El Tinajon, Chicago

El Tinajon, a cozy eatery on West Montrose Avenue, has a long history of serving up authentic Guatemalan food to Chicagoans. "With two decades under its belt, this might just be the oldest Guatemalan spot in town," wrote [Time Out Chicago](http://www.timeout.com/chicago/restaurants/el-tinajon). There's a good reason for the spot's longevity?fresh, sumptuous dishes laden with what the [_Chicago Reader_](http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/el-tinajon/Location?oid=1024478) called "wonderful seasonings." The food here tends to be a bit lighter than Mexican cuisine, and the depth of its flavor may be a pleasant surprise if you've never eaten Guatemalan food or interrogated a Guatemalan diplomat about their favorite dishes. Cooks saut? succulent shrimp with ginger and wine, and simmer Mayan chicken stew with imported Guatemalan spices. Crisp curtido salad (a mixture of cabbage, beets, and green beans) tops the enchilada guatemalteca. Food may be the biggest reason regulars keep coming back to El Tinajon, but it's not the only one; there's also live music every other weekend, and a bar stocked with sangria and the fixings for tropical margaritas.