Tacos are always a good idea. And they are even better with fresh ingredients and enjoyed with friends. Wicker Park is home to some of my all-time favorite restaurants in Chicago. So naturally when a friend told me about Antique Taco, I was both thrilled and intrigued.
I have to admit, I was a little nervous about trying another taco restaurant in Wicker Park especially because Big Star is one of my favorites and I didn't want to instantly compare the two. Luckily for me, comparing these two restaurants would be like comparing apples and oranges. Both serve completely different tacos in completely different atmospheres.
Fresh ingredients make fresh tacos. Seems like such a simple concept but the chef Rick Ortiz has taken this idea to a new level. Walking into the restaurant, we were met with the aromas of ripe avocados and tart limes. The decor in the restaurant is antique and chic. The dark wooden benches complimented the antique signs hanging on the wall. The dishes were exquisite and reminded me of the dining sets featured in the antique magazines that I often read as a kid when I went through a brief "interior decorator" faze.
I ordered the Pork Carnitas which are adorned with Adobo rub, Tamarind glaze, bacon, spinach, onion, avocado and queso fresco. I love pulled pork so this taco was fantastic. A very colorful presentation and I like to think the healthiness of the spinach and avocado make up for the perfectly crisp bacon pieces and creamy queso fresco. The tortillas were soft and fairly easy to eat which was necessary since we had no napkins at our table for some reason...
One friend ordered the Sweet & Spicy Chicken tacos which were topped with fresh cucumber, jalapeño pickle, honey yogurt and purple onion. They looked delicious. My other friend ordered the Grilled Ribeye tacos which were served with Heirloom salsa, queso enchilado and cilantro. She also got a glass of their Agua Fresca which is juice mixed with rosemary simple syrup. The two-color striped paper straw was quaint although my friend complained about the paper getting soggy during consumption of the drink. We split an order of guac & chips which featured fresh avocado, lime and pickled peppers. The guac was garnished with some kind of radish slice that my friend nicknamed the "Guac Block" because it simply obstructed the pickup of guac until one of us finally caved in and removed it from the bowl. The guac was delicious and my only complaint was that the chips were heavily salted.
Overall, Antique Taco is another great place to dine while in Wicker Park. My only complaints are that the portions are pequeño and thus, fairly expensive for the small amount of food that you get. I do love the presentation, the fresh flavors and the atmosphere which will definitely keep me (and other customers as it was very full even on a weird time) coming back to enjoy their scrumptious tacos.
María
Pork Carnitas
Sweet & Spicy Chicken
Grilled Ribeye
Agua Fresca
