The angled southeast corner of Euclid and McPherson had long been a perpetually dusty and smudged collection of windows, holding back a bursting collection of seemingly haphazard elderly furniture. To sit at the bar of Gringo, gaze out the now-sparkling windows at street life and try to integrate that setting with what used to be there is nigh impossible. But a round of the Gringo Margaritas helps.
Late lunch is quiet at Gringo, but evenings are energetic and noisy, feeding folks who are eager to try chow that isn't really Tex-Mex but…well, let's call it Nex-Mex, next to Mexican but not actially of it. Carey McDowell, late of Winslow's Home, has revamped the menu some, removing the grasshopper tacos and introducing his own touches, including the brisket for which he has become known. Like the decor, which stays far away from the sombrero syndrome, the food is distinctly modern.
A strong opening recommendation for the guacamole, made tableside and seasoned as you prefer, plenty of queries from the server as they bash up the two avocados. Yes, two whole aguacate, a light hit of jalapeno, onion, salt and pepper and other things and then the query of smooth or chunky. Saying yes to everything worked to produce a tasty result. The generous serving would make a fine solo lunch. Chips and salsa at the start of the meal do pretty well, the salsa smoky from some chipotle, the chips thin and fresh. Another endorsement for the posole, the rich porky soup with cumin and Mexican oregano, studded with stir-ins of chopped onion and thinly sliced radishes. The only non-classic note about this traditional dish is that instead of cabbage tossed in at the last minute, there was lettuce, which wilts too quickly to give the crunch that cabbage would deliver.
More modern in their approach are most of their tacos. Not the tacos of Cherokee Street nor the drive-thru, these guys vary not only in their primary protein filling but in their toppings too. The aforementioned brisket wears a dab of guacamole and a spoonful of pickled chopped vegetables, whereas the surprisingly tender grilled octopus rides on a swoosh of refried black beans and a citrus salsa, a particularly tasty combination. Barbacoa, here done with lamb, is (very) lightly smoked, crisped up on a griddle and served with a drizzle of sour-cream-like crema and some pickled onion.Tinga, the chicken filling is a braise in roasted tomato, garlic and chipotle, the latter a smoked pepper that seems to be a favorite here, and there's even a Gringo taco. Yes, that's what they call the crisp taco filled with ground beef, lettuce, fresh tomato and cheese. Still, better than Taco Tootsie's, or whatever fast food comparison one can offer. What was surprising, though, was that the tortillas, described as housemade. Every one consumed that hadn't been in the fryer was dry at the edges.
Bigger chunks of the brisket are rolled up into enchiladas. This beef, though, had a sweetness about it that was surprising and a little disconcerting. The pickled onions and radishes atop the cheese and the roasted tomato-chile sauce were spicy and crunchy, a nice contrast. Very flavorful pinto beans with lots of juice rode one end of the plate; on the other a tomato- and cumin-seasoned rice, wasn't overcooked and mushy but lacked excitement. The creamy refried black beans, available as a side dish, full of deep and mysterious flavors – and I'm guessing they included some fat from our friend the pig – were kept from perfection by oversalting, alas. Still, darned tasty.
Gringo's flan is not the rubbery caramel-sauced slab that one often finds under that name. While the flavor varies at the whim of the kitchen – this one was made with grated coconut – it's essentially a French-style custard that's been brulee'd. The bits of coconut, which floated to the top of the egg mixture, made for a nice texture with the crunchiness of the sugar glaze, an unexpected prize at the end fo a meal.
And about those margaritas – plenty of options. The house, or Gringo marg was served in a tall glass, and while it's described as being "on tap" it didn't taste of bottled mix. Senor de Oaxaca with a smoky tequila and hellfire bitters (which I suspect are housemade as well), ran in another direction, intriguing and sultry, definitely for sipping, not gulping.
Pleasant, knowledgeable service – although pray tell me why checks are starting to appear unrequested without so much as an offer of dessert?
Gringo
398 N. Euclid Ave.
314-449-1212
Lunch & Dinner daily
Credit cards: Yes
Wheelchair access: Fair
Smoking: No
Tacos and Entrees: $3-$14