Chicagoans just might have a right to boast that their city is now “the best place in America to unravel the complex regional nuances of Mexican cuisine,” said Jeff Ruby in Chicago. With more than a million Mexican-Americans living in the area, “the streets teem with taquerías, birrierias, torterias, and mole houses.” Celebrity chef Rick Bayless still runs three of the city’s best Mexican restaurants, but he now also has plenty of competition.
Amelia’s Mestizo Grill This out-of-the-way BYOB seems well worth the trip once you try the trucha en papa cruzada, “a delicate farm-raised trout topped with a crisp, almost caramelized potato in a roasted tomato and guajillo brown butter sauce.” 4559 S. Halsted St., (773) 538-8200
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