Always trust that stand inside the grocery store

Tacos don't get much fresher than this

Hello, everyone!

Hope you’ve had a good weekend. I’m a little more stressed out than usual (this is a long story for another day, but I’ve been diagnosed with an eye condition that requires some serious treatment), so in the next few months I’ll have to remind myself not to park my ass in front of the laptop longer than I need to. Feel free to yell at me to get me away from the computer more often.

Since there’s no great way to segue into food after talking about your ailing eyeball, I guess I’ll just jump right in awkwardly and pretend like that last paragraph doesn’t exist.

Whenever I see a food stand inside a grocery store, it always tugs at my attention, since they tend to serve some really good stuff. Chicago’s got some great ones, like the Snack Corner inside Joong Boo Market, the legendary taqueria inside La Chaparrita, and I’ve heard the one inside Talard Thai is incredible.

I have noticed that the Mexican food inside grocery stores is particularly good here, however. There’s a little market just outside my neighborhood (I pass it during my work commute) that has a little taco stand tucked inside, and I wanted to let you all know that it’s worth checking out if you like that sort of thing as much as I do.

I’m specifically talking about Los Potrillos Food Market in Avondale.

It’s on Belmont, not terribly far east from Pulaski. This is the store I drop by when I realize I’ve forgotten limes during my last grocery store run. The taco stand inside sells some great food, and if you’re looking for a quick lunch, Los Potrillos will treat you well.

On a recent visit, I grabbed two things, a burrito and a taco. The al pastor taco ($2.85), pictured above, comes absolutely loaded with meat for that price, and it’s fantastic. I know that when it comes to al pastor, the ideal scenario is to see the seasoned pork carved straight off a trompo, or vertical spit, but that’s not a frequent sighting in Chicago. No need to be picky, though, because the char-crisped al pastor at Los Potrillos provides you with all the crunchy bits you need. A plate of three of these and you’ll be set.

(I also have to note that I am impressed with whoever dices the onions and cilantro, because my taco was gorgeous.)

The carne asada burrito ($9.99) is packed with grilled steak, along with refried beans, sour cream, lettuce, tomato, and guacamole.

It might not be the biggest burrito you’ve ever seen, but the steak is treated similarly to the al pastor in that it ends up with crunchy little bits that remind me of the edges of well-done bacon. I don’t know if it’s because I was particularly hungry that afternoon, but damn, did both the taco and the burrito slay that day.

The food came accompanied with a green and a red salsa, both of which are deeply-flavored, and it’s hard to say which I liked better. They’re both great. The red was noticeably hotter than the green, but neither had enough heat that I’d call panic-inducing. I have this embarrassing habit of visibly sweating whenever I eat spicy and salty food, and that didn’t start happening up until I was down to my last bites.

My internet buddy Rémy is a big fan of the whole grilled chicken at Los Potrillos, so I decided to pick some up on a separate visit.

I grabbed the whole grilled chicken meal, which is $22.99. It includes the chicken, rice, refried beans, grilled cebollitas (those green onions with the plump little bulbs), grilled jalapeños, a whole package of tortillas (they ask if you want them heated or room-temp), and some salsa.

I can see why Rémy loves this chicken. It’s slathered in a thick chile paste before it’s grilled, which gives it a lot of robust flavor that’s not distractingly spicy. It’s great to pull apart and roll into a hot tortilla with some salsa.

The meat itself has a very specific tenderness and seasoning to it, the kind that I normally attribute to grocery store rotisserie chicken. I’m guessing it is a standard-issue rotisserie chicken (there’s a rotisserie by the butcher counter, which offers whole roast chickens) that’s been dressed with the chile paste, then grilled for extra flavor.

As Davida and I were eating it, I even noticed the little telltale holes from the rotisserie prongs in the chicken breast. This isn’t a knock, by any means—I fucking love rotisserie chicken. I may have to crib this idea to dress up a Costco chicken at home sometime. If you’re looking for a fast takeout family meal that feels homey and isn’t expensive, the whole grilled chicken meal is a great option.

That being said, I don’t believe that the grilled chicken is offered all the time.

There’s a heated glass display where the chicken is stored, and I haven’t always seen it. So just a fair warning that the whole grilled chicken may come and go. But with the other options like tortas, enchiladas, huaraches, and other plates, I have a feeling you’ll survive.

Part of why I trust stands inside grocery stores is because I can be confident in how fresh the ingredients are.

On one of my last trips to Los Potrillos, I watched an employee bring a pan of meat from the butcher counter and deliver it directly to the grill. This might feel like a small detail, but I think that kind of stuff is fun to see. And it’s pretty cool to be able to stroll into a grocery store, order lunch, and watch the cooks make your food right in front of you.

A good part of why I love writing this newsletter is because it constantly reminds me to be thankful of my surroundings. Though Los Potrillos is a market I pass by nearly every day, it’s just another reason why I love living in Chicago. And let this serve as a reminder that if you see a food stand inside a small grocery store, it probably has food that’s even better than you’d expect.

Los Potrillos Food Market
3624 W Belmont Ave
Chicago, IL 60618
(773) 267-2033

Store hours:
7 a.m. - 9: p.m. daily, except for Sunday (closes at 8 p.m.)

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And speaking of food, I’m excited to see some of you at the Crust Fund Watch
Party on Tuesday evening. I’m working on a cheeky veggie pizza (party cut, of course) that should be pretty good. If you’re attending, please come say hi.

All right, guys, hope you have a better week than the recent ones I’ve been having. Be mindful of your health, try not to let life’s stress get to you, and go out and enjoy the city. Love you.