Last week’s trip to Chi-town was a chance to try out some trendy Nuevo Latino eats, first at Mark Mendez’s colorful Carnivale, perched above I-90 near the Loop, and then at De La Costa, celebrity chef Douglas Rodriguez’s newest spot, located just outside the Navy Pier.
What helped get us excited about the chance to chow down on ceviche, empanadas, fresh fish, and pork in all its glorious permutations was the fact that local toque, Matt Mytro, did some field work in both restaurants’ kitchens in preparation for launching Paladar Latin Kitchen and Rum Bar last month, in Woodmere. When personal biz took us to the Windy City, it seemed like a perfect opportunity to check out how the “other guys” do it, as a prelude to dining at Paladar; look for a review of that spot to run in the Scene later this fall.
With ingredients like plantains, boniatos, coconut, beans, and of course, chiles, culled from practically every Spanish-speaking country in the Western hemisphere, combined with classic cooking techniques, and tweaked with a few North American twists, Nuevo Latino cuisine capitalizes on diners growing interest in Latin American culture, as well as the rising Hispanic population. Don’t come ‘round looking for tacos and burritos, though; this is sophisticated “world cuisine,” with enough diversity that every chef can recast it in his or her own personal style.
This article appears in Sep 5-11, 2007.