Chiles Rellenos?

I'm looking for a place with really good Chiles Rellenos.
I had them for the first time during a visit to Sante Fe and was floored by them.
I recently tried them at Tapatio on Ashland/Roscoe and they weren't nearly as good. I like'em crispy.
Any advice?

Try them at Frontera Grill. They make 2 plates of them every night.

Make sure that you get their early, so after they open and you're done waiting in line, they can steer you into the bar for a 1/2 hour for a drink or two.

If you can get them at Frontera, they're good, but if you're looking for a very good plate of chiles rellenos in a more rustic environment, try them at El Potosi. The dish is mentioned a couple times in this thread about the place.

El Potosi Taqueria
3710 N. Elston Avenue
773-463-2517

Best,
Michael

I also am quite partial to chile rellenos. I wish you luck in your quest. Frontera is a good recommendation, but their availability is quite limited and they sell out early every day. Also, you will not fine Santa Fe style chile rellenos here in Chicago at all. The ones here are usually made with poblano peppers and while I like these very much, they can't compare with the CRs you get in New Mexico, which are generally made with Hatch chile's.

you may also want to check out this thread

As an aside though, I hear the relenos that Frontera has and the relenos you probably had in Santa Fe will be somewhat different. My dad, who is crazy about chile relenos, says Frontera is the best relenos he's ever had (including in South America!), but they are a style that is from more Southern Mexico than the kind you see in the American Southwest. Mainly, he says, the crust is a little thinner, and the seasoning is a little different. But if you like chile relenos, you'll be floored by Frontera! Just don't be surprised if they're out, as Saps said, they don't make very many of them.

curry71 wrote:I'm looking for a place with really good Chiles Rellenos.
I had them for the first time during a visit to Sante Fe and was floored by them.

Where did you find good ones in Sante Fe? Will be traveling there sometime soon and my husband loves Rellenos.

The place is called Pantry Resturaunt.
Here's the address:
1820 Cerrillos Rd
Santa Fe, NM
(505) 986-0022
It's next door to the El Rey Inn.

It's a little family-owned diner. I went there with a group of eight and we all ordered different things. I don't think anyone was disappointed with their meal.
Now I'm jealous.
Have fun.

Craig

P.S. We stayed at the El Rey Inn. It has beautiful courtyards and comfortable rooms. It's a cool place to stay if you're looking.

La Oaxaqueña does relleno justice...
3382 N. Milwaukee

Be sure to visit the Rancho de Chimayo Restaurant. They were the best rellenos I had during my visit. Besides that, the nearby Sanctuario de Chimayois a very interesting place to visit.

Santuario de Chimayo


Rancho de Chimayo Combo Platter (includes Chile Relleno)


Rancho de Chimayo Restaurant
Country Road 98, On the Scenic High Road to Taos
(505)351-4444, (505)984-2100 or (505)351-1211

What's the orange goo?

JeffB wrote:What's the orange goo?

It's the New Mexican "cheese of choice" for topping all things cheesy. Notice that they used a nice white cheese for the filling of the item on the left.

The best chile rellenos I've found are at La Finca, a charming little Mexican cafe on Elston Ave., just south of Addison. They are smoky, cheesey, with exactly the right amount of heat.
They also have awesome margaritas and chips and salsa. Everything is made in house, including the tortillas and the flan is thick, almost like caramel cheesecake.
For some reason, the place is always deserted, but you will not find a better version of rellenos anywhere in the city.

chicagofoodies wrote:La Oaxaqueña does relleno justice...
3382 N. Milwaukee

Yes they do.

I had both cheese and ground beef at the Diversey location tonight, and found the beef in particular to be fine. In a savory sauce of platano, onion and raisin, the ancho pepper stood forth, proudly proclaiming its pepperiness, rather than sinking back, as so many do, in soggy bland breading.

I also liked the grasshoppers, which are on the secret menu, more for their exotic interest than their flavor (which was marginal).

Hammond

diversey? is that a second location? i'm back in town and ready to eat.

jazzfood wrote:diversey? is that a second location? i'm back in town and ready to eat.

Hey man, welcome back!

The address is:

6113 W. Diversey
773.637.8709

I believe this is the original location.

Make sure to ask for the ground grasshopper.

Hammond

thanks. good to be back. tried to keep up while i was gone but nonstop work for 7 mos tends to take you out of the ballgame. check out cinetopiatheaters.com. would like to catch up on new/old faves. btw, still haven't had a good meal @ the namesake lth.

La Oaxaqueña I think has my favorite. In my experience it's not so common to use a dried chile such as anch, but rather it's usually the fresh poblano. And sauce with the raisins is so good.

I also like the one at Nuevo Leon, mostly because of the homemade flour tortillas.

These would be my favorite 2.

stevez wrote:Be sure to visit the Rancho de Chimayo Restaurant. They were the best rellenos I had during my visit. Besides that, the nearby Sanctuario de Chimayois a very interesting place to visit.

Santuario de Chimayo


Rancho de Chimayo Combo Platter (includes Chile Relleno)


Rancho de Chimayo Restaurant
Country Road 98, On the Scenic High Road to Taos
(505)351-4444, (505)984-2100 or (505)351-1211

Thanks for the pictures! I have traveled to Santa Fe for 25 years now and this past June was my first meal at Rancho de Chimayo. My SO had the rellenos and I had enchiladas, beautiful patio setting and excellant service!

MST wrote:The best chile rellenos I've found are at La Finca, a charming little Mexican cafe on Elston Ave., just south of Addison. They are smoky, cheesey, with exactly the right amount of heat.
They also have awesome margaritas and chips and salsa. Everything is made in house, including the tortillas and the flan is thick, almost like caramel cheesecake.
For some reason, the place is always deserted, but you will not find a better version of rellenos anywhere in the city.

I'm sorry. I totally disagree that La Finca has good chile rellenos. This restaurant is Tex Mex at its worse. I do agree that La Oaxaqueña has outstanding chile rellenos as does Frontera Grill.

If you're up for a trip to Pilsen this is my favorite place for them

Lacasa Del Pueblo Taqueria
1834 S Blue Island Ave
Chicago, IL
Phone: (312) 421-4664

My choice for chile rellenos is, suprisingly, Pepe's. I frequent only 1 location on 116th & Western, so I can not vouch for your local restaurant. If they are as good as the ones on S. Western, then it is definately worth a gamble.

chicagofoodies wrote:La Oaxaqueña does relleno justice...
3382 N. Milwaukee

Wasn't Janet Relleno a justice at one point in her career

You're thinking of fellow Floridian Lawton Chiles.

Or perhaps Claude Pepper, former US rep and Senator from Florida.

Or Orrin Hatch?

Or second baseman for the Pirates in the mid-60's, Freddy Tomatillo?

Sorry, I just got off of work and got high. With my Mexican co-workers.

Reb

This string prompted me not only to try the chiles rellenos at my favorite local taqueria, but also to post to this forum for the first time.

El Pacifico (the W. Fullerton location) has long been a favorite of mine and my husband's. It's a homey, family-run spot with terrific food that's easy on the wallet. It tends to get lost in a busy stretch that includes Carnitas el Paisa and now Fonda del Mar. We've tried almost everything on the menu and never been disappointed, but I'd now put the chiles rellenos up there against most in the city.

For $7.25, I got two gorgeous chiles, stuffed with cheese and covered with a lovely red sauce with just the right sweetness for this smoky dish. The peppers were gently breaded and rice and beans were a fine accompaniment. Nothing fancy -- just good, filling, homestyle Mexican fare.

Other recommendations:

Enchiladas michoacanas (topped with roasted carrot and potato)
Pollo en mole
Chilaquiles (without eggs, but they'll add two any style at your request)
The fresh spicy (!) salsa that comes to the table with chips and gardiniera
Arroz con camarones (a terrific option for those can't handle spice)
Very passable margaritas, especially for the price

They're making a valiant attempt at outdoor seating on noisy Fullerton, which we've applauded. One caveat: tip is often included on the final tab (the menu announces this plainly), so be careful not to tip twice (although at the prices it hardly matters).

I'd like to see this place do more business; it's certainly deserved.

El Pacifico
3534 W Fullerton Ave.