-Grubbing in Chicago
Baja Cuisine in West Town
The food of Baja California is hot right now. You needn’t look any further than our own hometown where a handful of Baja inspired spots have opened up shop in the last year or so. Today we visit Diego, the newest project from Chefs Stephen Sandoval and Oscar Sotelo. If those names sound familiar, they’re the guys behind Suenos which was in residency at Soho House for a bit. Diego is it’s sister spot - a casual Baja inspired watering hole which debuted this past summer. It’s located in West Town, down the block from another Baja influenced spot.
Diego traces its roots to the coast of Northern Baja, Mexico, located just south of San Diego. Chef Sandoval, a San Diego native, grew up immersed in the regions street food scene and it very much stuck with him over the years. Diego is his ode to an area that’s a hub of culinary innovation thanks to Spanish colonial and Japanese influences plus an influx of tourists during Prohibition. You’ll find Baja classics like the Baja fish taco which is said to have a Japanese ancestry due to the arrival of Japanese fisherman during the 50’s. Locally caught fish is dipped into a tempura like batter before being deep fried to a golden crisp. Diego does a pretty good version although it was a bit small compared to the fish tacos you’ll find throughout Baja. My biggest complaint about this place, or at least my visit, can be traced back to the tortillas. They seem to make their own or source them from someone other than the usual suspects around town which is nice. But the problem was they were room temp and bordering on cold which hurt the overall quality. The ingredients inside the tortillas were all warm but the tortillas themselves were not. It’s an easy fix that’s likely already been taking care of so I don’t think it’s reason enough to tell you to stay away. Especially if you want more than just the typical offerings when it comes to Mexican food and tacos in particular.
They also make a gobernador taco which is a regional specialty from Sinaloa that’s popular in Baja. Sauteed shrimp gets mixed with melted cheese, onions and peppers as once requested by a former governor of Sinaloas wife, or so the origin story goes. Diego’s take is more of a taco de costra de camaron as the cheese is crisped up on a hot flattop and rolled up with the shrimp and peppers and onion inside of it (costra = crust). My favorite of the those we tried were the tacos dorados (crispy tacos) which come stuffed with potato and dressed with a salsa cruda. They hit the right notes as far as flavor and texture and since they were fried to order they were still hot when delivered to the table. The tuna tostada is also constructed really well with fresh, firm slices of raw yellowfin tuna and sliced avocado plus a luscious salsa macha on a warm and crisp tostada shell.
The California style burritos might be the best thing on the menu at Diego. Toasted flour tortillas are stuffed with your choice of steak and or shrimp along with avocado, fries, and crema. It’s a regional favorite of Southern California surfers and stoners alike. This one is on the smaller side but it’s by no means a small amount of food. Both the red and the green salsas are worthy of usage with the red being a semi spicy smoky blend and the green being tangy with a bit of a kick. I’m all in on this Baja California food trend that’s taking off in Chicago and I’m also in on Diego which is probably the best of the bunch thus far, though there’s always room for improvement.
Diego
459 N Ogden Ave
Chicago, IL 60642
(312) 291-8449
Website
2 comments:
The Japanese fishermen and their connection to the tempura coating on the Baja tacos is 🌮 great info.
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