Restaurant Review of Pl-Zen Chicago, Pilsen Neighborhood
Restaurant Review of Pl-Zen
If you haven’t taken the time to visit Pilsen I encourage you to do so. I recently decided to ditch my burro and take a walk down18th Street. Amongst the art peddlers, taco slingers and champurrado swiglers I found a twisty restaurant called Pl-Zen. Owned by Cesar Augosto Gonzalez Villegos, that’s a mouth full, hence why I encourage you to visit this place. His goal is to bring a creative, honest and sustainable menu and at the same time breed life into what has been his neighborhood for the past nine years. The following is a recollection of my time at the Pl-Zen restaurant:
Service
As always the Pilsen community receives you with open arms. That is what I felt when I walked in the door. I was greeted with a smile and our waitress knew her menu so well that it seemed as if she was cooking and serving at the same time. I give service 8 out of 10 Tentacles!
Atmosphere
I couldn’t help but notice what was happening in this restaurant. Not only was there a mixture of cultures but ideas, dialog and respect amongst all. There were people having late night dinners, others having cocktails and yet others having conversations over a cup of coffee. No one cared if you came in with a suit and tie or a pair of boxers and some sandals the décor in the restaurant was inviting to all. For atmosphere I give it 9 out of 10 Tentacles!
Food
Now lest get down to the nitty gritty. My appetizer was fluffy calamari with pieces of jalapeno and red peppers, Yummy. My entrée was jumbo crab cakes with sweet corn citrus relish on a pretzel roll. The crab was wonderful, not over seasoned and jumbo just like the menu says. The relish made the dish vibrant full of flavor and every bite exploded in your mouth. The portions were large and definitely worth every penny, bring a box and make sure you take some leftovers. Overall, I give this wonderful and exciting restaurant 8.5 out of 10 Tentacles!
The restaurant is a start up and something very different then what Pilsen currently houses. The owner is definitely stepping up the game and forcing all other restaurants to do the same. I hope to see more restaurants in this community coming soon . Good luck Cesar Augosto Gonzalez Villegos and Viva PL-Zen!
Your Compadre,
Jorge Vega
If you would like to know more about Pilsen and its diverse neighborhood feel free to email me at [email protected]