CheekyChicago

My 23^rd birthday.My first ‘date’ with my Cheeky partner.My first night out in Chicago (as an underage college kid commuting via the Purple/Red line from Evanston).Dinner with Mom to celebrate my having moved into my first apartment.A post-Cubs home game win.All celebratory events that I’ve chosen to take place at one of my favorite restaurants in the city: Emilio’s Tapas, at the corner of Fullerton and Clark.

Maybe I’m just a fan of tapas/small plate dining, but I don’t love Emilio’s for this superficial fact alone.I love Emilio’s because they’ve hit the tapas-style dining nail on its sangria-laden head.Aaaaaah, sangria.You simply cannot go to Emilio’s without ordering at least one pitcher of red sangria (just ask my dear friend, Kiley – she’ll back me up on this one).The fruity goodness mixed with the sweet and slightly tart red wine is not to be missed.I feel like I’ve been drinking these pitchers forever (definitely before the legal-age mark).It brings me back to my wild and crazy youth like nothing else can (except for amaretto sours, but I don’t really want to talk about that).

As a means of enjoying their (in)famous sangria even more, pair it with any and every one of Emilio’s shareable plates.There are about 50 options to choose from, so I’ll list a handful of my favorites.Definitely start with the Monatditos de Atún (seared tuna served over cucumber, tomato, manchego cheese and caramelized pineapple).Follow up with the Queso de Cabra al Horno (baked goat cheese with tomato sauce and olives, served with garlic bread).After that, I’d go with the Vieiras Salteadas Salsa Azafran (sautéed sea scallops with spinach, toasted pine nuts and tomato saffron sauce).Definitely order the Pincho de Solomillo a la Pimienta (grilled beef brochette with caramelized onions and horseradish sauce) next.Don’t forget to ask about their specials…more often than not, they’re the bomb dot com.And I’m pretty sure Emilio’s turned me on to Datiles con Tocino (bacon-wrapped dates in a roasted red pepper butter sauce) – I love them and hate them for this fact.They turned me on so much so, in fact, that I flat-out refused to look at an apartment right next door to the restaurant because I knew I could not resist those little packages of salty/sweet goodness on a daily basis.

Yes, there are a ton of tapas restaurants in Chicago…hell, they’re popping up everywhere.How can you possibly choose between Emilio’s and Iberico, 1492 and Twist, Ba Ba Reeba and Mercat a la Planxa? But this, my friends, is one of the best.Take my word for it.In terms of food, sangria, atmosphere, price and general good vibes, Emilio’s can’t be beat.

As you leave through their revolving doors, drenched in sangria and Spanish music, be careful of the pesky stairs out front.They’re more dangerous than bacon-wrapped dates.