Restaurant Review: Casa Yari, Logan Square, Chicago

Thought I’d give a shout out to Casa Yari, an amazing Puerto Rican/Honduran fusion restaurant in Logan Square. For just about every meat entree they also offer a vegeterian and a vegan version and it is all delicious and beautifully presented.  I first went with friends to check it out as a possible place for one of our Spice Group BYOB dinners.  The verdict was unanimous and we went for it.  And then we went back again for some folks who couldn't make that dinner.  And I plan to go again soon!  It's near the intersection of Fullerton and Kimball and not that difficult to get to with public transportation and again, it is well worth the effort.

These yucca fritters were amazingly delicious, with a light crunchy exterior and soft, pillowy interior.  There was just enough seasoning to enhance the taste without overshadowing the delicate flavor of the yucca.  It would be worth going there for these alone.

A lot of the food here is fried.  But it is all fried with such a delicate touch that it is not at all greasy.  It's not something I would want to eat every day for health reasons, but if it's going to be fried, this is definitely the way I want to go.

There were other appetizers we did not try that looked delicious as well.  I plan to rectify that situation the next time I dine there.

For the paladar, they offer a meat version (Chicken-Cheese (flour) and Shredded Beef and Potato (corn dough)) and a vegetarian version (Spinach-Cheese and Potato (flour), Bean and Corn (corn dough)).  Since there were vegetarians dining with us we opted for the vegetarian version, and both the flour and the corn dough empanadas were delicious.  Again, the exteriors were light and crisp and the interiors were full full of flavor.  Either the yucca fritters or the empanadas (or both) would make a meal in and of themselves.

The pastelon is the Chef's take on a Caribbean version of lasagna where the noodles are replaced with sweet plaintains.  They offer a beef, vegetarian, and vegan versions of this dish.  The vegetarian version was quite tasty, although I am not a huge fan of sweet plantain.  I much prefer the less ripe, savory plantain so I think I would have liked this better if it were made with unripe plantains.  But that did not seem to be a problem for anyone else.

And now for the piece de resistance.  I felt obligated to try their mofongo, a staple of Puerto Rican cuisine.  Although they offer a vegan version with jackfruit which was tempting, I had to go with the more traditional pork version.  It was full of garlic and savory plantain, and the pork was tender and flavorful, with beautifully crisp edges.

They get as many points for presentation as for flavor.  Every dish looked gorgeous and it was clear that great thought was given to how they should be presented.  All three times we went the service was exceptional and the atmosphere was warm and inviting.  For such well crafted, sourced and delicious fare it is wallet friendly, especially being BYOB.

If you are looking for something special you can enjoy on any occasion, you can't go wrong with Casa Yari.  I cannot recommend it highly enough.

Their hours vary from day to day and they are closed on Mondays and Tuesdays so be sure to check the schedule before you go.  The restaurant is small so I would recommend that you make a reservation.  From what I observed the three times I was there they have a booming takeout business.

Casa Yari
3268 W Fullerton Ave, Chicago, IL 60647
(773) 661-9546
Hours:  varied

Who Knew? Chile Relleno Taco

For many years the criterion on which I judged any Mexican restaurant was their chile rellenos and I would order them if they were on the menu.  Most of them were decent but none really stood out.

And then I saw the chile relleno taco at Taqueria San Juanito, the Mexican restaurant right around the corner from my new apartment.  I couldn't imagine what it could be so of course I had to order it.  I took it home along with the taco al pastor I ordered and opened it up to see what it could possibly be.

And as you can see by the photo above, it is a full chili relleno sitting on two corn tortillas.  I don't know what I was expecting - maybe some kind of deconstructed version - but there it was in all its glory.

And it was delicious.  I didn't really need the taco al pastor but it was tasty too so I ended up eating them both anyway.

I didn't know this was a thing although a friend told me she has seen it on other menus around the city.  If that is the case I am all for it.  The breading was crisp and not too greasy and the tortillas, which are hand made, were thick and soft and delicious.

If you ever see a chile relleno taco on the menu do yourself a favor and order it.  You will not be disappointed.