Mexican seafood anyone?
Mariscos El Veneno is probably a restaurant you've never heard of before, and neither had I, until my friend suggested it. After his glowing review, I could hardly wait to try it!
We went on a Thursday night, dressed very casually. I appreciate a hole-in-the-wall as much as the next gal... the food can be suprisingly amazing and you can throw on a pair of jeans and boots and still be overdressed. When we arrived, the place was pretty empty, except for a few regulars. We picked a table and were greeted with some fresh fish ceviche and a little bowl of the spiciest salsa my poor mouth had ever experienced. While I was screaming in pain, my friend conveniently told me "El Veneno" translates to venom. I gave him a very lovely "thank you" with my finger.
Thankfully, he took control of ordering our dinner, as I was a little put off by the creepy food pictures on the menu. We ordered an octopus dish, Mexican rice, and garlic prawns. Octopus is my favorite meal, but restaurants always give the smallest portions! Not El Veneno; the plate was filled to the brim with seafood goodness (octopus, mussels, shrimp). Our prawns were soaked in olive oil and garlic, one of the best prawn dishes I've ever had. The only downfall: you can't possibly look cute while eating them. I have yet to master the proper way of eating prawns (using your hands and sucking the meat out like you have no manners) but I am determined to be an expert one day!
Overall, El Veneno is a great and unpretentious restaurant with really good seafood!
Mariscos El Veneno
1024 N. Ashland Avenue
Chicago, IL 60622
(773) 252-7200
Mariscos El Veneno is probably a restaurant you've never heard of before, and neither had I, until my friend suggested it. After his glowing review, I could hardly wait to try it!
We went on a Thursday night, dressed very casually. I appreciate a hole-in-the-wall as much as the next gal... the food can be suprisingly amazing and you can throw on a pair of jeans and boots and still be overdressed. When we arrived, the place was pretty empty, except for a few regulars. We picked a table and were greeted with some fresh fish ceviche and a little bowl of the spiciest salsa my poor mouth had ever experienced. While I was screaming in pain, my friend conveniently told me "El Veneno" translates to venom. I gave him a very lovely "thank you" with my finger.
Thankfully, he took control of ordering our dinner, as I was a little put off by the creepy food pictures on the menu. We ordered an octopus dish, Mexican rice, and garlic prawns. Octopus is my favorite meal, but restaurants always give the smallest portions! Not El Veneno; the plate was filled to the brim with seafood goodness (octopus, mussels, shrimp). Our prawns were soaked in olive oil and garlic, one of the best prawn dishes I've ever had. The only downfall: you can't possibly look cute while eating them. I have yet to master the proper way of eating prawns (using your hands and sucking the meat out like you have no manners) but I am determined to be an expert one day!
Overall, El Veneno is a great and unpretentious restaurant with really good seafood!
Mariscos El Veneno
1024 N. Ashland Avenue
Chicago, IL 60622
(773) 252-7200
Sounds sooo good! Can't wait to try it!
ReplyDelete