Inside Tazquizas Valdez, Now Open in Old Irving | Eater Chicago

"A recently opened Old Irving Park counter-service restaurant with seating for 45, the colorful long mural along the wall traces the owner’s family journey from a small Mexican town to Mexico City and finally to Chicago, includes symbols from his military time, and even features his 2-year-old daughter; "I want to showcase and voice my story," says Valdez, who grew up in Logan Square. His food reflects that personal narrative: signature al pastor is "made from thinly sliced pork shoulder marinated in guajillo and achiote for 24 hours and cooked on a spit." "It’s labor intensive but you can’t replicate that slow roast," he says. Pollo al limon features marinated grilled chicken thigh seared on the plancha to order, topped with onion, cilantro, avocado, and Fresno peppers on lightly charred chicken. Build-your-own tacos are available with add-ons like pineapple-habanero relish, lime crema, and salsa macha. Tortas use freshly baked housemade bread; the four tortas range from skirt steak with black beans to the more complex pambazo de hongos (mushroom medley topped with queso fresco, crispy fries, salsa macha, and avocado). On weekends the space morphs into a panaderia with pastries and specialty Mexican-style coffee drinks — examples include dulce de leche cream cheese-stuffed conchas and cinnamon-topped bunuelos — made by head baker Jose De Jesus Cortez; "My mom was a big sweets person," says Valdez. Valdez’s culinary path began cooking with his mother, Rosa, followed by culinary school, six years in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, and professional stints at West Town Bakery & Diner, Homestead On the Roof, Quiote, and Lobo Rey. After his mother fell ill in 2020 and died less than a year later he took a sabbatical, later earned certifications in electrical maintenance and construction and a bachelor’s in engineering technology, and restarted the weekend catering business he began with his mom — it was during those backyard taquizas that he refined his taco-making and rediscovered his passion. After numerous clients urged him to open (and his wife wanted her house back — "There was kitchen equipment everywhere," he says), he opened on Wednesday, December 18. He continues to work as a laboratory engineer while overseeing the operation alongside chef de cuisine Jesus Aguilera. For now the menu is kept deliberately simple, with weekend specials planned (including a Sonoran hot dog and multi-course Mexican dinners that highlight his fine-dining background) and future plans to feature dishes that showcase his mother’s recipes. "Instead of cooking on Mother’s Day for my mom, I was cooking for others’ moms," says Valdez." - Lisa Shames