I won a gift certificate to La Canasta at a charity auction and just before it expired headed to Lincoln Park to enjoy $50 of margaritas! To my surprise, it wasn’t in the hub of the depaul madness like so many other great restaurants that I avoided because of the yelling drunken stupor to my left and right. I’m in my 30s not my early 20s and I while I enjoy a swanky area and a good libation, I don’t want to dine next to a fraternity. I found it on a quiet old fashioned street with a mix of million dollar residences and quaint small businesses, across from a park.
I brought a good friend and we planned on having $50 of margaritas and chips, as typically I find mexican food overwhelming and far too heavy. But as food was being delivered to the table next to me, the smell had me interested and when I saw the plate I absolutely had to order “real food”. We expected Mexican Food much as we would find at other fine mexican restaurants like El Cid, but what we found was something entirely different.

Intimate and cozy, with a view of a beautiful brownstone lined street, we enjoyed THE BEST MARGARITAS we have ever had in Chicago and to top it off we ordered steak. The carne asada was tender and delicious and instead of typical high fat sides (you know the sides that always stay on side well after your meal is through – tons of rice and beans only a heavyweight could eat). Instead it was served with baby red potatoes in a cilantro butter sauce with a side salad with some sort of tangy basil enriched vinagrette (hint of lemon???) Couldn’t quite put my finger on what exactly made the food seasonally so distinct, but was taken back by just how much better coordinated their meals were than other popular mexican restaurants in the city. They somehow have managed to put a gourmet and more health conscious spin on mexican cuisine, making it something you can eat more than once a month! I have since had a few dates at La Canasta and have even taken my nieces and nephews and family to a big dinner in their back “family” room – where on the weekends Kids can be kids while the adults actually get to sit and enjoy their meal. No one is shushing you or staring you down because of the noise – everyone in the back room has kids and truly appreciates an atmosphere where they can eat with their whole family without spending the entire time ordering the kids to sit still and apologizing to the table next to them.

HONESTLY, whether you are looking for an intimate date environment or an early family dinner on a saturday, La Canasta somehow manages to have just the right atmosphere and although every time I go I continue to order the carne asada, friends and family always leave with a smile on their face regardless of their order. The margaritas and mojitos are far better than El Cid’s and the food isn’t even comparable. . . .I wouldn’t go anywhere else for Mexican food in the city.