PILSEN — A beloved brunch spot on 18th Street has created a limited time, seven-course dinner menu overseen by a veteran Chicago chef.
The Frida Room, which opened in 2016 at 1454 W. 18th St., serves traditional American and Mexican dishes inspired by owner Angel Diaz’s childhood in Mexico City. Now, chef Christian Orozco has partnered with Diaz to offer a special dinner menu 5:30-10 p.m. Thursday-Saturday.
The dinner menu features seven courses, and it can be made vegetarian or vegan upon request. It costs $85 per person. People can expect dishes such as braised short rib with mole verde as a starting course and an entree made of the fish of the day. The full menu is online.
Orozco is from Guatemala and has worked in several Chicago kitchens, including Acadia, Tzuco and North Pond. He returned to Chicago within the past year and decided to start cooking at pop-ups.
This is Orozco’s first residency in a kitchen in Pilsen, and he’s excited to bring his Latin-inspired, seasonal dishes to the neighborhood, he said.
“We have octopus, which is very summery,” Orozco said. “And we are using local corn to make esquites. And 99 percent of our menu is gluten-free.”
Orozco said he’s gotten good feedback from customers, and he hopes his food continues to bring people together.
Offering breakfast and lunch at Frida Room has kept Diaz busy enough for the past several years, he said. He was inspired to introduce something new to the eatery after meeting Orozco.
“It’s really new for the area,” Diaz said. “This is different than any any other place around here. We try to work really good and [stay] close with local farmers and places around to get affordable prices, so we’re not [as] high as any other tasting menu Downtown.”
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