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Misty makes way for amazing Mexican and Captain Morgan's at Pilsen's Mundial Cocina Mestiza.

Monday Mar 26, 2007.     By Misty Tosh

Food Feed

What a banner weekend, man: The sun was shining, the lake was blue as the Caribbean (well, if you were slightly buzzed and cocked your head a certain way) and frenzied Chicagoans were out in droves looking to enjoy it all.

Taking advantage of the perfect spring weather, some pals and I decided to head south to Pilsen and see what sort of deliciousness we could happen upon. The only thing we knew for sure was that a BYOB joint was in order…we planned on buying a big, fat bottle of rum to fuel the supersonic day.

Deserting my truck around the 1400 block of 18th Street, we hopped out and started hush-puppin' it a few blocks west toward Nuevo Leon and Mundial Cocina Mestiza. The debate began here: Do we go for the sure thing (Nuevo Leon) or the potentially incredible new kid on the block (Mundial Cocina Mestiza)? Though Nuevo's huevos rancheros called my name, we all really wanted to try a new place. Mundial it was.

Since this stretch of 18th Street is lean on bars, we didn't make a single pit stop before hitting our final destination, though we did manage to peruse every single sweet-smelling bakery along the way. We lit up like little kiddies at the sight of pastries and cupcakes big as moon pies. But keeping our mission in mind, we ignored our rumbling bellies and continued down the radiantly eccentric streets of Pilsen on our way to Mundial. Mexican music blared from nearly every apartment window, the streets appeared clean as a whistle, and the smiles were big and genuine as we passed jam-packed billiard halls, tiny cafes and dozens of restaurants serving up piles of pork and goat. What a glorious hood.

Just from the façade—clean lines all the way around and a designy sign—you can tell that Mundial stands out among its brothers. The dining room, though, takes you straight back to a Mexican nana's kitchen, with lovely tile work, simple tables and a big, generic back room ready to be dolled up for a party.

Eons ahead of neighboring restaurants, the menu features more regional ingredients and clever combinations. I started by ordering almost one of everything: oysters on the half-shell topped with octopus-loaded ceviche, black lip mussels with shallots and white wine, quesadillas del campo (house-made corn tortillas stuffed with huitlacoche, gooey cheese and earthy salsa), paper-thin ash tamales topped with shredded chicken, and mojarra empapelada (foil-wrapped fish baked with cactus and jalapeno mayonnaise). After ordering this feast, we busted our Captain Morgan's out of its crumpled brown paper sack and ordered up a round of ice, lime and Cokes. Total nirvana. Just beware of the $5+ drink/corkage/lime fee.

Once all of our dishes started pouring out of the kitchen, we immediately began claiming favorites. Lisa dug into the juice-heavy oysters with wild abandon while Brad oohed and aahed over the tangy filet of fish wrapped in foil (the menu says whole fish, but it's downgraded to filets—turns out people don't really like seeing the head). I snaked my way back toward the quesadillas crammed with corn fungus. We all agreed that the mussels could use a little work. The chewy, banana leaf-wrapped tamales were just downright bizarre, and none of us could figure out if we liked them or not. But we all agreed that the crispy hand-cut French fries, with a sprinkle of sea salt, were pristine. The room glowed once again after a bite of these perfect creations. Smiles and good times all around.

The Final Rave: Don't miss the dessert-for-two Mundial Fantasy: a platter of gooey chocolate cake, rice pudding served creme brulee-style, bread pudding and cherry ice cream all for just $10.

Keep it Going:

Do It: Panaderia Nuevo Leon
Just next door to Mundial, this delightful bakery whips up the aforementioned "big-as-moon-pie" pastries and cupcakes. If you're too full, like us, just get a bag to go.

Eat It: Nuevo Leon
Huevos Rancheros. Homemade tortillas. BYO rum and Cokes. Done.

See It: 18th St. (near Halsted)
Just park and walk west. Local treasures abound.

Get Crazy With It: Mexico City, Mexico
I know good weather is here, but who can resist a trip to Mexico at anytime of the year? Tickets are cheap and the food is amazing. What more do you need?

Fatcake Misty Tosh explores back-alley eateries, holes-in-the-wall and seedy ethnic joints as she treks the city in search of the next raving dish. Join her in the quest.