After Hours: An Inappropriate Taqueria in Chicago

Chicago is known just as much for its Mexican cuisine as it is for its deep dish pizza and hotdogs, and no visiting food lover should forgo at least a nibble of a taco during his stay, especially if coming from a Mexican food desert.  Considering that many taquerías and burrito spots are open 24 hours, you might be able to fit that nibble in at two or three in the morning, maybe after visiting the city’s impressive bath house or one of the numerous clubs or bars in Boystown. 

You can go to any number of all-night taco joints in Chicago. However, it would be hard to imagine a place that would serve your burrito and horchata with such a heaping side of playful inappropriateness as Taco & Burrito Express in Lincoln Park.  Your ears are bombarded by blaring banda music the moment you walk in and as you walk up to the counter you feel as if you’re walking into a party where everyone is welcome. The men working behind the counter are all joking around, and I’m sure that if you asked, they’d let you in on the joke.  The mustachioed ringleader of this jovial gang of taco slingers flashes a big, toothy grin and asks you what you want before yelling it back in a lilting northern Mexican accent to his comrades who go to work deftly preparing whatever hunger killer you've ordered – in my case, it was a breaded steak torta.

As soon as you take your seat with your glass bottle of Jarritos soda or your bucket of hibiscus tea so sweet it could do a hummingbird in, the joking continues.  If you know a few words of Spanish, you might catch bits and pieces of their lewd and comical banter.  If you’re lucky, one of the staff might get tired of whatever banal norteña is blasting on the sound system and change it to a quick paced song about urinating while walking.  You’ll be singing “caminando y meando” to yourself for days until it audibly escapes your lips in front of the shocked cashier at a bodega, moving you to stop singing about watersports and move on to some other depravity.

The fun may not stop there, however.  When you finally get that torta, there might be a DePaul coed ordering at the counter, her leggings-clad posterior unknowingly positioned perfectly between you and the employee sweeping nearby. He might just catch you glancing at her and take advantage of the moment to make surreptitious hand gestures on the quality of her backside while pursing his lips, ignorant of your possible assessment of his equipment while he was so preoccupied with hers.

If you could pay a cover just to witness this show, I would say it is totally worth it, and yet the food is as good as the spectacle: meaty, spicy, cheap, and delicious. Their torta is enormous, and for the  virgins, Taco & Burrito Express’s rendition is a good introduction to this Mexican sandwich.  The giant water roll is smeared with refried beans and guacamole and topped with meat, lettuce, pico de gallo, and sour cream. The soft bread will soak up any liquor sloshing around in your stomach, and the mélange of textures and flavors will put a smile on your face as you walk back home singing about walking and pissing.

Story and mouthshots by the loveable Carlos C. Olaechea. Follow him on Twitter for his latest eats and more. 

After Hours: Colombian Food in Boston

Boston is a town known for having an early bedtime.  Most of Boston’s residents are at home ready to call it a night when people in other burgs are thinking about what to have for dinner. There are few options when hunger hits past 10:00 PM- much less, past midnight.  Of course, there is late night pizza, the 24-hour Italian bakery in the North End, and the lone, perpetually open diner near South Station, but gastronomic diversity after last call can be scarce.

Luckily, Boston’s growing Latino population - coming from cultures where a midweek, all night fiesta to celebrate a nephew’s ninth birthday would not be uncommon – provides some relief from the town’s culinary curfew, as well as some much needed sabor in the wee hours.  East Boston’s most famous attraction is Logan International Airport, but in recent years the neighborhood has become a stronghold of Latin American culture. A short walk from the Wood Island T station, just north of the airport, is one eatery that serves a taste of Colombian junk food after hours.  Open until 3 AM every day, La Chiva is more of a snack bar than an restaurant, and upon entering, you’re greeted by a large glass display case made slightly cloudy by a mix of steam and grease with just enough clarity to make out the assortment of fried and baked antojitos, or “little whims.” 

There are cheesy breads made with yucca flour shaped into rings, nearly perfect spheres, or little mounds reminiscent of bra pads. There is an endlessly replenished supply of dainty, crispy cornmeal empanadas encasing savory braised beef and potato- just big enough to hold between your thumb and forefinger while carefully portioning out drops of tangy hot sauce into the filling.  There are also curls of scored deep fried pork rinds that offer a mix of crispy, crunchy, chewy, and meltingly soft textures as you bite through layers of skin, meat, and fat.

If you end up empty handed after a night of drinking, you can console yourself with some of the more phallic offerings in the display case or show off your skills to the severe looking blue-collar worker quietly nibbling on an arepa.  The question is whether you want a blood sausage or a garlicky pork sausage, or perhaps the whole ripe plantain stuffed with cheese and caramelized in the oven.

Nevertheless, there is no better way to satisfy a taste for something long and fleshy in your mouth, an affinity for the flamboyant, and a desire for authentic Colombian fast food than with a perro ­– Colombia’s extravagant adaptation of the hotdog.  La Chiva’s version comes topped with cole slaw, melted mozzarella cheese, several different sauces, crushed potato chips, and a hard boiled quail’s egg.  Such a creation is best enjoyed while under the influence, but the combination is equally good when sober.  Along with some other more substantial menu items that appear on an illustrated signboard, the perros have to be prepared to order, giving you ample time to sip on a sugary tropical fruit juice while enjoying the mix of Spanish speaking eye candy and local color that is East Boston.

Story and mouthshots by the loveable Carlos C. Olaechea. Follow him on Twitter for his latest eats and more. 

top to bottom: Gus Reckel

Top to Bottom is quick-fire interview series where we show off our cutest friends in the world of food.

Gus Reckel is a flirt... I think. It’s hard to tell. He teases hard, gets your goat and delivers every joke with a face as straight as a ruler, so it's best not to take him too seriously. Gus is the quintessential otter: lean, lovable, sufficiently kinky, plus he grows a beard that would probably make your dad cry. You can catch him at Folsom Street Fair, Full Fetish Recon, or our personal favorite, in the basement of his new bakery in a button down and apron.

Gus will officially open his highly anticipated bakery, L’imprimerie, in the heart of Bushwick, Brooklyn on Monday, June 1st- and we couldn't be happier. In tandem with Bushwick’s ever-growing gay population and culture scene, the north Brooklyn neighborhood is home to an increasing amount of rad eating and drinking establishments; Gus’ baking endeavor ranking high on the list.  

We caught up with Gus to get the details on who he is, what he’s baking and what to expect from L’imprimerie.

Where are you from?

I was born in France in the North East then moved to Zurich, Paris and London before eventually coming to NYC 3 years ago. I tend to say I am not very French, but my friends usually object (especially when I keep supporting France during Eurovision).

What are you working on now?

L’imprimerie is opening in a week now and we are far from ready. I am working on adjusting and developing our bread and pastries recipes with new flours (we want them local and organic), new climate, new oven, new mixer and new place. So that’s going to be a rough and bouncy ride. But who does’t like that, really?

What made you want to bake?

I have always been a morning person; up early, down early, and I love bread. It kind of felt natural to bake and to be on a baker’s schedule. Bread also has this power to bring people together and to get them excited (it’s like Scruff!). And if you have ever kneaded bread, there is nothing more beautiful than dough: the smell, the shine, the elasticity and the texture. Giving then birth to bread with its sound, smell and taste, you can’t beat that.

Why NYC, Brooklyn and Bushwick?

NYC for the light. NYC’s light is amazing- the sky is crystal clear, the sun is beautiful, even in February. 7am, the sun is going up, it’s cold, but it’s bright. Brooklyn because I can’t deal with the city- too many people, too much noise. Brooklyn brings me some balance. It’s not upstate, but it’s a good compromise. Bushwick because lots of my friends are here too so I used to keep biking from Prospect Heights to Bushwick and back. When we found the space for the bakery (originally a bakery with a coal oven that became a print shop that remained untouched for the last 60 years), we knew this was the right place. The tin tiles are all original and the building came with 2 vaulted caves in the basement- we kept one for fermenting the dough and the other one, well, you know what for…

Feature Friday: Drag Queens Eating

One of our favorite accounts on Instagram is DragQueensEating! We cannot get enough of these painted, hungry and wide-eyed queens. The photos run the gamut of emotion and style; blue-haired and busty Dolly’s chomp on sweets in flirtatious ecstasy, while crimped housewives lick lettuce leaves in beautiful agony. The seemingly endless combination of food and dress speaks to the longevity and entertainment of the account. 

We caught up with creator and curator Diana Dzhaketov (pronounced “Jack it off”) to get the scoop on where Drag Queens Eating is coming from.  

 Tell us about DQE!

Drag Queens Eating spawned when I realized that RuPaul had placed the fear of God in every queen’s heart about being seen eating whilst painted. So, I wanted to take back that power and show the world that while we may look like Goddesses, we're still human and require food consumption to survive. So Drag Queens Eating is dedicated to provide the world with pictures of just that, drag goddesses shoving food in their mouths!

What's your favorite thing to put in your mouth?

My favorite thing to put it my mouth would have to be something phallicy like a hot dog or Popsicle or banana because at the end of the day it's still about looking appetizing and the best way to do that is by reminding people of sex.

 Tips and tricks for eating with such perfectly painted mouths?

 The best way to eat while maintaining your makeup is by really just opening wide. The wider the better. I try to unhinge my jaw like a snake feeding on prey when I eat in drag; however, by not having the fear of being messy, you're less likely to actually cause a mess!

Favorite food song?

My favorite food related song would definitely have to be "Milkshake" by Kelis! Even after all these years that song can still get my gyrating.

Follow and look forward to frequent, hilarious and insightful posts from Diana and the crew.​ 

Mouthfeel on Heritage Radio

Listen to Editor of Mouthfeel, Mac Malikowski, talk about being gay in the restaurant industry and what to expect from the second issue of the magazine on Snacky Tunes, broadcast by Heritage Radio is Bushwick, NY.