Morena's Kitchen | Dominican Food

Morena’s Kitchen, a Dominican restaurant known for fried chicken, is moving to a larger space - Eater Chicago

"Chicago doesn’t have many Dominican restaurants, as the city’s population lags behind places like LA, Boston, and Atlanta. But Morena’s Kitchen, on the city’s West Side in the Belmont Cragin neighborhood, has been cooking traditional Dominican food like fried chicken, oxtail, and red snapper for the last four years at 5054 W. Armitage Avenue. It’s a tiny space with room for just a table with a total of 10 seats. Chef-owner Miriam Montes de Oca has bemoaned the lack of room in her kitchen. But that will all change next month when she moves into a larger space next door with room for 15 tables at 5058 W. Armitage Avenue. The restaurant’s name will transfer to the new space which will feature table service and a chance for Montes de Oca to regularly serve food specials like shrimp in coconut sauce. She’s planned to move to a larger space for a while, but encountered problems finding the ideal location. She’ll open Morena’s Kitchen as a BYO and hopes to add a liquor license down the line. Grilled chicken, salads, and different fish will be on the menu. In recent months, local writers have lauded Morena’s fried chicken as among the city’s best. The pica pollo is marinated double-fried chicken that comes hacked-up in pieces. Montes de Oca won’t reveal the seasoning, but food writer Titus Ruscitti described it as “Popeye’s turned up to ten.” Mike Sula of the Chicago Reader wrote the chicken will “present a compelling reason to lick your fingers.” The chicken’s served with fried plantains, ketchup, special habanero sauce, and lime." - Ashok Selvam