Clark Family Adventures
This past weekend, I had the chance to visit an authentic Mexican restaurant in Berwyn called El Meson, a nice sized store front space at 5710 w. Cermak/22nd street between Austin and Central Ave.
How I ended up here on a Sunday for lunch is a story on its own. My Uncle Daniel – who isn’t really my uncle, just my father’s best friend – is a Mexican fellow who moved here when he was young. My father is a gringo. When we were younger, my father and uncle would take us to this place called Taqueria Aguas Calientes for the most authentic Mexican food you could get in Chicago. I guess my uncle was a friend of the cook, so it was pretty legit. This place was awesome from what I can remember (I haven’t been there since I was about 8 or so), and I believe it is still there off of Cicero and Cermak.
Well, I guess the cook from Taqueria Aguas Calientes had some kind of falling out with the management there and left to open his own restaurant, El Meson. This is how the story jumps to this past weekend. My pops called me up, said he wanted to hang out and go to lunch. He picked me up and drove me around the city recounting stories of when I was younger, when he was younger, life growing up in the city and how things have changed. He asked me where I wanted to have lunch, and promptly I responded with Taqueria Aguas Calientes! He explained the story to me (the story I just told you) and I agreed with out hesitation to go to El Mason to pursue the chicharon.
F-R-E-S-H!
Very soon after that, the gorditas and tacos came. It looked delicious, and I headed straight into the chicharon gordita, took one bite and was swept back to my childhood, sitting here with my dad. The chicharon part is actually the skin of the pig, with the top layer of fat and a small chuck of meat. Imagine bacon, but in thick cubes from the pig’s back. They prepare it by boiling it in the green sauce that you would normally put on your burrito, along with some special, unknown seasoning; they also put a couple spoonfuls of this into a sliced open gordita. This has a peculiar texture, so it may not be for everybody, but you go through chunky, jelly, and chewy, but bursting with flavor.
I would highly recommend going to a small place like this at least once in your life — a place that has some of the best menu items that you can’t find at all Mexican restaurants, is truly great, and gives you a sense that Mexican food isn’t all pork chicken, and steak tacos, burritos and tortas. Try something you never heard of before and watch your salsa avocado, or picodegallo get made in front of you.
All together with tip and all we dropped $18 for two and an horchata. I’ll definitely be returning when I am in the area, and I’ll be bringing Lois with me for sure.
