Chicago takes its Mexican food very seriously. Expectations are high, and justifiably so in the city that has arguably done more to put authentic Mexican cuisine on the U.S. map than just about any other.
Mercadito (“little market”) definitely has the proper pedigree to play in this culinary sandbox. Chef-owner Patricio Sandoval grew up in Mexico, where time spent in his father’s popular Acapulco eatery and at the food stalls in the nearby marketplace shaped his appreciation for fresh, local and seasonal ingredients, as well as seemingly simple preparations yielding complex textures and tastes. The first Mercadito, in New York City’s East Village, set the template for those to come: traditional southern Mexican cuisine infused with modern inventiveness and flair.
Mercadito Chicago, located in the Mexican restaurant hotbed that is River North, could be described as a combination taquería-tequilaría. Its eleven varieties of tacos and over seventy tequilas anchor the menu, which also includes six types of guacamole and six assorted salsas among its tapas-style offerings. Guacamoles can be sampled in flights of three, the avocado married with flavors both customary (tomatillo pico de gallo, jalapeño, garlic, key lime and cilantro in the tradicional) and less so (cinnamon-spiced sweet potato, roasted jalapeño and toasted pumpkin seeds in the camote). Salsas feature a quartet of chiles: chile de árbol, ancho, habanero and serrano. Crispy corn bites, a kind of crouton with a hot and soft center, make an addictive alternative to the accompanying chips. Scallop, shrimp and mahi mahi ceviches come cold and sparkling clean.
Tacos arrive four to a plate (three at lunch), no mixing allowed, encouraging dining en grupo. The justifiably heralded estilo bajo pairs mahi mahi with a Modelo Especial beer batter, tops it with a pico de gallo, lemon juice and chipotle slaw, and envelops it in a house-made corn tortilla. The tilapia, one of Mercadito’s prized pescado dishes that has also made the transfer to Chicago, subtly blends chile poblano and tomatillo-garlic mojo and is not to be missed. The pork braised in Mexican Coca-Cola (sweetened with sugar, not high fructose corn syrup) in the carnitas stands out among the remaining meat, chicken and vegetable fillings. Taquizas (build-your-own tacos), platos fuertes (main dishes), botanas (snacks), para acompañar (sides, with the cheesy, bubbly arroz verde casserole a must), and postres (silky flans and torrejas, the best French toast ever to come out of Mexico) round out the small plates menu.
Developed and prepared by a deep bench of Chicago’s finest mixologists, the cocktails make the food that much more enticing. High quality, hangover-proof blue agave tequilas star in the elegant, cucumber-flavored Pepino El Pyu, the fruity Misty’s Sleeve, and the flammable B.N.G.T.M. (Big Nose Goes to Mexico). Chelas (beers), chelas con piquete (beers spiked with spirits), wines and mezcals quench the thirst of the discerning drink aficionado.
The edgy cantina décor is courtesy of architecture and interiors firm Seed Design, while the paintings and mural installations, executed in a sort of Aztec meets street art vein, are by famed New York graffiti artist Erni Vales. The staff is knowledgeable and engaging and the youthful crowd, along with an eclectic, bass-heavy modern lounge mix with nods to Led Zeppelin and Rick Springfield, lend a lively vibe. After dinner, those who want to play in this sandbox a little while longer can head downstairs to subterranean speakeasy Double A, where recess is still in session. Mercadito Chicago 108 W. Kinzie Road Chicago, IL 60654 Tel: 312/329-9555 www.mercaditorestaurants.com/chicago
Hours:
Lunch: Monday-Saturday, 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m.
Brunch: Sunday, 11:30 a.m.-4 p.m.
Dinner: Sunday-Monday, 5 p.m.-11 p.m.; Tuesday-Thursday, 5 p.m.-12 a.m.; Friday-Saturday, 5 p.m.-1 a.m.
In addition to its Chicago branch, Mercadito has three sites in New York and one in Miami.
Please visit www.mercaditorestaurants.com for specifics. For information on Double A’s hours or to make a reservation, please call 312/329-2444.