Restaurants

Nuevo Leon is a Mexican restaurant located in Chicago's Pilsen neighborhood. Nuevo Leon has been a South Side staple since opening in 1962. You can generally find a line going out the door at all hours. The line consists of an eclectic group of people waiting to enjoy their authentic Mexican cuisine.

Once seated, everybody at your table is treated with an amuse-bouche. On this day, it was a cup of chicken & rice soup. The soup was very hearty. There was pretty much an entire chicken in my broth. After that, you can select from one of the many Mexican sodas. Most of the people at my table ordered an orange or pineapple Jarrito. I stuck with a diet coke. After ordering, we were greeted with chips, salsa, and whole pickled jalapeño’s. The most fascinating part is that of everything I've mentioned above the only thing that we had to pay for at this point were the drinks. Read more...

I went to Sayat-Nova a few days after Thanksgiving with my Armenian friends. They have mentioned the restaurant to me in the past, so I was excited when they invited me to join them. I have to be honest with you, I didn't know much about Armenian food. The only thing I knew was rice pilaf, which I love and I've heard of cheese boereg, but only b/c that's all they talk about.
Sayat Nova is located on Ohio St. one block east of Michigan Ave. in the Streetervile neighborhood. I've walked by this area hundreds of time's and have never noticed the restaurant. It's dark lighting and subtle decor make it easy to miss.  Once we got in, the interior was no different. The lighting is low and furnishing simple. 

When I opened the menu, I was surprised to see that I recognized a lot of the food. For you of those who don't know, Armenian cuisine mirrors what you would find in a Lebanese/Middle Eastern restaurant; although I would argue that Armenian food is a step above--at least the food at Sayat Nova is better. Read more...

Redlight is a modern, chinese restaurant located in the Fulton Market neighborhood of Chicago. Redlight sits on Randolph street among other popular restaurants like Sushi Wabi, De Cero, Vivo, and Marche.
I went to Redlight last Friday with a few colleagues from work. I was looking forward to going because it had been at least a year since I last went. The crowd was light (no pun intended) for a Friday afternoon--It was a pleasant surprise. The hostess attended to us immediately and the great service continued throughout the meal.  The menu had quite a few specials, which was nice to see. The waiter was very helpful in describing each special and making recommendations.  It's a pet-peeve of mine when you ask a waiter what they recommend and the response is "everything is good" or "what do you like." I appreciated our waiter's canid response. Read more...

We have a review of one of NewInChicago's Top Spots--De Cero. This comes from Dan from Schereville, IN:

I visited De Cero - a modern-day taqueria on the last nice day in Chicago (Friday 10/22) and sat outside with some business partners. I have been to De Cero before and have always enjoyed the taco menu. It was no surprise then that I recommended we all try different tacos. The tacos at De Cero are what I'd consider "small portions" for a big guy like me. Fortunately, at $4 a taco, you can try several unique combinations and be fairly satisfied when it's all said and done. The following are the taco choices and some commentary from those that enjoyed them (I ordered the Pork, Chorizo, Skirt Steak and Carne Molida):

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This review comes from KC. I always walk by La Madia. It's always packed (mostly with groups of girls). Let hear what KC thought: Read more...