Tanzitaro Mexican and Guatemalan Cusine [closed]

In the Gladstone/Norwood Park area of Chicago there is plot of land that in the past 10 years that I know of, have had no less than 4 different restaurants. Well, finally I think finally one has stuck. And I am very happy to have this hidden gem in my backyard.

Tanzitaro is a Mexican/Guatemalan restaurant that has been improving in its decor and furnishings in the past year as well as the number of customers. I just got back from lunch, and nearly every table was full--which made me very happy to see as I want this place to stay. The menu is divided into Mexican, Guatemalan and breakfast. They serve soups 5 different soups daily with Menudo on the weekends only. The soups range in price from $6.99 to $16.95 and can easily feed 2-3 people.

The burritos and tortas are outstanding, priced at $5.95 and $4.95. I highly recommend Carmen's chiles rellenos, the lengua taco, the pork burrito and the tostadas de salpion. The latter was a first for me today and it was wonderful. Soft marinated in lime beef, chopped finely and married with minced beet and mint on a crisp tostada? One of the best dishes I have had this year.

Tanzitaro
6075 N. Milwaukee Ave
773 792 1100

Hrs differ unpon season
http://tanzitaromexicanrestaurant.com/

We've noticed this place going to/from Pasta d' Arte on several occasions and been curious. Thanks for posting. We'll definately venture in sometime soon as I am a big rellenos fan.

They have 2 kinds:
a)carmen's chiles rellenos which are stuffed with cheese, lightly battered/fried and witha tomato cream sauce
b)Guatemaltan style, which are stuffed with pork, carrot and green beans.

I haven't tried option b, but intend to on an upcoming visit.

Lured by the promise of a good relleno, we stopped in for lunch yesterday. Upon entering, we were struck by just how knee-deep in renovating they are. There is a lot of work in progress - flooring, cabinetry, building a bus station, etc... However, we were very warmly greeted and taken to a booth by the front windows. Water and chips appeared quickly. Chips are bagged and nothing special, but we liked both the green-ish and the red salsas- nice bit of heat from the red. I ordered the Carmen's Rellenos, husband had the Burrito Mixto (both from the "Mexican" menu,) and we ordered a Rellenito (fried plantain ball w/ black bean filling, dusted in sugar,) from the Guatamalan part of the menu. While waiting for our food, the owner came in. We could tell because after saying "hello" to us he stopped by the booth next to ours and had a long conversation with them - we gathered they were regulars. He's really enthusiastic and excited about the improvements they are making to the place. He also solicited their feedback while greeting/thanking every person that came in or out. Unfortunately, the one piece of advice our booth neighbor gave the owner I heartily agreed with - warm up those plates! And with the exception of the rellenito, all the food needed to be hotter to begin with. Lukewarm food on cold plate = cold food fast. The owner did reply that they had a plate warmer and he wasn't sure why it wasn't being used. Maybe it wasn't working, or maybe a cook was in for a scolding later.... That being said, my rellenos were very good. They were done with a relatively light hand, not overly battered or greasy and the red sauce was very tasty. We devoured the rellenito and husband liked the burrito. Some pickled carrots were on the plates and the rellenos came with sides of beans (again lukewarm,) and white rice. There was definately some thought and care as to the food presentation. They do have a liquor license now but no printed menus so I can't inform as to wine. We each had a Bohemia. Our server was friendly, quick with a smile and efficient. I think this is a place to keep an eye on. Despite the food temp issues, the service was very warm and there were several Guatamalan items that sounded interesting I'd like to try. We'll definately go back. -Lynn

I'm glad that this place is getting some love. I live in the neighborhood and used to go there when it was part of the El Ranchito small chain. The food used to be ok, but without any specific personality; more of a place to get an ok burrito and a few other passable standards. Now I think they have put much more effort into being more of a dine-in restaurant, as well as offering Guatemalan specialties in addition to Mexican dishes. I have found their food to be authentic and I sense a new pride in the restaurant that was definitely not there under the previous ownership. This is supported by the increasing number of people who frequent the place. Anyone who knows the neighborhood understands the need for more good ethnic restaurants. The dining options in Gladstone Park have definitely improved over the past few years, and anything that continues this trend is positive IMO. I'm looking for the day when I no longer have to travel far afoot for Indian and Vietnamese food, among others. I'll still stay close to home for Polish food.

Jeff

I enjoyed a meal at Tanzitaro tonight. I woke up craving chiles rellenos and remembered this thread. I started with the tortilla soup. A satisfying portion at $3.50, it is garnished with chopped tomatoes and cilantro. I had finished about half of it before realizing a spoonful of sour cream had also been added but sank to the bottom. I asked the server whether I could get an appetizer-sized portion of any of the other soups but I'm not sure she understood my question. I'll bet the other soups are good, though.

Next up was the Guatemalan chilies rellenos ($9.95). The menu described these as being stuffed with pork, carrots and green beans. I detected no green beans and the carrots were a few small pieces, probably primarily added for appearance. The pork was absolutely fantastic, though. Funny as it sounds, I can't remember trying anything so porky-flavored before. It is moist, perfectly unctuous and, at most, lightly seasoned. The two chilies are generously stuffed with the mixture and topped with a yellow/orange sauce that I thought tasted a little too close to catsup for comfort when tried by itself. The sauce is a thin coat and ignorable on the batter. One of the chilies I had tonight was perhaps a bit undercooked and required a knife rather than a fork edge. Annoyed at first, I found this to be the tastier pepper and sort of wished they were both on the firmer side. The chilies were served on a bed of chopped iceberg that I could have done without.

The black beans were a little dense and perhaps not warm enough. I did like the sprinkle of cojita cheese they added. The rice is ok, maybe a bit oily. The most disappointing item of the meal were the table salsas. I really wanted to like the green but I found it bland. The red salsa has a vegetable sourness that I couldn't place and, while interesting, I'm not sure I care for. Both could benefit from a bit of extra salt.

All in all, I was quite pleased. I seldom eat out but visiting a restaurant like Tanzitaro's inspires repeat visits to more fully explore the menu. I hope they do well.

I've been craving some green chiles after hearing a recent The Splendid Table podcast about the varieties abundant in Santa Fe. I've come to the sad realization that I'm not going to experience Santa Fe Tex-Mex in the same way unless and until I return to the location of some of my most memorable Mexican fare.

That being said, and still longing for Tex-Mex, I was in the neighborhood of Tanzitaro, pulled into the the parking lot, and walked into a mostly empty restaurant during a Friday lunchtime. I had one of each of the chiles rellenos previously mentioned and both were good. I had not tasted the Guatamalan version before and it was a welcome variety. The more traditional, cheesy version was nice and the tomato cream sauce was something I hadn't seen presented with this dish before. The chilies were very mild on this particular day.

The menu was chock-full of Guatemalan items I don't normally see. I'm looking forward to another visit.

Just tried this place over the weekend.

I had the enchiladas with green sauce. The green salsa was excellent, the edges of the enchiladas were deliciously crispy, and the enchiladas weren't as heavy as those I've had at other Mexican restaurants.

My husband ordered roasted duck breast over mole sauce (a special), which he savored every bite of and said was the best mole he's ever eaten.

A friend had skirt steak and asked for vegetables instead of rice - he was presented with a large and beautiful looking pile of sauteed zucchini, jicama, and red peppers.

One of the garnishes with many of the plates was marinated carrot strips, which were tasty and refreshing.

Two things I was a little disappointed in -- the cactus margarita (not much flavor), and the seasoning of the guac (it was very fresh, but needed to be seasoned better).

Overall it was delicious and everyone there was so nice. I'm looking forward to going back.

I had dinner there last night and was pleased with my standard, dish--Carmen’s Chiles Rellenos and kids love the steak tacos, and hubby the pork burrito.

I have had quite a few margaritas there, and agree that I have not been too impressed with their "special" margaritas. I had a tuna margarita (not the fish..blech...some sort of pink fruity margarita) and it was okay at best, but I love the standard margaritas on the rocks with salt.

The owners and the staff are very nice. Make sure to ring the bell on your way out next time to let them know that you enjoyed your meal.

CM2772 wrote:I had a tuna margarita (not the fish..blech...some sort of pink fruity margarita

I'm guessing it was based on the fruit of the prickly pear cactus.

I have been to Tanzitaro four times for breakfast. I work out on Sunday mornings nearby. I think this is the best breakfast available in the neighborhood. I love their chilaquiles and have heard great things about their chorizo hash. Other have commented on the pickled carrot strips. They are wonderful!

The restaurant's tag line, a Latino grille with flair is very accurate. All of their dishes are authentic in flavor with great presentation. There service is warm and attentive. I am trying to find an excuse to get over that way for dinner.

Mr X

Last night Mr. Pie and I ate here for dinner, and everything was outstanding. I was in one of those how-many-dishes-can-we-possibly-order moods, so we ordered two to share and an entree each. The first appetizer was the Rellenitos - fried ripe banana stuffed with black beans. The slices were sprinkled with granulated sugar and came with a scoop of sour cream for dipping. Although we didn't taste much bean, the bananas were delicious and not too sweet, perfectly fried and addictive. Next was a platter of Hongos Rellenos - mushrooms filled with cheese and chorizo, lightly drizzled with lime ranch sauce. Mr. Pie is not the biggest mushroom fan, but he was very pleased with these. I could easily have made these into a meal. The presentation of all the dishes was beautiful and I wished I'd brought my camera, especially when the entrees arrived; they were gorgeous shades of festive orange. We each had fajitas - he had Pollo and I had Mixto, a combination of shrimp, beef and chicken, both with peppers, onions and tomatoes - and we both thought they were excellent. I never had a tomato that tasted so good. Everything was perfectly cooked and full of flavor, our waiter was in a jovial mood, and we were warmly welcomed and reminded to take some Halloween candy on the way out - full sized bars, no less (but we were good and passed). There is only one very minor quibble: when our fajita skillets arrived, they were so hot the oil was splattering all over the table, and likely into our laps.
The bill was $58, not bad for all that. We're already thinking of returning for New Years' Eve.

Glad to hear you enjoyed your meal. We will be visiting soon (probably this weekend). We ran into the owner and he chatted up two speciality dishes for the next couple of weeks (an amish chicken with pumpkin seeds and a flat iron steak dish) and encouraged that we pop in.

We will head in this weekend and I will report back on at least 1 of the speciality dishes.

BTW they have changed their hours and they are not open for lunch during the week any longer.

Updated hours here:
Open Daily
Monday through Friday - 4:00 P.M. - 10:00 P.M.
Saturday - 8:00 A.M. - 10:00 P.M.
Sunday - 8:00 A.M. - 9:00 P.M.

CM2772 wrote:BTW they have changed their hours and they are not open for lunch during the week any longer.

Interesting, thanks! I hope your like your meal, and I forgot to mention that this weekend's special was duck in green sauce. It was hard to avoid that one.

We went in last night for dinner and were pleased as always. I changed up my order (its really really hard for me not to order the Carmen's chili relleno's), and ordered 1 of the Guatemalan chili rellenos and one of my standard order, Carmen's Chili rellenos.

Carmen's is traditonal cheese stuffed, lightly battered, lightly fried, lightly sauced--and they are awesome. The Gautemalan one was different. Much smaller in size, compact with ground pork and veggies with a different sauce--and just as good. I think I have a new standard order.

Mr. CM2772 order the speciality carne asada with a pumpkin, chili sauce and it was perfectly done. Medium rare (more rare than medium) and the sauce had a nice, spicy kick to it. The amish chicken with pumpkin seeds special is still running.

We also learned that the owners just opened Mexican Pizza place called Tanzitaro Express on the 3100 block of Central (Belmont and Central). They said it was open now, but they are working on the menus, website etc. I don't have any more information on this, but will try to head over there in the near future to try it out.

A very good meal here with the Small Household Food Exchange.
(Guessing at what some of the images are - if anyone can correct me, go for it.)

Appetizers:

Ceviche seemed a bit on the bland side, but was a nice start.

Two versions of plantains:

Rellenitos were small, fried balls of plantains with black beans.


Plantano Glorisa was plantains in a cinnamon sauce - almost a plantain soup.


Chuchito was tamale-like, with red sauce and pork.

Entrees:

Pepian was basically a Guatememalan beef stew.


Chicken Mole was a special for the evening; the mole was respectably complex.


Bassa Fish was among the better dishes of the evening. The freshwater fish was buried under pico de gallo and crisp tortilla chips.


Churrasco was a well-marinated skirt steak, slightly chewy, but great flavor - my favorite of the evening.

Frankly, before Pie Lady suggested it, I'd never heard much about Tanzitaro. I might have to go back.

That plantain soup was really interesting—I thought the broth tasted like tea. I liked everything I had, but especially the Pepian.

I was impressed by Tanzitaro. Perhaps the plantain with cinnamon sauce was overly sweet, but the dishes were clearly made with care. I particularly enjoyed the plantains stuffed with black beans, a creative idea. The Bassa fish with cheese and vegetables with an unexpected pleasure. I would return if in the neighborhood.

I saw something very disturbing...the sign was replaced by a PROPERTY FOR SALE sign. Not good. I can't find any information online and their phone message hadn't been changed, so I contacted the owner via FB. Keep your fingers crossed...

It looks like they recently changed their signage de-emphasizing the Guatamalan and Mexican aspects in favor of just talking about steaks & seafood. Probably in an attempt to bring in a more mainstream, ethnic averse crowd.

I thought this place was closed. I passed by there around noon yesterday and saw the For Sale sign and the building was completely dark for a Saturday. I just assumed they were gone. I remembered someone had mentioned this being good (was it you, Pie Lady) and I pointed it out to my husband because years and years ago, there was a diner there my dad once took me to.

KajmacJohnson wrote: there was a diner there my dad once took me to.

Cozy Corner R.I.P. I wish it was still there!

stevez wrote:

KajmacJohnson wrote: there was a diner there my dad once took me to.

Cozy Corner R.I.P. I wish it was still there!

That's it. For the life of me I could not recall the name but my inner voice constantly nagged the letter "c" for some reason. Odd that I didn't remember that. There used to be another Cozy Corner (though I think it was Kozy Korner) on Foster and Lincoln but I don't believe they were related, Never ate there but my dad knew the owner of the latter one.

Its true. It's closed. I stopped by last night and there was a note on the door stating that they closed their doors as of July 30. Rough economy sited as reason. I am sorry to see it go. I really liked this place.

Me too. This is really depressing...they had some kickass shrimp fajitas. Where will I go to have the waiter say "It's deeeee-licious!" ? At least we were able to get an LTH gathering there before it closed.
This location is doomed. It's been at least three things in the last 10 years. And it's so beautifully decorated! Let's hope the next guy keeps the interior intact.

I am hoping for another Mexican restaurant. The neighborhood certainly doesn't need another pizza place, bar or hot dog stand. It’s had its run of breakfast diners that never held either.

I am not a fan of Mom's Ole Recipes nearby on Milwaukee. Their meat, in particular their steak, is gross. The sauces, margaritas and house made tortillas are great.

CM2772 wrote:I am not a fan of Mom's Ole Recipes nearby on Milwaukee. Their meat, in particular their steak, is gross. The sauces, margaritas and house made tortillas are great.

That's a shame. I only ate there once but I liked it. But...it was no Tanzitaro.