FILLS THE TABLES AT CHICAGO’S TECALITLAN

| BY ED AVIS | Savvy fans of Mexican cuisine know each state in that country offers its own flavors. Mexican restaurants in the U.S. often create menus that introduce customers to the unique dishes from those states. Tecalitlan Mexican Kitchen and Margarita Bar in Chicago has taken that concept one step further: It offers a multi-course dinner featuring dishes from different regions once a month.

“Our customers really love the idea, and we have learned so much about the food and culture in those states,” says Karla Garcia, who co-owns the restaurant with her brother Carlos, the restaurant’s chef.

Dubbed “Sabores de Mexico,” the program launched in March 2022 with a special Oaxacan menu, heavy on moles. Tecalitlan also covered Jalisco (they flew in the special rolls from Guadalajara to make tortas ahogada), Veracruz, Baja California Sur, Yucatan, Puebla, Guanajato, Estado de Mexico, and Nuevo Leon (which included marinated and grilled cabrito ribs).

Karla says the process begins six to eight weeks before the dinner when she researches the state and sees what cuisine it is known for. Carlos then scours his collection of cookbooks from Mexico to find appropriate dishes.

“Carlos goes through all these trials to get it just right,” Garcia says. “He did six different trials of green chorizo [for the Estado de Mexico dinner in December] until he got the flavor and consistency that he wanted.”

Carlos visits the Mexican markets in Chicago’s La Villita and Pilsen neighborhoods for some ingredients. When he’s missing a piece of equipment traditionally used to prepare a dish, he makes do with something more common. “We don’t have a hole in the ground to cook barbacoa,” Karla laughs, “so we used a Dutch oven.”

A collaboration with Casa Humilde Cerveceria, a Chicago brewery that focuses on beer with a Mexican twist, provides the beverages. The owners, says Karla, jumped at the chance to provide a different beer for each course. The Garcias host a tasting for the Casa Humilde owners a few days before each event and decide which brews pair best with each course. Similarly, Karla works with Los 3 Garcias Tequila company, owned by relatives in Mexico, to create special cocktails for the food and drink pairings. Guests can choose the cocktail or the beer for each course.

To emphasize that each month features food from a different Mexican state, the Garcias’ graphic designer, Sheryl Mercedes, created a faux Mexican passport with spaces for stamps for each state. Mercedes also created an appropriate stamp for each experience. Customers who attended every event in 2022 — and thus filled up their passport — received a $50 gift card.

Dinners planned so far for 2023 include Chiapas, Sonora, Hidalgo and Tabasco. One change: More vegetarian dishes. Karla says more and more customers are asking for vegetarian options, so each event in 2023 will accommodate those requests.

Sabores de Mexico’s 2022 events attracted 30 to 40 customers each month, many intrigued by the opportunity to learn about the cuisine of different regions (including a couple of customers who were planning trips to Oaxaca and Puebla and wanted to taste that cuisine). Approximately 10 customers ended the year with a full passport.

“Unless you’re from those states or travel there, you don’t know about these dishes, so it’s been really fun,” Karla says. “I tell customers, ‘You’re traveling through food.’”