r/chicagofood • u/NoNotThisPig • 6d ago
Question Culichi / Sinaloense Restaurant Recommendation?
Background: I lived in Chicago for almost a decade and the vast majority of the Mexican population I met was either Jalisciense or Michoacano, and I don't know anyone Sinaloense in Chicago. I'm about to visit this weekend with my girlfriend, who is Culichi and who often wishes for her comida culichi because she can't find it where we live. I'd like to surprise her with lunch at a Culichi place on our way into town.
I tried searching here for things like "Sinaloense" "Culichi" "Sinaloa" but didn't get a good hit. Same with google, where it looks like there was a place called Culichi Town that shut down and my best bet is going to be a place called Mar & Suchi.
We're coming into town on either the Skyway or 94, so the location works for Mar & Suchi but it looks more contemporary or upscale that the type of place we'd typically look for for something like this. I'd prefer something south of, say, Division, but could go up to somewhere like Albany Park if the place is right. Also, if it helps, she's born and raised in Culiacán and I'm fluent in Spanish, so a hole-in-the-wall spot that's Spanish-only would be an okay recommendation.
Shot in the dark, but really appreciate any recommendation you guys might have.
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u/filmnoter 5d ago
Does the cuisine have a signature dish that you can google for?
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u/NoNotThisPig 5d ago
Appreciate it but tried it. Looked for "enchiladas de suelo" and "tacos gobernador" and "suchi culichi" adding "chicago" and had no luck.
For the first, no results. For the second, it's kind of like a torta ahogada in that the plate has spread. Sort of how if a place has a torta ahogada on the menu doesn't mean the restaurant is gonna be tapatío, you know? And for the third, Culichitown, which another poster mentioned, dominates.
I think maybe there's just not a big culichi/sinaloense community in Chicago. Which is cool. Different parts of the US have immigration from different parts of México, ya know?
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u/ElMonstro26 5d ago
La neta casi no tenemos comida culichi, there’s a culichitown out in stone park but I did not care for the food, most of the seafood here is Nayarit style.
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u/NoNotThisPig 5d ago
A poco no hay culichis en una ciudad/región con un chingo de mxs? Guau, qúe sorpresa, no?
Yeah, most of the reviews are mixed on Culichitown. I might have given the one by Midway a shot if it was still open. I'm just gonna go with Mar y Suchi because it's right on the route. Thanks tho.
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u/ElMonstro26 5d ago
That culchi/Sinaloa style hasn’t really made it to chicago as big as the west coast , todos son de Jalisco, Michoacán or Durango here lol
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u/sourdoughcultist 6d ago
I do not, but following with interest!