A day in Geneva

Eating like a local:
Regional food specialties
-Eating and drinking in Geneva, Illinois

Field Trip Time! Today the class heads out to the beautiful little town of Geneva, IL which sits in the Fox River Valley. Sometimes we need to ditch the city to find some inner peace of mind. Geneva is one of my favorite little places to do and since it's only about a 45 minute ride, it's a trip that can be done in a day. I've never stayed overnight but one day I imagine I'll rest my head at the Herrington Inn and Spa. The popular beautifully designed boutique hotel on the river is just one of a few things that make this place a popular weekend destination. Shopping, Outdoor activities, eating and drinking being the others.

Geneva, IL

There's two main strips in Geneva. You got State street which serves as the towns hub. It goes right over the Fox River and is host to a ton of business' ranging from popcorn shops to bike rentals. Starting off on State Street you'll notice the awesome awning for the Geneva Theater which shares a space with the Geneva Ale House. This is where guys can go chill if their girlfriends or wife's allow them too while they go shop. Good cold beer is served here as well as some really tasty calamari. An Asian blend topped with Thai basil and peanuts that I really liked it paired with my beer flight.

Chilling at Geneva Ale House

The other main strip in town is 3rd street. It meets State street and goes all the way to the Metra line. In between you'll find plenty of locally owned places offering an array of different things. Geneva is definitely more for the girls than guys so lots of the shops reflect that. Right on 3rd you'll find The Latest Crave which is one of those shops geared towards the hoards of woman and children that invade the town each weekend. They do up cupcakes, toffee and other popular baking trends so I'm sure they have cronuts, doughssants or whatever they're called as well as a nice selection of cupcakes. I remember liking the carrot cake version.

The Latest Crave

Further down a few miles on State street, in a shopping mall, like most suburban spots, is Josef's Meats & Deli. I've stopped thru here multiple times when I've been in town and can always appreciate their subs and homemade Italian sausage. I particularly like the blend made with red wine and green peppers and so does everyone else who has had some when I throw it on the grill at parties and such.

Excellent Italian Deli

My reason for going out to Geneva somewhat often is Bien Trucha which is onr of my favorite restaurants in all of Chicagoland. I've already featured them over on an Aurora Area Mexican Eats feature that you can check out if you want to get a good idea of them. I pretty much love everything they offer and so do the rest. Expect a line on the weekend and even on most weekdays too.

Battered Shrimp and Pescadilla Tacos from Bien Trucha

With the huge popularity of Bien Trucha the people behind it decided to open up another place next door. It goes by A Toda Madre which is urban slang for really cool. Well for a while I just wasnt sure ATM was as cool as Bien Trucha was and neither did most others. The place would sit half full while folks waited to eat at BT next door. But on my most recent visit to the area I was handed a menu from ATM which had been switched up since the last time I saw it. The first time around nothing on there caught my eye. So they must of switched it at some point bc now there's a few favorites from next door as well as other tempting options no previously seen. One of our favorites from BT is the flautas. We always have to order them. Well now they have similar ones at ATM except they make them with pork and use a different sauce on top. Still so good.

Shredded Pork/Potato Flautas and Shrimp Doraditos

So where's a good place to go if you dont want Mexican food or cant stand to wait somewhere? I might suggest Foxfire. Important to note I dined here with a groupon which cut the price down some which I came to appreciate. It's a really nice space inside with an open kitchen in the middle. They have an outdoor patio in back which is where we sat on  nice summer night. This place gets an A for atmosphere.

Modern American Cooking

We enjoyed some reasonably priced drinks on the patio and decided to split a few things for dinner. Not pictured is the calamari we ordered which was good just not up to par with the rest. The French Onion soup to start off the entree was respectable. I've had stringer broths but I've also had weaker. My favorite of the stuff we tried was the sesame encrusted ahi tuna served over a bed of micro greens with a really good Thai ginger dipping sauce. She really liked the Shrimp Scampi which is a favorite dish of hers, here it came with some beautiful big tiger shrimp and plenty of garlic to boot. Big enough for leftovers to be brought home later. Overall this was a really nice dinner, service was fantastic and the atmosphere was very nice.

Dinner at Foxfire

and this is where our trip ends...safe travels back!

Geneva Ale House
319 W State St 
Geneva, IL 60134
(630) 262-3877

The Latest Crave
227 S 3rd St # 109 
Geneva, IL 60134
(630) 262-8200

Josef's Meats
716 W State St 
Geneva, IL 60134
(630) 262-1878

Bien Trucha
410 W State St 
Geneva, IL 60134
(630) 232-2665

A Toda Madre
416  W State St
Geneva, IL 60134
(630) 845-3015

Foxfire Restaurant
17 W State St 
Geneva, IL 60134
(630) 232-1369

Aurora Taco Tour

Eating like a local:
Regional food specialties
-The Tacos of Aurora, Illinois

In honor of Mexican Independence Day I'm taking all my loyal readers on a little taco tour thru Illinois' Second City, Aurora. Taco Time! Excellent! Chicago has long been a hot spot for amazing Mexican eats but as the years go on and many families flock to the suburbs for peace of mind and they bring their restaurants and recipes with them. Aurora is an area that continues to expand on its close to 40% Hispanic population. I have work out there now and then and am always keeping an eye and ear out for some good taco options. I don't know why it happened, Mexican food has always been my favorite, but of late I've been a taco binge like none other. So here it is! A half-year in the making. Ten Taco Spots worth a trot out to the town that gave us Wayne's World.
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Taqueria Durango

Downtown

Important to note that much like the big city, there are what seem to be a countless number of taquerias in town. Just like here they come and go so fast you might not even of known one was around before it's gone. So how does one establish what spots to try? First place I check is LTH but not much of late. Then I go to Yelp and see what people say. This place tends to get good biz when I've been by and a common mention of al pastor on Yelp put it on the map.

Al Pastor Spit

Durango has had their spit up and running on both visits I've made. One a weekday and the other over the weekend. As we continue on here you're going to see that there's a few types pf tacos the fine taqueros of Aurora do well and al pastor is a popular one. I think that like Chicago, many of the Hispanic families who came here, did so from the Jalisco region and Mexico City. Hence the love for heavily spiced roasted pork on a spit. Tacos al Pastor can be a real hit or miss but these were at least a triple. Properly spiced pieces came out crispy on the outside while still retaining some juice inside. Not to dry, not too wet, just about perfect. Another popular taco in this area is the Dorado version aka hard shelled. I liked Durango's chicken offering but have had better elsewhere.

Chicken Taco Dorado and a Taco al Pastor

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Taqueria Arandense

Downtown

Not far from Durango is Arandense. Another welcoming place where they have the whole family pitching in to make sure the place runs well. Housed in what was at some point a diner they have a full menu here and I heard its popular for breakfast. I'd driven by and noticed a little crowd inside and said what they hey and went on in and took a seat at the counter.

The View at the Counter

Just like the last stop it was the spit in motion that made me stop into Arandense. It only got better when next to the said spit was a charola for deep frying tripas in. They had just sold out of tacos de suadero but I was more so intrigued by the other two anyway. Both were very solid. The al pastor was again spiced right. Sometimes places under season theirs but not the case here. Extra props for the slice of charred pineapple they put on top. The tripas tacos were fried to a perfect crispiness and brought me back to the streets of Aguascaliente, Mexico where I enjoyed this style of taco morning, noon and night. As I mentioned most places in town serve tacos dorados but they aren't deep fried as a whole. The spots have this little gadget that lets you fry tortillas fresh and then stuff them with stewed meats. Every single place offers two fillings of choice for their dorados, deshebrada and stewed chicken.They had pretty good ones here but I like the other two offerings much more.

Crispy Tripas and an Al Pastor Taco

Taco Dorados

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Jalisco Tacos

Up on High Street 

As seen in the Aurora Area Mexican Eats post. My favorite place to grab a taco dorado in Aurora is Jalisco Tacos which has a few locations. Sadly this place named after the great Mexican state that gave us Carne en Su Jugo does not offer it on their menu. They do however have some pretty damn good goat consomme on weekends. They claim the al pastor is their specialty but there's better to be had around town. What I like are their taco dorados with deshebrada aka heavily spiced and shredded beef. The combination of crunchy shell (freshly fried) mixed with the juicy beef makes for a messy taco that you have to eat right away but are rewarded with some great flavors when you do.

Taco Dorado w/ Shredded Beef and a Taco al Pastor

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Tacos Maria

Also on the Hill

Tacos Maria was put onto my radar by Sir Kevin Pang at the Tribune. He gave love to their taco alambres and so I too wanted to try.. This is the other popular taco found around town. Alambre translates to "wire" or to be rendered as a skewer where food is involved. Every region has their own story on how these tacos came to be named. I think that much like al pastor, these came from Arabic immigrants. Alambre tacos are always served removed from the skewer, if the place is even using one to begin with. Some say the name derives from stir fry. Typically these tacos consist of steak, bacon, chopped green peppers, onion which is all melded together with melted cheese. Just like a shish kebab, the flavors work well. Maria's has an excellent offering.Really, good. Nice call @pang.

Maria's Taco Alambre

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Taqueria Muniz

Lake Street

One of my favorite taco stops in town is this wonderful family run place. I swear they have three or four generations of family inside and they've all remembered me since my first visit when they were extra curious, a good way, as to why I was taking pictures. One of the pretty younger members of the family asked if they could use my pictures on their FB page and I was more than happy so please note, these tacos were free, my third trip around anyway. They wouldn't let me pay, so I tipped triple. Here they make their alambre with poblano peppers which creates for a nice little kick. But my favorite offering is their cochinita pibil. This is a specialty of the family back in their original home of the Yucatan Peninsula where the dish is very popular. Traditionally pibil is cooked in a pit inside banana leaves and served with pickled red onion. The pork is marinated in a healthy combo of juices and spices before cooking long enough to shred easily. For just a buck and change I can eat quite a few of these little treats each trip.

Cochinita Pibil (L) Taco Alambre (R)

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Taco Movil

From Taco Truck to Brick and Mortar Business

Another stop I really like here. Taco Movil has both a truck and somewhat new restaurant where you can find their signature offerings. Not to sound too repetitive but you know the drill, its all in the family and really welcoming inside. The taqueria is attached to a grocery store and its a popular place for folks just getting off work. I stopped in here with the Grub Seeker and another guy so we got try a little of them all, since they all looked good. First up their specialty of the house is tacos al pastor and they do those well. Small crispy bits are loaded into the tortilla and served with their amazing array of housemade salsas. I'm partial to grandmas avocado salsa which is a smooth creamy mix that worked great on their weekend special lamb barbacoa tacos. Movil also makes a mean alambre. Only taco I wasn't that impressed with was their carnitas which was good just not great, I think we got the gringo pieces.

Taco al Pastor

Lamb Barbacoa Taco

Taco Alambre

Carnita's Taco

But we noticed something you don't see too often on the menu here. Those of us in Chicago who have been lucky enough to indulge in Cemitas Puebla's Taco Arabes know whats up. "Arab Style Tacos" took Chicago by storm before and then definitely after Guy Fieri's appearance there. I haven't seen them anywhere else but noticed a paining inside the plce showing their mobile taco truck in a square in Mexico with a "taco arabes" sign on it. The fun little painting made me further explore the menu which led me to seeing Tacos Arabes  listed on it. So of course one had to be ordered.

Taco Arabe

When they brought this out I thought it was a burrito. I'm used to the fact that this style is rolled in a puffy flour tortilla but this offering looked more like a Norteno burrito than the taco arabes I'm used to. Opening it up to peek what was inside revealed an entire different look too. Here they use marinated and chopped pork with grilled onions and spinach and of course lots of cheese. I loved it. It was almost like a Philly Roast Pork sandwich in a tortilla. Totally different from the awesome offering at Cemitas Puebla, my heart is big enough to hold them both near and dear. Best $2 I've spent on a taco in a while, at least as far as taste and size go.

The insides

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Rico's Tacos

A stand on the Hill

I'd read about Rico's when it turned up in a google search for best tacos in Aurora. It's a little trailer that permanently sits in a lot next to a grocery store and across the street from a car repair shop. I believe all three are owned by the same people. I see "Rico's Tacos" offered alot around the city. I've always wondered what exactly they are and think I might of found out, or at least I have my own theory. All they do here are tacos and they're each $1. The steak and al pastor came praised so I tried one of each and was presented with some cute little tacos that could be taken down in one bite. Which is where my idea of the name comes from. The grocery store in the city I tried "Rico's Tacos" at served them the same way. I think it's just slang for mini tacos. These were really good. No spit but the steak and pastor were both finely chopped and well crisped up on the griddle, a style I'm not opposed to at all when done properly like they do here.

An Al Pastor and Steak Taco

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Taqueria Los 4 Leones

Parked in a church at the corner of 5th Street and Farnsworth

I spied this little taco truck while cruusing around town hoping to find something worthy of a try. Obviously this was it so I pulled up and hopped out. There was a little bit of a wait since one guy ordered 10+ tacos so I got to talk with Luis Leon the owner while I waited. They're open Mon, Wed, Fri, Sat and Sun from 3p-9p and serve a variety of tacos. You got the usual suspects plus fillings like cabeza, chicharron, lengua and tripas. I asked what his two most popular tacos were and got a couple awesome off the menu offerings. When you see a Taco Campachano on the menu somewhere it usually means "many meats" and that's what Luis says is most popular. "It's a little bit of everything" and it was awesome. As was his other popular taco which mixes steak and chorizo. I was with a work associate for a few of these stops and this was his favorite. He's since brought his wife who's from Mexico and she loves it too.

Taco Campachano and a Steak/Chorizo Mixture

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El Buey Pando

Located in a lot along East New York Street

Another place I just so happened to find out of luck. As me and the aforementioned associate were riding I spied this place and made a U turn to go check them out. I've been back and past it a couple times since and they always seem to have a nice crowd of locals fresh off of work and hungry for tacos. It seems like both a place to eat and engage with fellow neighbors. If I spy a Especialidad de la Casa on the menu of a place I'm at, then that's what I'm getting (special post coming). I saw one for both a huarache and "taco bravo" which was described by the nice lady taking orders as steak marinated in a very spicy salsa. I got one regular steak and one bravo. Both were great, particularly the Bravo which while tongue tingling, was also really flavorful from the green chile salsa it was cooked in. I gotta back for some more.

Steak (L) and a Taco Bravo (R)

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A Toda Madre

Last but certainly not least is a favorite of mine. Ok so it's technically not in Aurora city limits but its a quick 10 minute drive up the river to Geneva. A Toda Madre is the sister restaurant to Bien Trucha which we stopped at when going on a tour of Mexican eats in the area last May. Bien Trucha is one of my favorites for "Fancy Mexican" and part of that is because they don't get too fancy. They just do really good homestyle food thats always beautifully presented . They opened a 2nd place recently and like it's urban dictionary translation, it's totally awesome. I think A Toda Madre switched up their menu because the first time around I wasn't  tempted by it but then I was when I saw it a half year later. More on them in another post but man are their Shrimp Doradito tacos sensational. If you're a taco aficionado like I am you probably have tried or have had the deep fried shrimp taco at Mariscos Jalisco in Los Angeles on your radar. One day I'll try them but until then, these mini ones from toda madre will definitely do. Hope you enjoyed the ride! Check out our Chicago Taco Tour HERE.

Shrimp Doradito from A Toda Madre in Geneva

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Taqueria Durango
101 S Lasalle St
Aurora, IL 60505
(630) 859-2947

Taqueria Arandense
1 N. Broadway Ave
Aurora, IL 60505
(630) 770-5623

Jalisco Tacos
560 High St
Aurora, IL 60505
(630) 801-1261

Taco's Maria
733 Aurora Ave
Aurora, IL 60505
(630) 844-9050

Taqueria Muniz
518 S Lake St
Aurora, IL 60506
(630) 896-8727

Taco Movil
470 Hinman Street
Aurora, IL 60505
(630) 800-1502

Rico's Taco Stand
On Hill street near 5th
Aurora, IL 60505

Taqueria Los 4 Leones
Corner of 5th St. and Farnsworth ave
Aurora, IL 60505
(331) 454-0521

Tacos El Buey Pando
Located on New York Street
Facebook

A Toda Madre
416 W State St
Geneva, IL 60134
(630) 845-3015

Aurora Area Mexican Eats

Eating like a local:
Regional food specialties
-Mexican food in Fox River Valley

As the cities Mexican population grows so do the surrounding areas. You'll find more Mexican families settling in places like Joliet and the Fox River Valley. Places that once only had the usual suspects you'd find in a Midwest suburb all of a sudden started seeing family owned grocery stores, taquerias and such. As the years go by these lil' shacks become hipper sitdown spots and with that the people start coming. The tribunes Kevin Pang did himself a little taco tour of the area that resulted in even more places I would like to try down in this sprawling area of good Mexican eats. Lets check some of the ones I've been to for our Mexican Fiesta in May. All Mexican food, all month long.
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Taqueria El Brasero

I had a pretty top notch bowl of CESJ in Aurora this past winter. Taqueria El Brasero is just off the highway the exit after the Outlet Mall (if coming from city). It's a sit-down spot that sits in a strip mall so you might not think twice about it but I would stop in if in the mood for some meat in it's own juice.


Notice the nice clear broth in this bowl of Carne en su Jugo

I dont know if this place reaches Los Gallos' level when it's on but it they serve a very good bowl with some extra crisp bacon sitting in a slightly rich, nicely flavored broth. Included were all the usual's with exception of the dried chile peppers which I realized weren't there until after I ate, otherwise I would of asked for some. The steak had a few chewy fatty pieces but for the most part was finely chopped and cooked crisp which I like. This might be a weekend only offering so call ahead if interested.


Wayne and Garth never had eating options this good...

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Jalisco Tacos

Some specialties of the House

Chicago has a pretty heavy population of people from the state of Jalisco. What we dont have an abundance of is places that serve real deal tacos dorados. People in Aurora and elsewhere (they have a few locations) rave about them from Jalisco tacos. I tried one with deshambra (shredded beef) and aside from the fact it was fried fresh really enkoyed the spicing of the shredded beef inside. They also had an al pastor spit going on my visit so i tired one taco al pastor and thought that was pretty good too. 

 Taco Dorado and Al Pastor

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Las Cemitas Poblanas

Up on High Street in Aurora is an area where you'll find a few family owned places serving specialties from back home. Las Cemitas Poblanas serves Cemita sandwiches which are native to the Puebla state of Mexico. I was first put onto this place by Grubseeker over at LTH. Seeing as I love a good cemita I had to have a try.

Cemita Sandwich Shop in Aurora

My visit was very much enjoyed, just like most others who have been. Great hospitality. You can find tortas just about anywhere but you wont find cemitas all over. The bread is different in many ways including the topping of it with sesame seeds and they always come topped with a dark red sweet and smokey sauce. We've got a place in Chicago (Stay tuned) but it's nice to see this style of sandwich available elsewhere.

Cemita Cubana (pic by Grubseeker)

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Elotes Gomez

Corner Store in Aurora, IL

Also on high I was just driving by when I saw this store on the corner with the popular Mexican street food of elotes in its name. I stopped into try some as many other neighbors and churchgoers from across the street did the same. They had candy, drinks, nachos and some other grocery goods as well as ice cream. Elotes is the Mexican name for corn on the cob. It also refers to the street snack that takes it off the cob and mixes it in with diffeent condiments such as butter, chile powder, cheese and lime. The kids from around this way must love being able to walk over and get some of his.

Elotes

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Bien Trucha

I've enjoyed my visits to the hugely popular Bien Trucha in the beautiful town of Geneva which is about 10 miles north of Aurora. Ever since it's appearance on Check! Please this place has had lines out the door before they open for dinner at 5p. They let the folks in line figure out who was first as they watch the crowds form from the windows inside, only to come out and start taking names at 5:00 on the dot. The place is pretty small and I imagine it was getting packed like this every warm weather weekend night before Alpana was putting it's name out there for all. Eater beware.


Small Space, Big Tastein Geneva, IL

Some say the practices and policies here are similar to Cuba and China. I agree with those that say they come off as cocky, but so was Mike. The cocktails are very good and expertly prepared. On one visit after the CP episode, a lady and her hubby had rode over from Joliet and she put down five margaritas and we were done before they were so she may of had a couple more. I guess if its entertainment your looking for when you go out to eat, go to a place that gets alot of love on 'Check, Please' the weekend after the episode its on airs. Imagine this place with their rules, on a night like this.

Fresona (fresh muddled strawberries, lime, sugar, orange liquor, sauza blanco) & Elotes

Fresh chips and refried bean spread come on the house and their elotes are the best I've had from anywhere and that includes a recent trip to Aguascalientes. She loves the fresona cocktail and yes they're very refreshing and I'm not afraid to say it. I go for the pepino, also very refreshing and well executed. The only thing I've had that I wouldn't order again is the pica-pica which is bacon wrapped shrimp with onion, pineapple, and a chipotle-lime glaze. I expected these to be a few decent sized shrimp wrapped in bacon and then topped with a relish like mixture of that described but it was a kebab with big chunks of pineapple, small shrimp with little bacon around it and while not bad, not great.

Pica-Pica

I guess they feel taking ingredients off or substituting something for another thing will lessen their creations tastes which might weaken your experience which could then lead you to go Yelping about it. Some will think its worth the wait, others will think the wait plus small space and fact they are stern makes it a place not worth their while. This is the beauty of having choices of where one will eat. My take? The people of Geneva are lucky to have this as option.


Pollo Tacos (crispy rolled tortilla, shredded chicken, potato hash, crema & queso fresco)

I'm a sucker for good flautas and or taco dorados and so I've gotten these on all visits. Nothing too fancy as far as creation but these are done right. The best chicken flautas I've had from anywhere. I get cravings for these often. Then there's the pork belly tacos.


Barriga de Puerco Tacos

Described as slow roasted pork belly, adobo, salsa verde cruda, cucumber and queso fresco these were better than than the PB tacos offered at Big Star which I order from now and then. Again execution was perfect and the pieces of belly were cut up just right and each one came crispy and everything went real well together.

Beer Battered Shrimp Tacos

The Pescadilla tacos came heavily endorsed and they got even more love when Kevin Pang named them his "Favorite fish taco in Chicagoland". These are described on the menu as shredded shark and epazote with avocado-habanero pico. They come with hard shells and the shredded shark had a consistency similar to Italian canned tuna but a little different. I liked them and then when I tried for a second time I was totally sold. As I was saying I love a good expertly prepared hard shell taco.

Pescadilla Tacos

The 'Bien Trucha' tacos come with grilled skirt steak, home-made chorizo, manchego and roasted tomatillo-serrano salsa. These I've got a few times. Hey I don't know if these are authentic or not as far as Mexico City street food, actually take that back. I do. This style is popular on the street stands around Mexico City and enjoyed in the wee hours of the night by its residents. Not that I've ever been but it would be hard to match these. I find them near perfect.

Bien Trucha Tacos

So despite the hype before 'Check, Please' and even now after as its in full blown hype mode. I'm still a fan. The food is good, it's priced fair for what it is and its a nice option in Geneva for lunch or dinner with drinks. It would get the same love and have same lines in Chicago. Geneva is a really pleasant, cute little town with a really charming atmosphere with some shopping and spa shenanigans for the ladies and bars with cold brews for the boys. So you can definitely make a day of it. The Metra will drop you off right there in town which Bien Trucha is a short walk from.


Nice place to visit...

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Taqueria El Brasero 

944 N Farnsworth Ave
Aurora, IL 60505
(630) 898-7310

Jalisco Tacos
560 High St 
Aurora, IL 60505
(630) 801-1261

Las Cemitas Poblanas
715 High Street
Aurora, IL  60505
(630) 801-8012

Elotes Gomez
301 High St 
Aurora, IL 60505
(630) 236-1500

Bien Trucha
410 West State Street
Geneva, IL 60134
(630) 232-2665
Website