Beyond the Burrito, Part 4: Veracruz

Fourth in a series devoted to Chicago restaurants offering regional Mexican dishes.

VERACRUZ, A LONG, thin strip on the Caribbean coast, is the home of the musical form son jarocho, the best-known example of which is undoubtedly “La Bamba.” At El Tajin, high above sacred ground where Totonac peoples once engaged in sacrificial soccer matches, you can still watch voladores (“flyers”) dressed in ceremonial garb and ritualistically whirling on poles. The seafood-based cuisine reflects the influence of the Totonac and the Spanish (no surprise there), but also incorporates West African ingredients thanks to the slaves who arrived with Cortez from Cuba.

HUACHINANGO A LA VERACRUZANA

The Spanish brought several ingredients essential to huachinango a la Veracruzana (Veracruz-style red snapper), perhaps the most popular Mexican fish preparation. Traditionally the snapper is simmered whole in a complex tomato puree with olives, capers, and garlic. In Chicago, however, the fish is often deep-fried, a technique rare in oldschool Mexican cooking but faster and easier. A survey of places that offer the dish turns up a number of variations on the classic sauce. At Hacienda Tecalitlan (820 N. Ashland, 312-243-1166) and Real de Catorce (1134 W. 18th, 312-421- 9502) the deep-fried fish is served with red and yellow sweet peppers; at Pancho Pistolas (700 W. 31st, 312-225-8808) it comes with sliced avocado instead of olives, an inexplicable substitution. At El Barco (1035 N. Ashland, 773-486-6850) the whole fried fish comes mounted upright, which looks pretty cool but is hardly authentic to Veracruz, and the accompanying tomatoes, olives, and onions get shoved off to the side. If you have 45 minutes, though, they’ll steam the fish and serve it in a sauce closer to the real thing—you might just find it worth the wait. One of the more traditional versions of the dish I found was at Taqueria Amigo Chino (5601 W. Irving Park, 773-685-4374): steamed whole snapper over a platter of olives and vegetables (including obviously frozen peas and carrots) drizzled with a tomato-based salsa.

CALDO DE MARISCOS, PICO DE GALLO JAROCHO, AND POLLO ENCACAHUATADO

Coastal Veracruz is home to a number of fish soups. Playa Azul (1514 W. 18th, 312-421-2552) serves a tasty caldo siete mares, “seven seas soup,” as well as several other dishes labeled “Veracruzana” or “jarocho” (both mean “from Veracruz”), for instance, pico de gallo jarocho, a melange of shrimp, octopus, and whitefish with tomatoes, onions, cilantro, and chopped jalapenos. Los Nopales (4544 N. Western, 773-334-3149) dishes up a memorable caldo de mariscos (at $19.95 the most expensive item on the menu) that’s packed with shrimp, scallops, calamari, mussels, and little else. But seafood soups sometimes feature starches such as yuca, plantain, or sweet potato, all examples of the West African influence on Veracruzan cuisine. The peanut, another African native, finds its way into pollo encacahuatado, chicken in peanut sauce, a Veracruzan favorite not commonly found on Chicago menus. Rick Bayless, forever the champion of lesser-known regional dishes, does offer chicken in a peanut-filled green mole at Frontera Grill (445 N. Clark, 312-661-1434).

VANILLA

The ancient Totonac peoples cultivated vanilla, and its use is still common in Veracruz, one of the world’s richest sources of this orchid bean. At Fonda del Mar (3749 W. Fullerton, 773-489-3748), where the menu features a range of regional specialties, you’ll find an exceptional camarones xanath, shrimp in sweet vanilla sauce. Vanilla is also a key ingredient in horchata, the sweet, creamy rice-bodied drink that so well complements piquant Mexcian food. Horchata is widely available; among other places you can find it at Rique’s Regional Mexican Food (5004 N. Sheridan, 773-728-6200), another source for specialties from many Mexican states.

Flan frequently contains a hefty dollop of vanilla, and while rubbery forms of the custard are available all over town, you can sample a remarkably airy and soft flan “cake” at Gelatinas Cris (4725 S. Cicero, 773-582- 8162), a little shop that specializes in gelatin desserts. One of the best flans I’ve had was at Rudy’s Taste Cafe (1024 N. Ashland, 773-292-3666), which also serves the Chicago version of huachinango a la Veracruzana— deep-fried, sauce on the side. —David Hammond

Go Jarocho

Restaurants featuring specialties from Veracruz

El Barco
1035 N. Ashland | 773-486-6850
F 7.1 | S 6.0 | A 7.3 | $$ (8 REPORTS)
MEXICAN | LUNCH, DINNER: SEVEN DAYS | OPEN LATE: FRIDAY & SATURDAY TILL MIDNIGHT, WEDNESDAY & THURSDAY TILL 11 | RESERVATIONS NOT ACCEPTED

Shaped like a boat getting ready to cast off across Ashland, El Barco isn’t short on gimmicks: menus are so absurdly gigantic that one covers half of a four-seat table, and many selections come on huge troughlike platters. The salsas are house-made and very good; unfortunately they come with machine-made tostadas. We enjoyed some excellent grilled squid and octopus, fresh and meaty, with a slight char that contrasted nicely with the tender white flesh. The breaded fish and shrimp on our mixed seafood grill, however, could have come from the kitchen of Senora Paul’s. The signature dish at El Barco is huachinango, red snapper, which we saw perched in front of about half the diners in the place. Available with a variety of sauces, this whole cooked fish is mounted upright on a rack for easy access and pierced with a number of red plastic swords, as though done in by a mermaid matador. The downside to this presentation is that the fish isn’t cooked in the sauce. Still, the moist, flavorful meat alone is worth a trip. David Hammond

Bombon
1508 W. 18th | 312-733-7788
$
MEXICAN | BREAKFAST, LUNCH, DINNER: SEVEN DAYS

This cheerful panaderia, owned by two Topolobampo vets, is in a class of its own, creating magnificent specialoccasion cakes (several models of which are on display) and mouthwatering, painstakingly detailed individual pastries. Mocachinois a pecan pie with layers of coffee cream and chocolate ganache; tres leches is a rum-soaked cake layered with several flavors of whipped cream; and the tartaleta de limon is a miniature key lime pie topped with marble-size dollops of browned meringue. There’s also a heavenly rustic apple tart with hazelnut cream and melt-in-your-mouth macaroons, almond cookies with vanilla frosting, and polvorones de avellana (hazelnut cookies). Laura Levy Shatkin

La Cazuela Mariscos
6922 N. Clark | 773-338-5425
$$
MEXICAN | LUNCH, DINNER: SEVEN DAYS | RESERVATIONS ACCEPTED FOR LARGE GROUPS ONLY | BYO

This apricot-walled Mexican seafood place along a strip of taquerias on North Clark has a menu that goes beyond standard tacos and burritos. To start there are mejillones al mojo de ajo y vino (mussels in garlic and wine sauce) and tostadas de pulpo (octopus tostadas). The seven seas soup comes chock-full of shrimp, crab, clams, octopus, fish, calamari, and snails. There’s also a variety of shrimp preparations, including a delectably spicy shrimp diablo. Whole fish offerings include deepfried catfish, perch, and red snapper; all come with rice and beans, french fries, and plenty of lime wedges. Tacos, burritos, and tostadas are served with a range of fillings: marinated skirt steak, seasoned pork, sausage, chicken, chitterlings, or beef tongue. Only juice and soda are served, though you can BYO— there’s a limit of six beers per table. Laura Levy Shatkin

Dorado Restaurant
2301 W. Foster | 773-561-3780
F 8.9 | S 8.2 | A 7.7 | $$ (13 REPORTS)
MEXICAN/ GLOBAL/FUSION/ECLECTIC | DINNER: SUNDAY, TUESDAY-SATURDAY | CLOSED MONDAY | OPEN LATE: FRIDAY & SATURDAY TILL 11 | BYO

At this delightful Ravenswood restaurant, chef Luis Perez applies French bistro cooking techniques to the Mexican food his mother cooked when he was growing up. His brief menu offers unique takes on Mexican favorites like roast pork (his version is a thick tenderloin, rosy and tender and served with a guajillo cream sauce) and delicious combinations like a crunchy almond-crusted trout laced with satiny coconut cream sauce and caramelized plantains, a lovely contrast of earthy and sweet. For dessert there’s one of the richest flans around and a moist, light tres leches cake. The typical entree is priced in the midteens, and the place is BYO—consider bringing a light-to-medium-bodied red wine (like a pinot noir from Burgundy or Oregon) or even a full-bodied white (like a Condrieu from the Rhone Valley or an Austrian Riesling). Laura Levy Shatkin

La Finca
3361 N. Elston | 773-478-4006
$$
MEXICAN | LUNCH, DINNER: MONDAYSATURDAY | CLOSED SUNDAY | RESERVATIONS ACCEPTED FOR LARGE GROUPS ONLY

At La Finca the matronly server banters lightheartedly with patrons from yuppies to families of ten-plus to lunching workers from the nearby ComEd plant as they tuck into Mexican plates just on the yummy side of standard. The brightly lit room has faux brick paneling, plastic flowers, and a large, dry central fountain/birdbath, but the food’s fresh and tasty. An herb-green vegetarian tamale appetizer dotted with corn kernels is quite savory. Steak tacos are as light and tender as the chicken soup is delicate and restorative. Heartier appetites will meet their match with the orange roughy Veracruzana, simmered with mushrooms, olives, tomatoes, and spices, or the tender, well-seasoned carne asada. Kathie Bergquist

Fonda del Mar
3749 W. Fullerton | 773-489-3748
F 7.2 | S 7.2 | A 6.8 | $$$ (5 REPORTS)
MEXICAN/ SEAFOOD | LUNCH: SATURDAY; DINNER: SEVEN DAYS; SUNDAY BRUNCH

To kick things off at this marvelous new restaurant from veterans of Topolobampo and Mia Francesca, tacos estilo ensenada (fish tacos) are tasty, with a clump of whitefish dressed with avocado and cabbage, and the shrimp seviche is a knockout. Soups are spiced with a light hand: caldo siete mares (“seven seas soup”) is a chile-kissed tomato broth with just a few select slices of seafood; chileatole del mar brims with seafood, peppers, and corn. Camarones xanathmarries shrimp with sweet vanilla sauce, a blend traditional in Veracruz and not to be missed. Also of note are the slabs of pork loin served in a fruity mole of orange, apple, and pineapple. For our salad we shared a small plate of julienned jicama and cucumber accented with orange segments and drizzled with hot sauce and a light vinaigrette. Wow. David Hammond

Frontera Grill
445 N. Clark | 312-661-1434
F 8.3 | S 7.0 | A 7.3 | $$$ (27 REPORTS)
MEXICAN | LUNCH, DINNER: TUESDAYSATURDAY; SATURDAY BRUNCH | CLOSED SUNDAY, MONDAY | OPEN LATE: FRIDAY & SATURDAY TILL 11

Folk art sets a festive tone at this boisterous, nationally renowned restaurant, which opened the food world’s eyes to the sophisticated possibilities of regional Mexican cuisine. Waits regularly exceed 90 minutes, but kick-ass margaritas make the time pass quickly. (You can also choose to make a reservation at the more upscale Topolobampo next door.) Chef Rick Bayless has a gift for transforming chiles into sauces that accentuate their woodsy, smoky properties while downplaying the heat. Fish specials are sure hits, as are the duck tacos and the charred-chipotle salsa. Says one Rater, “After hearing nothing but good things about Frontera Grill, I thought there was no way it could possibly live up to my expectations. In fact, my expectations were were exceeded.” Laura Levy Shatkin

Hacienda Tecalitlan
820 N. Ashland | 312-243-1166
$$
MEXICAN | DINNER: TUESDAY-SATURDAY | CLOSED SUNDAY, MONDAY | OPEN LATE: FRIDAY & SATURDAY TILL 2, SUNDAYTHURSDAY TILL 11 | RESERVATIONS ACCEPTED FOR LARGE GROUPS ONLY

If Vlad the Impaler had commissioned a vacation getaway in Puerto Vallarta, it might look a lot like the castellated Hacienda Tecalitlan. Walking through the stone archway in front, you’re confronted by a huge baronial courtyard, a towering ceiling, mounted buffalo and deer heads, and a fountain in the center, right under the disco ball. We started with house-made salsa and fresh chips, followed by a not-bad tortilla soup with crunchy pork cracklings. Camarones a la diablo were three notquite- the-advertised-jumbo shrimp in a tomato sauce bearing no evidence of the serrano chiles promised, but my companion enjoyed the calamares al ajillo, thinly sliced squid in a mild garlic sauce. Barbecue-style pork ribs were dry and jerkylike, and my first bite of red snapper a la Verucruzana was so rubbery it was my last. A carne asada platter, on the other hand, was almost entirely edible, though I could have taken a pass on the rice and beans. On Fridays and Saturdays there’s a $10 cover and the gargantuan space becomes a dance floor. Charmingly, the toilet stalls all bear signs, in Spanish and English, warning that only one person is allowed in at a time. David Hammond

Ixcapuzalco/La Bonita Restaurante
2165 N. Western | 773-486-7340
$$$
MEXICAN | LUNCH, DINNER: SUNDAY, MONDAY, WEDNESDAY-SATURDAY | CLOSED TUESDAY | OPEN LATE: FRIDAY & SATURDAY TILL 11

After Geno Bahena’s Ixcapuzalco abruptly closed it reopened in a new space and with a new name, the pronounceable La Bonita Restaurante—on the sign anyway. Inside, our waiter welcomed us to “La Bonita Ixcapuzalco.” But the menu, executed by Geno’s brother Tomas, is pretty much unchanged: six multidimensional moles, a different one each day, dressing chicken or duck, sometimes quail, sometimes fish. Some things are undistinguished: the sopes surtidos included masa cups filled with boring beans and mushrooms, plantains and sour cream, and plain old guacamole as well as one with shredded chicken smothered in a knockout mole rojo. And the entremes ranchero was a plate of variously dull taco fillings: dry, stringy carnitas; a pico de gallo strewn with a few strands of cactus; and a little pile of chicharrones just like the ones at the corner store. Our entrees, though, were spectacular: shrimp in a rich and creamy vanilla sauce with roasted garlic and pasilla and a simple but explosively tasty grilled pork loin, sliced and fanned over a bright roasted tomato sauce with toasted guaje seeds. There are 125 tequilas behind the bar, some for before dinner, some for during, and some for after. Mike Sula

Kristoffer’s Cafe & Bakery
1733 S. Halsted | 312-829-4150
$
MEXICAN | BREAKFAST, LUNCH, DINNER: SEVEN DAYS | BYO

Lactose intolerants, consider yourselves warned. The tastiest dessert at this Pilsen cafe is the traditional tres leches cake, made with whole, condensed, and evaporated milk. Owners Carlos and Cristina Chavarria offer the classic vanilla rendition as well as a bouquet of variations, all startlingly moist. Cristina does the baking, a craft she learned while apprenticing at her sister’s small home-based bakery in Guanajuato, Mexico, a couple years ago. The tres leches recipe is her sister’s, but Cristina’s favorite dessert, flan with cheese, is her own creation. Made with cream cheese, it has an almost fluffy texture, like flanflavored cheesecake. Besides breakfast, desserts, and Intelligentsia coffee, the menu offers standard sandwiches and salads, plus a couple of ethnic dishes. Tamales come in two forms: Mayan (wrapped in wet green banana leaves and filled with potatoes and pork or chicken) and Mexican (bundled in the usual corn husks and stuffed with green peppers and cheese). Anne Ford

Los Nopales
4544 N. Western | 773-334-3149
F 8.3 | S 8.6 | A 6.0 | $$ (7 REPORTS)
MEXICAN | LUNCH, DINNER: SUNDAY, TUESDAY-SATURDAY | CLOSED MONDAY | RESERVATIONS ACCEPTED FOR LARGE GROUPS ONLY | BYO

At $1.65 apiece, the grilled tilapia tacos at this low-key, attractive space are so good, so bright and fresh, it seems like you’re stealing. Tangy seviche with tilapia and shrimp has a splash of orange juice, which adds an appealing sweet aftertaste; tortilla chips are made in-house and come served with two salsas, one made of tomatillos blended with avocado, making it creamier than the standard green sauce, the other a thick, spicy combination of chile de arbol and fruit. On a recent visit my entree was grilled pork tenderloin with an aromatic sauce flavored with guajillo and chile de arbol and a side of cactus salad ( nopalesmeans “prickly pears”). We finished with a sweet, rich coffee flan, a special, one of the exceptionally friendly owners told us— the chef, her husband, is constantly experimenting. That’s the kind of thing you’d expect at a place far more swank; to find it in a modest storefront is beguiling. Chip Dudley

Pancho Pistolas
700 W. 31st | 312-225-8808
$
MEXICAN | BREAKFAST, LUNCH, DINNER: SEVEN DAYS | OPEN LATE: FRIDAY & SATURDAY TILL MIDNIGHT, MONDAYTHURSDAY TILL 11 | RESERVATIONS ACCEPTED FOR LARGE GROUPS ONLY

Set aside the logo of a mustachioed pistolero firing wildly (sanctioned, I suppose, by the Bureau for the Preservation of Unflattering Ethnic Stereotypes), and there’s a predictable lineup of gringo-pleasing entrees on offer in this bright, clean room decorated with bright, clean Mexican landscapes. A signature dish, carne asada, is a good char-grilled skirt steak, a sure bet for those who appreciate a mouthfilling slab o’ meat; bistec a la Mexicana, chopped outer skirt steak cooked in a ranchero sauce, was juicy and packed a bit more peppery punch than the other dishes we had. Pancho Pistolas serves beer and margaritas; breakfast, including chilaquiles, is available too. David Hammond

Platiyo
3313 N. Clark | 773-477-6700
F 7.6 | S 7.9 | A 8.3 | $$$ (23 REPORTS)
MEXICAN | DINNER: SEVEN DAYS; SUNDAY BRUNCH | OPEN LATE: FRIDAY & SATURDAY TILL 11

Appetizers make up half of the wellthought- out and reasonably priced menu at this contemporary Mexican dining room. Sopes (masa cups) are filled with braised mushrooms in a pasilla chile sauce or tinga (shredded pork) and avocado salsa, and there are chicken and poblano flautas, a bay scallop seviche, and cazuela a la plaza (wood-grilled, red-chile-marinated beef tenderloin). Larger plates include enchiladas, served in tomatillo sauce or Oaxacan red mole; make-your-own wood-grilled chicken, steak, or mahimahi tacos with a jicama pico de gallo and baked beans; vegetarian tortas de lentejas (garlic-spiked lentil cakes with capers and pine nuts in a mushroom-guajillo sauce); and borrego estilo jalisco (an ancho-and-chipotle-braised lamb shank). The room runs smoothly, the cheerful and accommodating staff seemingly full of seasoned restaurant workers. Laura Levy Shatkin

Playa Azul
1514 W. 18th | 312-421-2552
$$
MEXICAN | LUNCH, DINNER: SEVEN DAYS | OPEN LATE: FRIDAY & SATURDAY TILL 2, OTHER NIGHTS TILL MIDNIGHT

The seven seas soup, caldo siete mares, was impressive, and my dining partner was pleased with the seviche de pescado, which turned out to be salmon, but other courses went downhill from there. The grilled red snapper was a powerful argument for ordering only the fried version of huachinango. I spotted carne asada a la Veracruzana, and never having had this topping on steak, I ordered it; what I got was a very tough piece of meat brushed with barbecue sauce. I’d been told the camarones rancheros were worthy, and they were billed as being served with hot peppers and cilantro; what we got was a thankfully small portion of shrimp in a sweet ketchuplike sauce. One bright spot was house-made mole poblano, a flavor-rich sauce covering chicken with what few dark moles seem to achieve: an even balance between chile and chocolate. David Hammond

Playa Azul Ostioneria
4005 N. Broadway | 773-472-8924
$$
MEXICAN | LUNCH, DINNER: SEVEN DAYS | OPEN LATE: EVERY NIGHT TILL MIDNIGHT | RESERVATIONS NOT ACCEPTED

Music blared and tables of families with kids were making big noise, but once the food arrived there was nothing but happiness at the table, as our waiter ran back and forth from table to kitchen, where he donned an apron to help prepare the food. Pico de gallo jarocho was a blend of marinated shrimp, octopus, and whitefish mixed with tomatoes, onions, cilantro, and chopped jalapenos and topped with avocado, each piece of seafood popping with freshness. The straightahead fish seviche was surprisingly spicy, dotted with oysters, and served in the traditional sundae cup. Extraordinarily flavorful, the caldo siete mares combined clam, crab, shrimp, whitefish, and (I’m told) three other types of sea creature with some potato and carrot in the complex broth. The langostinos are partially stuffed with a combination of mayonnaise, butter, and chipotle peppers; grilled shrimp was pretty much just that, with a fresh zest enhanced by a slight herb dusting. Apart from several preparations of carne asada, there are next to no meat dishes on the menu, but there is chicken in mole sauce, either verde or a red Pueblostyle sauce zinged up with poblano chiles. David Hammond

Que Rico
2814 N. Southport | 773-975-7436
F 7.1 | S 7.4 | A 7.1 | $ (7 REPORTS)
MEXICAN | LUNCH: FRIDAY-SUNDAY; DINNER: SEVEN DAYS

At Que Rico, Mexican, Argentinean, and vegetarian influences come together in dishes such as an empanada stuffed with spinach or other veggies. Berenjenas al ajo is like an Argentinean baba ghanoush—bright green eggplant chopped with a little garlic and lemon. Balitas de fuego are jalapenos stuffed with Chihuahua cheese, batter dipped, and fried (in other words—yikes—poppers). Alongside Tex-Mex chimichangas, burritos, and fajitas, the menu is heavy with predictable Mexican selections, but what it lacks in originality it makes up for in freshness, though seek ye elsewhere for Scoville units. I asked our server to bring us the hottest item on the menu, and he recommended the enchiladas picosa; honestly, the only way this dish will make you break a sweat is if you eat it on the otherwise charming patio in August. David Hammond

Real de Catorce
1134 W. 18th | 312-421-9502
$$
MEXICAN | DINNER: SUNDAY, TUESDAYSATURDAY | CLOSED MONDAY

Amid humble Pilsen taquerias, a white-tablecloth restaurant appointed in gold tones and velvet had better deliver, and Real de Catorce does— sporadically. To start there’s French bread served with two salsas, one a pleasantly piquant green one, the other a salty white. A lush appetizer, dobladitas con huitlacoche, mixes spinach and cheese with a small amount of the funky corn smut; seviche, however, was overmarinated, a flaw perhaps explained by the nearly empty dining room—it had just been sitting around too long. As is all too typical in Chicago, the huachinango a la Veracruzana was not the real thing: no olives, no tomato sauce, no capers. A sucker for a good menu description, I tried the filete limone that promised a tenderloin with “law breaking white wine” sauce and “mesmorizing” potatoes, but it was sour and gristly, so I guess that makes me just a sucker. The charros-style beans, though, were outstanding—I’d recommend bringing a good bottle (there’s a full bar, but Real de Catorce is BYO) and getting a double order of the frijoles. David Hammond

Rique’s Regional Mexican Food
5004 N. Sheridan | 773-728-6200
F 8.2 | S 7.0 | A 6.9 | $ (18 REPORTS)
MEXICAN | BREAKFAST: SUNDAY; LUNCH: SUNDAY, WEDNESDAY-SATURDAY; DINNER: SEVEN DAYS; SATURDAY & SUNDAY BRUNCH | OPEN LATE: THURSDAY-SATURDAY TILL 11 | BYO

On the Friday night I visited this colorful Uptown storefront the place was packed with jovial tables of people sharing bottles of wine (Rique’s is permanently BYO). Complimentary chips come with a small dish of black beans; other appetizers include guacamole served with a few huaraches, shrimp seviche, and a chalupa with chicharrones and cactus. I started with the pico de gallo, chile-and-citrus seasoned strips of mango, cucumber, and jicama touted by the menu as “perfect for hangovers.” Grilled chicken breast in a deep-red almond mole was homey and satisfying enough to put me in the clean plate club. The restaurant’s lunch menu also has a few finds— Yucatecan deep-fried chicken tacos, tortas ahogadas, and Bajaian soft fish tacos—and every Saturday there’s a four-course prix fixe meal featuring the cuisine of a different Mexican state—the next two weekends it’s Chihuahua. Kate Schmidt

Rudy’s Taste Cafe
1024 N. Ashland | 773-252-3666
$
LATIN AMERICAN, MEXICAN | LUNCH, DINNER: SEVEN DAYS | BYO

This clean, bright, friendly near-westside restaurant is one of the best places to discover Guatemalan locally. Chicken pepian covers stewed chicken and chayote squash in an intriguingly bitter brown sauce pitched somewhere between mole and pot-roast gravy. The Guatemalan version of chiles rellenos is stuffed with flavorful shredded beef and pork instead of the usual oozing blob of cheese. Carne asada is tender and topped with a mint salsa that gives it an unexpected Middle Eastern dimension. And huachinango al mojo de ajo is a whole red snapper, scored and fried, leaving you to pick off squares of tender hot flesh and dip them in a sprightly garlic sauce. Besides the complimentary chips and homemade salsa, appetizers include paches, tamales made with rice dough instead of corn, and chuchitos, pork tamales made with a soft, fluffy corn dough and wrapped in banana leaves. Even the most conventional thing on the menu, an appetizer of little fried taquitos, comes out lighter and fresher tasting than you have any right to expect. The menu also includes a few Puerto Rican items, including a chicken jibarito, which might be the closest thing to a diet version of that delicious but cardiologist- disapproved Chicago invention, a juicy sandwich served on two “slices” of fried tostones. Michael Gebert

Taqueria Amigo Chino
5601 W. Irving Park | 773-685-4374
$
MEXICAN | BREAKFAST, LUNCH, DINNER: SEVEN DAYS | OPEN LATE: FRIDAY & SATURDAY 24 HOURS | CASH ONLY

Catercorner from Portage Park, Taqueria Amigo Chino is a cozy, bustling, cash-only neighborhood joint. Complimentary chips come with three stellar salsas: a sparkling house-made pico de gallo, a creamy orange one that delivers a quick, clean burn, and a marvelous green jalapeno number. In addition to the standards the menu offers several more unusual items and preparations. We saw chilaquiles, the breakfast comfort food, ferried out to many dinner tables, dressed in red or green sauce, with eggs, chicken, or steak. For the lunch crowd there are tortas; I took a calculated risk and tried the Hawaiiana, which featured ham and pineapple with lots of mayo and lettuce—odd, though not bad. The Cubana sandwich was a big surprise: the ham and breaded pork were there, but so were an omelet and a hot dog, a combo inconceivable on the streets of Havana. Huachinango a la Veracruzana came mounted upright as though for display on a fisherman’s mantel but apart from this received a fairly traditional treatment with olives and tomato salsa; it’s one of the better renditions I’ve had in Chicago. Horchata was superb, frothy and not too sweet— I’d recommend a tall glass of it (there’s no alcohol served, and you’re not allowed to bring your own). David Hammond

Topolobampo
445 N. Clark | 312-661-1434
F 8.6 | S 6.7 | A 7.7 | $$$$ (12 REPORTS)
MEXICAN | LUNCH: TUESDAY-FRIDAY; DINNER: TUESDAY-SATURDAY | CLOSED SUNDAY, MONDAY

Perhaps more than any other chef, Rick Bayless has brought lesser-known Mexican dishes to the midwest. Case in point: corundas. I’d searched the city for these triangular tamales from Michoacan, and at Topolobampo, there they were, stuffed with requeson, a Spanish version of sweet ricotta, and paired with an Alsatian pinot blanc. The five-course tasting menu ($75; $40 more for skillfully handled wine pairings) is a guided tour through some outstanding regional dishes. Yucatecan-style seviche was a delicate melange of finely cut habanero, cilantro, and onion mixed with tiny, flavorful shrimp and razorthin calamari. Cochinita pibil, another Yucatecan standby, featured flavorful pulled pork under a cucumber-jicama julienne and served with a few slabs of pale loin. Lamb came in mole coloradito, made with anchos, chocolate, and almonds. Somewhat sweet, almost ketchuplike, it overwhelmed the meat a little, but coloradito tamales with cremini were excellent. With dessert there was hot Oaxacan cocoa with a blast of mescal and a small complimentary chest of chocolate and até, candied fruit. The entire tasting menu changes monthly; perhaps because of the shifting lineup, service often falls short of the fourstar food. David Hammond

Zacateca
2860 N. Milwaukee | 773-486-9070
$$
MEXICAN | BREAKFAST, LUNCH, DINNER: SEVEN DAYS | OPEN LATE: FRIDAY & SATURDAY TILL 3, OTHER NIGHTS TILL 2

This Logan Square Mexican nightclub is a restaurant too, although the flashy ambience hardly suggests it. Semiprivate booths surround a large dance floor, and walls are painted in deep tones of red, pink, and blue. Typical Mexican selections are abundant—queso fundido, enchiladas five ways, flautas, and burritos— but there are also ample seafood selections: a fried whole red snapper served Veracruz style with avocado and tomato; shrimp and octopus in a ranchero sauce; and seviche tostadas. Many dishes are Puerto Rican or Cuban influenced, and prices are quite reasonable. Laura Levy Shatkin

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