Do you ever feel while eating at a restaurant that something really special is happening in the kitchen? That sort of feeling typically comes to me when I eat at a place for the first time and feel really really happy. This is exactly what happened last night while eating at Mixteco Grill, a newish Mexican restaurant in Chicago. I started with the Uchepos Gratinados, an addictive corn tamal with green poblano sauce and cheese. The green poblano sauce was sexy, flavorful and the tamal perfectly moist. I could have a hundred of these. Then, I had pork chops in a yellowish pumpkin seed infused mole. It was just terrific. Overall, a beautiful, creative and welcome addition to an already outstanding Mexican lineup in Chicago.
I am not sure how you like yours, but I drink all kinds. The constant is that I never use any sugar and, I would ALWAYS rather have my coffee in a cafe, or a coffee shop. I guess growing up at our house, coffee was always a time to try and get whomever of your neighbors is around, assemble, eat pastries (some would smoke) and TALK. Invitations were yelled orally from balconies, except in the mornings where people take turns hosting the coffee hour (you can always go on Monday to so and so's house for coffee). Anyhow, things have changed a lot, some for the better (I think much better coffee) and some to the worse. Around here, we are blessed with amazing local roasters -like Metropolis and Intelligentsia- that supply the majority of our local coffee shops (See this for a brief description of the coffee scene here). The drink that I order more often than not is a double espresso with foam on top (or machiato - I find the descriptive name easier). Anyhow, on the right, you will find ...
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