Welcome to Bunches o’ Brunches, a weekly series featuring superior brunch and breakfast booze from new restaurants and menus throughout Chicago.
One of the great things about brunch is that it unapologetically acts as a catalyst for irresponsibility. Responsible adults don’t drink copious amounts of champagne laced with orange juice and take two hour naps in the middle of the day but during the weekend and after brunch anything goes.
In honor of this great weekend tradition of dining and dilatoriness, we are featuring Takito Kitchen for our first May installment of Bunches o’ Brunches.
Takito Kitchen is a tapas style Mexican taqueria in Wicker Park and the older sister of Bar Takito (West Loop). Great effort is made here to ensure each dish borrows a little from the old and a lot from the new. Everything from the cocktails to the tortillas are made by hand in house. The wait staff is knowledgeable, friendly, and attentive. Sous chef Carlos Nuñez is the type of guy with whom you’d love to grab a drink or share a few rounds of mezcal.
If gluten’s your enemy, rest assured that each item on the menu is free of it, except for the masa crackers which taste something like unsweetened graham crackers and are also made by hand.
Over two years since Takito Kitchen’s start, and executive chef David Dworshak is still finding new ways to delight even the bar hopping cynics of Division street.
“In addition to the regular Dinner Menu, Takito offers a Farm to Table Brunch every Friday to Sunday from 11 AM to 3 PM. Similar to the Dinner Menu, Takito sources ingredients for its brunch from local farms and vendors such as City Farm, Maple Creek Farms, Three Sisters Garden, and Urban Till.” – Takito Kitchen
Brunch at Takito Kitchen
What does brunch look like here? Meaty, filling, and, if you want, plenty boozy. Don’t expect pancakes. Expect polenta, perfectly cheesy served with veggies and eggs. The pork belly sope (a new brunch item) combines flavorful pork, perfectly seasoned atop a crispy handmade sope. If your style leans a little more toward the traditional, try their Spanish ham and eggs, made with Serrano ham and Wisconsin cheddar.
This isn’t a free chips and salsa joint, so I also recommend ordering a platter of all three salsas to start and don’t forget to save room at the end for desert. The Mexican chocolate ganache is rich, perfectly semi-sweet, and is complimented with smooth coffee crema and an almond masa crisp.
Kari’s Recommendations
- Starter: Tomato Hibiscus Ghost Pepper Salsa
- Brunch: Polenta, Veggies, & Eggs
- Brunch: Pork Belly Sope
- Desert: Mexican Chocolate Ganache
- Cocktail: Cucumber Margarita (cool, citrusy)
- Cocktail: Caliente Margarita (deliciously spicy)
Also …
- Handcrafted margaritas, normally $9-$12, are $5 on Tuesdays
- Fried Chicken Wednesdays are EVERYTHING!
Takito Kitchen
2013 W. Division Street, Chicago, IL 60622
773 687 9620
Disclosure: As is common with restaurant reviews, meals were provided by Takito Kitchen. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author, Kari Herrera, and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Takito Kitchen.