You are located in the Wicker Park neighborhood of Chicago, an area filled with wonderful independent shops and restaurants. In what ways do the business owners in the neighborhood collaborate to support one another? > Wicker Park is such a unique neighborhood. We feel lucky to have found a location on
Milwaukee Avenue with so many creative people. The neighborhood greeted us with open arms. Emporium Arcade Bar has brought such a wonderful nightlife to this stretch of Milwaukee Avenue. We love working with the owners, Danny and Doug, on events. They don’t serve food and we don’t have arcade games so naturally we are always recommending each other to guests. The Emporium is also the only place we deliver to (for free). We are always doing trades with Tim, who opened Transit Tee’s across the street. Transit Tee’s does custom decals and signage, something Antique Taco is always in need of with our changing seasonal menu. Every time I have a design idea I walk over to Transit, and nine times out of ten the answer to “can you guys do this,” is yes.
RICK SEES THE FLAVORS IN THE FOOD AND I SEE THE BEAUTY.
One of your most exciting and innovative collaborations is your guest chef series for charity. Can you give us the details about this project? > Surrounded by so many great
restaurants in Chicago, we wanted to get other chef’s take on a taco. The “Guest Chef Taco” gets featured for a month and each sale benefits a selected charity. Allowing the chef to select their charity of choice makes it even more personal.
Rick, in addition to several classic Mexican dishes, your menu includes items such as Horchata Milkshakes, Rosemary Margaritas, Habanero Popcorn and a Marshmallow/Chocolate Pop Tart. What elements of your heritage and cultural experiences have most influenced your creativity?
ASHLEY ORTIZ
> I grew up in an Italian and Irish neighborhood in Chicago. It was tough being the only
Hispanic kid in class so instinctively I tried to fit in. As I grew older I became more interested in how my family got here. I have always been drawn to using Mexican ingredients in nontraditional ways. At Antique Taco I wanted to blend the freshest available foods from the Midwest with my Mexican heritage. Our menu reflects my experience from every kitchen in which I have worked, my education from Kendall College and my travels abroad.
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