2.361 days Visit from Portland -- Mexican and More (if time)

My wife is coming to Chicago for a one day conference and I'm coming along. Short trip: come in on Monday afternoon, leave Wednesday night. All I could do because, coincidentally, my manager is coming in with his wife for a conference right afterwards for several days.

Anywho....

1) I'm definitely available for lunch on Wednesday the 17th of June and I'd love to get together with my several friends here for a meal or crawl or whatever. It's been a while since I've seen most of you. I don't know what's most appropriate, emailing me privately, doing an event via the site, or whatever. But let me know if we can get together.

2) I've been wanting to make a trip for a while to Chicago to eat Mexican food. I'd love some best of the best lists. Those of you who've eaten with me know that I can pack in a lot of restaurants (and a lot of food) in a relatively short period of time. My wife might get burnt out, but she's the one who insisted I come along. But a list of the best of the best, focusing on most unusual/regional would be much appreciated. I probably don't need to go to the best place serving carnitas, carne asada, and al pastor (unless it's real al pastor), but a place serving specialties (and making them tasty) from Toluca, Puebla, or Hermosillo? I'm there.

3) My wife will probably want some non-divey options in places that are "pretty", but after 15 years of food geekdom, I've recognized that I'm more of a gourmand than a gourmet and am a bit jaded when it comes to fancy food. My favorite places are often those that find the middle ground: places doing traditional and comfort foods, but with high quality ingredients and skilled cooks. So any midscale/semi-upscale places that fall into that category, even if they overlap with (2) above, would be greatly appreciated as well.

We are staying inside the loop, I think along the Miracle Mile (yay, Hotwire), but I will travel for good food, as old timers here can attest.

TIA

I think you should make it an event, and update as details firm up. It would be lovely to see you - haven't seen you since our dinner at Le Pigeon maybe 6 years ago? (btw - had lunch at Mi Mole Mero while you were out of town, it was wonderful)

For Mexican (all GNRs, more info available in that forum)

1) Birrieria Zaragoza
2) La Chaparrita
3) Cemitas Puebla
4) Xoco

3) and 4) are easily walkable from the loop. Not Mexican, but also walkable, fits your "middle ground" criterion, and is just plain wonderful: Publican Quality Meats.

cilantro wrote:. . . Not Mexican, but also walkable, fits your "middle ground" criterion, and is just plain wonderful: Publican Quality Meats.

Hey Nick,

Just a few doors down from PQM -- a great recomendation, btw -- is the newish location of Cemitas Puebla, if you have a hankering for a tried and true fave that you may have already had in the past (in Humboldt Park). I'm not sure how long it's been since your last visit. Their North Avenue location closed recently.

If you're willing to venture out further for non-Mexican, I'd recommend 2 newly-minted GNRs in Logan Square: Analogue for some outstanding Cajun/New Orleans cuisine and Cellar Door Provisions for some stellar breads/baked goods and seasonal 'cafe' fare. Analogue opens at 6 and CDP is best hit earlier in the day.

Just down Diversey from CDP are L. Patron and Masa Azul, which I think have both sprung up since your last visit. L. Patron is a quick-stop taqueria and Masa Azul is a nicer, sit-down restaurant with a fairly distinctive aesthetic. Last and certainly not least is GNR Fat Rice, which is also on Diversey and is definitely worth a trip, IMO. It's a mash-up of Macanese and Portuguese cuisines and may be the best of the lot.

Also, I know you're a fan of Thai and GNR Rainbow Thai has sprung up since your last visit. It's definitely top tier and I'm guessing you haven't been there yet.

There are useful, informative threads about all these places here in the forums.

I'll try to come up with some others, too.

Enjoy!

=R=

Cemitas Puebla
817 W Fulton St
Chicago, IL
(312) 455-9200

Analogue
2523 N Milwaukee Ave
Chicago, IL 60647
(773) 904-8567

Cellar Door Provisions
3025 W Diversey Ave
Chicago, IL 60647
(773) 697-8337

L. Patron
2815 W Diversey Ave
Chicago, IL 60647
(773) 252-6335

Masa Azul
2901 W Diversey Ave
Chicago, IL 60647
(773) 687-0300

Fat Rice
2957 W Diversey Ave
Chicago, IL 60647
(773) 661-9170

Rainbow Thai
4825 N Western Ave
Chicago, IL 60625
(773) 754-7660

Personally, if you're looking for creative and unusual contemporary Mexican, I think Topolobampo is a great choice. Particularly for lunch, when it's not terribly expensive, including their $25 three-course prix fixe menu.

As for mid-priced places with unusual and delicious food, I'd recommend Salero (cuisine from the Basque provinces in northern Spain) and La Sirena Clandestina (South American), both in the West Loop. If you don't mind a room that's HORRIBLY LOUD, Tanta in River North serves excellent Peruvian food.

extramsg wrote:We are staying inside the loop, I think along the Miracle Mile

You've been here several times, but are still confused by the local geography? (The Miracle Mile is in Los Angeles, and the Magnificent Mile is not in the Loop.)

There is a Miracle Mile in Mid-Wilshire but the more common reference is the Miami/Coral Gables shopping area that is somewhat analogous to north Michigan Ave. Miracle Mile in LA has the dubious distinction of being America's (probably the world's) first "linear downtown" area, leading to 20th Century Sunbelt gems with names like Peachtree and Camelback.

I've been to Topolobampo twice for work lunches in the past few months. I'll just disagree and note that the Frontera empire is really good sandwiches and caldos these days.

cilantro wrote:For Mexican (all GNRs, more info available in that forum)

1) Birrieria Zaragoza
2) La Chaparrita
3) Cemitas Puebla
4) Xoco

3) and 4) are easily walkable from the loop. Not Mexican, but also walkable, fits your "middle ground" criterion, and is just plain wonderful: Publican Quality Meats.

Thanks. Walkable isn't important. Happy to use buses, trains, or taxis to get where I need to go, if it's worth. I put the GNR map into my phone.

ronnie_suburban wrote:Just a few doors down from PQM -- a great recomendation, btw -- is the newish location of Cemitas Puebla, if you have a hankering for a tried and true fave that you may have already had in the past (in Humboldt Park). I'm not sure how long it's been since your last visit. Their North Avenue location closed recently.

If you're willing to venture out further for non-Mexican, I'd recommend 2 newly-minted GNRs in Logan Square: Analogue for some outstanding Cajun/New Orleans cuisine and Cellar Door Provisions for some stellar breads/baked goods and seasonal 'cafe' fare. Analogue opens at 6 and CDP is best hit earlier in the day.

Thanks. I don't even consider Logan Square venturing out. Indiana -- now that would be venturing out.

Sol de Mexico
3018 N Cicero

Great spot for mole, and well worth the trip to a pretty out-of-the-way locale.

JeffB wrote:There is a Miracle Mile in Mid-Wilshire but the more common reference is the Miami/Coral Gables shopping area that is somewhat analogous to north Michigan Ave. Miracle Mile in LA has the dubious distinction of being America's (probably the world's) first "linear downtown" area, leading to 20th Century Sunbelt gems with names like Peachtree and Camelback.

I've been to Topolobampo twice for work lunches in the past few months. I'll just disagree and note that the Frontera empire is really good sandwiches and caldos these days.

Actually, it's because of my extensive fly fishing in my 20s when I lived in the Rocky Mountain states that I always tend to think "Miracle Mile".

http://www.greyreefanglers.com/miracle- ... r-wyoming/