La Principal - Evanston

Two of us dined at La Principal in Evanston last night and liked it alot. This is the place run by the Lucky Platter folks that took over the old Lupita's space on Main and Custer.

Had a house margarita and it was ok, a little heavy on the ice, but made with decent tequila and interesting fruit/agave addition. Interesting beer list, with two Sketchbook beers (brewed about 300 feet away) featuring infusions of either mole or salsa verde.

We split an elotes, which was pretty good topping wise, but the corn wasnt super fresh or juicy, probably the worst thing we had. I had the carnitas taco and the "chilie relleno" taco which actually has tofu. Both were good, the carnitas the better of the two. My wife had the Al Pastor taco and the sweet potato taco and both were even better then my two, especially the sweet potato taco which was outstanding. Tacos are only $4. Got really good side of black beans, clearly homemade with porky taste for $3.

Dessert was the highlight. Fresh warm churro with chocolate dipping sauce. Amazing. They have an outdoor window called Cafecito open from 6:30-10am that sells coffee, hot chocolate and these awesome churros.

We had to wait about ten minutes for a table at 7 on a Thursday night...its been pretty crowded since they opened. There is a bar area for the wait. The service was fast and pleasant, the owner checking in on us a couple times. So cool to have this place in the hood! All in all a great replacement for Lupitas, although not exactly at the Taco Diablo level but filling the need for a modern taco-tequila place that Evanston has been lacking.

700 Main St.
Evanston, IL 60202
224-307-2444
http://laprincipalevanston.com/

This is great news! Evanston needs good Mexican. Will try and check it out this weekend.

The Evanston Lunch Group™ will be having lunch at La Principal on Wednesday December 16, and all are welcome to join us. The lunch group is a great way to experience a restaurant because we always order a variety of items and split them up, so you'll get to try a lot of things on the menu.

Evanston Lunch Group™ Wed Dec 16, 12:30 pm @ La Principal

Thanks for the heads up, went here for dinner after a very successful football weekend! Got 4 tacos initially, since I figured at $4 a pop, they'd be fairly substantial. Lengua, short rib, carnitas and al pastor. The only one I wouldn't recommend is the al pastor, since it seemed like a soupy version of their carnitas (with some spiced broth) - not even closely resembling al pastor. The short rib was fantastic, however. The carnitas and lengua were both very good, with the carnitas maybe slightly edging out the lengua (but that could be due to the fact that my lengua tortilla fell apart, and it was the first taco I ate - another minor quibble; the tortillas, while good were not as durable as one would hope). Had to order two more, since 4 were not even close to enough, and the short rib again proved to be the highlight. Loved the green and red salsas too - their pineapple one was a little weird.

Great news for Evanston - Mexican is here! A little sad that the tacos are so expensive, but if you try to not to think of it as "tacos" but a meal, it's all good.

Hi- I mentioned this restaurant to a friend of mine that leads a support group. The support group goes out to eat once a month, and they have been to Lucky Platter several times and have enjoyed it. I mentioned to my friend that they just opened up a Mexican restaurant where Lupita's used to be. He was interested in taking his support group there, but he was concerned that thy would not have enough seating for at least ten people. Is this a sit down restaurant or a wait on yourself restaurant? Do they take reservations? The group usually goes out to eat on Sunday around 5:00pm, and they mostly stick to Evanston. Last time they went to Lou Malnati's, and they are going to the Peckish Pig next month. They have several people that take the L to get there, and so he tries to find a place in Evanston close to public transportation, and he tries to find a place that is under $30, and preferably under $20. Thanks in advance for any help, Nancy

Hey, it is a sit down place you are served by wait staff, order off a menu. It isnt like "fast casual" or chipotle where you order from a counter and then find a seat.

Went for a repeat performance tonight. Tried the Ahogado, and the rest of their tacos. The ahogado was pretty good, definitely better than Xoco's, but still not up to par with what I think is an excellent Torta Ahogada (if you're ever in DC - go to La Mexicana and get one; that is a proper ahogada - made with chiles). I think places should clarify that theirs is (heavily) tomato based, because to me, that is more of just a carnitas sandwich in tomato soup. Bleh.

I apparently ordered perfectly the first time, because the remaining three tacos (chicharrones, sweet potato, chile relleno) were all below the others. The chicharrones was probably my favorite of this group with the contrasting textures, and the sweet potato my least (I think the sweet potatoes could have been cooked a little more thoroughly), but I will say I don't think tofu (chile relleno) should be in a taco period.

Still love this place for Evanston though, and pretty impressed with how busy they've been both times I've visited, considering they just opened.

mdpilam wrote:Went for a repeat performance tonight. Tried the Ahogado, and the rest of their tacos. The ahogado was pretty good, definitely better than Xoco's, but still not up to par with what I think is an excellent Torta Ahogada (if you're ever in DC - go to La Mexicana and get one; that is a proper ahogada - made with chiles). I think places should clarify that theirs is (heavily) tomato based, because to me, that is more of just a carnitas sandwich in tomato soup. Bleh.

As I understand, tortas ahogadas are traditionally served with a mix of two sauces: one, a mildly-spiced tomato sauce; the other, a fiery salsa based on chile de árbol. It is up to the customer to specify the ratio of sauces—and thus the degree of heat—desired. I wouldn't be surprised if many servers, when no instructions are given, simply default to the mild option. I don't think I've ever come across a torta ahogada in Chicago that couldn't be customized (I've never eaten Mexican food in Evanston though).

Congratulations to La Principal for their lengua (tongue) taco being named to this list from Thrillist:

THE CHICAGO TACO BUCKET LIST: 40 TACOS TO EAT BEFORE YOU DIE

I enjoyed our lunch there, and I thought that particular taco was unusually terrific. Beef tongue has a unique texture which varies from firm to soft and moist, and this was perhaps the softest and moistest I've ever tasted. I think it could easily appeal even to people who haven't liked other versions of tongue before.

I had a quick lunch at La Principal back in January that I never wrote about.

Very refreshing to have a new restaurant in Evanston offering something other than burgers, and doing it well to boot.

Queso Fundido green chorizo, poblano rajas, chihuahua cheese


Elotes charred corn cob, cotija, mayo, chili seasoning, lime


Sweet Potato Taco chile-lime sweet potatoes, roasted nopales, red cabbage, pepitas, chile crema


Red Pozole red chile tomato broth, hominy, braised chicken, cilantro, cabbage, oregano, radish


Ahogado achiote seasoned pork, black beans, red onions, chile broth


Happy to add another restaurant to my lunch rotation in Evanston.

incite wrote:
Queso Fundido green chorizo, poblano rajas, chihuahua cheese

What is "green choriso"?

stevez wrote:What is "green choriso"?

I would assume it's green chile chorizo with the word chile omitted.

Or maybe it's chorizo that lacks experience.

http://www.streetgourmetla.com/2010/02/ ... -from.html

Green chorizo is real and it is amazing.

dagrassroots wrote:http://www.streetgourmetla.com/2010/02/ricos-tacos-toluca-df-sausage-king-from.html

Green chorizo is real and it is amazing.

Don't you mean "spectacular"? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xk1AA6r4bQ

incite wrote:Queso Fundido green chorizo, poblano rajas, chihuahua cheese

Does La Principal serve green chorizo any other way? I don't see anything else on their online menu.

You can find green chorizo at Gallo Bravo in Avondale (3909 W Belmont), but it's not very good. I assume green food coloring is a major ingredient because it has no herbal flavor to speak of. Might be good for celebrating Saint Patrick's Day, but that's about it.



Infinitely better is the chorizo verde (green on left; red in center) at Restaurant Amatepec on the Southwest Side (3143 W 51st). Duller in color, but much brighter in flavor, with distinct herbal flavors; one of the city's best chorizos and one of the most notable $2 tacos.

incite wrote:

stevez wrote:What is "green choriso"?

I would assume it's green chile chorizo with the word chile omitted.

I'm sure recipes vary considerably, but neither Chicago version seems to have a dominant green chile presence. In addition to chiles, I think the color is supposed to come from herbs and that seems to be the case with Amatepec's version.

A few years ago, I made Bayless' green chorizo which includes spinach powder for color. Tasty.

http://www.greencitymarket.org/recipes/ ... .asp?id=69

I've been twice now to their morning walk up window. From the window they serve take-out churros, champurrado, short rib, green chorizo and veggie tacos with egg as well as coffee, espresso, tea, etc. I hope this venture on their part is supported by the public, because stopping here sure beats sitting in line at the drive through at McDonald's on Dempster. Both times I've been there I'm afraid, there has not been another customer in sight.

Got to hand it to this place for the Cafecito side window breakfast service. Opens at 6:30 and no problem parking. You can hop out of the car, pick up some breakfast and coffee at the window and be on your way quickly.