The weather outside tells me I need to wrap up any "summer"-related activities, so here are the last two ceviches of my summer...
I hadn't been back to the Spoke (3369 N Clark) in a while, so I was excited to be back and try the ceviche that got me started on this whole kick in the first place. And you know what? Maybe it needs to be experienced at the end of a long, hard night of running around with a camera. As an afternoon meal I noticed how tomato-juicy it was -- I really had to dig around to find some solid bits in there. It was also, in comparison to most of the other ceviches I've had this summer, a bit bland.
The main selling point of the Twisted Spoke's ceviche is its volume -- for just a few dollars more than the appetizer size, you get a full pint glass of ceviche. And hey, there's always cheap whiskey at the Spoke!
After months of an empty space with a small "Coming Soon" sign in the window, That Little Mexican Cafe, which has received mixed reviews for their Evanston location, finally opened on the corner of Bryn Mawr and Winthrop. I'd had a late lunch and one of the specials of the day was a ceviche appetizer, so that was my dinner.
TLMC's ceviche breaks my usual rule that ceviche relies on the contrast between the textures of the fish or shrimp and that of the tortilla chips. I was halfway through the bowl and I was about write it off as rather bland and uninteresting when I had a spoonful without one of the thick and heavy chips. The difference was incredible. The ceviche was spicy and shrimpy (in a good way) but the chips were completely absorbing the flavor.
FYI: The Evanston location is known for their margaritas, but the Bryn Mawr location is still BYOB.
(Originally posted on the Chicago Metblog, Aug 31, 2006: My Summer of Ceviche: Last Two)
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