ABC7's Jaisol Martinez tours Chicago for the best tacos
CHICAGO (WLS) -- Like its pizza, Chicago has some amazingly good tacos.
From that special hole-in-the-wall, to a pricier gourmet restaurant, everyone has their favorite spot.
ABC7 Chicago's Jaisol Martinez is coming up on her second anniversary at the station. And the Texas-born, taco-loving meteorologist has embarked on a new mission: to taste Chicago's best tacos.
Prime Tacos Food Truck, @prime_tacoz
Stepping up to the plate is Anthony Solis. He's the co-owner of the popular food truck Prime Tacos.
"She told me she was new in town, and what better way to show her the best tacos in Chicago than with Mr. Prime himself?" Solis said.
Before they got on the road, Martinez got a starter taste at the Prime Tacos truck.
"I sampled the arrachera, or skirt steak tacos, and the cesina, or flank-steak tacos, and they did not disappoint," Martinez said.
Taquería Victor Bueno, Heart of Chicago
From there, the pair made their way to the Heart of Chicago neighborhood for one of Solis' all-time favorites: Taquería Victor Bueno at 2057 W. Cermak Road.
They were greeted by a busy lunchtime crowd that included a table full of female Chicago police officers from the 10th District.
"You can tell they put their heart and soul into everything that they serve; you're going to love it," one of the officers told Martinez.
And she did. Her favorite taco was the chile relleno taco that's served on a tortilla with rice and beans all-in-one. Chile relleno is a roasted poblano pepper stuffed with Chihuaha cheese and then coated in a fluffy fried egg batter.
"Taquería Victor Bueno was a taste of home for me. And, it's no wonder because Mr. Bueno, who hails from Guerrero, Mexico, says most of his recipes come straight from his own mom," Martinez said.
Tacos Tequilas, Logan Square
The next stop was Tacos Tequilas, 2919 N. Milwaukee Ave. in Logan Square.
Co-owner Jorge Pisano treated Martinez and Solis to three of their specialty tacos.
They first tried the Cochinita Pibil or slow-roasted and marinated pork from the Yucatán. Next up was a crispy rolled taco stuffed with potatoes and the Mexican herb called Epazote. And last was their Tripitas Doradas taco, which is crispy-browned tripe topped with cilantro and onions.
"Está muy rico," proclaimed Martinez, as she took a bite of the tripita taco. "And you know it's good when you accidentally transition into Spanish."
Last on the list was a more high-end restaurant in the Uptown neighborhood.
Cariño, Uptown
Cariño at 4266 N. Broadway is owned by Chef Norman Fenton.
"We're a Latin American tasting concept with heavy Mexican influence that also specializes in a late-night taco omakase," Fenton said.
Taco omakase is a take on omakase, which literally means, "I'll leave it up to you" in Japanese.
Cariño's taco omakase is $125 per person. It includes two cocktails, glasses of wine or non-alcoholic beverages.
"You get eight courses, ranging from Wagyu beef all the way down to Alaskan King Crab," Fenton said.
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It also showcases all their house-made masa.
"When I say house-made, meaning, we nixtamal the corn. We cook, and then we grind it, and just kind of have fun," Fenton said.
He said he wants to make sure he offers an authentic experience.
"You can look at me: I'm not Mexican, but my wife and kids are," Fenton said. "I wanted to make sure: if we were going to showcase a culture that wasn't necessarily mine, if you will, that we were going to take the extra steps to make sure we're doing it the right way," Fenton said.
