Chicken Tostada Dinner from Mexico Steakhouse

Item Purchased: Chicken Tostada Dinner from Mexico Steakhouse
Location Purchased: Mexico Steakhouse / 2983 S. Archer Ave. / Chicago, IL
Price: $7.95 + tax
Purchased on: 02/17/07

Review: No one actively seeks out a Mexican restaurant here. Mexican restaurants in Chicago are a dime a million and most of them aren't that good. Residents of this portly city eat at these restaurants quite often. Most of us will even tell you that we like them, but there is rarely a moment in the average Chicagoan's day when their mind is pre-occupied, thinking about that great taco, burrito or carne asada that they are going to get after work at the local taqueria.

Yes, Mexican food is everywhere here, but with the exception of a few choice restaurants' output, Mexican food from the midwest is greasy, soggy and just another meal.

It is for these reasons, and more, that I feel fortunate to have discovered Mexico Steakhouse on Archer Avenue. I feel even more fortunate to be able to walk to this Central American jewel from my apartment even if the snow is up to my knees.

Mexico Steakhouse is much more than a taqueria, but holds no pretensions about being fine dining or family style. With a large dining room, friendly, attentive staff and prices that are more than fair, dining at this establishment gives you the feeling of attending a happy family reunion (what are those like?).

The food also speaks and makes you wonder if you were, in fact, raised in a Mexican household and question whether it is your mother preparing the food just for you.

Forget everything you know about Chicago's soggy tacos, grease balloon burritos and dry tortilla chips. This place takes actual pride in their modest, yet substantial work.

My plate came with three sizeable tostadas, fresh refried beans and a lightly seasoned helping of Mexican rice. Each tostada was piled high with lettuce, cheese and meat of your choice (steak/chicken). I wouldn't normally say this, but choose the chicken! You can tell by just tasting this bird that the meat was recently picked off of the bone and cooked to juicy perfection that you would never find in shredded and torn taco meat anywhere else. The flavor actually convinces you, for a second, that everything is right and just in America's poultry industry.

In addition to the feast you paid less than the price of a haircut for, Mexico Steakhouse also offers the Midwest's best tortilla chips and a complimentary cup of their daily soup.

It would be nearly impossible to leave this restaurant unfulfilled or with a bitter heart. Though out of the way for most of Chicago's dining public, Mexico Steakhouse is worth the trip. There's nothing fancy here... But sometimes something good is all that you need.

Be warned, though. You might just find yourself consciously thinking about Mexican food after eating here.

Rating: 4 / 5

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Bag of Fresh Tortilla Chips from Mexico Steakhouse

Item Purchased: Bag of Fresh Tortilla Chips from Mexico Steakhouse Steakhouse
Location Purchased: Mexico Steakhouse / 2983 S. Archer Ave. / Chicago, IL
Price: $1.50 + tax
Purchased on: 02/17/07

Review: I've been known to rave about Chicago's El Ranchero Tortilla chips. They have been a staple in my households for years now. They are tasty, inexpensive and can hold their salsa. Bar none, El Ranchero makes the best tortilla chip to be found in any grocery store... Ever.

I stand by that opinion, but what I am about to say may shock you.

Mexico Steakhouse's tortilla chips are tastier, less expensive and, yes, even better.

I know what you are saying... "How can this be?"

I'll tell you how.

You can't find these chips at your local grocery. Made fresh daily and served as a complimentary appetizer, Mexico Steakhouse on Archer will sell you a bag for a buck and a half if you ask them, but they're not coming to you. For chips this good, you have to go to them.

Oily, crisp and full of natural flavor, the salting of the chips is up to you. Each bite packs a crunch unlike any you can get from a snack food that has been sitting in a bag on a storage shelf for months. These crisp corn delights are kept warm from the time they are made until they land in your lucky, lucky hands. "How's their salsa tensile strength," you may ask? Well, they wouldn't win in a contest against El Ranchero, but unless you are more thrifty than I am and are using tortilla chips as a replacement for spoons, they'll do just fine.

It has taken me a while to find a neighborhood treasure close to my current residence. Now that I have, it is even better than expected since I am able to take a delicious little piece of it home with me.

Rating: 4.8 / 5

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Filete al Ajillo from La Condesa

Item Purchased: Filete al Ajillo from La Condesa
Location Purchased: La Condesa Restaurant / 2230 S. Ashland Ave. / Chicago, IL
Price: $10.99 + tax

Review: Knowing what I know about the inner workings of the Chicago restaurant industry (a little bit), I savvy myself smart enough to know that any fish entree you pay $10.99 for is most likely frozen and not fresh. I'm no fish snob, but I do believe that fresh is better than frozen and that frozen fish doesn't usually end up tasting exceptional. La Condesa provides an exception to this rule with their Filete al Ajillo.

On this menu, this dish is simply described as a grilled fillet served with special sauce. Not many gringos would take a chance on something like that at an authentic Mexican restaurant, but then again, there aren't many gringos like me.

The grilled fillet is catfish and it comes so smothered in a spicy red sauce that you may think that the waitress brought you a shallow soup instead of fish at all. Don't worry... It's there and it's grilled to perfection. The red sauce has a subtle head, but finishes with a hearty kick that other spicy red sauces could take notes from. If the fish isn't enough to fill you up, the rice, beans and salad will be.

Amidst all of this delicious greatness, you may find it easy to forget to try the best part about a meal at La Condesa... The handmade corn tortillas. Unlike most corn tortillas, La Condesa's handmade wraps have the consistency of Indian naan that has been flattened a bit more thoroughly and flavor unlike anything that would be expected from a dietary staple.

La Condesa, itself, isn't a fancy looking restaurant. In fact, if someone blindfolded you and brought you there, you might think it was a Pizza Hut. Judging by the floor plan and architectural features of the place, I would bet money that the building used to be a Pizza Hut in a past life. Now, La Condesa is one of the best Mexican restaurants in the Pilsen area with friendly waitstaff, live musicians and prices in the mid-range that will seem high until you taste the skillful dishes you receive there.

La Condesa... You may just be seeing a whole lot more of me in the near future!

Rating: 4.5 / 5

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