Yo Quiero Empanada

The blocks just north of the intersection of Clark, Diversey and Broadway, on Clark St. are so desolate that on certain days they can actually feel haunted. And on a dry summer day in August, if there were tumbleweeds rolling along I would not be surprised at all if a Western was actually being filmed on this dead street. I love the Super Walgreens, but it does nothing to reinvigorate those blocks. There are a few spots that have weathered the storm of nothingness over the years in this no mans land. You've got The Duke of Perth, which offers a nostalgic atmosphere along with choice beverages and the infamous endless fish and chips platter. There's the Creperie. I've been there 3 times in the last 13 years and I have yet to be impressed. Sorry to the loyal Creperie customers. Come over on a Sunday morning and I'll make you a better crepe. And some love El Nuevo, but the verdict is still out on my end. But amongst these relics, there is a small corner restaurant that stands out with steaming hot, freshly prepared, delicate-deliciousness.
With it's brightly and boldly painted bright blue facade, 5411 Empanada calls out to those who pass by. And you should answer that call. Eating here some days can make you delirious from the goodness inherent in these small golden treasures. And stepping inside will save you from the dreariness still present on these blocks of Clark St.

Can't miss this? Well, some people do. An oasis of taste.

What I Eat: The Empanadas. Duh. Is there anything else on the menu? There might be, but I don't really care. The Empanadas here are made with homemade care and attention. Each pocket of heaven with different folds and crimped edges indicating what you are getting on the inside. There are a number of choices for the filling. I'm not sure you can really go wrong and it is all really personal preference, but I have honed in on my favorites.

I went twice this week. For some reason, the size of the empanadas weren't consistent,
but I guess that means you order one more. 

Top choice is probably the Sweet Corn or the Malbec. I'd get the Sweet Corn every time. It can be hot, so wait just a second before biting into it or you'll burn the roof of your mouth. I once stood by the kitchen with my mother at a wedding waiting for the hors d'oeuvres to come out and we made this mistake. But I digress. Same goes with the Mushroom Thyme Blue Cheese. Wait a sec. That one just oozed all out when I got anxious and cut it open too soon. The mushroom is fragrant and scrumptious. I like it a lot but it's a powerful flavor. The Beef is well seasoned and is best with either sauce. I like it with the Chimichuri and dump a lot on to balance out the dryness inherent in the ground beef. It has a classic Argentinian flavor and texture and while it might not be for everyone, I really love it. The Malbec may be tied with my favorite (Corn), or even a step above depending on the day. It's a marinated shredded beef with carrot and onion and is very well seasoned. I don't love the spinach and cheese. Cafe Tola on Southport makes a better version of that one.
What She Ate: Claud got the Date-Bacon-Goat Cheese. She kept moaning while eating it, so I'm assuming that it was quite good. She also had a Sweet Corn (more moaning), and a nutella. She's got more of a sweet tooth than me. I refuse to eat nutella in a empanada. I prefer it in a crepe.
I wouldn't bother with the BBQ chicken. I just don't feel that flavor should be in an empanada. I mean, it's fine in flavor, but it doesn't make sense to me. The ratatouille (my kids say "rat-patooty) is good, but lacking a bit of seasoning.

Your mouth is now watering. Look at how perfect those are.

In the end, they are all worth trying. I'm picky. But to recap, get the Sweet Corn, Malbec, Beef and the Bacon for sure. Get a minimum of 3. I tend to eat 3 and order another. . . which is really 4 I guess.
There are 2 locations now plus a food truck with new stores opening in the loop and in the Southport Corridor. Hopefully, my location in the Dark Clark Corridor will remain. Come and support it. I'll see you there.

Cuban Vibes

Have we really not updated this blog since November?! Yikes. Well, fear not. We are back and eating again. I have put on a comfortable layer of blubber for the rest of the Chicago winter and intend to share my resources so that you too may stay as warm as a happy seal on a harsh winter day. Ok, so I'm breaking the rules a bit to get the food sharing juices flowing again. I don't know if it's because we just watched the movie, "Chef", or if it was just time, but we finally tried Cohiba; A Cuban restaurant across from the BBandB and the TJ Max on Broadway just north of the Diversey Clark intersection. We've been holding on trying this place to give it the benefit of the doubt and work out some "new restaurant in a failing storefront location" kinks. We walked in and were welcomed by the sound of Cuban music. Feet were tapping. Good start. There were 4 or 5 full tables and I overheard someone say how much they loved this place. Also good. Service was pretty quick and the waiter was friendly and attentive without being at all overbearing.
What I Ate: I would imagine, this is the place to get a Cubano. However, since I am on a no pork deal, I was drawn to the Ropa Vieja. A shredded beef sandwich with peppers and onions. Sounds like an Italian Beef right? Nope.  The bun itself was incredible. It was a french roll that was grilled to allow for a tiny bit of crispiness without being too greasy. Maybe it was the luck of the first time visit, but I could not stop eating it and could probably have ordered a roll on it's own with nothing inside. The beef was succulent. So juicy. It required multiple napkins and a wet nap. However, it had an overwhelming flavor of Allspice that I just could not get over. Too powerful and floral for me. I ate the entire ginormous sandwich of course, but I just wished it didn't have that overwhelming flavor. It overpowered the sandwich. Perhaps that is the traditional way to make it, but for me, it took a sandwich that could have been spectacular and put it on my "Ew" list.

Ropa Vieja

Why She Ate: My wife and eating partner in crime ordered the Chicken Cohibarito. It has fried plantains instead of bread and was supposed to have grilled onions (but they were raw), mozzarella cheese, lettuce and tomato. It was really delicious and quite massive. It was indeed the more pleasing of the two dishes. We commented on how it was definitely fried, but not greasy. It wasn't dried out either and was a meaty bite of plantain. Delicious.
The fries were fine, but really nothing special. That's all we got. Much more on the menu and we'll be back.
So here's what I think. Go here. I recommend it after only going once (which breaks my rule, but you'll have to live with that).  I really think it's worth trying. If you eat piggy, get the Cubano. It looked delicious and properly made.
They have a large dinner menu which we will hopefully go back and try. I'm going to give it some time before going for dinner, but maybe will be back sooner for lunch to try a couple of the other sandwiches before determining what is going to be. . . my usual.

Cohibarito