North side birria

goat is the G.O.A.T.

Goat’s an underrated meat.

Unfortunately, if it’s not prepared with care, it can be gamy and stringy. That’s why a good plate of birria de chivo is a truly remarkable thing. It’s soothing, nourishing, and rich in soulful flavor. I gravitate towards it because it reminds me of stripped down Korean stews (aka jjigae) that I ate growing up.

There’s slightly more than a handful of places that sell birria in Chicago. The most famous one is called Birrieria Zaragoza, which is located on the South side of Chicago (and also recently featured on a show called Taco Chronicles on Netflix).

It is a family-owned operation that’s rightfully one of the best restaurants in the city, but it is quite far away from me and Davida, since we live on the Northwest side. During the day it can take over an hour for us to get there by car, so it’s not a trip we make often, though it’s more than worth it. (Plus the Zaragoza family is fucking awesome. I would occasionally cook for them when I worked at Paulie Gee’s Logan Square.)

Good thing there’s a tiny little Northside operation that has it down pat. The best part is, it’s just a 15 minute walk away from our apartment. And I really don’t think enough people have paid enough attention to it yet.