Mexican specialties

Does anyone of a restaurant in Chicago that makes Chiles en nogada? How 'bout good Cochinita pibil?
Also, has anyone tried the restaurant 'Decima Musa' on Loomis? A friend recommended it a while back but I never got around to trying it. Might have to make a trip to Pilsen this week...
Thanks

Actually, I had cochinita pibil at Chuck's a couple of weeks ago that was dead on for what I had in Playa del Carmen. Chuck's menu changes regularly so no telling how long it will be available, however.

If anyone's curious, there's a picture of the Mexican kind in part 3 of my Playa post, by the way.

thaiobsessed wrote:Also, has anyone tried the restaurant 'Decima Musa' on Loomis?

Decima Musa is a really cool place. It's owned by a lesbian couple and hosts all sorts of progressive gatherings, there's live jazz there on a regular basis, and it seems to play a very central role in the Pilsen community. I learned from looking at their web site just now that they've been open for 23 years. Wow.

But, the times that I've eaten there, I thought the food was okay, not great. A bit bland. On the other hand, the last time I was there was a couple years ago, and I'd be interested to hear what it's like these days. Please report back if you go!

(Also, they have a good bar, if you want to just go there for a drink.)

As for chiles en nogada, they might not be available or featured until September, because it's a traditional dish for Mexican Independence Day. There was some discussion of where to find them in a previous thread. Unfortunately one of the restaurants discussed there, Restaurante Oaxaca, recently closed.

Good luck, and please tell us about what you find.


Decima Musa
1901 S. Loomis
Chicago, IL 60608
(312)-243-1556
www.decimamusa.com

Thanks for the replies. My curiosity has been piqued. I'm going to try and get to Decima musa this week. I'll bring my digital camera so I can be a true LTHforum foodie geek and post pictures.

I've enjoyed my meals at Decima Musa over the years. It's fairly upscale for Pilsen, although not too pricy. The dining area is large, tastefully decorated, and always clean. (I can recall eating lunch and being reassured by the smell of flax soap used on the hardwood floors). The chips are light and never greasy, and the salsa is not the typical stuff you find in most places. The only problem I've found is that it's not always open when I've expected it to be. This has happened several times during lunch hours, and once when I attempted to take my niece out for dinner. So I recommend calling first before heading out.

Amata wrote:

thaiobsessed wrote:Also, has anyone tried the restaurant 'Decima Musa' on Loomis?

Decima Musa is a really cool place. But, the times that I've eaten there, I thought the food was okay, not great. A bit bland. On the other hand, the last time I was there was a couple years ago, and I'd be interested to hear what it's like these days. Please report back if you go!

Went to Decima Musa tonight and found it..."okay, not great." The salsa might very well have been El Paso, the Milanesa was fried to a tasteless crisp, and other dishes seemed very uneventful.

It is, however, a cool place, and I liked the union hall vibe of the backroom. Has anyone ever had anything other than an ordinary dining experience there?

Hammond