Their eats: In Spanish, the name of this Ravenswood BYOB means golden—the color of the sun. "To me, it means energy," says chef-owner Luis Perez. It’s an appropriate name—and interpretation—for the longtime Chicago chef’s first solo venture. Four years after he opened the spot, energy still buzzes through the casual, candlelit dining room.
You won’t score anything you can’t find on the shelves of your local liquor store, but it’s hard to beat the convenience of a grab-and-go bottle of Wolf Blass shiraz ($20) or La Terre chardonnay ($14). If you’re going with beer, snag a six-pack of a smooth lager such as Harp ($12).
Perez’s food has pizzazz too. You can’t eat here without trying the Dorado Nachos ($9.95), a delightfully messy pile of corn chips topped with tender smoked duck and smothered in Chihuahua cheese, Bermuda onions, guacamole and jalapenos and drizzled with lime cream sauce. They’re a perfect example of Dorado’s unique blend of French and Mexican flavors, a style Perez developed after two decades of cooking everything from French to Mexican to Italian fare in other Chicago kitchens. The two cuisines come together harmoniously in popular entrees such as crabmeat-crusted Atlantic salmon over spicy chipotle mashed potatoes ($23.95) and a grilled center-cut pork chop over roasted garlic mashed potatoes, topped with plum mole ($19.95).
Your drinks: If you don’t have a reservation and there’s a wait at Dorado, head across the street for a pre-dinner cocktail at Claddagh Ring. When your table is ready, you can buy a bottle of wine or six-pack to go.
Dorado charges a corkage fee of $2 per bottle of wine or six-pack.
Emily Lobdell is a Metromix special contributor. metromix@tribune.com
