Heather Augustyn

As you walk down this particular street on a Sunday morning, you'll hear the sounds of Muddy Waters, scan tables full of merchandise along the sidewalk, and smell meat sizzling on grills housed under vinyl tents. And although the music comes from an amplified CD, the merchandise is still wrapped in cellophane, and the meat is no longer a Polish sausage, the New Maxwell Street Market still cooks up some of the best food in the city.

Perhaps it would be more appropriate to call it the Canal Street Market. Situated on Canal Street at Roosevelt, the City of Chicago created the New Maxwell Street Market to compensate for its endorsement of the University of Illinois at Chicago's demolition of the old Maxwell Street Market. At today's market, the food booths are almost exclusively Mexican. With only $5 in your pocket, take a walk down Canal, stop at any one of the following booths, and chances are you will enjoy simple yet flavorful food.

Green House Steaks has two booths at New Maxwell. One is located on Canal just south of 14th Street and the other on the north side of 14th Street. Fresh cilantro and tubs of white cheese sit atop silver metal carts. Underneath lie gorditas frying in vats of oil, flautas piled high on the countertop, and bins of spiced meat with potatoes, ready for tortas and tacos. They also offer a large variety of fruit-flavored water and horchata, or sweet rice water. Ample seating is available under the tented shade.

Ricos is found at 14th Street and Canal. This location specializes in huaraches, a flat, oval tortilla fried in oil, smothered with red or green sauce, heaped with meat. A small refrigerator under the shelter of Ricos' tent offers nice-sized containers of fresh shrimp cocktail. Bins of spiced pork and steak are prepared for what the sign advertises as "sabrosos," or tasty, tacos and tortas. Plenty of sheltered seating is available under the canopy, but finding an open seat is hard since this booth is popular.

El Colonial has two booths at the market--one at 14th Street and Canal, and the other just north of 14th Street. Both booths are large with sufficient sheltered seating. Huaraches smothered with red and green sauce cook on a flattop stove as the owner's daughter spoons a mixture of grilled green chiles, onions, and meat over the top. They also serve fresh and filling gorditas, which are small, thick tortillas sliced open and stuffed with meat and cheese. Empanadas, tortillas stuffed with sweet potatoes, are also available. Try the exceptional nopales tacos, filled with sweet cactus that is boiled until soft.

Just south of Walgreen's on Canal is Titos Tacos. Titos is an extremely busy booth, and even though they have a small amount of seating, most people stand and eat around the booth due to crowds. Serving only tacos, Titos offers more than ten varieties. Seasoned with fresh cilantro on fresh tortillas, Titos serves up cabesa, a cut of beef from the head; lengua, or tongue; barbacoa, or barbecued beef; al pastor, or spicy pork; asada, or beef steak; cesos, or brains; chorizo, a spicy homemade sausage; birria, or lamb; suadero, or skirt steak; cachete, a cut of pork from the pig's cheeks; and for the very brave, ojo, or cow's eye.

Just north of Roosevelt on Canal isTacos Bernardo, an extremely clean booth with a large seating area. A woman makes homemade tortillas by rolling dough by hand and flattening the dough with a tortilla press before cooking on the flattop stove. She prepares a large portion of chopped steak, sizzling on a grill with slices of sweet green pepper and onions. Tacos Bernardo also serves tortas, a Mexican steak sandwich, and gorditas.

Pupusas is north of Roosevelt on Canal and offers quesadillas and tamales. Because tamales require a lot of labor and preparation, they may not always be available, so ask. This stand also serves Mexican hot chocolate, which is made with real chocolate and milk. They also offer champurado, a hot cereal made with corn meal, chocolate, sugar, and milk.

A signless stand called Chibombo lies north of Roosevelt on the east side of Canal and serves exceptional steak tacos. Served "todos" with red sauce, raw chopped onion, and fresh cilantro, these tacos seem so simple but are exceedingly savory. Pork and barbecued beef filling is also offered, along with ample seating.

The New Maxwell Street Market is open every Sunday, year-round, from 7am to 3pm.

(2002-09-04)

Also by Heather Augustyn

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