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Mexicanish

Eat it, Chicago!

A restaurant in Pilsen allows a Chicagoan to fulfill his brunch manda
without having to make a pilgrimage to Lincoln Park.

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Azul 18 is a casual restaurant on 18th & Allport (between Racine and Throop, across the street from St. Procopius) in Pilsen, Chicago. The menu is eclectic but emphasizes Mexican flavors.

What I Had

Mexican Scrambled Omelet: $8.50 • Tomato, onion, jalapeno, cilantro, pork chorizo, pepper jack cheese, and fried beans. • Nicely spicy, satisfying, filling. More cooked than I’d prefer, but not to the point that it bothered me.

Florentine Crepes Special: $9.50 • Scrambled eggs, tomato, onion, and Hollandaise. • Delicious. The crêpe wasn’t buckwheat and it was lighter and fluffier than you might expect if you really know your crêpe. That’s not a criticism. It’s just an opportunity for me to let you know that I’ve had Crêpes Bretonnes in la France profonde … at a Quiberon restaurant housed in a building that I swear looked like it went back to the 12th century. Unless you speak fluent French, or have amazing friends like Roger & Joëlle, this is an experience you cannot have. Moral of the story: I’m better than you. That’s why I’m a food blogger.

Intelligentsia Coffee: $2.50 • Might as well have been Maxwell House. That’s not me showing off; it’s just a matter of fact.

What I Considered Having

Home Made Beignets: $4.00 • Nutella chocolate and raspberry jam • Smoked Salmon Benedict: $9.50 • Two poached eggs and dill Hollandaise sauce

What I Thought

Unpretentious but not strictly pedestrian. Service is attentive, quick without being rushed, and professional. The space feels airy and light. If you exited the building and found yourself in Puerto Vallarta on the Malecon, you wouldn’t feel surprised. The food is homey, but probably better than what you eat at home, unless you live with a fairly talented home chef. I was there on a Sunday morning, and worried that the place would be crushed by the St. Procopius crowd after mass, but that didn’t happen. It got busy, but remained comfortable. Azul 18 calls itself a “New American” restaurant on its Facebook page. I suppose that means that it’s “not Mexican,” while at the same time the menu is heavily seasoned with refried beans and jalapenos. My feeling is that what they mean by “New American” is that one day soon, Latinos will be the majority race in the U.S., so white folk might as well get used to thinking of Huevos Rancheros as American.

Azul 18

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1236 W 18th St

For further reading, check out this review by one of my fellow Zomato bloggers.

Credits for all images on this page: Make It Like a Man. Hover over image and/or green text to reveal secrets. Click for more.

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