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Category: Latin American
Neighborhoods: New City, CanaryvilleCheck our review by Pat Bruno in the Chicago Sun Times.
We are located at 4559 S. Halsted
773 538 8200
Mon-Thu. 11:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Fri. 11:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Sat. 10:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Sun. 10:00 a.m. - 8:30 p.m.
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I am on a mission to find upscale, off the beaten path restaurants that offer a couple hour vacation from the craziness at Sunda, Frontera, etc. My adventure took me South to Amelias...and it was perfect in every way. 1. Great food with innovative twists (check) 2. Clubby atmosphere but not too fancy or stuffy (check) 3. Intangibles (BYO, under or off the radar, etc...CHECK)
The food was superb (guac, corn fungus...shrimp diablo...crepas ). They served our margaritas for us , since we brought the anejo, limejuice and Grand Marnier (even had limes and martini glasses)...and were extremely attentive (table of six). It wasnt cheap ($270 or $90 per couple plus drinks). I wouldnt say they are on par with Topolbampo (although in my opinion...noone is)...but they are absolutely on par with just about any other high end restaurant out there (food and service). If you want the posers, location and the higher price tag...go to Le Colonial or Spiaggia. If want a memorable meal that eludes all but those in the know...climb aboard.
Hurry up and taste the delicious food at this restaurant before it goes out of business -- due to the fact that the owner chose to locate it at the butt end of nowhere...
I had the corn fungus tamal (tamal de cuitlacoche), which sounds disgusting but was delicious. It was topped by jullienned carrots and sprouts of green onion, which lent a perfect crunchiness to balance the tamal's viscosity/gooiness.
My mom had the taquitos de cangrejo, which the menu explained was crabmeat in rice paper. It really was a crabmeat ceviche spring roll -- too eclectic for my taste, but very tasty just the same.
So basically, I'm being haunted by some demons. Devils, actually.
The she-beasts in question: camarones a la diabla. [cue creepy haunted house/Omen music - eeeee eeee eeeeeeee, oooo ooooo oooooo, haaaaa haaaa haaaaa...]
Not all camarones a la diabla, because you'll find that listed on menus in Mexican restaurants all over the place, but the "shrimps of the devil" here, at Amelia's - many plump, juicy shrimp in a "valentine" sauce with garlic, roasted peppers, scallions and, and I did not dream this - applewood bacon - duuuuude...
I know!
Dude!
I know!
It is in no way too spicy, the bacon in no way overwhelms the other flavors, the results are just a perfectly velvety and amazing sauce. And although the shrimp was also perfectly cooked, that sauce with the rice it's served with is the star - if it wasn't almost $20 a plate, I would have ordered seconds.
I also tried the tortellini with braised beef and and sherry cream and the deceptively named "seafood stew" - looked like Neptune had the sea drained and then lovingly heaped its contents - mussels, whole in-the-shell-still langostinos, shrimp, etc - onto the plate, as well as a crab appetizer roll that was like a Thai/Mexican fusion. All were great, delicious even, but they just weren't damned in that perfect damned good way like the diabla.
Ever since...I'm eating a burrito from Chipotle and "diiiiaaaaabbbbllllaaa...." whispers to me in the wind....I make a grilled cheese sandwich and visions of prawns with devil horns laugh at me in my plain old tomato soup.....I might have to dress my child up as a devil shrimp for Halloween. This stuff is messing with my head...
So I consider myself a bit of a cook - I dabble in the culinary arts somewhat, so I looked up some diabla recipes for myself, perhaps I could very simply exorcise some of this sauce's hold over me. I found recipes that included assloads of un-roasted peppers, no bacon in sight and ...ketchup? Ketchup played not a damn bit of a role in my current bewitching, I assure you (mojo or eye of newt, perhaps...).
Thus, it appears that if I'm going to get some more of this action, I'm going to have to get it at Amelia's. So I guess I'm just fricking haunted then....
[eeeee eeee eeeeeeee, oooo ooooo oooooo, haaaaa haaaa haaaaa....The power of shrimp compels you!!! The power of sauce compels you!!!!]
PS - they also offer Sunday brunch, if you want something more godly and whatnot. Just know that if they offer anything diabla, you'll still be forever doomed to the memory of overwhelming deliciousness, Sabbath or not.
Finally made it to Amelia's after months of forgetting to get around to it. We've been big fans of Mundial Cocina Mestiza for quite some time, so it was exciting news to hear there'd be something related to it closer to our neighborhood.
First things first - BYOB - always a good thing.
It was definitely worth the wait. This place had all the flavor and creativity of Mundial but at a much more reasonable price.
We started with the ensalata indio, which was an absolutely perfect mix of leafy, crunchy, and flavorful, as well as the queso fundido, which I really appreciated for it not just being a goopy pot of melted cheese with some crumbles of chorizo thrown in. Instead, the queso took almost a back seat to the beans, chorizo, peppers, and the amazing hand-made tortillas made on sight.
For entree I had the camarones picantes (I think that was the name) with an incredible green mole sauce with a flavor that bordered on Indian in nature, accompanied by plantains and rice. My husband had the special, which was a fruity, nutty sort of version of chili relleno involving pomegranate seeds, almonds, ground beef, and all kinds of other goodness. My folks, who we brought along for the ride, had a seafood stew (dad), which was well received, and a risotto-encrusted halibut (mom). My dad, who is usually a bit squeamish of dealing with food that still looks like the animal it came from, overcame the whole langoustines and mussels and really enjoyed the dish.
For a finale, because I can't stand leaving a new place without taking the full tour, we split the blueberry bread pudding, and the coconut rice pudding - both, again, phenomenal.
I know this is a very gushing review, but I do believe it deserves it. For those of you yelpers who have already begun to work their way South to try out all the good eats, venture a bit further for this gem; believe me when I say that it is well worth the trip. For those of you not driving, grab your favorite drinks, hop on the Halsted bus, and go eat yourself into a food coma.
This place is soooo good. And like Seth P. explained in his post, you better get over there quickly because there's never anyone there and it's going to go out of business!! The corn fungus tamal is one of the most interesting, glorious things I've ever tasted. It is not to be missed.
The place is just so damn good! Every taste is layered and complex and never boring. There's always the perfect mixture of textures and flavors. It is sophisticated and accessible and inexpensive. Delicious!
Please start going so i can enjoy it some more before the inevitable happens!
My friend was a great customer of Mundial and followed the chef to his new place. The decor gives the wrong first impression, but once seated and the food starts to roll out, you will not be disappointed.
Eusebio Garcia obviously put great thought into the menu with a good variety of appetizers and entrees. We enjoyed the quesadillas, oysters, tamal and guacamole. We all agreed the guacamole wasn't fantastic. Langostinos, Shrimp, Pork chops were exceptional and I didn't want it to end. Homemade tortillas served right off the comal were a wonderful treat. We passed on dessert as we wanted to savor the superb meal.
Only downside for me was the schlep from LP to the south side. After a meal and some wine, it was a long ride home. Upside is the food is creative and plentiful and it's BYOB. We will definitely be back!!
I second the other reviews -- amazing place, remotely located. Go soon -- you won't be disappointed, and will help them out.
A friend and I had:
Quesadilla De Cuitlacoche: Excellent -- they now call it "corn truffle" instead of "corn fungus", and it's at the bottom of sort of a deconstructed quesadilla, piled on top with small greens, beans, and other bits.
Camarones Diabolos x 2: Gently spicy, very good shrimp, nice touch of little bacon bits in with rice and vegetables.
The desserts alone were worth the trip.
Cranberry Cheesecake: Sitting in caramelized (I think) fruit, rich crust, fluffy cylinder of cheesecake.
Rice pudding: A good-sized bowl, protected by a top layer of caramelized sugar, topped with a pear poached in sangria reduction. Also, the bowl was neat.
I don't usually care so much about presentation, but here everything was beautiful -- see other Yelpers' photos.
Total cost $75, everything expertly plated, friendly and attentive service. If this place was up north, we would have paid twice as much.
We brought our own wine, which they treated like they sold it -- when the server poured, I momentarily thought I was supposed to sniff first.
I am a huge fan of gourmet Mexican cuisine, and when I read about Amelia's in Time out magazine recently, I put this on my list of places to try. Although it's a long trek from my hood, it was definitely worth it! It's about 15 minutes from the Cell, so if you are heading out for a game, you may want to put this on your to-do list prior to the game.
The menu features a number of interesting entrees, such as grilled fish, steaks, and pork, all prepared with a Latin flair. Prices range from around $15 to $25 dollars, with the average being around $20. It's a BYOB, which means that you can drink fantastic wine on the cheap! They will even mix up margaritas for you if you bring the goods. So for a delicious meal, it was fairly inexpensive - for four people, 2 appetizers, 2 desserts, and 4 of the higher priced entrees, our bill totalled $ 170.
My favorite dish had to be the raw oysters with ceviche - truly a phenomenal taste experience! The ceviche was really among the best I've had, featuring chewy, fresh octupus with shrimp and assorted other ingredients. They load the ceviche on top of each raw oyster shell - kind of like a healthy version of nachos!
I had the halibut, which was really good. The two guys had a rib-eye, prepared with a bit of butter and assorted vegetables. Although they liked the entree, they did not get them the way that they requested them. I think that was due to a language issue - the server was very lovely, sweet and helpful, but she did not seem to understand what they were asking for. My girlfriend is also Latina, and even she was having a communication problem with the server.
But otherwise, it was a great place. We got there a bit later on a Saturday night, and it was not very crowded, which is a shame. However, I do think it's because of their location - they are truly off the beaten path, but it's worth the trip. I do expect this to change soon, though; as the server mentioned that they will be featured on Check Please in the near future. So get to Amelia's before it's too late, and they are the next inundated spot to try!!
Wanting to escape the inevitable waits for Sunday Brunch and check out New City, my friend and I decided upon Amelia's. On the outside it looks like its going to be a very generic Mexican food joint, but the food didn't disappoint.
The guac was fantastic (with what tasted like freashly made tortilla chips). We both had the Huevos Divorciados (like eggs benedict with arugula, smoked salmon and corn cakes). It was served with potatoes and beans for $9 (seemed like a steal to me).
I'll be back to try the dinner menu one of these nights.
This place is awesome. I can't believe it's sitting in a sea of nothing on the edge of Canaryville (which may be its eventual downfall). Everything is fantastic.
Attractive room, good service, reasonable prices, BYO, plenty of free street parking, and wonderful food. We tried the queso fundido, seviche, oysters, and carne asada. All were excellent. The oysters were the best I ever had.
I still can't believe I'm writing this about a place in the middle of nowhere. Please go here so they stay in business. It's well worth the trip.
Great place near the Chicago Stock Yards. South of the Chicago White Sox, high class South America Style / Aztec. Free chips! Affordable, Good Service.
More to be said judge for yourself, good place for a Sizzling Fajitas, Burito, athentic Tacos not the Taco Bell stuff here.
Oh and you can sit down and enjoy nice accomodation real nice rehabbed Chicago Loft style.
Near unions of Teamsters, Laborers Carpenters and the nieghborhood is well policed, business people from the Chicago Safety Institute http://www.chicagosafe... and Chicago Stockyards gather for lunch the busy time but so far I never saw the small place totally fill up and lunch and have not had to wait in a line ever.
Their liquor license is up for grabs with local politics, so you may have to bring your own beer or wine confirn it is BYOB as of March 7, 2009.
I just got back from a late brunch at Amelia's. I hope the only reason it was empty is because we were slackers and didn't make it there until 2pm... This place deserves more and more business.
First of all, the coffee was some of the best I ever had- imported from Mexico and with a delicious hint of cinnamon, I'd go back just for that. I had the Huevos Divorciados- perfectly poached eggs over corn cakes with a smoky chipotle sauce. My companion had the Carmarones a la Diabla and couldn't stop raving about it. (he doesn't usually stray from the taqueria- it means a lot that he was impressed!)
The service was friendly and attentive. Atmosphere was warm and inviting. The owner (I think?) showed us the dinner menu before we left and I am already plotting my return. If you live nearby, go now. If you don't, make the trip. It's worth it!
I'd go back. It's in a fun neighborhood to explore, is byob, and most of the food is delicious. Plus the owner was incredibly nice and friendly which is always a plus.
Get the Quesadilla De Cuitlacoche - it's out of this world. Best quesadilla I've ever eaten, and I've eaten a lot.
Avoid the guacamole - it was straight bad.
So yeah, some things were inconsistent. also got the tamal judio and camarones a la diabla which were both good. I'll definitely go back.
Corn chowder was excellent: well seasoned, not too sweet, and well presented. The steak was good, but not generous. The seafood stew was tasty, but I could have done without the complete and massive prawn shells: no it does not make an interesting presentation, they just get all tangled up and force me to do a lot of work. That being said, if the shells had been subtracted before, it would have not been a ton of stew. Now one thing I have to criticize them about is their handling of chips and salsa. Well, normally when going to a Mexican restaurant you would expect them to come out with the server. I asked her if they had some, when we ordered and she said yes. But none came. I asked again, then nothing. So, then I thought maybe it was the busboy's duty, so I asked him, and then about 5 minutes later he came out with a hot, greasy bowl of chips, no salsa. They obviously chopped up some tortillas and tossed them in the fryer. I don't know if they were out, if they are trying to be different, but I don't see a problem with expecting them. I mean if you go to a Greek or Italian restaurant, you get bread, and Rich Bayless's restaurants serve chips and salsa, so what's the issue? Just explain to your diners if you want to be the only Mex place in town that doesn't serve chips and salsa. Other than that the service was excellent.
amelia's is in the middle of nowhere and, consequently, has to become a destination restaurant in order to survive. i hope people come in droves.
i went here for brunch but my expectations were not high. i'd been to mundial and was underwhelmed, so when i heard that this was eusebio garcia's post-divorce (cheap rent?) restaurant, i didn't get my hopes up. perhaps the unexpected element has led me to be more effusive than i would were this restaurant located on division (oh god i wish we could just swap it with angels & mariachis) but please believe me when i say that i was blown away by the thoughtful and delicious food served here.
what seafood! i nearly forgot i was surrounded by old stockyards on a hot saturday afternoon. the ceviche was great, mounded into shell of lettuce and served with a perfectly sauced, chilled oyster. my friend's "huevos divorciadas," essentially a smoked salmon benedict with divergent sauces, were very tasty. the crown jewel, however, was my salmon: blushing and resting atop a bed of caramelized green mango blanketed in a spicy cilantro sauce - it was so good, it was naughty.
i hope people work amelia's into their lazy sunday routine (it's open on saturdays too i believe). i'll soon be back with margaritas (BYOB) in tow to try the chipotle cream mussels and eat a plate of those oysters.
We were huge fans of Mundial Cocina Mestiza in Pilsen before the severed partnership, so we were thrilled to learn that the better half of the partnership got reestablished here. The place is BYOB, and the food is amazing. It definitely deserves more business, so hopefully word will spread and people will come.
If you come, here's what you can expect: plentiful free parking, friendly staff, a beautiful space with high, pressed-tin ceilings, and wonderful food.
I ate here twice in one week and got to sample around the menu.
--The asparagus salad, which was a special, was surprising, incorporating ingredients that one would not think of as going together, but they worked. There were pieces of asparagus tossed with chunks of fresh mozzarella, olives, ad cherry tomatoes in a sun-dried tomato vinegrette.
--the corn tamale appetizer was delicate with sweet corn kernels and a little salad and crumbled cheese on top.
--the spinach salad with melted jalepeno goat cheese had just the right kick and a nice mix of flavors
--the corn fungus (huitlacoche) quesadillas were among my favorite dishes: flavorful and satisfying with cheese and huitlacoche, topped with a little salad and crumbled cheese.
--the crab tacquitos were refreshing and unusual, wrapped in rice paper that made it very reminiscent of Vietnamese spring rolls.
--the seafood cevice was among the best I've had. The order included a generous serving in an iceberg lettuce "bowl" topped with cool avocado slices and garnished with two oysters in the halfshell
--the grilled salmon was spot on with a tangy/sweet mango relish and an avocado puree
--the shrimp in pipian (pumpkin seed) sauce was just delicious--succulent shrimps (big ones!) next to mound of rice, topped wiht a garnish of shredded carrots and green onion.
--For the meat eaters, my friend had a beautiful looking rib-eye that came with a mound of au gratin potatoes and a delicious mound of sauteed arugula salad.
My two meals ranged from $55-65, each time with two people. We did not leave hungry as the portions were generous. We did not even have room for dessert.
Despite the seeming remoteness of the location, it is actually very easy to get to. 10 minutes from Hyde Park or 10 minutes from Pilsen. 5 minutes from Bridgeport or McKinley Park. This place is a gem. I hope more people discover it!
This is probably one of the best restaurants that people aren't eating at.
My husband and I dined there for dinner tonight and the place was a ghost town. For 75% of our meal, we were the only customers in the place. I suppose the location may be a factor, but brave the industrial zones that surround it and you won't be sorry.
We started with the black bean quesadillas, which were topped with a yummy corn salsa. Then for entrees, my husband had the chef specialty salmon dish. It was cooked to perfection and bedded on a delicious guacamole with radishes and carrots. I had the Chile Rellenos. They were lighter and probably healthier than the fried varieties most places serve as they were not fried and came with a fluffy cheese and veggie filling. We finished by splitting their crepe dessert. The caramelized bananas were really good, but I would have loved to see some sort of chocolate incorporated into the dish besides chocolate chips sprinkled on the side.
As other reviews have noted, they are BYOB; but we checked with the waitstaff and they are happy to whip margaritas or any other favorites if you supply the liquor.
So we'll certainly be going back for another dinner or possibly brunch in the near future. And you should too. Just don't wait too long, because this gem may be gone soon.
I'd like to give this place three stars, but I really can't based on the experience I had. The place is really nice inside (as you can see from pictures) and the dish presentations are lovely. But based on my experience here with a group of girlfriends, the service is just horrible due to the waitresses.
See - I have a friend who is vegan. She ordered Tortilla Soup because the waitress assured us there was no chicken in it. She also ordered a Corn Tamale and asked them to omit the cheese and sour cream at the top. What happens when our food arrived? We got a Corn Tamale with cheese and sour cream and a Tortilla Soup with chicken. We politely asked them to take the food back to give us a Tamale with no sour cream and to cheese on top and asked them to take back the soup because it had chicken in it. The soup was brought back untouched because the waitress reassured us there was no chicken in it and what appeared to look like chicken was actually tortilla strips. "Seriously...I see a piece of chicken sticking out" The owner/chef had to come out from behind the kitchen look at the plate and say "Yes - it has chicken, I can make you one without it" in order for the waitress to finally give us what we had ordered. So out she comes again with the Tortilla Soup (without chicken this time hooray!) and a Corn Tamale with cheese on top (yes - cheese on top!). OK seriously - why couldn't they get the order right? I mean, we were practically the only ones there, other than another couple. My friend didn't want to cause any more fuzz or trouble so she just stripped off the cheese. If it were me I would've made them get me what I asked! Tina T's post mentions there is probably a language barrier with the waitresses, but I highly doubt that is their problem since we spoke to them in fluent Spanish.
As for me, I ordered Camarones con Mole Verde. They were OK - I wouldn't order them again. The Mole Verde was bland for my taste. I must say that the Corn Tamale and their coffee was very delicious though.
I'd love to edit this review in the future to give it more stars, but I seriously won't be going back.
My wife and I are always ready to check out new restaurants in the culturally-parched zone we live in...Amelia's previous incarnation was a fairly typical Mexican place (please, enough of those already) that near the end seemed to be pretty much out of anything we ordered. Now they're back open, in the same pleasant space, with a chef from Mundial and creative menu choices that are (thank the gods) a universe away from anything else in the area. How could we pass up the fried calamari with green aioli - I have dreams about this stuff. The chipotle-tinged mussels served with a mug of salty rough cut fries were a delight. Langostines, not often sighted (at least by me), were a delicious dismantling project, atop saffrony risotto. The salmon and the shrimp diabla with bacon were no slouches either. The pork loin was not as exciting but it did feature quince in the sauce, which I dare you to find at any other restaurant in Bridgeport/Canaryville/New City. Round out your meal with the chocolate lava cake or the blueberry bread pudding, each with a dollop of ice cream. And BYOB. The staff are as nice and helpful as can be. If like us you can walk to and from and work off a few hundred calories, your evening is complete!
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