Stray far enough West from the Rogers Park Clark Street Mexican trail and you'll be in the company of this former butcher's meat-centric take on all things tortilla-clad. Jesse doesn't break the mold with familiars from huevos con carne to bistek a la tampiquena, and flexes his protein muscle with high-grade meats and savory chars across an open flame grill.

It's these simple things that Jesse shines best at, in his cobble-and-mortar puebla-likened spot on the suburb side of Western, slicing up something like rib eye thick enough to retain both its juice and plump, yet thin enough not to bully out the sweet finish of the grilled onions that make it lomo encebollado.

There are some interesting ringers, like his guizado de puerco, a piquant pork stew swimming in jalapeno and arbol chilies. A handful of shrimp dishes round out the homey, little BYOB concept. But the chicharron, the chicken, the pork, rubbed with a little heat and citrus, in simple taco or fajita form, its these meats that allow Jesse to thrive off the path.

Average cost: <$10

Centerstage Reviewer: Gavin Paul