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For the non-drinkers their salad is fantastic. If the hordes have died down I would go more often just for the salad & music.

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Ava-"If you get down and out, just get in the kitchen and bake a cake."- Jean Strickland

Horto In Urbs- Falling in love with Urban Vegetable Gardening

I like salad like the next guy, but I never saw it as a substitute for booze. No wonder temperence ultimately failed.

I'll drink to that!

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Food & Flowers: Andre Jordan's sweet doodle for a cold winter's day; diary of an unhappy restaurateur, circa 1881; winter project - try a terrarium

Finally got to Big Star last night (Sat night) after theater in the Flat Iron building. We enjoyed it, particularly when they threw out the bunch of people wearing sombreros. Wasn't sure what they did, but must have been bad.

We arrived around 9:45, and it was packed, but we found a spot at the bar inside - there were scattered bar stools available. There was a wait for outside tables, but it was a bit chilly to be eating outside. If I'd had a warmer jacket, we might have waited for outside.

One of the workers saw me standing and grabbed a nearby stool, and we got one for the DH about 15 mins later. The people to our left scootched over a little, which was nice of them. We settled in with Stone Pale Ale (on tap) although nearly everyone around us was having Micheladas. Two women came over and one ordered a Margarita. It came without salt and she sent it back to get salt on the glass, which they did (though she got a look, and I'm not sure what it was about, but when their third friend came, and they really were in the way, they retreated to another location).

The two guys next to us on the other side were funny and we chatted with them for a while (turns out I know their 3rd friend who showed up later). They bought the bartender and one of the hostesses shots (hostess seemed also to be a friend of theirs). I suppose it's a fine line with how many shots and beers you can drink through the night and still function as a bartender.

We had the pork belly and fish tacos and the mushroom/corn smut tostada. DH had the mushrooms, said it was very good. I had the fish which I thought was very tasty - clearly freshly prepared. We both liked the pork belly. We also got the queso fundido, which I didn't like as much, but I wasn't as hungry then, either.

We ended up leaving around 11:30 or so. I would definitely go back, and would like to go on a week night when it isn't Cinqo de Mayo (and Derby Day - odd juxtaposition of headware out there).

Wanted to add, also, that all the employees seemed just fine, if a bit busy. We never got anything other than professional, friendly service. The guy who had been helping us stepped away for a few minutes, and the woman who was on the other side was also then taking care of our side. She was clearly quite very busy, but was able to say "I'll get to your order in just a minute" in a way that was reassuring and not at all annoyed or exasperated (you know how people can get if too many people are asking them stuff at the same time).

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Leek
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Yesterday, I was at Big Star & had the 1st piece of fish I've tasted in over 16 years. It was delicious, & an accident, so I spit it out. But it really was delicious. It was the battered tilapia taco. It was so mild, in it's fishiness that it wasn't until I examined the flesh after biting into it that I realized it was definitely fish. I was with a friend who doesn't like fish, but she tasted it and loved it.

It was also perfectly crisp & greaseless (in a good way).

Now to recreate at home with a mandoline, potato(or maybe celery root) & a batter, like a potato croquette.

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Ava-"If you get down and out, just get in the kitchen and bake a cake."- Jean Strickland

Horto In Urbs- Falling in love with Urban Vegetable Gardening

Simultaneously, another of your posts guided me to the fry-and-tzatziki laden Vegetarian Salad at Cross Rhodes before a concert last night, and it was probably the best all-vegetable main course I've had at a family place in 16 years. Karma is out there!

Hilarious. I just love Cross Rhodes. We did 2 graduation meals there. Both my undergrad & grad school luncheons from Northwestern were there. They were about 10 years apart and over 10 years has passed since my last NU graduation and the place never fails.

Speaking of Greek, although this is different, finally getting over to Taxim this evening.

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Ava-"If you get down and out, just get in the kitchen and bake a cake."- Jean Strickland

Horto In Urbs- Falling in love with Urban Vegetable Gardening

The Walking Taco is the only food item I've had at Big Star this calendar year that feels like they still care; the menu has been slow to update and the pastor and panza have really settled into a minimum-effort, textureless lukewarm groove. For $2, the Walking Taco nets you excellent salsas and fresh green onions over melted cheese, meaty, smoky beans, and the requisite commercial bag of Fritos. There is a playfulness and balance here that speaks of some pride. Perhaps the newly-swapped nopal torta also features this - didn't get to that this week. Drinks (soft and hard) are still a strong suit.

I think that Big Star is now doing a daily tamale special; apparently there is a lady working in the kitchen who would make them for the staff and now she's doing it full time for the customers. The chicken tamale I had last week was one of the best tamales I've ever had, and was a pretty generous size, too.

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Anthony Bourdain on Barack Obama: "He's from Chicago, so he knows what good food is."