What the experts recommend: Mexican food at its finest

Xoco

449 N. Clark St., Chicago

(312) 334-3688

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One of Chicago’s most famous and beloved chefs, Rick Bayless has gotten as much press for the endless waits at his newest restaurant as he has for its delicious food, said Dennis Ray Wheaton in Chicago. The concept here is supposed to be fast food— only it’s not exactly cheap and you have to factor in the city’s “most exasperating” lines. But Bayless’ creations, as always, are fabulous, and if you have both “time to kill and money to burn,” the hectic experience is worth the wait. While his other Chicago restaurants, Frontera and Topolobampo, serve up more complex dishes, the menu at Xoco is a simple but refined take on Mexican street fare and market food. The day begins at 11 a.m. with tortas (Mexican sandwiches); caldos (soups) join the menu at 3 p.m. Try the wood-roasted-suckling-pig torta kicked up with achiote, pickled red onions, and habanero salsa, or a “soul-warming” bowl of salsa negra–spiced pork-belly stew. Be sure to leave room for addictive churros and a velvety cup of hot chocolate that’s as good as any in Oaxaca. Indeed, as at any Bayless restaurant, the “pure and complex flavors” in these dishes often outshine those of their south-of-the-border originals.

Pure Taqueria

300 North Highland Ave., N.E., Atlanta

(404) 522-7873

Of Atlanta’s taquerias, Pure has always been the most authentic, said Meridith Ford Goldman in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. So I cringed when Chris and Michele Sedgwick announced that they were expanding, with plans to open locations throughout the Southeast—“I wanted to keep Pure to myself.” But now that the new space is up and running in Inman Park, I have to admit it “works.” Stick to basics, such as steamed beef-brisket tacos and a pepper-and-chorizo-studded Chihuahua-cheese queso fundido, rather than opting for “lofty aspirations” like the Veracruz-style fish or a shrimp, grouper, and octopus ceviche. The latter dishes are fine, but are no replacement for the open-faced tortilla gorditos mounded with shredded pork. With the kitchen open to the dining room, you can watch the whole staff bustle as you sip the “free-flowing” margaritas.

CaCao Mexicatessen

1576 Colorado Blvd., Los Angeles

(323) 478-2791

When it comes to tacos, the tender pull of pork shoulder has made slow-cooked carnitas the meat of choice among Mexican cooks, said Jonathan Gold in the LA Weekly. Yet carnitas don’t have to be made with pork—the duck carnitas at this tiny neighborhood spot have made it a culinary destination. A “shotgun marriage” of traditional techniques that have long been a part of European and Mexican cooking makes the tender duck actually taste “porkier” than pork carnitas—and makes for a grand taco filling. Other tacos to try include roasted turkey, carne asada, a cheesy poblano, and squash blossom. At $3 each, they’re only the beginning of the culinary happiness. Mole poblano and chiles rellenos, filled with cheese and corn or squash blossoms, round out the menu, and the deli counter is a popular stop for takeaway guacamole, salsa, and mole. Novel touches include rice “molded into Aztec pyramids.”