Chilapan

-By Megan

This past week Bobby and I took a gamble – we brought two new friends that we had never met to a restaurant that we had never been to. The reason was Chilapan, a relatively new Mexican spot that has recently garnered many words of praise from the Chicago food community. We had wanted to go for a while, so we threw caution to the wind and went for it. The result in my opinion – just OK.

Chilipan - The Interior

Let me start by saying that part of my lukewarm assessment of this place was our own fault. The restaurant is located on Armitage just west of Western and right next to the blue line. Some of the reviews I had read claimed that the noise from the El is “not a big deal,” so we sat outside. It is a big deal. Every 7 to 10 minutes the El went by and it really disturbed the flow of conversation. Not to mention on this particular night there were a couple of ambulances and some bad ass, leather clad biker chick revving her engine on the corner. But I digress…

How about the food?

Ceviche De Camaron Y Mojarra 

For appetizers, all four of us shared two dishes. One was the Ceviche De Camaron Y Mojarra (shrimp and tilapia ceviche) with red cabbage, olives, and citrus vinaigrette. The second was Pan Seared Scallops served over rice with greens. No complaint here. The combination of a summer evening and ceviche is always enjoyable and they executed it well. The scallops were very tasty, but I wish there were more than two on the plate.

Pan Seared Scallops

Considering that we had literally just met, our new friends Kate and Jim were incredibly open dinner dates as they agreed to order four entrees and split them four ways. We ordered the Rollito De Espinaca, the Budin Azteca, a shrimp and chorizo skewer (official name escapes me), and the beef tenderloin special. After we finished, we discussed which dishes were our favorites and which ones were, in our opinion, off the mark. Our conclusions in aggregate were as follows:

1)Beef Tenderloin special – medium rare pan-seared piece of beef tenderloin in a pineapple/tequila reduction sauce with diced mango salsa on top. Served with fried plantain and potato. We got the last plate of this dish for the night! The meat was well cooked and most everyone liked the sweetness of the mango and pineapple paired with the beef. Personally I thought it was just a tiny bit too sweet, but I was a minority of one.

Beef Tenderloin Special

     2)Budin Azteca – almost lasagna-like layers of shredded chicken, tortillas and chihuahua cheese over poblano cream salsa. This dish had the most “homey” feel and was something none of us had seen at a Mexican restaurant. I would categorize this as a solid comfort food dish. It was my personal favorite of the night.

Budin Azteca

    Tie for 3rd! - Rollito De Espinaca and Shrimp/Chorizo skewer:

     Rollito de Espinaca – grilled skirt steak stuffed with spinach and chihuahua cheese with arbol tomato salsa. This dish was satisfying in that the meat was well cooked; however, we agreed that it wasn’t anything special. Kate remarked, and I agree, that this dish could have been served to us just about anywhere. It didn’t make Chilapan stand out from the rest. 

Rollito de Espinaca

·         Shrimp/Chorizo skewers – shrimp, chorizo, and zucchini skewers served over cilantro and spicy rice. On this one we all enjoyed the shrimp and the rice; however, the chorizo was seriously awful. It was some sort of generic and bland encased meat that did not taste anything like the spicy delight that I usually expect. Its inclusion on the plate was a mistake. 

Shrimp/Chorizo Skewers

Other Cons – The quality of the meal was not proportional to how much we paid for it. We spent about $25 a piece for average food. For my money I’d rather go south of the border Cuban style at 90 Miles Café – just a few blocks west, great patio, BYOB, and cheaper for better quality. www.90milescubancafe.com.

Other Pros – BYOB (limited to one bottle or six-pack per every two people, no corkage fee) and very friendly service. Our waiter was both enthusiastic and knowledgeable of the menu. One of the owners even came to our table personally to discuss the special after we had inquired with the waiter about it. 

So, all and all I think that you should try Chilapan if you are in the neighborhood or if you are looking for a Mexican restaurant that strays from the very beaten taco and burrito path. My suggestion would be to sit inside, try the specials, chat with the lovely staff, and avoid the chorizo.

Chilipan - 2.5 Food Babies

- Megan

Chilipan 

2459 W Armitage Ave - (773) 697-4597

Open Sunday - Thursday: 3:00pm - 10:00pm, Friday - Saturday: 3:00pm - 12:00am

For more information check out the Chilapan Menu or the thread on LTHForum.