If you know me, you know I don’t tolerate waiting in lines, for anything. It’s one of my biggest pet peeves. So for example, the nation’s best barbecue, Franklin’s, yeah haven’t been there yet. I refuse to line up two hours in advance for a piece of brisket. While that might get me tossed out of many levels of the local food blogging ranks, It’s the truth. When I think of all the other things I could be doing instead of waiting in line for that slab of delicious meat, I just can’t justify it.
Now, Tortas on the other hand, I’ll wait in a substantial line if the end product is going to blow my mind. Especially if the wait is 45 minutes and not two hours. So every time I go to Chicago I try to visit Xoco. Usually we beat extreme lines because we know when to hit it, but this time around, it was just a matter of needing badass Tortas to deal with the fact that it could very well rain all day and ruin our only full day together in the city. The line was long, it was pouring rain, but was that going to stop us? Nope. So we hung out in the rain for awhile, and when greeted with a tasty local beer inside to wait out the rest of the line, no problem.
I indulged in the special of the day, the Goat Barbacoa Torta, which led me to the conclusion that goat is a highly underrated meat. The Barbacoa style was tender and cooked to the point where it falls apart but wasn’t squidgy or awkward. Taste-wise, I’d say it was a middle ground between beef and lamb. Paired with the best of standard taco seasonings — onion, cilantro, avocado, black beans — it had my eyes rolling back in my head.
And of course had to wrap up the meal with their Aztec Hot Chocolate. A self-professed chili pepper fiend, a little cayenne and chili goes a long way when paired with chocolate. Sexy.
