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abiteofnat · 7 years ago

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AVOCADON’T EVEN TELL ME ABOUT WHERE THERE IS GOOD GUAC…

Because last month in six days I ate Mexican food for dinner six times. That’s right, every single dinner somehow started with a big ole basket of tortilla chips and ended with greasy fingers and 3-6 tacos in my stomach. I think at one point I just began to expect that my night would end in rice and corn tortillas, and then it just kept happening…

Is this anywhere near a complaint? ABSOLUTELY NOT. Mexican is in my top three favorite categories of food, the other two being Italian and Mediterranean (but bagels always, always coming in first above all), and so I tend to be a harsh critic. There’s also different types of Mexican food: the traditional, authentic type that’s hard to find but life changing when you do, the 3 a.m. places that are the real reason we even go out in the first place so we can end up in front of a chimichanga of shame after a somewhat irritating house party, and then the nearly authentic kind that has a dash of flair added. I LOVE ‘EM ALL. Most of these will be a mix of the first and last kind, as everyone who knows me knows the only 3 a.m. place I frequent is Allende Restaurant even though everyone else is a Taco Burrito Palace bitch. That Allende rice and white tile walls; nothing will comfort you and your premature hangover quite like it. When your friend is crying over that fuckboy and your friend’s friend drank about six beers too many? Take them to Allende! Can’t cry when you’re choking on horchata!

I haven’t done a good taco roundup in a while and for a city that loovvesss margaritas as much as Chicago does it’s about time. How can I even write this after being up to my ears in salsa verde without wanting to throw up? IT WAS ALL JUST THAT GOOD. I’m living vicariously through my own memories from the past week and I am legitimately excited to write about these tacos.

HERE WE GO.

1. Adobo Grill

On any given menu, there’s about 10% of things I have no interest in eating. Add on the 80% I can’t actually eat due to being vegetarian, and that leaves 10% of a menu that is up for grabs. The fact that the happy hour taco offered the night we went to Adobo Grill was one of the most astounding tacos I’ve ever had literally blows my mind- what! are! the! odds! For $2 a piece you could assume that it’s going to be chicken, beef, or some odd mixture because at Adobo the taco platters come in sets of three tacos with rice and beans for $15-19 so why would they give the good stuff for cheap… AND INSTEAD IT WAS A LUCIOUS FISH TACO, GRILLED TO GOLDEN PERFECTION. Topped with pico de gallo and spicy mayo sauce? Add in some of their fresh to death guac and a little spicy red salsa? It was almost tooooo good. The single corn tortilla held up beautifully against the moist, meaty fish and they did not skimp on anything even though it was 5:30 p.m. and happy hour drinks were flowing and the restaurant could have really taken advantage of that. These tacos have not left my mind, or my heart…

Another thing so wonderful about this place: the patio! It’s open and covered in tasteful twinkle lights, with the giant mural (pictured) of a happy skeleton man a and some flowers that play off the orange and purple hues of the decor. To sit outside right across from Second City (great date night all in one city block!) and sip a Modelo pretty much means fucking euphoria, and then add in guac that actually tastes like guac and not avocado slime? KABOOM. As much as I want to say all guac is good guac Adobo puts a lot of places to shame (cough cough Chipotle how the frick is that shit celebrated so widely) and gives you a TON of incredible guac for $9. Chip score: 8/10. Guac score: 10/10. Vibes: 10/10.

Insider scoop: Go for happy hour until 6 p.m., splurge for guac, add the salsa to everything, and order a side of plantains with sour cream. Never had plantains before? This is the perfect place to just trust the food blogger and go for it because you will DIE OVER THEM.

2. Big Star

BIG STAR IS MY KING, QUEEN, AND THE ENTIRE KINGDOM. If you live in Chicago, and it is above freeze-my-nuts-off temperature, it is patio weather and any restaurant that puts 2 chairs and a table out front will be considered a patio destination. Like Adobo (but even better) Big Star goes above and beyond as it’s a mainly-patio restaurant, with bulb lights lights above every stainless steel table and the warmest, most inviting outdoor seating there is once the sun goes down. You can watch the people, see some street art, watch the Blue Line zoom by, and walk to Stan’s Donuts for a wide array of treats afterward (aka a blueberry cheese danish, YUMBO).

Located in Wicker Park, a very artsy n’ cute section of Chicago that’s a bit more on the ~trendy~ side since lots of blogged about restaurants have opened up, Big Star offers tacos a la carte and the best chips and guacamole on that side of the highway. I have gone for the past two years close to my birthday to celebrate because the pitchers are insanely alcoholic and also delicious, serving about 6 glasses in each pitcher. With one marg being $9 and a pitcher being $36, it is an absolute steal and even if only two people are at the table it is worth the high price tag. Best part is that the pitcher comes with a wooden ladle which adds to the vibe of Big Star, but is also hilarious to stir your vat of tequila and juice with. Like witch’s potion, but probably even more dangerous!

Once everyone is seated and with drink, it’s time for the poor waiter to scream over everyone to take the order. While Big Star is mostly outside, it’s verryyyyy loud due to the sheer amount of people and the music pumping from the inside section that leaves the doors/ windows wide open. We were seated near the window and with a group of ten, it was one of those nights that leaves your voice hoarse and your ears ringing but feeling like you had a good as heck time! My favorite vegetarian tacos are the:

- Taco de Zananhorias: try ordering that when you do not speak Spanish and are two margs deep! This taco is the best yet overlooked one on the menu, featuring spiced cooked carrots that are savory and still have a crunch to them, pumpkin seeds for flavor and texture, and an incredible spicy date & yogurt dressing that offers a chipotle kick to offset the sweetness of the carrots and the dates. Wrapped in a corn tortilla, this taco is actually a filling veggie taco that doesn’t just taste like red peppers topped in guac! Which is like 99% of most vegetarian tacos! The flavors in this are worth more than $2.50 a pop, which is what it will cost you.

- Taco de Pescado: Your typical and delicious fried tilapia taco! Beer battered and with the expected crunch of cabbage, top with some line for a perfect fish taco. This is a good standby if you’re weary of the more creative ones.

- THE WALKING TACO: Most of the table ordered this one! It’s a DAMN fever dream to eat! Let me preface by saying honey BBQ twist Fritos are my most coveted, most guilty snack that I find myself eating far too often and usually when I’m having a flip off the universe and treat yourself moment. So take the trusted, panty-dropping crunch of the Frito and then add buffalo sauce, beans, cheese, crema, and cilantro? STILL IN THE SNACK SIZE FRITO BAG? AND YOU EAT IT ALL WITH A FORK? FUCKIN NUTS GUYS. I know for a fact this stretches the authentic “Mexican food” title, but man that was a great business decision to include it. Once a year, as a birthday treat, the Walking Taco is my bitch.

Shoutout to Big Star, the ideal location for any event that needs tequila.

3. Garcia’s Restaurant

Garcia’s feels like home due to the amount of times a meal there has included the same group of close friends, emotional conversations about sorority stuff, and late night escapes from boys that don’t understand when they’re ridiculous, we will go get mole and strawberry daiquiris instead of dealing with them. While I have no photos to share, I do have memories and the assurance that this place is truly authentic. From the large wooden chairs to the flags on the wall, atmosphere lacks but the food is absolutely incredible. I always order the Cheese Enchiladas with mole poblano on top, and it is the real mole that makes you warm from the inside out. It’s thick with notes of cocoa, spices, and not too sweet- almost bittersweet in fact, and with the pull of cheese inside chewy tortillas all rolled up underneath it is a rare find indeed.

The chips & salsa take the cake in my book; they’re perfectly crispy and not greasy, and the salsa will make your eyes water but then before you know it your face is soaking wet because you ate ALL OF THE SALSA ANYWAY. Hurts so good, you know?

And as mentioned the strawberry daiquiri is DOPE DOPE DOPE. Huge for the price, sweet and sugary with all the spicy food, and perfect for late night gossip. Or pregaming, either one.

4. Taco Diablo

An Evanston favorite! The OG Taco Diablo opened a few years ago and was an instant hit in the North Shore as it was a dark, intimate den of Mexican food, a place for casual drinks, and coated in sugar skull paintings and weird demonic creatures dancing around the bar area. Given the logo has little devils in it, it’s fitting that here they take a sultry, somewhat naughty approach to decor and food. We went once or twice a week and craved their guac that has a very specific lime & garlic undertone to it in the best way guac ever could, and the baskets of thin chips with rock salt sprinkled on the sides.

No one was prepared for the morning we woke up and Beloved Taco Diablo had burned down, along with it’s neighboring restaurant Pine Yard. Needless to say, everyone was SHOOK and really genuinely upset that this tragedy struck such loved, run-by-good-people places. So then even more was no one prepared when the ashes were burried and from them rose A NEW TACO DIABO RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET! The owners of this cantina and the conjoining (long time closed) Asian-influence restaurant Lulu’s bought a double lot across the street and just went gung-ho on giving Evanston two of their favorite places back, which was like Christmas 100x over. The tacos from Taco Diablo AND the sesame peanut noodles from Lulu’s??? Next door??? HECKIN’ YES. I have literally downed a -very strong- marg with friends at Taco Diablo and then placed an order for the noodles to go to enjoy later in bed, and if that’s not employing DEMAND AND SUPPLY IDK WHAT IS.

Go here for dinner with friends, a second date or a weekly drink date, and to sample every fucking thing on the menu. Especially the chilaquiles!!!

5. Depot Nuevo

This one is hardest to type because we adore it, cherish it, crave it, owe many years of our lives to it way too much and in fact I will be here this week a couple times already. Depot graced our lives many moons ago in Wilmette and quickly became the neighborhood hub, as it’s downtown and in a real, separate house with a wraparound porch and the same smiling faces greeting you every single time. The menu offers your typical Mexican favorites such as tacos, fajitas, burritos + bowls, and of course guac and salsa, but with a slightly more upscale twist in a casual yet good-enough-for-a-life-event setting. The shrimp taco filled with crispy grilled shrimp, spicy crema, and actual slices of avocado are in my list of favorite foods in the entire world, but order the cheese quesadilla with a side of avocado and rice and holy frickle frackle you will never see quesadillas as a children’s food again. The cheese is juicy, chewy, stretchy, buttery, everything you could imagine and more. House-made corn tortillas and red salsa are impossible to describe, and the pomegranate margarita is the sweet n’ sour necessity to the meal that will linger in your mind for days afterward until you go back.

Don’t brush it off because it’s in the quiet and sleepy suburbs. It is constantly busy, turnt, and I promise people in my friend group will be there heckling the staff and demanding elite service because we keep them in business. I THANK AND APPRECIATE YOUR WORK, DEPOT!

That’s all I’ve got for you today friends, I hope this helps shape some weekend plans and gives you some new happy hour spots! What are your favorite Mexican restaurants?? Always looking for new places!

-Natalie

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jeanboehm · 4 years ago

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Summer Recipes To Try

Come summer, the things I crave to eat and cook shift drastically. Give me all the great fresh salads, anything grilled and lots of corn and watermelon! When I think of summer dishes, I think of fresh farmer market finds all the fruit and easy simple dishes. There’s something so easy and effortless about summertime cooking. Sometimes all you need is a grill to cook an entire meal. Or nothing at all and simply use fresh amazing ingredients and mix it all together. To get inspired for your next summer get together from backyard BBQs, to 4th of July celebrations, or just simple healthy and delicious weeknight dinners, these are some easy summer recipes to try. I’ve bookmarked these in hopes to whip them up myself. And a few of my own personal dishes that are sure to please your family and guests this season.

From summer salads, side dishes, grilled meats and more, I’ve got all the easy summer recipes to try this season. And plenty that go beyond just a classic pasta salad. Although nothing wrong with that, they’re one of my most beloved dishes to bring to a summer potluck. But if you’re a vegetarian, pescetarian, or ready to try some new ingredients, I’m sure one of these dishes will be a hit!

Featured image by Upperlyne + Co

Easy Summer Recipes To Try

Kale Caesar Salad

Whenever I see a kale caesar salad on a menu, I almost always have to order it. It’s always such a good combination of cheesy salty dressing with hearty greens that’s always super filling. Add some grilled shrimp to it and you’ve got a perfect summer meal. This one from Camille Styles is stunning. I’ve been wanting to try to recreate it at home, but you know, lazy. But then I stumbled onto this simple and totally approachable recipe for a kale, avocado caesar. I mean, three of my favorite things in one dish. I’ll take it!

Recipe via Camille Styles

Grilled Corn Salad

The vegetable of choice for summer BBQs is always, hands down, without a doubt, corn. I grew up with boiled corn which is delicious of course, but as an adult, I grew to love grilled corn. Mexican grilled corn is even better, but let’s get back to this salad. A cold summer salad of grilled corn, tomatoes, onions, a little jalapeño, and some fresh herbs and you’ve got my attention. Plus, this makes for a great taco topper if you ask me!

Recipe via Waiting On Martha

Grilled Lemon Pepper Chicken Kebobs

I love anything that’s served on a stick and has been grilled to perfection. It’s nice that everything is all in one easy kabob. Vegetables, protein, it’s all delicious. Throw it all over some flavorful lemon rice and you have the perfect summer dinner that’s healthy and easy! This grilled chicken recipe will be a summer favorite and perfect as leftovers for the week.

Recipe via A Farmgirl’s Dabbles

Grilled Stone Fruit Panzanella Salad

A panzanella salad is an Italian classic and I feel like is always overlooked. A panzanella salad is full of big crunchy croutons mixed with fresh veggies and a simple dressing. It’s one of the best salads you can make. The croutons start to soak up the dressing and absorb all the great flavor. For summer, adding in grilled stone fruit like this recipe puts a fresh summer spin on it. This also has me convinced that adding fruit to your salad is always a good idea. Plus, look how colorful it is? It’s almost too pretty to eat! Almost.

Recipe via Upperlyne + Co

Soba Summer Salad

Soba noodles are one of those things I’ve always wanted to try making at home. They’re one of my favorite things to eat out, but I for some reason am so intimidated by this dish at home. This summer recipe full of delicious fresh veggies has me ready to tackle this dish! I also love the idea of grilling the corn to add in versus boiling it for extra summer flavor.

Recipe via i am a food blog

Grilled Vegetable Burrata Sandwich

Grilled veggies are a must for summertime. Toss them in a delicious flavorful quick marinade and toss them on the grill or cast-iron skillet if you’re like me and live in a high rise. Grab all your favorite summer veggies like summer squash, peppers and zucchini. The burrata gets all nice and melty on this sandwich making it one epic meal if you ask me. Plus, this is a quick meal to throw together!

Recipe via Half Baked Harvest

Grilled Green Bean Salad

Never would’ve thought to grill a green bean, but here we are and Gaby has convinced me otherwise. This grilled green bean salad with avocado and fresh dill (an underutilized herb in my opinion) looks divine. Great to serve alongside a steak dinner, or grilling shrimp to go with it too. A fresh, easy and healthy weeknight dinner for sure! Also would be great as a potluck side dish for your next summer get together.

Recipe via What’s Gaby Cooking

Guacamole Turkey Burgers

Can’t have a list of great summer recipes without some sort of burger. A turkey burger topped with gooey cheese and fresh guacamole sounds like the perfect combination to me. Go crazy and make this from scratch, or get some help from storebought items to make life a little easier. Either way, this is a great lighter option than a heavy beef burger.

Recipe via What’s Gaby Cooking

BLT & Avocado Pasta Salad

A great pasta salad to make for a potluck is this BLT and avocado pasta salad. It has a lemon pesto tahini dressing that’s got lots of fresh basil flavors throughout. It’s crunchy, fresh, and a bit smoky from the bacon. A delicious and easy side dish to make for guests. Just add grilled chicken for a fully complete meal! And bonus points for this being an easy dish to whip up ahead of time to make summer entertaining a bit easier for you.

Recipe via An Indigo Day

Strawberry Margaritas

A summer menu just wouldn’t be complete without a refreshing cocktail to wash it all down with. For me, margaritas are my go to choice for summer drinks as they’re refreshing with the zest of lime. Adding in strawberries, or really any fruit you like will work, makes this a touch sweeter and a bit more colorful. Another flavor combo to try, watermelon jalapeño for a sweet and spicy combination that never fails.

Recipe via An Indigo Day

Creamy Watermelon Coconut Smoothie

Summer afternoons are not complete without a super easy and delicious smoothie. Rosalynn’s recipes always look so delicious and easy and this smoothie is calling my name. But it’s the cup of rum in these that make them truly perfect for a summer afternoon on the patio. And how can you not love this pretty pink hue? Fresh watermelon, coconut milk and rum is all you need. Is it time for me to finally buy a Vitamix?

Recipe via Rosalynn Davis

Berry Almond Tart

A standard berry tart gets a whole new twist with the addition of almond extract in the cream cheese tart filling. I’m such a fan of almond extract so this has me eager to try this summer. I love a simple berry tart and this one is calling my name! Bring this to your next BBQ and people will love you forever. It’s also absolutely beautiful!

Recipe via Bethcakes

Grilled S’mores Cookies

While you’ve got your grill (or Traeger) running, might as well use it to make dessert, right? These mini cast iron skillet chocolate chip cookie s’mores are so damn cute and delicious. Big regret not topping this with ice cold vanilla ice cream though. You live and you learn. Use store bought cookie dough to make this super quick and easy. Add them to your grill when you sit down for dinner, and when you’re all done and ready for something sweet, these will be waiting for you. I can’t recommend them enough. And if you need convincing on if a Traeger is worth it, it is. Check out this post.

Recipe via An Indigo Day

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