TOP 5 New Restaurant of 2009: Mercadito

I was finally able to make my way to newly opened Mercadito. And I'm so glad I did. Despite some initial rumors about the wait time, even with reservations, being ridiculous, I still had heard rave reviews about the food. Especially the drinks and the tacos. Anyone that knows me personally would know that this place pretty much had me at that. I went with two of my favorite ladies and we thought the guacamole and mushroom tostadas were wonderful, but the highlight was definitely the tacos. The tacos are small in sets of four so it's perfect to go with a group and try a bunch of flavors. We tried the skirt steak and shrimp and we have had multiple conversations since wishing we would have had more! The cocktail menu includes your basic kick-ass margarita but really excels in the fun new twists like "Pepino el Pyu" (tequila, cucumber, lemon, cumin salt) and "Smokey Pablo" (tequila, mango, chile morita, blueberry float). Grab a group of friends and try this place soon - you might see me there! Not in Chicago? There are three locations in NYC and one in Miami.

A yummy variety.

Rendering of the Chicago location - you get the idea.