4 CHICAGO READER | JANUARY 13, 2006 | SECTION TWO

Mexican Acrossthe MapSnapper, pork cracklings,and corn fungus

El Barco1035 N. Ashland | 773-486-6850

F 7.1 | S 6.0 | A 7.3 | $ (8 REPORTS)MEXICAN | LUNCH, DINNER: SUNDAY, MONDAY,WEDNESDAY-SATURDAY | CLOSED TUESDAY |OPEN LATE: FRIDAY & SATURDAY TILL MIDNIGHT;SUNDAY, MONDAY, WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY TILL11 | RESERVATIONS NOT ACCEPTED

Shaped like a boat getting ready to cast offacross Ashland, El Barco is not short ongimmicks. Menus at this bright, loud placeare so absurdly gigantic that one covershalf of a four-seat table, and many selec-tions come on huge troughlike platters,further crowding the tabletop. The compli-mentary house-made salsas are very good;unfortunately they come with machine-made tostadas. We enjoyed some excellentgrilled squid and octopus, fresh and meaty,with a slight char that contrasted nicelywith the tender white flesh. The breadedfish and shrimp on our mixed seafood grill,however, could have come from the kitchenof Senora Paul’s. The signature dish at ElBarco is the huachinango, red snapper,which we saw perched in front of abouthalf the diners in the place. Available witha variety of sauces, this whole cooked fishis mounted upright on a rack for easyaccess and pierced with a number of redplastic swords, as though a mermaid mata-dor had done it in. The downside to thispresentation is that the fish is sometimesnot cooked in the sauce—for instance, withhuachinango a la Veracruzana you get thefish and a pile of tomatoes, onions, andolives off to the side. Still, the meat is fabu-lous: moist, flavorful, and alone worth atrip. David Hammond

Bombon Cafe38 S. Ashland | 312-733-8717

$MEXICAN | BREAKFAST, LUNCH, DINNER:MONDAY-SATURDAY | CLOSED SUNDAY

A charming new outpost of Pilsen’sBombon bakery, Bombon Cafe offers a lim-ited but excellent selection of lunch itemsin addition to an array of Mexican pastriesand breads. The focus is on tortas, Mexicansandwiches that here feature a vibrant mixof ingredients. The Piolin, for example, lay-ers tender chunks of adobe-marinatedchicken breast with tomatoes, melt-in-your-mouth grilled onions, mesclun greens,creamy avocado, and paper-thin slices ofChihuahua cheese on a tender, pumpkinseed-encrusted teleras bun. There are alsotasty variations on staples like tamales

(mushroom, pork in salsa verde) and miniquesadillas, which replace the typical tor-tilla with small triangles of pastry; fillingsinclude bacalao (codfish), zucchini blos-soms, and an exceptional one with huitla-coche (corn smut). There are also two dailysoups and salads, among them the Popeye(spinach, radicchio, jicama, and bell pep-

pers with a serrano vinaigrette) and theXochimilco (beets, frisee, mesclun, apples,pears, and goat cheese with an orangechile piquin vinaigrette). Of course, thespot’s desserts are delicious, from the cele-brated tres leches cake to treats likepiedras, a chocolate-topped dried breadpudding. Peter Margasak

appropriate for the after-church crowdcramming the narrow corridor betweentwo counters and a handful of small tables.First one must worm one’s way to the backof the line, which may snake into thekitchen, where sturdy men are stirringgiant brass vats of roiling pig parts withpaddles. Whether you’re in the line for a

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Like Japanese okage (rice burned hardat the bottom of rice cookers), boronas

are considered a special treat because they offera familiar thing, done differently.

ATOLE AND CHAMPURRADOSince the days of the Tarascans, the corn-lovingfolks of Michoacan have enjoyed atole, a maize-based gruel flavored with chocolate, fruit, tamarind,or herbs. At Maiz (1041 N. California) atole with var-ious types of fruit is a regular menu item, along withchampurrado, a blend of cornmeal, chocolate,water, a little milk, and sometimes aniseed.Substantial and served hot, it’s a perfect beveragefor winter. You can sample champurrado at TacosBernardo (at the Maxwell Street Market and at4326 W. Division) or pick some up on the street—many tamale vendors sell it. Just look for the telltalethermos. —David Hammond

Beyond the Burrito, Part 2: Michoacan

into huge cauldrons tocook. You can some-times catch a peek of thevats steaming away in theback of Carnitas Uruapan(1725 W. 18th), where theresult is exceptional, richbut not fatty. Carnitas hereare sold by the pound ($6.50);owners Abby and Marcos Carbajalserve them along with tubs of salsa,pickled jalapenos, and tomatoes. Onweekends you can also get menudo anddelicious nopales, cactus leaves cut into longstrips, boiled, and served with a slightly vine-gary sauce that provides an excellent foil for thepork.

Carnitas el Paisa (3529 W. Fullerton) offerschicharrones, barbacoa (meat slow cooked over afire), and cochinita pibil (pork in salsa) as well ascarnitas. Try spritzing a little lime juice and hotsauce on the chicharrones, and check out the cabi-net filled with little pink porcelain pigs.

Tucked into a grocery store, Taqueria el NuevoMundo (5901 W. Roosevelt in Cicero) offers a tempt-ing hot table where you can select some carnitas fortacos or help yourself to some guisado, a stew ofbeef or pork with salsa verde. For the carnitas con-noisseur, La Michoacana (2049 W. Cermak) offersgorditas de boronas, a Sunday special of tortillasfilled with tiny, gnarly, lard-saturated scrapingsfrom the giant carnitas pans.

Regional Adventures

S outh of Jalisco on the Pacific coast, Michoacanis the traditional home of the Tarascans, anindigenous people who flourished in this

region before Europe came a-knocking. Millions of monarch butterflies migrate to the northeasterntip of the state each year, comingfrom as far away as Canada to spend mating season inthe warmth of theMexican sun.

HUARACHES ANDHUITLACOCHEWhen cruisingfor la cocinaMichoacana, Ikeep my eyespeeled for signswith names likeMichoacan (obvi-ously), Uruapan(second-largest cityin the state), orMorelia (the state capi-tal). When I spottedMorelia Taqueria (150 N.Broadway in Melrose Park) I stomped on the brakes.At this tiny storefront, its windows papered withphone-card ads, the huaraches (thin masa basespractically the size of snowshoes) and sopes (samething, only smaller, thicker, and shaped like littleboats) are made from cornmeal hand pressed on-site. The resulting polentalike platforms are friedand topped with cheese and pork, steak, chicken, orchicharrones, crispy little bits of pork skin. Thecrunchy crust has the fresh smack that’s possibleonly when cornmeal is griddled to order. I detectedsome pineapple and orange mixed into the cheesetopping, and the chef, a native of Morelia, told methat citrus fruit is common on huaraches fromMichoacan.

At the Maxwell Street Market, a mecca forMexican food from all regions, Ricos Huarachesserves up a rendition with black beans worked rightinto the dough. The huaraches are fried on the spot,topped with beef, and sprinkled with salsa verde,salsa rojo, and white cheese to evoke the green, red,and white of the Mexican flag. Rico means “rich,”and, sure enough, once griddled these huaraches arerich with grease—but hey, it’s really fresh grease.

Taqueria los Mogotes de Michoacan (4959 N.Kedzie and 2069 Green Bay Rd. in Highland Park)serves another kind of corn product: huitlacoche, afungus that grows on ears of maize. Mushroomy,inky purple, and usually cooked down to a lavalikepuree, huitlacoche often shows up in quesadillas.Translated from Nahuatl, the language of the Aztecs,the name means “raven shit.”

CARNITASCarnitas (“little meats”) are pieces of pork slowcooked in lard, much like French confit, to preservethe flesh and intensify the rich flavor. Typicallyeverything—ribs, loins, ears, whatever—gets tossed

Second in a series devoted to Chicago restaurants offering regional Mexican dishes

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Carnitas Don Pedro1113 W. 18th | 312-829-4757

$MEXICAN | BREAKFAST, LUNCH: SEVEN DAYS |RESERVATIONS NOT ACCEPTED | CASH ONLY | BYO

The Sunday-morning pork rush at CarnitasDon Pedro presents a trial of forbearance

CHICAGO READER | JANUARY 13, 2006 | SECTION TWO 5

table or the line for takeout, you’ll be inch-ing forward among a scrum of customers,cooks, and waitresses with the flexibility ofchimney sweeps. If this remarkable dancebecomes tiresome there’s a collection ofplastic and ceramic pigurines displayed onthe walls to remind you what a good senseof humor swine have about getting eaten.If you’re taking out, you’ll eventuallyreturn to the front of the store, where bir-ria, barbacoa, menudo, brain tacos, and apiquant cactus salad are ordered on theright side, chicharrones, fresh chorizo, andmountains of glistening, steaming carnitason the left. Specify meat, fat, offal, orsome of each and the man with the longknife chops it, piles it high in a cardboardboat, wraps it tight in butcher paper, thenhands you a sizable snack to help you fightthe urge to break into the package on theway home. At $5 a pound, the well-sea-soned carnitas here are among myfavorites in the city—the high turnoverensures they’re hot and juicy, and theycome with a brilliantly flavored dark green

salsa flecked with plenty of red chile. Mike Sula

Carnitas Tariacuri1659 S. Throop | 312-942-0033

$MEXICAN | BREAKFAST, LUNCH: SEVEN DAYS |RESERVATIONS NOT ACCEPTED | CASH ONLY | BYO

Carnitas Tariacuri has a slightly worn feel.From the hand-lettered sign over the entry-way to the Rock-Ola jukebox parked next toan ancient heater, it all seems to say, “We’vedone our job, time to retire to a nice littlecasa in Uruapan.” But while the carnitashere may not be the best in Pilsen, they’requite nice—especially with the house salsa,ladled from a giant molcajete. You can alsoget horchata and steaming packages of tor-tillas, served with a choice of oregano, ser-rano peppers, or chiles en escabeche to topoff your meat. Less busy than other places,Tariacuri might be a good choice for thosewho like to sit down and converse over theircarnitas. Gary Wiviott

La Casa de Samuel2834 W. Cermak, | 773-376-7474

$$MEXICAN | BREAKFAST, LUNCH, DINNER: SEVENDAYS | OPEN LATE: FRIDAY & SATURDAY TILL 2,OTHER NIGHTS TILL 11

La Casa de Samuel offers exotica of a sortyou won’t find at many other restaurants.We started with a bowl of tiny eels—lookinga lot like white mung beans with eyes—sea-soned lightly with garlic and grilled chilearbol. We also enjoyed a platter of frog legs;the meat was firm and juicy though over-powered by the accompanying salsa. Theabsolute knockout dish was cecina de vena-do, slabs of salted and dried venison thatare rehydrated and griddled; its deep, darkflavor will please those who like beef aswell as those who prefer their food on thewild side. The tortillas at La Casa de Samuelare handmade, and on every table is a verygood red salsa, also handmade, served in ahuge stone molcajete (a mortar). We had achicken breast with a blisteringly spicy

brick red India sauce that was excellentwith the tortillas though very potent. Theextensive menu offers goat, boar, and alli-gator (and sometimes iguana on the “secretmenu”), so we took the plunge with the rat-tlesnake, which was . . . odd, gnarly andjerkylike. For dessert, my dining companionmade the right choice: our waiter had onlyto hear the words banana flambe and hewas off, preparing his citrus zest, pan, andliquor bottles; the result, served with aspumoni-type ice cream, was fabulous.David Hammond

La Cazuela Mariscos6922 N. Clark | 773-338-5425

$$MEXICAN, SEAFOOD | LUNCH, DINNER: SEVENDAYS | RESERVATIONS ACCEPTED FOR LARGEGROUPS ONLY | BYO

This apricot-walled Mexican seafood placealong a strip of taquerias on North Clark hasa menu that goes beyond standard tacos andburritos. To start there are mejillones al mojo

de ajo y vino (mussels in garlic and winesauce) and tostadas de pulpo (octopustostadas). The seven seas soup comes chock-full of shrimp, crab, clams, octopus, fish,calamari, and snails. There’s also a variety ofshrimp preparations, including delectablyspicy shrimp diablo. Whole fish offeringsinclude deep-fried catfish, perch, and redsnapper; all come with rice and beans,french fries, and plenty of lime wedges.Tacos, burritos, and tostadas are served witha range of fillings: marinated skirt steak, sea-soned pork, sausage, chicken, chitterlings, orbeef tongue. Only juice and soda are served,though you can BYO—there’s a limit of sixbeers per table. Laura Levy Shatkin

Chilpancingo358 W. Ontario | 312-266-9525

F 8.5 | S 7.7 | A 8.9 | $$$ (20 REPORTS)MEXICAN | LUNCH: MONDAY-SATURDAY; DINNER:SEVEN DAYS; SUNDAY BRUNCH | OPEN LATE:FRIDAY & SATURDAY TILL 11

rrr Chef-owner Geno Bahena dishes out