion was to just tell the owner you want whatever fish is freshest today. He said they always have a terrific seafood special with some stuff you can't get anywhere else in the city. He waxed so poetic about this place, that I had just put it at the top of my list of places to check out very soon. I hope I don't have to wait forever.

Restaurant Ecuador re-opened perhaps a month ago. I never saw the old space, nor can I comment on any shifts in ownership, but the new space is attractively done and the folks running the place make for a warm welcome. I have done takeout a couple of times. So far the humitas (fresh corn tamales with chicken and cheese) and the carriucho (broiled steak with potatoes and peanut sauce - sort of an Andean massaman curry) have been standouts. I'm looking forward to spending some time working my way through the menu.

- Fillay