I think we're - Chicagoans/Midwesterners - suspicious of the out-of-town braggards who haven't proven their worth (to us) yet coming onto our turf and, before the doors to the new restaurant open, tell us they're s*it doesn't stink. By their very posture – their PR’ing – they’re saying they have something to teach us.

While the high-priced drinks may be good-tasting at Mercadito, the reviews of the food side of the operation - including the ones you point to and the additional one of Phil Vittel (in today’s Chicago Tribune) – tell another story: it’s not very good. It’s sub-par for Chicago – but for a lounge-set crowd which probably doesn’t care much about what they're eating, it’s acceptable.

Mercadito's choice of location, about a block away from the heart of the Rick Bayless empire, is a scenario I’ve no doubt is welcomed by writers and publications looking for something new to focus on. Gunfight at the Clark St. Corral.

I visited the Sandoval family restaurant in Acapulco numerous times and it was good, and expensive, but I don't know anything about Patricio Sandoval's time (said in a bio of his I’ve read saying was) spent working/cooking/chef'ing in Chicago (does anyone else?) before he headed to NYC, but I think his reputation has taken a "hit" and has been diminished by his poor performance in Chicago thus far.

I don’t think the Mercadito discussions have as much to do with an “indelible second city complex” as they do with calling-out imposters. Truth, justice and the American way.

Bill wrote:I think we're - Chicagoans/Midwesterners - suspicious of the out-of-town braggards who haven't proven their worth (to us) yet coming onto our turf and, before the doors to the new restaurant open, tell us they're s*it doesn't stink. By their very posture – their PR’ing – they’re saying they have something to teach us.

I don’t think the Mercadito discussions have as much to do with an “indelible second city complex” as they do with calling-out imposters. Truth, justice and the American way.

I missed where they bragged, claimed no-smell excrement, and posed in an imposter-like way. Is there some quote from the Sandovals that indicates they came here to school us in Mexican cuisine? Where is this perception of them coming from? What evidence is there that this is really what's going on in their heads.

No one -- Sula, Tamarkin, Vettel -- is arguing that the food is terrific or that the place is a high-value experience, but I'm not seeing how the very fact that Mercadito came to Chicago is proof of their arrogance. It does seem that the uniformly affronted attitude of many Chicagoans is evidence more of their psychological predisposition than of anything specific going on in the minds of the Sandovals, which I (apparently for one) am not capable of reading.

David Hammond wrote:I missed where they bragged, claimed no-smell excrement, and posed in an imposter-like way. Is there some quote from the Sandovals that indicates they came here to school us in Mexican cuisine? Where is this perception of them coming from? What evidence is there that this is really what's going on in their heads.

No one -- Sula, Tamarkin, Vettel -- is arguing that the food is terrific or that the place is a high-value experience, but I'm not seeing how the very fact that Mercadito came to Chicago is proof of their arrogance. It does seem that the uniformly affronted attitude of many Chicagoans is evidence more of their psychological predisposition than of anything specific going on in the minds of the Sandovals, which I (apparently for one) am not capable of reading.

Well, just the fact that a New Yorker would open a restaurant here is clearly an act of aggression. I'm sorry that you can't see that.

cilantro wrote:

David Hammond wrote:I missed where they bragged, claimed no-smell excrement, and posed in an imposter-like way. Is there some quote from the Sandovals that indicates they came here to school us in Mexican cuisine? Where is this perception of them coming from? What evidence is there that this is really what's going on in their heads.

No one -- Sula, Tamarkin, Vettel -- is arguing that the food is terrific or that the place is a high-value experience, but I'm not seeing how the very fact that Mercadito came to Chicago is proof of their arrogance. It does seem that the uniformly affronted attitude of many Chicagoans is evidence more of their psychological predisposition than of anything specific going on in the minds of the Sandovals, which I (apparently for one) am not capable of reading.

Well, just the fact that a New Yorker would open a restaurant here is clearly an act of aggression. I'm sorry that you can't see that.

Based on what Bill mentioned about their family place in Acapulco, they're apparently guerrenense and not actually New Yorkers at all.

Still, though, as you argue, screw them.

Neither here nor there, but I checked out some "real" Mexican in Jackson Heights and other places in NYC. I got the odd feeling that Mexican, as a minority latino cuisine in NY, has taken on a strange warp toward the other more prevalent foods (esp. Colombian) very similar to how non-Mexican latino foods in Chicago (Cuban "nachos" anyone?) tend to bend toward Mexican. As for the upscale Mexican spots in NY, I feel they tend to cater to NYer's vision of Mexico as a place with fish tacos and 'ritas everywhere. Maybe this is anchored in a collective sub-Ivy, Cancabo spring break memory. If you are marketing margaritas to young professionals in Manhattan, you might need to swing that way, even if your family is from a remote Chiapas village.

I have nothing against New Yorkers opening restaurants here, but there are some cases where they'd be bringing us something special, and other cases where coming from New York means about as much as being a new Brinker concept. Mercadito sounds closer to the latter than the former, or at the very least, it's on the border...

Had a most excellent platter of carnitas and eggs at Mercadito today (media event):



Though along the same lines as huevos con cesina, this dish was kind of a new one on me, but it’s a natural: pork and eggs, how could it not fail to satisfy?

David Hammond wrote:Had a most excellent platter of carnitas and eggs at Mercadito today (media event):



how could it not fail to satisfy?

My thoughts exactly, Mr. Hammond.

I did the Chef's Week lunch there last week. I thought it was fantastic!
We shared the traditional and mango guacamoles. I preferred the mango for the added sweetness but the traditional was definitely good. The greasy, hot tortilla chips were light and airy and totally addictive.
We shared the shimp and mahi mahi ceviches. I found the shrimp ceviche to be rather bland, but the mahi was really good. I nearly lapped up all the juices out of the bowl.
We also shared two of the salsas-- the chipotle and the cacahuate. The chipotle was delicious. It had this wonderful vinegar flavor from the pickled chipoltle. The cacahuate did nothing for me, the peanut flavor was strange (though I love peanuts). Both salsas were blended smooth.
We had the pastor, estilo baja (fried mahi) and hongo tacos. My least favorite was the pastor. I didn't like the strong ancho flavor. It pretty much over-powered everything. The pork was cooked nicely. The hongo was terrific. The mushrooms were flavorful and the huitlacoche added a really nice earthy flavor. A very sastifying taco. My favorite was the baja. I am a sucker for a baja taco and this was GOOD.
We were completely stuffed at this point but dessert was included so we pressed on and WOW the goat's milk caramel custard blew me a way! The texture was perfectly smooth but not gelatinous, the caramel was rich and didn't have that burnt sugar flavor that caramel can
have.
Before going I definitely had my misgivings about this place as this being too much of a “scene” (and think it might be a little nutty on weekend evenings) but I was really happy with the food. The room is definitely quite loud. The place was full but no one waiting and we had to raise our voices slightly to talk at our two-top. But it was quite tasty and the noise issue wasn’t such that it would keep me away. I will definitely be heading back for some more tasty Baja tacos and I’m dying to get my hands on a shrimp taco because they looked terrific!

Had lunch at Mercadito today. Some observations. The habenero salsa was HOT, in a good way. If you are into capsacin, this is reason enough for a trip to mercadito. I had the fish tacos and they were tiny. Wasnt looking for a huge portion, but the tacos were shockingly small. Finally, this place is muy expensivo. I am usually not one to complain about price, but this was a $10 meal for $30. Not a great value for the money. Nice space though.

Back in Chicago for the holiday and very happy to be eating some home cooked food. I wasn't really interested in eating out this weekend, but thought that I would put aside some time to get some Mexican food, something I've been craving since moving to shitville. A few days before I get here, my girlfriend tells me that she made plans for us to go out with friends, Mexican no less. "Where?", I inquires. "Mercadito" is her reply. FML.

JeffB wrote:PS, to me, the fact that every Mexican place in NY has fish tacos is not a good sign and it ties to the fact that every place also loads tacos with iceberg -- and it's not because they are trying to eat like they did at home. Fish tacos are surfer fare, or maybe even now Mexico City vacationers go to Acapulco fare, not something Mom & Pop were eating for lunch in Guadalajara before they moved to the Bronx. It's kind of like pad thai. Fish tacos and pad thai taste good, so don't get me wrong, but I wouldn't say that a lack of fish tacos is a huge knock on Chicago's Mexican street food scene.

spelling somewhat corrected

For the record, fish tacos are a specifically Baja California phenomenon. I've never seen them in Acapulco, or on the Gulf coast. As a matter of fact, my wife, who spent the first 30+ years of her life in Mexico City and Michoacan, said when we went to Mixteco for the first time and saw fish tacos on the menu, "There is no such thing as fish tacos!" She quickly grew to like them, but the fact is they are a very region-specific thing. Veracruz has a wonderful variety of seafood but not in the form of tacos, they prefer bread to tortillas. Go figure.

Mercadito Hospitality is opening Mercadito Counter in December in the space that recently housed Bel 50, reports Chicago magazine. The counter will have Mexican street food and Mexican spins on American street food (thus the pico de gallo topped sausage).

http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/ ... bacon-tree

Dave148 wrote:

Mercadito Hospitality is opening Mercadito Counter in December in the space that recently housed Bel 50, reports Chicago magazine. The counter will have Mexican street food and Mexican spins on American street food (thus the pico de gallo topped sausage).

http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/ ... bacon-tree

Mercadito Counter, a casual spot in River North, appears to be closing after just a year in business.

http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/ ... -years-run