Ladies- listen up! This month I am sharing a fabulous dining secret and one of my favorite spots in the city… Los Nopales.

After spending several years in Texas, I am always on the search for good Mexican food in Chicago. Several years ago, a friend invited me to have a quick dinner at a small Mexican restaurant in her neighborhood, Lincoln Square. From the outside, you probably wouldn’t give Los Nopales much of a second glance. “It’s right next to the Check into Cash store,” she told me. Hmmm…

Doubts aside, once you enter you are taken in by the warm feel and authentic décor, and the fact that this spot is family-owned and run is apparent from the moment you walk in the door. I have never waited more than a few moments for a table, and the staff is always in a hurry to get you seated as quickly as they can. The front room is a better spot than the back, as the rear section of the restaurant can get pretty loud (it is absolutely family friendly and you’ll find large tables of families in the roomier back section). But you will find patrons of all ages beyond families- young couples on dates, large groups of older men digging into the excellent fare and tables of girlfriends catching up over bottles of wine.

A green and red salsa are brought to your table immediately. Skip the red, dive into the green is my advice. But to truly begin your meal, you must have the guacamole. Since the fateful day my friend introduced me to Los Nopales I have been more times than I can count and I never skip this. It is the best guacamole I have ever had in my life. I believe the secret is the extra onion which truly sets it apart. See for yourself, but I can’t believe you’ll disagree. I recently took a guac-lover to Los Nopales who doubted they had the best guacamole in the land. Needless to say, I made a believer out of him.

Now on to main courses where you truly can’t go wrong. From fish tacos to steak tacos to the delicious Enchiladas Suizas, everything on the menu is straightforward and delicious. Among the highlights on the menu are the Grilled Pork Tenderloin Medallions. Served with green beans, rice and light and fluffy tortillas, this is not to be missed. The preparation of the meat at Los Nopales is their greatest talent, and the pork medallions are an excellent example.

The true shining star on the menu, though, is the Carne ala Tampiquena. If you ask how the chef recommends it, they will tell you well done as this is customary in Mexico. In my humble opinion, I recommend medium. The tenderness of this skirt steak rewrites the book on skirt steak. The steak is heavily marinated, and I swear to you, it melts in your mouth. It is served as a long strip of meat, and while my intention every time is to take half home, it is nearly impossible. The dish comes with rice, beans and one enchilada suiza which is the perfect sidenote to this amazing dish. I could go on for paragraphs about the Tampiquena…

To top it all off, Los Nopales is BYO for a small corkage fee. My tip is a bottle of Castano, a Spanish Red you can find at Binny’s for $6.99. That is not a typo, it’s under $7 and it’s great! Don’t buy it elsewhere though, as I’ve seen it marked up much higher at other stores.

I hope you listen to the PLRG Foodist on this one. Make the trip to Western Avenue and seek out Los Nopales (open every night but Monday). It is truly a delight. Just don’t head there all at the same time, as I don’t want to have to start waiting for a table. Adios!

Review: LC

The PLRG Foodist Scale:

LC= Life Changing
Definition: My life will never be the same after I ate here.

Fab= Fabulous
Definition: Fabulous.

TT= They tried
Definition: The restaurant did their best but overall so so.

SI= Skip It
Definition: Don’t go.

You can find the PLRG Foodist at food spots across the city several nights a week. She does not discriminate- counting everything from the cheese cart at Tru to a single cheeseburger at McDonalds among her favorite life changing eating out experiences. Tell the PLRG Foodist (by emailing info@poorlittlerichgirls, subject Foodist) about your favorite dining out experiences or where you are dying for her to try next…