Tacos and more in Pilsen

The trips - many, many trips beginning well over a year ago when I went first to Cibola for a hack day presentation of the 26th and California project.

The end point bus is the 60.  It will drop you either at 16th and Blue Island or around the corner on 18th.

I have caught the 60 at Madison and Wabash and off the Blue Island south to Forest Park stops of Clinton, UIC-Halsted and Racine.  At Clinton I had to go up stairs.  At UIC-Halsted there is a ramp to Halstead or Morgan.  In either case go south a block to catch the 60 on Harrison.  At Racine go up the ramp then south just past Harrison to catch the 60 on Racine.  The building on your right just before Racine has the UIC office for people with disabilities.

So in my normal manner of serendipity I have somehow ended up working out of Cibola which is now  Blue1647.  The answer to the question "Taco?" comes back Nuevo Leon.  They are always so busy and I am so inept at ordering in a busy place that I have been there twice and not gotten anything to eat.

A reverse time thing here.  Just a shot of Atotonilco from the bus stop

Then there is this place right across from Blue1647 which I understand has vegan options but I have not been there

A selfie that has nothing to do with tacos, brisket or Pilsen but notice the light fixture

Atotonilco has very nice goat and tongue tacos

a few wedges of avocado

A sleeve of Marias and a cold drink rounds out lunch

This dog could be the Blue1647 mascot

Midway between Blue1647 and Nuevo Leon

Coyotes

I have eaten here though I did have to go twice to get my order in.  They do a very nice job on my basic three tacos though I cheated and got them in two taco dinners.

A beautiful sky and old building next to

Texas Country Cafe and Steam Table meets down home Mexican Cooking.  I had their tacos which are very good with lots of meat.  I went another day and got a pint each of steak, spicy chicken, tongue, rice and beans.  

Next to a grocery store

Nuevo

Leon

is

Pretty

Tacos from Big and Little in Lakeview

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web site.

Bargain bites.

On The Road

and

Guy Fieri

Then I show up in Lakeview early for a meetup and grab a Big and Little seafood taco.  They must have known I was coming because they are flying my nations flag.

 The meetup sound system was giving me vertigo so I went back and told the guy who seems in control I want some tacos for tomorrow and he turns me over to Omar.  Now Omar is not Big but Little let me tell you when it comes to his food his heart is huge.  He was not wanting to separate the ingredients and the tortillas for me but Little convinced him it would be O.K.  Good thing because I was about to go home and cry.

Scroll through these bad pictures for more bad pictures of the food.

 I almost forgot the trip.  80 to the Brown to Wellington and wondered up a few blocks North to Belmont then a block West.

This is not the way home.  Clark's is nice.  We had brunch there once.  Belmont is actually the better stop and take the elevator or stairs down to Belmont then a block and a half West.

Those lights out there are Wrigley.

7 bites of perfection.  The gyro made me have two bites.  You can blow the pictures of the Little bags up Big or Huge or even Medium but if you wait I will type some more.

There are really just too many good flavors here.  I am going to have to take Fingers and a laptop with me like a dozen times and let her make a file for me to put up for you about all of the ingredients and sauces just for the tacos.

They Call It A BBQ Fest

For some reason though the Meat on Milwaukee competition aficionado gives us pork ribs and chicken to cook.  Luckily I had plenty of warning this was going to happen so I showed up early with briskets and smokers.


We did have fun with those chickens though.

Needed safety equipment to eat my ribs.

No problem with my brisket though except for those folks who do not like flavor of a spice or fat variety.

iirc

A place to put those things I may not remember as others do.

from Third Rock - Why do they call it the Human Race?  Do they think someone is going to win?

Parklet 3968 - 3998 N Lamon 3 am had 13 BBQ Brisket Food Trucks lined up and all the 3 am-ers were lined up to order.

Brisket from Green Street Smoked Meats

The trip begins online when I learn this another of the Chicago places that does not open until 5 pm.  Later the trip moves on along the 80 to the Blue Line to Grand where we catch the Halsted to Halsted.

We scheduled ourselves a bit early because Randolph west of Halsted is a regular stop for us at Columbus Meat Market to get a months worth of rind on bacon sliced to a thickness we like.  Not early enough.  They had already closed so we took the second option of already sliced rind on at Olympic Meat Packers.

A few minutes on a bench and then we were second in line when Green Street Smoked Meats opened.

They are to be commended for carving out this little section in the Haymarket.

Meat was wrapped in butcher paper but not waxed I guess as it was very messy inside this bag.

A nod to Chicago.  We got ribs as well.

They left the fat on but only because we asked them to but it was good to see it there since so often it is trimmed before cooking losing that extra flavor.  Brisket is good and smoked right but of the variety that you want to add one of their sauces.  That is a Chicago thing and they have several good sauces.  If you are going to spend time on Halsted West of Randolph this a good place to spend it.  Maybe down the road they might add some nice rubs instead of sauces?