La Aurora

La Aurora

4027 Irving Park 773/725-2630

I've been making day trips from O'Hare lately, and after 10 years of cabs and parking, I finally have come to realize that for under a sawbuck the finest public transportation system in America can get me from the gate, onto the Blue Line, on the bus, and home in less time than it often takes me to get through the cab stand and home (circa Ashland and Irving) for $35 bucks.

Anyway, right next to the Irving platform is this humble spot, which Aaron has written up previously. I, like Aaron, hugely recommend the "pambazo" with chorizo. I use the quotation marks because this is not a traditional pambazo, which is supposed to use pork. (Though according to pambazo experts on the CH San Francisco board, local "DF Style" pambazos are made the Aurora way.) It's a hell of a good, messy sandwich, though. A soft roll drowned in a spicy chile sauce is filled with a lot of chorizo and a little potato, crema, cheese, and lettuce. Like all good sandwiches, the sum is greater than its parts.

I'm also interested to try their huaraches and their pastor, which they must be proud of, since they offer the meat as a stand-alone dinner (not just an antojito filler). They also offer an almost-cemita type sandwich, a "torta chilanga" of milanesa, "queso oaxaca," and poblano pepper.

Nice eating around there, Aaron.

I have just printed out this post and plan on stop[ping at La Aurora on my way home from work this afternoon for a late lunch. It sounds good.

As mentioned, I stopped by La Aurora on my way home from work yesterday. This charming storefront delivered on many levels. I was the only patron at 3:00 P.M. and I walked in to the two Mexican ladies running the place watching a Chris Rock/Bernie Mac movie. I seated myself at a table with a good view of the TV and promptly order a Pambazo con Chorizo and a banana licuido.

I had a very enjoyable lunch, entertained by some pretty good laughs from the movie (I never did find out the name of it, but Chris Rock was running for President) and had some really great chow as well.

The sandwich could be described as somewhat like a Mexican sloppy joe, served on "Mexican Bread" which turned out to be a bakery style hamburger bun that stood up well to the chorizo, potatoes, crema, lettuce, cheese and mole sauce without ever getting soggy. The accompanying chips and salsa were nothing special, and the slasa was of a particularly smooth variety that I did not care for, but the sandwich was a real winner. The cemeta now has a cousin.



Thanks to JeffB for discovering this place. I'll be back.

The movie is called 'Head of State'.

It appears that La Aurora is no longer in business.