Thx Chicago Hounds

[jcmods]

US New York hounds were in Chicago for a very short time to see the Dandy Warhols at the Metro. Since we knew we couldn't do EVERYTHING we consulted this board because Chowhounds have never steered us wrong.

It may seem silly of us to come to Chicago to eat Spanish Tapas, but we are really gonzo about Spanish food. Especially as we watched that whole Road Trip in Spain show with Mario Batali just before going. It sure made us "Jones". Sure we get pretty good tapas in NY but it seems that recently it has become more of a fussy "fine dining" experience than a casual hang out experience. Classic example is Casa Mono which, though good, is impossible to get into without a reservation. In Philadelphia, where we lived for about ten years, there were no Spanish restaurants at all until recently. ...and the one that finally did open was pretty expensive and trendy too (run by your hometown chef Jose Garces). I mean, it wasn't bad, but two of us spent $90 for three tapas and wine.

This is why we chose Cafe Iberico based on some recommendations on this board. The menu looked reasonably priced and authentic. Yes, we did go at 4:00 in the afternoon to avoid what we heard was a singles scene at night. Overall I would say it exceeded our expectations.

Four of us ordered the following:

Tortilla Espanol (which was so good we had to get another. Very comparable to ones you find all over Madrid.)

Garlic Shrimp - Again, had to get two. I like how we got plenty of bread for the sauce.

Mushrooms - large portion, tasty.

Pulpo with fries - This was really good. Never seen 'em mixed with fries, but the Octopus was tender.

Pork Tenderloin With Mushrooms - by the end of this feeding frenzy we thought they may have forgotten. And we were not going to remind them. Good thing we did not cancel the order. This was the tastiest dish of the night. TONS O GARLIC.

Patatas Bravas - Only slight disappointment. They actually tasted good, but if you have had them in Spain, they are slightly browned potatos with a bright red paprika sauce poured over them. These "looked" like they were boiled in a curry sauce. However, we did eat them and they were not bad.

Plenty of Sangria - We got one pitcher and then when we could not decide on a second one, they gave us a half pitcher without ice plus another pitcher with ice on the side. That way we actually got more than two glasses out of it.

After that we were about to blow off our reservation at Santorini in Greek Town. But we went anyway about four hours later. Again, I am glad we did. The place smelled great from the time we walked in the door. Basically we all ordered fish, but the standout was the red snapper cooked whole with the head on.

So in addition to the Chicago Hot dogs and carrot soup at some Irish Bar near Wrigley, I feel like we crammed a lot of great stuff into our one full day of Chowing in Chicago. Thanks to this board we didn't end up in any awful places.

We look forward to coming back for a longer stay in order to eat and do more.

[Scylla]

Glad to hear that you had a nice New Year's in Chicago and enjoyed Cafe Iberico! I am with you on the patatas bravas. I much prefer the patatas ali-oli. A friend and I nearly had to arm wrestle for the last smidge of it during our last visit!