hungryinchicago wrote:The Ceviche (which the restaurant for some reason spells "seviche" on both its website and the menu) ....

Seviche is a common spelling, as is cebiche.

Sorry to hear how disappointed you were. I love Salpicon and usually end up ordering mostly appetizers for the table and a smaller number of entrees for everyone to split. Do you eat much Mexican food? By way of comparison, what other Mexican restaurants do you like?

I'm with you Darren - I love Salpicon and I'll defend it here also. I've always been a big fan of the food and relaxed, friendly service. We spend a lot of time in this forum discussing the magnificent Mexican restaurants in Chicago, and I've often felt that Salpicon gets too little praise given the fact that it consistently turns out very good food.

And the funny thing is, I thought the decor, especially the vibrant colors, were one of the aspects of the restaurant (along with the huge tequila list) which everyone enjoyed.

Most important, I've always been a big fan of the food and the artistry demonstrated in the way the food is plated. On a recent visit, I too had the squash blossoms and loved them for their delicateness, as well as the wonderful poblano sauce. I also highly recommend the pumpkin seed-crusted rack of lamb with a pasilla sauce (if they're still serving it) which was one of the better lamb presentations I've enjoyed in years, as well as the poblano chile stuffed with huitlacoche (often on the menu). Thus, I cannot agree with a statement that the prices are extravagant . . . almost every entree is under $25, and many are under $20, and most appetizers are under $10.

As for the spice levels of their food, my only suggestion would be that when the menu describes a dish as being "spicy" or lists jalapenos, habaneros, serranos, chiles, etc. as components of the dish, spice/heat averse people should take caution when ordering the dish and might be advised too inquire further.

Darren72 wrote:

hungryinchicago wrote:The Ceviche (which the restaurant for some reason spells "seviche" on both its website and the menu) ....

Seviche is a common spelling, as is cebiche.

Sorry to hear how disappointed you were. I love Salpicon and usually end up ordering mostly appetizers for the table and a smaller number of entrees for everyone to split. Do you eat much Mexican food? By way of comparison, what other Mexican restaurants do you like?

Thanks for the heads-up. I've only seen it spelled ceviche before - so was somewhat surprised.

While Mexican food is not really a staple for me I really appreciate when I get a chance to experience it. I tend to gravitate towards "upscale" Mexican, which I know some object to as a concept. However, that's what I like and as far as "upscale" Mexican restaurants go, I can only point you to NYC - Maya on the Upper East Side and Rosa Mexicano on either Upper East or by Lincoln Center. I have not yet been to other Mexican places in Chicago, although I am told there is a great variety. One thing I would like to point out for comparison purposes is that the prices at Maya and Rosa Mexicana are on the level of those at Salpicon, but their décor and their food are much much better. That wasn't just my opinion, by the way - my friends thought the same.

Thus far, I have truly enjoyed the Mexican food in Chicago, Salpicon included. Having lived in NYC for the past 12 years (and still working in NY but living in Chicago), I must respectfully disagree regarding Rosa Mexicana. My partner aptly described it as "the Olive Garden of Mexican food"--it is now a mini-chain in NYC and has really gone downhill from its roots on the UES on, I believe, First Avenue.

What impressed me about Salpicon was the purity of the food and the incredible wine list. Who else in town has Chateau Musar in half bottle? To me, Salpicon reminds me of Rocking Horse Cafe and Suenos in NYC, but the presentation and wine list put Salpicon head and shoulders above those two. Chicago should be proud!

As an aside, I love the informal Mexican restaurants in Pilsen--a type of cooking that has somehow eluded NYC cooks...they just cannot seem (in NY) to cook 'regular' Mexican food that I came to enjoy when I lived in Los Angeles.

Ms.Paris wrote:Went to Salpicon for the first time last night and while I loved the food, the service left a bad taste... I went there with a group of 6 with reservations for 6:30. From the moment that the hostess called to confirm the reservation, they made it abundantly clear that we had only "reserved" the table until 8:30 and that we were expected to be out of there before that time. When I arrived, I was told again that we had to leave within 2 hours. When one of my friends was 15 minutes late, we were warned again that we had to leave by 8:30... When we took more than 2 minutes to look at the dessert menu, they told us we only had 20 minutes left. It really made the whole evening feel rushed


While I understand the need to turn tables, larger parties by their nature tend to take longer. And that's a good thing for the restaurant - more drinks, more food, more coffee, etc. Reminding us throughout the night that our "lease" on the table was almost up made me very uncomfortable - especially since it was me who had organized the outing & suggested the venue. It was like telling your guests at a dinner party that you've got other friends coming over so they have to leave.

Anyway, it was very unfortunate that this issue came up (& continued to come up), because the food and margaritas were fantastic. I'm not sure what they did to their guacamole, but it was creamier and fresher than I've ever tasted. Fried squash blossoms filled with goat cheese were fantastic, as was the pork tenderloin, perfectly cooked, in an avocado-based sauce (sorry, I forget all of the components, but it was truly excellent).

I'd return in a heartbeat for the food... once I stop steaming over being so rushed.

I must say, I find this practice (of a restaurant) totally unacceptable. When confronted with a similar situation (it was Sushi Yasuda in NYC), I declined to continue with the reservation (when I made the reservation, they informed me that I would be required to depart the sushi bar after 2 hours. I replied that I could not guarantee that. They stated it was required; at that point, I cancelled the reservation). To me, the mistake here was an implicit agreement when they stated this requirement upon the confirmation. I know you were probably 'stuck' with a party of 6 when they called, but I would have been inclined to cancel at that point. When you didn't, you implicitly agreed to their rule.

hungryinchicago wrote:I've come to realize that in Chicago, the restaurants that look good serve worse food than restaurants that look crappy.

I don't think that's true, generally -- certainly at the high end there are many examples of lovely restaurants with delicious food -- but it is true that we have many examples of great food served in dives.

LAZ wrote:

hungryinchicago wrote:I've come to realize that in Chicago, the restaurants that look good serve worse food than restaurants that look crappy.

I don't think that's true, generally -- certainly at the high end there are many examples of lovely restaurants with delicious food -- but it is true that we have many examples of great food served in dives.

I'm a long time believer in Calvin Trillin's "Inverse ambiance theory of Chinese restaurants"

Time to bring this up-to-date. After an unexpected dinner here Saturday night, we were puzzled why Salpicon doesn’t get more attention: it deserves it.

Although I have sworn off both Frontera and Topolobampo for reasons elaborated in the highlighted threads, we found ourselves at Frontera on Saturday because we were taking the (former) boss and his wife out and the boss loves Frontera. Got there at 5:15; they opened at 5:00. Upon inquiring, we were told we would have a wait of at least 2 to 2½ hours. Hello? Why on earth a place this exceptionally popular can’t take reservations is absolutely beyond me, but they don’t and we were stuck. No one wanted to wait that long at the bar in a place that was already wall-to-wall people with a noise level that matched it. I asked if Topolobampo could accommodate us that early without a reservation. No. So we went to Salpicon.

Wonderful decision. Priscilla Satkoff (the chef/owner) answered the telephone when I called and served as maitre d’ all evening (perhaps the regular called in sick?). We walked in and she immediately greeted us like longtime friends. Although she placed us at the table next to the maitre d’s stand, it worked out just fine. And the noise level there turned out to be lower than in the rest of the place. Besides, as a last-minute walk-in, we were pleased to be there. By 7 pm, the place was filled. And understandably so. We were all pleased by the range of choices, both regular as well as specials.

Although I was tempted for a long time by an off-the-menu special on soft shell crabs, I went with a trio of tamalitos: these tiny tamales were filled with (1) queso fresco and serrano chiles topped with a spicy salsa and crema, (2) with black beans, rajas (roasted chile strips with onions and herbs), and Chihuahua cheese accompanied by a black bean purée, and (3) with zucchini and chipotles. The presentation was beautiful. Indeed, one of the things we noticed was that everything brought to the table was unusually well-presented. It’s certainly common to see nice platings at nice restaurants, but these were so uniformly of high quality, attention to detail, and thoughtfulness, that it bears special notice. Had I a complaint, and it would follow through to the entrees, the dish was slightly on the small side. Although my entrée was well-portioned, I was surprised to see the size of my three companions’ plates. When the portion is the right size for the Lovely Dining Companion, you know that it's wrong for everyone else.

Two of us ordered from the regular menu and two chose from the weekly specials. I had (from the regular menu) a tinga poblano, a grilled pork tenderloin over a roasted tomato-chipotle sauce. The sauce included a bit of chorizo and some diced potatoes. All this sat in a small pool of an avocado-tomatillo sauce that was truly a perfect complement to the meat. The meat was sliced and cooked absolutely perfectly; the flavor of the grill was matched nicely by the smokiness of the chipotles and echoed by the chorizo. A well thought out dish that left me hungry for more. The other regular menu item was pescado al carbon, roast fish of the day which was halibut. I was taken aback by the size of the two small fillets but our friend loved it. She pronounced the grilled fish and its salsa fresca delicious. The simple dish was accompanied by white rice.

Two of us chose specials. The Lovely Dining Companion went for the salmón al hinojo, a grilled fillet of Copper River sockeye salmon glazed with ancho chile and placed atop a bed of sauteed fennel and spinach. Accompanying it was a tomatillo-serrano sauce which LDC tasted (she has no tolerance for spicy heat) and I forgot to taste. To my surprise, she enjoyed the little bit she tasted. Again, the fish came in two very small fillets but LDC commented several times after we left the restaurant on how much she enjoyed her dish. She did miss a little starch—say, rice or even potatoes—and thought it would have added both to the portion size and the rounding out of the plate, particularly in light of the fact that they serve rice with the fish of the day. She doesn’t do clean her plate very often and I take it as a great sign. She was also the one who pointed out that if the serving size was right for her, it had to be small for most people.

Finally, a callos tropicales, grilled jumbo sea scallops grilled and served on a bed of corn, ruby grapefruit, cilantro, avocado, scallions and tear-drop tomatoes. Two sauces here: red papaya-tequila and a spicy four chile sauce. I can’t offer much by way of comment except to say that the plate was mopped clean. And I mean clean.

Two shared desserts: pastel tres leches which I must confess I found disappointing. According to the menu, it’s “a light orange-flavored cake soaked in three milks, frosted with freshly whipped cream and served with raspberry sauce.” So light was the orange flavoring that I barely noticed it. The cake, too, was exceptionally light and, again, on the small side. The pastel de chocolate y espresso hit the spot (or so I’m told): a warm soft center chocolate-espresso cake with vanilla bean ice cream.

Service was good, though no better than that. We were surprised that, had we not ordered a guacamole (excellent) for the table (it came with very fresh chips and a roasted tomato salsa), it appeared as if nothing would have been brought. The lag between my app and the entrees was long enough to be noticeable but not so long that it was a problem. Still, I’d be interested to see if this happens again or was a one-off event.

P.S. On a semi-related manner, for the first time last night I noticed that the tax on my bill came to 11.5%. I was puzzled by that rate and looked it up. According to the Illinois Restaurant Association website, the breakdown includes:

State Sales Tax 6.25%
Chicago Sales Tax 1.25%
Cook County Sales Tax 1.75%
RTA Tax 1.00%
MPEA Pier Tax 1.00%
TOTAL SALES TAX 11.25%
Plus
Restaurant Tax 0.25%
TOTAL TAX 11.50%

According to the website, “The MPEA Pier Tax (1%) only applies to downtown Chicago restaurants” and “the Restaurant Tax (.25%) only applies to Chicago restaurants.” Welcome to Chicago; hope you enjoy paying through the nose! (BTW, the website also estimates restaurant sales in Illinois in 2009 at $18.8 billion. Wow.)

Gypsy Boy wrote:Priscilla Satkoff (the chef/owner) answered the telephone when I called and served as maitre d’ all evening (perhaps the regular called in sick?). We walked in and she immediately greeted us like longtime friends.

Salpicon has been one of my favorites for a long time. Like you, I originally went because I was turned off by the waits at Frontera Grill.

Priscilla Satkoff is an amazing person. I called the restaurant a few weeks ago and she answered the phone. Somehow my innocent conversation turned to the fact that it was my wife's birthday and we were making carnitas for a large party. Soon, Priscilla is graciously sharing her recipe and technique with me. How incredibly generous of her!

Note also that the Salpicon cookbook is now available. Mine just arrived.

At Easter brunch today, I had the garlic marinated and grilled quail served in a sauce of ancho chiles, garlic, caramelized onions and honey with a potato, cilantro and queso añejo cake. This was the best thing I have eaten this year. The quail was perfectly grilled with a nice char. The sauce was just fantastic - a little smoky and earthy, some heat and a dose of sweet. I doubt I've tasted a better sauce in Mexican cooking, and I've had some amazing moles. Luckily, the dish was served with some fresh, tender corn tortillas so that I could lap up the extra sauce. The potato "cake" served with the dish was basically a layered potato torte and was also delicious. If the recipe for this dish is in Priscila's Salpicon cookbook, I'm buying it.

Guacamole was also excellent - chunky, just the perfect amount of lime and well seasoned. I would have preferred a little more serrano and next time I will remember to ask.

I have a really hard time ordering anything other than quail when I go to Salpicon.

Hi All,
Any recent recommendations or impressions?
Thanks so much.

annak wrote:Hi All,
Any recent recommendations or impressions?
Thanks so much.

Salpicon's menu never changes too dramatically, but what they do they do consistently well. It's the time of the year when they might be serving squash blossoms, and if so I would order them. I also love Priscilia's soups. And as I mentioned slightly up-thread, the quail is amazing. But really you can't go wrong with anything on the menu.

Walked by during the Wells Street Festival.

There is a remodeling in progress. A sign says the "upstairs" is open during remodling.

I never knew there was an upstairs???

The does appear to be some sort of outdoor patio/balcony above the storefront that I didn't notice before.

I think opening a second floor was part of the renovation.

I have had some very good and also very mediocre meals at Salpicon many years ago. i wonder if anyone has had any recent experiences? I woke up today thinking it might be good for brunch.

I was in a Monty Python sketch of a dining experience at Salpicon the other night. A companion made his tequila selection for a margarita from the 60 listed on the menu.

"I am so sorry," our Rich Corinthian waiter explained. "That is the one tequila on the whole list we do not have at the moment. May I recommend the Siembra Azul instead?" I was up next, picking the Leyenda del Milagro reposado.

"Now you are trying to embarrass us. I regret that we just sold the last of that. I am so sorry." I settled for the Siembra. One more seat down the table, the pick was Corralejo Anejo.

[blank stare from the waiter. He glanced over to the bartender, who had been listening intently. Shrug.] "Alright, the estoq on that one is out as well. I assure you have found the only weaknesses in the list."

Siembra Azul margaritas ensued all around. Those and the comedic value took some sting out of the bland $30 mains.

Santander wrote:I was in a Monty Python sketch of a dining experience at Salpicon the other night. A companion made his tequila selection for a margarita from the 60 listed on the menu.

"I am so sorry," our Rich Corinthian waiter explained. "That is the one tequila on the whole list we do not have at the moment. May I recommend the Siembra Azul instead?" I was up next, picking the Leyenda del Milagro reposado.

"Now you are trying to embarrass us. I regret that we just sold the last of that. I am so sorry." I settled for the Siembra. One more seat down the table, the pick was Corralejo Anejo.

[blank stare from the waiter. He glanced over to the bartender, who had been listening intently. Shrug.] "Alright, the estoq on that one is out as well. I assure you have found the only weaknesses in the list."

Siembra Azul margaritas ensued all around. Those and the comedic value took some sting out of the bland $30 mains.

Sheesh! What an annoying experience that must have been, though, it is a funny story. It's been years since I've been to Salpicon. They were once known for their tequila selection. I'm guessing that's not quite the case these days.

I was once at a restaurant where 4/5 of the daily specials that were listed on a sheet they'd brought to our table with the menus were n/a. This was 30 minutes after they opened, and the place was empty. Looking back it was funny but I was irritated at the time and I lost what little confidence I had in the place. We ended up leaving without eating and have never returned.

=R=

I was there a couple of months ago and ordered two different tequilas for my drinks and they had whatever I ordered.

Sad to hear that Salpicon is closing. I hadn't been in a while, but enjoyed some great meals there.

Via Facebook and email from the restaurant:

After nearly 22 years Salpicón will be closing its doors.

We want to thank all of our loyal guests, many of
whom have become good friends.

Our last day of service will be Wednesday November 30, 2016.

We appreciate your support thru
all these years.

We also want to thank our fantastic staff for their hard work and loyalty!

We hope to see you all before we close.

Complementary copies of The Salpicón Cookbook will be given away when you dine with us in November.

Thanks again,

Vince and Priscila Satkoff