"In Little Village, soup is a vast and varied category. When searching for an entry point to dining in Little Village look no further than popular neighborhood destination Nuevo Leon — which is immediately recognizable thanks to intricate Day of the Dead murals that decorate its facade all year round. Founded in 1962 by late patriarch Emeterio Gutierrez on 18th Street, it was the oldest restaurant in Pilsen until it burned down in a 2015 fire. Now, his son, Emeterio Gutierrez Jr., and daughter, Laura Gutierrez, run the show on 26th Street, where the latter pops up around the dining room offering feedback on orders. We ordered a piping hot bowl of caldo de camaron. The soup — a melange of tender carrots, green peppers, and springy shrimp in mild red-hued broth — is light and restorative, especially when doctored up with a burst of lime juice. But Laura Gutierrez lightheartedly told us our order was incorrect. After all, there are no native shrimp in Nuevo Leon, the state. Meat is the real star in Northern Mexico, where Gutierrez’s family originated." - Naomi Waxman
