Mariscos San Pedro

-Grubbing in Chicago
Fiesta de Mariscos en Pilsen

There’s always Mexican restaurants opening in Chicago though so many of them are basically the same thing. But of late there’s been a handful of interesting and out of the ordinary openings. Mariscos San Pedro inside Pilsen’s Thalia Hall is the latest. The live music venue at the corner of 18th and Allport has teamed up with the Poilevey brothers of Le Bouchon, La Chingon and Obelix.

Recently Opened in Pilsen 

Mariscos San Pedro replaced Dusek’s in July and immediately started garnering buzz. Michael Nagrant of ‘The Hunger’ Substack called it “The Restaurant of Summer” which is fitting with its colorful space mixed with lots of light, friendly hospitality, and a chef driven menu of mariscos more commonly found in LA. I’ve always said Mexican food in Chicago is awesome but it doesn’t quite match LA due to a lack of seafood forward spots like Mariscos San Pedro. Slowly but surely we’re starting to see some Baja quality places so to say. We visited San Pedro a couple weeks ago on a warm and sunny early evening. We took a seat on the patio despite there being plenty of seating at the bar with lots of empty tables inside though they were all filled by the time we left (reservations are always suggested).

a peek inside 

The menu at San Pedro is flooded with seafood or mariscos as pronounced in Spanish. The menu is broken down into platters, ceviche (and aguachile), tostadas, tacos, hot seafood, whole fish and “Masa y Mas” which is everything from quesadillas to a plate of Nopales. Me being me I had to start with a couple of the seafood tacos including the classic Baja Fish taco and also a newfangled Taco Gobernador as they call them here. The fish taco was on point with a nice chunk of perfectly fried cod topped with aioli and slaw resting atop a made on site corn tortilla. The Gobernador was just as good although technically it’s more of a taco de costra con camaron or a cheese crust taco with shrimp. Gobernador tacos are typically like quesadillas as they melt a bunch of cheese mixed with shrimp and peppers but here they mix shrimp into a cheese crust and roll it all up as seen in the picture below.

Taco Gobernador at Mariscos Don Pedro 

Did you know the Caesar Salad was born in Baja Mexico? Caesar Cardini - a French - inspired Italian chef who immigrated to America before moving to Tijuana Mexico to escape prohibition is the man credited with its creation. Chefs in Baja and beyond have been cheffing up this classic salad alot of late. The kitchen at San Pedro starts out with little gem lettuce, boquerones, and Cotija cheese according to the menu. I also detected some crushed up tortilla chips with sweet corn and matchsticks of radish and it all blended together really well. This is a very good choice to start your meal with.

Ceasar Salad at Mariscos San Pedro 

The “Hot Seafood” section has four really interesting options including a wood fired shrimp dish that we ended up choosing over the mussels and frites, an Octopus Sonoran Hot Dog and the Scallops with corn and nduja. You get four large head on shrimps with each plate of the wood grilled shrimp. The shrimp itself was a bit limper than I like but this is pretty much always the case in Chicago and other land locked sections of the country. Though the aguacate salsa with chunks of pineapple sitting on the side was so good it made up for the limp texture and a lack of smoke flavor in the shrimp.

Wood Grilled Shrimp at Mariscos San Pedro 

All three of the whole fish selections sounded good but the pricing on whole fish has gotten out of control in my opinion. We ended up choosing the Dorade bc it was the most reasonable but it’s likely that I come back for the whole fried snapper which I noticed is broken down into individual fried chunks like some spots in Mexico do. I prefer it that way as it’s easier to eat and it's texturally better too. The dorade is wood grilled and served the same way as the fish at Mexico City’s Contramar Restaurant or Christmas style as it’s called out in New Mexico due to the red and green coloring from the sauces used to marinate each side of the butterflied fish. It comes with four thick made on site corn tortillas but you have to add rice and beans if you want those too. I really liked the salsa options included but thought the rice had a weird Uncle Ben’s texture to it. All in all it was a great summertime meal as there’s something about warm weather that makes me crave seafood and Mariscos San Pedro is already one of the city’s best seafood restaurants. Check it out while the weather is ripe.

Grilled Dorade 

Mariscos San Pedro
1227 W 18th St
Chicago, IL 60608
(312) 508-4700
Website

Empanadas in Chicago

-Grubbing in Chicago
Five of a Kind: Empanadas 

I brought a newfound love for empanadas back home with me when I returned from Argentina this past March. They really are the perfect snack as far as grab and go goes (it's a little harder to eat a taco while walking). But I've crossed paths with a diverse selection of empanadas since my return - 

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Thimi's Empanadas

Honestly the empanadas in Buenos Aires kind of ruined all others for me. Every single one of them could’ve been the best I ever had. That’s how good they were. I’m not saying that Argentinean empanadas are superior I’m just saying there’s so many awesome empanadas in BA. That said I had high hopes for the Argentinean empanadas at Thimi Empanadas at 1247 S. Western Avenue on the edge of Pilsen. It’s ran by a family from Uruguay that lived in Argentina previously. The South American countries are located right next to each other and they have similar cuisines so this isn't out of the ordinary. They make a variety of baked empanadas but with this being my first trip I had to try the beef which comes ground with onions, bell pepper, hard boiled eggs, garlic, scallion, and spices. One bite of this and I was ready to name these some of the best empanadas in town right now. 

Empanada at Thimi's Empanadas
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Taqueria Misantla

We’ll shoot over to Little Village to check out the next spot at 2455 S. Kedzie. Taqueria Misantla is named after a town in Veracruz and they offer a menu of regional snacks from the area including gorditas, tamales, and empanadas. You can choose between a few fillings but the friendly waitress suggested I get the chicken so that’s what I went with. These are fried and similar to Venezuelan style empanadas except they get topped with typical Mexican toppings including cotija cheese, sour cream, and shredded lettuce. You kind of have to eat these with a fork alike a plate of enchiladas.

Empanadas at Taqueria Misantla
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Viet Five 

Viet Five is a Vietnamese owned coffee shop at 1116 W. Madison in the West Loop. I’m not a coffee drinker at all but I was driven in by a sign I saw for fresh Vietnamese empanadas. I don’t think I’d ever had a Vietnamese empanada before this but a little online searching led me to a similar dish called bánh gối aka a Pillow Cake. Wikipedia describes them as “meat, mushrooms, vermicelli, and diced vegetables such as carrots, kohlrabi and jicama…sometimes boiled egg and sliced Chinese sausage are used and it’s wrapped into a thinly rolled piece of dough and deep-fried”. You’ll find most of those ingredients in the empanadas at Viet Five making them both different and delicious.

Vietnamese Empanada at Viet Five 
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Empanada Mama

Empanada Mama opened last year at 1703 W. Chicago Avenue in Ukrainian Village. It’s Minority, Woman, Veteran and Puerto Rican owned with a fully stocked bar and extended hours on weekends. I dropped by for lunch a couple months back and enjoyed a massive empanada stuffed with garlic pork and rice. These are fried so the ones without cheese are a tad dry but that’s easily remedied with an excellent salsa criolla. Also of note is the Puerto Rican rice which the courteous owner let me try.

Pork and Rice Empanada at Empanada Mama
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Roma's Italian Beef & Sausage

I’d venture to guess I hadn’t been to Roma’s Italian Beef & Sausage at 4237 N Cicero in more than a decade. Nothing against the place I just hadn’t been by for a sandwich in forever and technically I still haven’t as I recently stopped by to try their Italian beef empanadas. They come freshly fried with two to an order and are served with a little cup of gravy aka au jus. I think they must’ve got the idea to make these trying to figure out what to do with all of the beef debris that sinks to the bottom of the pot. It was fun to try these once but I still prefer my beef in bread lightly dipped with sweet and hot. Oh and I also got a gravy bread for the first time in forever. I’m always down for some old school nostalgia. 

Italian Beef Empanadas at Roma's Italian Beef & Sausage
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See ya next time @chibbqking

Santa Masa Tamaleria

-Grubbing in Chicago  
Chef Driven Mexican in Dunning

You already know this but ‘The Bear’ is back for a 3rd season on Hulu. What you might not have known is Santa Masa Tamaleria is also back. The story of this masa forward restaurant on Addison began back in 2020 in the middle of the pandemic when restaurants had to close. Chef Danny Espinoza had plans to open a Mexican seafood restaurant with his wife but they had to scratch that idea. Instead they pivoted to tamales which they sold out of a commercial kitchen in Avondale but when the city started to open back up they moved to the suburbs where they took jobs outside of the restaurant world. As time went by they missed cooking and yearned for those interactions that working in a restaurant can bring and with that they opened Santa Masa Tamaleria at 7544 W Addison.

Recently Opened in Dunning 

Classic tamales made with corn husk are front and center here as their old pop up helped spawn the restaurant. Both Danny and his wife Jhoana come from tamale making families, his from Michoacán and hers from Mexico City. The menu lets you choose from five tamales including the classic red and green varieties made with chicken in tomatillo sauce and chicken in Guajillo Chile sauce. 

Tamale at Santa Masa Tamaleria 

They also feature a Tamale Del Mes which takes us back to my previous mention of the The Bear. This month’s special is an Italian beef tamale that pre-dates the show but they brought it back to celebrate the release of the third season. If I'm being honest an Italian beef tamal sounds like something you would make for clicks on TikTok but this is hardly a gimmick. Chef Danny shows off his food knowledge and fine dining training by pulling off one of the most surprising bites of the year. He starts by roasting a piece of top round which also produces the gravy which is seasoned with the essence of Ancho and Pasilla chiles, Mexican oregano and more. The beef is sliced and mixed into fresh masa which goes into grilled banana leaves the same way a Oaxacan tamale is made. “Escabeche-esque” giardiniera is added behind the counter and a little cup of the gravy (au jus) is poured over when served. High quality ingredients throughout make for a fantastic snack. I asked Danny if he’s ever considered putting his beef in some sort of torta roll as it would easily be one of the best beefs in the city. I have no idea if that’ll happen but he did seem intrigued. You have until the end of the month to try the Italian beef tamale as its August replacement will be Corunda tamales - a regional variation from Michoacán.

Italian Beef Tamale at Santa Masa Tortilleria 

Tamales aren’t the only thing Danny is passionate about. I asked about the green chorizo used in one of the tacos and Danny explained how his love for it stems back to the first time he tried this regional recipe from Toluca. He told me a story of how enamored he was when he first came across it on a trip with his uncle. Upon learning of chorizo de verde estilo Toluca he became obsessed with making his own and as time has passed he's developed a recipe which he plans to package and sell to restaurants and supermarkets across the city thru his other venture called Santo Chorizo. But for now you can try Chef Danny’s delicious green chorizo in a taco dressed with fried breakfast potatoes and pickled onions on a fresh pressed corn tortilla. The chorizo is deep green due to all the earthy ingredients used to make it. The potatoes were a nice touch as this taco reminded me of a popular stand in Mexico City called Ricos Tacos Toluca that puts fries on their green chorizo tacos. 

Green Chorizo Taco at Santa Masa Tamaleria 

On my initial visit to try the Italian beef tamal Danny had waxed poetic about his weekend special pozole so I made plans to go back for some of that when the weekend rolled around. Although his family makes a red version Danny has come up with his own recipe which is green. It’s pretty traditional in the sense of the dish but a few chef driven tweeks like chunks of soft and tender pork butt and fresh grilled tostadas make this one stand out. I think it might be the best bowl of pozole in town right now. 

Pozole 

Santa Masa Tamaleria
7544 W Addison St
Chicago, IL 60634
(312) 982-9306
Website

Smash Burgers in Chicago

-Grubbing in Chicagoland
Five of a Kind: Smash Burger Special 

Happy 4th of July week to my fellow Americans. I’ve been watching a lot of soccer this summer with both the Euro and Copa America Cups going on at the same time. The topic of food has come in broadcasts and online as is commonly the case when two countries go head to head in sports. You know the drill, silly generic comparisons like Pasta vs Paella when Italy plays Spain. Then just recently there was a viral tweet from someone in England who claimed the USA has no cuisine to call its own. First off how about having a little self awareness as an Englishman - what they call food is more like slop. Haha. Ok not entirely but let’s be real nobody is naming English food when it comes to the world’s best cuisines. What the f-ck are mushy peas?! I’ll tell you what American food is - it’s fried chicken, it’s bbq, and it’s hot dogs and burgers among other things and it’s all very regional. The bbq is different in Texas than it is in North Carolina. In New Mexico they put green chiles on burgers while in Oklahoma they smash balls of ground beef into thinly sliced onions. Have you ever had a burger outside of the United States? They’re never as good despite the fact all you need is ground beef, a bun and some cheese. Yet that hasn’t stopped people in other parts of the world from making burgers. In fact the biggest trend in food right now is the smash burger which is a regional specialty from right here in Illinois. I’ve seen ads and or posts about smashburgers everywhere from Paris to Jakarta. They’re so big right now we went from having a few spots in Chicago that make them to an innumerable number. I can’t keep up. But here’s five I’ve tried over the last six months or so.

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The Leavitt Street Inn & Tavern (Bucktown)

This corner bar tucked away in a residential part of Bucktown is commonly mentioned when the city's best smashed burgers are discussed. They got on the train early and have been serving them for a good while now. Although it's on the expensive side ($15 with fries) the patties are smashed to perfection and a bit larger (1/3 lb) than your typical smashed burger - think Schoop’s in terms of size. Burgers come served with sauce, grilled onions and pickles in a turn back the clock tavern setting.

Leavitt Street Smash at The Leavitt Street Inn & Tavern
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PrimeTime Bar & Grill (Albany Park)

This family owned sports bar on Lawrence opened about six months back and has stayed relatively under the radar despite putting out a fantastic burger. They smash ‘em crispy here by which I mean the edges are as crisp as a potato chip. I feel like these are closest in-style to the ones you’ll find down in Central Illinois. The price is about as close as you’ll get too at just ten bucks for a double which incl. grilled onions, pickles, PrimeTime sauce. Visit on a Thursday and all burgers are $2 off.

PrimeTime Burger at PrimeTime Bar & Grill
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Small Bar (Logan Square)

Believe it or not I had never been to this recently revamped tavern in my neck of the woods. I don’t think I knew it was there until I read it was coming back at Eater and Block Club. According to that press the corner tavern itself is over 100 years old and was recently rehabbed by new owners. They’ve upgraded the interior, fixed up the patio, added a new sign and teamed up with the couple behind Taco Sublime who despite the name are well known for smash burgers served up at spots like Marz Brewing in Bridgeport and Desert Hawk in Wicker Park. They’re calling this outlet “Patty Please” and just like the bar, the menu is small with a couple smash burger options, cheese curds, fries and a grilled cheese for the kids. “The Pleaser” is their version of an Oklahoma Onion Burger meaning fresh balls of beef are smashed into wafer thin onions and dressed with pickles and pleaser sauce on a heavily steamed bun. I tried a double ($12 without fries) and it tasted like they’ve been making them as long as booze has been served at this address by which I mean they tasted old school. 

The Pleaser at Small Bar 
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Big Star (West Town)

At some point Big Stars West Town location ditched its mariscos forward menu and added a Monday only burger special ($8) that's been so well received I wonder if their next move at this location is to go from a taco spot to a burger place. They tap into not one but two popular food trends with a cheese skirt crust mashing well with the lacy edged patties. Lettuce, diced onion and special sauce round it all out and although it looks like a mess and you need two hands to hold it, it’s actually rather sturdy.

Smash Burger at Big Star 
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Centro Burger (Lombard)

For our last stop we head out to the suburbs where there’s numerous smashburger specialists. Centro is a no frills spot sitting in a Lombard strip mall. It opened a few years ago so it was one of the first out there. They make burgers, dogs and shakes all of which is halal. The namesake includes two nicely smashed patties with cheese, grilled onions, lettuce, tomato, jalapeño, and Centro Sauce.

Centro Burger at Centro
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See ya next time @chibbqking