Velvet Taco now open in the Gold Coast

One of the Gold Coast’s newest and most exciting openings is still largely a secret, but it won’t be for long.  Velvet Taco opened a few weeks ago at 1110 North State Street and if you are even remotely intrigued by the idea of awesome, reasonably priced tacos then you will soon become a regular.

Before you sigh and say, “Another taco spot?” let me tell you that these are not your run-of-the-mill tacos. Velvet Taco is not remotely a “Mexican” restaurant. The only truly Mexican items on the menu are their superb Elote and one of the best frozen Margaritas I have tasted in a long time.   Velvet Taco offers superb options which just happen to be served in the style of tacos.  Check out the menu and you will understand what I mean.

They make their own tortillas, slow roast their own chicken, and make everything from scratch.  The inventive, chef-driven creations encompass creative combinations that most taco restaurants would never embrace.  For instance, on a recent visit my guest and I had the pleasure of sampling the following six creations:

• Rotisserie Chicken (white queso, roast corn pico, cilantro, smoked poblano salsa, corn tortilla) This is probably the most “standard” taco we tried, but it was excellent.  The chicken is roasted fresh and is juicy and flavorful.
• Cuban Pig (Gruyere cheese, slow roasted pulled pork, shaved ham, peppered bacon, grain mustard, house brined pickle, crisp flour tortilla) I love a good traditional Cuban sandwich, and this is an excellent deconstructed version.  The house-brined pickles are particularly excellent.
• Crisp Pork Belly (house pickles, pickled fresnos, grain mustard, tomato, red onion, poppy seed, celery salt, flour tortilla) There’s a tiny homage to the Chicago hot dog here and the result is wonderful. 
• Grilled Flank Steak (Portobello, white queso, grilled red onion, Mexican oregano, corn tortilla) The combination of Portobello with the steak was inspired and adds a wonderful texture (and flavor).
• Mediterranean Calamari (tapioca dusted, feta, light Greek salad, tzatziki sauce, Kalamata olive tapenade, flour tortilla) A great option if you are a fan of Greek salad. The calamari tends to get a little lost in the flavor of the feta, so hopefully they will adjust the recipe to highlight the seafood a bit more.  Still, this was definitely worth ordering.
• Ahi Poke (ginger-soy vinaigrette, avocado, seaweed salad, pickled fresnos, sesame seeds, Himalayan sea salt, micro greens, lettuce wrap) This one won my vote as “best of show.” The amount of tuna was generous and the ginger-soy vinaigrette never overpowered.  The Himalayan sea salt was a delight since it added both flavor and a wonderfully surprising crunch.

The menu sides are equally exciting, including Crisp Tots & Local Egg (tater tots mixed with herbed goat cheese, smoked cheddar, avocado crema, bacon, and topped with a sunnyside up egg).  This is a meal on its own, so be prepared to share.  They also excel at the aforementioned Rotisserie Corn Elote which is the best I have tasted in Chicago outside of the street carts in Pilsen.  We didn’t have the strength to try the dessert (after eating six huge tacos and two sides) but we watched others sample the Red Velvet Cake.  As my friend said, “Oh my God, that’s huge! You would pay at least double for that at any other restaurant in the city.” On my next visit, I may just opt for another Margarita and some of that cake.

If you’re a vegetarian, you might (at first) find the menu limited.  There are only two vegetarian options listed, but Velvet Taco excels at customer service. Anything made with meat can be made with fried paneer at your request.  Trying to eat more paleo? Just ask for lettuce wraps instead of tortillas. Again, Velvet Taco is in the business of making its customers happy and they will substitute and adjust as much as possible for you.

The restaurant focuses its practices on sustainability, so they recycle as much as possible and most of their serving wear is biodegradable.  They center their beverage program on local, craft beverages including craft beers and craft sodas and their food is sourced locally and seasonably as much as possible.

Here’s one of my favorite options – their soon-to-be famous “Backdoor Chicken.”  According to their website:

• Step 1: go to your favorite restaurant (Velvet Taco).
• Step 2: strut past the front door to the back.
• Step 3: knock on the backdoor and hand us $20 cash money money (no worries we’re coming back).
• Step 4: wait a few minutes, the door will open and we will hand you a magical bag of delicious goodness including: A Whole Rotisserie Chicken, 2 Sides of Elote Style Rotisserie Corn, 6 Corn Tortillas, Roasted Corn Pico De Gallo and Heat Sauce.

Only $20 for all of that?  In the Gold Coast?  Count me in!

Velvet Taco is located at 1110 North State Street.  The downstairs is rather small, but they have a large upstairs dining area which offers excellent views of the Gold Coast and the city skyline.  In better weather, the windows both upstairs and downstairs will be open providing a lovely approximation of al fresco dining.  You can get more information on their website, on their Facebook page or by calling them at (312) 763-2654.