CheekyChicago

As a Chicagoan – smack dab in the middle of a culinary cornucopia – I enjoy nothing more than discovering obscurity at its most delicious. “Hidden gems”, as they say, are usually found on the outskirts of the downtown mainstream, tucked into the far South, West and North side neighborhoods. What makes a hidden gem even “gem-ier”, aside from out-of-this-world cuisine? The BYOB quotient. This is exactly why Dorado could be one of the most precious gems in the city.

Located in Ravenswood, the food at Dorado is defined as “Mexican cuisine with French flair” and is executed with the kind of flawlessness and surprise you’d expect to find at Frontera Grill or Nacional 27.For starters, the duck nachos are the house specialty and have been raved about all over town (a la Check Please! and TimeOut). They come layered with moist meat, melted Chihuahua cheese, purple onion, jalapeño, smothered atop house made corn chips and finished with a lime cream sauce. Not in the mood for all that so soon? Go for Dorado’s spot-on guacamole, which comes out chunky and layered with generous cilantro and a bit of spice.

Before we get to the main entrées, let’s double check that you brought your bottles along for the scrumptious joy-ride. Due to the menu’s regional heritage, I’d recommend a spicy Argentinean cabernet sauvignon or, perhaps, a fruity Bordeaux blend to pair with their wide selection of lamb, pork chops and hanger steaks. And, perhaps, an Alsatian or a French pinot gris to savor with your fish and seafood?

There’s only one way to describe Dorado’s entrées: passionate and smart.(Okay, two ways.) I can just picture Executive Chef Luis Perez brainstorming back in that kitchen, asking himself, “Well, if I serve trout, why not encrust it with almonds, put it over Israeli couscous and throw in some dried cranberries? I think a side of plantains and asparagus would be wise….and how about I smother the whole dish with coconut cream sauce?” Or, when he was concocting his shrimp dish, he mused: “Stuffing them with fresh lump crab meat would be a good start, and why don’t I throw on a side of stewed mangos in brown sugar, green rice and douse the dish in a light, creamy chipotle sauce?”This kind of imagination and attention to detail explains why you need a reservation here any night of the week. Best part of all – when you call, Chef Luis himself is most likely to pick up the phone and take down your name. And he is one sweet little man.

Be cheeky and order two desserts. You can’t go wrong with the Tres Leches cake; the most authentic I’ve tried outside my best friend’s mom’s kitchen (and she’s Brazilian). And try the chocolate chimichanga. Yeah, you heard me. Deep fried dough encasing molten gooey chocolate, topped with powdered sugar, homemade vanilla gelato and chocolate sauce.

After you’ve ventured into the land of BYOB, inexpensive, neighborhood obscurity, you may as well never venture back to the downtown hoopla again.