Tag: Dining Out in Chicago

Walking into Mirra cold, it might be hard to guess what kind of food will show up on your plate. Earthy colors and organic materials might suggest South Asia or perhaps Mexico, but only if you can decode the quiet hints: the painting on Oaxacan amate by the entrance, nodding to Diego Rivera’s famous “Mujer con Alcatraces.” The soundtrack is a Bollywood melody that fades into a song by Peso Pluma.

And then, there’s the menu: An aguachile meets the tangy Indian yogurt-based chaas and biryani captures barbacoa’s soul in a small clay Mexican pot that is sealed with a bread crust. None of this feels performative or forced; the melding of techniques and flavors is a smooth cross-cultural handshake.

Fusion food gets a bad rap, thanks to poor executions of forced combinations. But long before chefs began deliberately experimenting with Mexican fusion, Mexico’s complex culinary identity had already been shaped by centuries of migration, trade, and upheaval. With colonization came the Spanish culinary traditions that had themselves been transformed under Moorish rule and influenced by trade routes that went as far as Asia. Many of the plates we might recognize today as the most representative of Mexican cuisine — mole, carnitas, pambazos, pan dulce (inspired by Viennoiserie), and even the chamoy on your margarita glass — are the result of a collision of worlds.

And in cities from Los Angeles to Chicago and Milwaukee, an increasing number of restaurants are exploring the intersections of seemingly geographically disparate cuisines. Restaurants such as Mirria, Tzuco, and Casa Madai have found success delving into blends like French Mexican cuisine and Indian Mexican food, drawing on their personal interests and experience to develop grounded menus that feel rich with surprises for diners that are more exposed to global flavors — and more curious — than ever.

For Tzuco’s celebrated chef Carlos Gaytán, food is a medium to share a story of transformation. After arriving in Chicago in 1991 from Huitzuco, a city in Guerrero, Mexico, Gaytán worked his way up from a dishwasher to cook at the Sheraton North Shore and the Union League Club. Later on, his love for French technique took hold at Bistro Margot under chef Dominique Tougne.

In 2008, Gaytán opened Mexique. Gaytán’s French Mexican fine dining restaurant pushed forward the conversation around upscale Mexican food in Chicago. “I was both the Mexican kid from Guerrero and the chef trained in upscale, fine dining French kitchens,” Gaytán says. “Mexique became the place where those two parts of my story finally met.” The restaurant earned its first star in 2013, and by proxy Gaytán became the first Mexican-born chef to lead the kitchen at a Michelin-rated restaurant. (Restaurants in Mexico only began receiving Michelin Guide ratings in 2024) That same year, Gaytán appeared as a contestant on Top Chef.

The restaurant closed in 2018, and a year later, Gaytán opened Tzuco in River North, describing it as a celebration of his roots and the landscapes that shaped him. Among his fusion dishes, one stands out: “The mussels with saffron, chorizo, and jalapeño peppers capture exactly who I am — a Mexican heart expressed through French technique,” Gaytán says.

For chef Ismael Lucero, fusion cuisine is a reflection of how he lives and cooks. A Mexico City native, he began his career at Mirai Sushi in 1999, where he gained admiration for the Japanese culinary tradition under the mentorship of chef Junzan Ichikawa. He went on to refine his skills in Chicago and later in New York, working in leading kitchens such as the renowned Japonais, the Michelin-starred Omakase Yume, and Kissaki Omakase in SoHo.

Pilsen’s Casa Madai, which opened in 2024, brings Lucero’s life experience full circle through an omakase menu that features ingredients “that may not belong to Japanese cuisine in a traditional sense.” Take for example Casa Madai’s zucchini blossoms — a common Mexican ingredient that gets reinterpreted through Lucero’s lens. The chef stuffs each bloom with Japanese red snapper and ginger, and tops it with corn cream and togarashi, resulting in a combination Lucero describes as something akin to the flavor of “biting into corn on the cob.” There’s also a tuna and salmon tostada with a nutty, oily salsa macha, a pairing so seamless it’s hard to remember these points of view belong to different worlds.

Patrons asked for sushi rolls, so Lucero added Madai at West Loop’s now-shuttered Time Out Market Chicago. The stall served sushi that incorporated ingredients such as jalapeño, lime, and chile de árbol oil — options that remain available through takeout ordering from Casa Madai. In Lucero’s hands, the Mexican Japanese blend lands like a surprising nod to life between worlds.

For chefs Zubair Mohajir and Rishi Kumar, there was already a rich culinary tradition of crossover between Mexican and Indian cuisines both in Mexico and in the U.S. (particularly California) to draw from when they set out to open Mirra.

Kumar is of Indian descent, raised in Singapore, but as a chef came to Chicago to learn Mexican cooking from Rick Bayless at institutions like Frontera Grill, Topolobampo, and later Bar Sótano. It was at that last stop in 2022, that Kumar met and worked with Mexico City’s Chefs Table-famous Masala y Maíz; the restaurant was doing a pop-up in collaboration with Bar Sótano, sharing the owners’ brand of Mexican Indian cuisine. As Eater Chicago reported at the time, Kumar took the opportunity to reinterpret his heritage through the lens of the Mexican cuisine he had practiced under Bayless — a tamale melded with an Indian dhokla (fermented rice cake). In 2024, Kumar would revisit that palette with a pop-up at Mohajir’s fine dining Indian restaurant Coach House, with a menu called Mirra. That pop-up laid the foundation for Mohajir and Kumar’s eventual restaurant.

Mirra’s name references the 17th-century story of Mirra, later called Catarina de San Juan. Born in India and kidnapped and enslaved by Portuguese pirates, Mirra was eventually removed to the Philippines and then Mexico. Her experience reflected the complex exchanges that shaped Mexican culture — including its food — for centuries. Mirra’s story resonated deeply with Mohajir and Kumar as Southeast Asian transplants to the U.S.

With Mirra, they explore the intersection of cuisines and techniques, recreating Mexican dishes through their unique perspectives. The tamal colado, a Mayan specialty, evokes a bit of nostalgia for Kumar. His take on this dish uses chickpeas instead of corn, and adds in quintessential Mexican ingredients like huitlacoche and serrano. He further reimagines the plate with ginger, garlic and yogurt, transforming it into a Yucatecan Gujarati delicacy.

Fascinated by similar executions of dishes at opposite ends of the world, Kumar explores sauces and their preparation. His mole chichilo is subtly infused with Indian spices, but he preserves the traditional technique of roasting chiles over fire to render them with a smoky flavor. With mole being deeply personal, Kumar’s interpretation feels at the same time global, and uniquely Chicago: “My goal is to make guests feel that they went for dinner at the homes of two different friends at the same time.”

The menu also includes roti quesadillas, a reference to a popular staple at El Ranchero, a Punjabi Mexican restaurant in California that opened in 1954 and ran for more than 40 years.

Ninety miles north of Chicago, a similar split-screen of the Midwest experience is served at Milwaukee’s Tauro Cocina. The family-run Italian Mexican restaurant was Ahidé and husband Alberto Valdepeña’s dream. After decades of cooking in Italian kitchens, Alberto was ready to build something of his own.

The result is a surprising, yet thoughtful menu that blends Alberto’s experience with the flavors of his family’s culture with a base in Italian cooking. Pizzas like the asada pie topped with tomatillo sauce and a blend of mozzarella and Oaxaca cheese sit alongside pastas such as the risotto birria, a nod to Ahidé’s heritage. The birria’s Sinaloa-style preparation is slightly drier than the Jaliscan version, allowing it to pair with the risotto’s creaminess.

The beverage program, which is led by Alberto Valdepeña Jr., follows the same philosophy, leveraging spirits infused with ingredients such as clove, cardamom, and guava. There are Mexican and Italian wines. The family is particularly proud that Tauro is the first establishment in Milwaukee to serve Mexican wine.

The restaurant finds its place in the natural convergence between the cuisines and cultures. Their creations are thought out with respect for technique, tradition, and ingredients.

“Our food is like the U.S.,” says Ahidé’s son, Alberto Jr. “A great mix of different cultures.”

For Kumar, diners are very much driving the shift towards chefs digging into international cuisines and the ways they mingle with diasporic communities. “The world is becoming smaller,” he says. “People travel, and they are excited and educated about food.”

Daisies feels intimate in the way it invites guests to pause, to listen, and to linger. The noise of Milwaukee Avenue fades the moment you step through the door.

Nestled in the heart of Logan Square, Daisies is an all-day gathering place designed to move with its patrons. From 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., the cafe hums with remote workers and early risers sipping coffee and savoring pastries. Come 5 p.m., the lights dim, the menu shifts, and the space transforms. Laptops are swapped for phones snapping photos of dinner — because the phone always eats first. Mugs become wine glasses, pastries become pasta, and the energy shifts from soft chatter to lively banter.

From sunrise to sunset, Chicago moves at its own rhythm, and in a trend towards third-place accessibility, its restaurants are doing the same. Across the city, cafes and restaurants are finding new ways to stretch their hours and identities, blurring the line between “let’s get a coffee and journal” and “let’s get a cocktail and catch up” in one space. Hybrid spots like Daisies, Buttercup, Cafe Yaya, and even Fulton Market newcomer Bar Tutto are centering food, service, and connection, no matter the time of day. More often, business owners are crafting spaces that shift effortlessly from day to night.

“The more often someone can be here, the more connected they feel to us — and that’s the whole point of creating this restaurant the way that we did,” says Joe Frillman, executive chef and owner of Daisies. That connection grew from a lesson learned during the pandemic: Adaptability sustains community, he says. Daisies relocated to a larger space in 2023, reinventing itself in the aftermath of the COVID-19 crisis.

“Covid really showed us the importance of diversifying our revenue streams,” Frillman says. “Moving into a larger space opened up the opportunity for us to do more. We wanted to maximize the building and build a model that could adapt in a few different ways: great coffee and pastries in the morning, an all-day gathering place, and then a destination for dinner at night.”

Zach Engel, head chef at Lincoln Park’s Cafe Yaya agrees with the sentiment that building a successful restaurant in 2025 means establishing a more flexible business model. “We wanted to make a space that’s familiar but adventurous,” Engel says, of the restaurant, which opened in March as a follow up to the group’s highly successful, Michelin-starred Galit. “In today’s market, guests want to choose from several types of experiences. A contemporary restaurant needs to be different things for different people at different times.”

Cafe Yaya has quickly become a weekend staple with a line that stretches out the door for executive pastry chef Mary Eder-McClure’s baked goods. Her creations carry the warmth of her Lebanese and Jewish roots, combined with a Midwestern sensibility. “Top-notch pastries with a personal touch,” as chef Zach Engel, Yaya’s head chef, puts it.

Cafe Yaya feels like the kind of cafe you’d see in a rom-com — the spot where the lead meets her best friend to scheme, share a secret, or people-watch between bites. It’s a place that invites reflection and connection. When I visited, the person sitting next to me even sent over a dessert after thanking me for being kind about their baby’s crying. That small act felt like the perfect reflection of the environment Yaya set out to create.

“We want our guests to feel like they’re visiting an old friend who’s geared up to take care of them,” says Engel. “That level of comfort is the universal mood we’re aiming for, no matter the time of day.”

At Buttercup, a South Loop Italian cafe, that energy is just beginning to develop. The restaurant, which opened in mid-September, mirrors South Loop’s duality. During the day, it’s full of students and young and seasoned professionals. At night, groups of friends gather after concerts or dates, chatting over amaro-fueled cocktails in the low light. At routine intervals, you hear (and see) the L rumbling by. The restaurant’s team drew inspiration from vintage amaro bars in Milan and Florence for inspiration when developing the atmosphere and menu. They wanted to create a versatile, neighborhood space — a calm refuge by day, a lively destination by night. It fills a long-missing gap in the South Loop: quality coffee, elevated hospitality, and a touch of European warmth. From the drinks to the staff uniforms, the experience feels transported straight from Italy.

Already, Buttercup’s become a regular stop for locals. It’s a place to grab an espresso after a morning run, then circle back at night for a cocktail with friends.

“Hearing stories from our bar and A.M. crews about regulars who’ve made Buttercup part of their routine is heartwarming,” says beverage director Luke DeYoung. “Even when I’m not here, I trust the team, knowing people are coming in, enjoying the space, and building relationships.”

Day-to-night restaurants in Chicago have emerged as both a necessity and a reflection of how people truly live, especially post-pandemic. Diners want spaces that meet multiple needs: somewhere to grab a matcha and scroll Substack in the morning before settling in to work, then return later for a glass of red wine and dinner whether solo or with a friend. These multi-use dining spaces aren’t just a trend; they’re a response to shifting habits, rising costs, and a growing desire for spaces that are as flexible as the people who dine there.

“Labor is expensive. Rent is expensive. Everything is more expensive than ever, so your space and team have to work harder and smarter,” says Frillman. “You can’t build a business around a single use anymore and expect that to do the trick. A versatile model lets guests have multiple experiences under one roof: a coffee shop, work-from-home spot, community hub, and dinner destination.”