Ashok Selvam is the editor of Eater Chicago and a native Chicagoan armed with more than two decades of award-winning journalism. Now covering the world of restaurants and food, his nut graphs are super nutty.
An agave lounge with a six-course small bites menu paired with cocktails should debut later this month in Wicker Park. Botánero is from chef and partner Yanitzin “Yani” Sanchez and partner Richard Vallejo. It’s replacing Caspian, a casual Mediterranean restaurant at 1413 N. Ashland Avenue, according to a news release.
Botánero’s special tasting menu will be offered on Wednesdays, kicking off on October 23. There will be two seatings daily and reservations will be taken via Tock. Besides the tasting menu look for tamales, quesadillas, and tlayudas made with tortillas derived from heirloom corn from Mexico.
Typically served at bars with drinks, botanas are small plates, kind of a Mexican counterpart to Spanish tapas. Ownership hopes the taco de negro asada with prime beef ribeye, queso asadero, mojo negro, onion-cilantro gremolata, and roasted marrow bone becomes a signature.
Weekend brunch should include a bottomless option for unlimited house margaritas, micheladas, mimosas, and spritzers.
Chef Yani and Vallejo are frequent collaborators. They teamed on Taquizo, a casual taqueria that opened in 2022 and has since closed in Wicker Park. Taquizo was a reboot of Las Palmas. There are also two shuttered suburban Mexican spots: Mercado Cocina in suburban Glenview and Cine in Hinsdale.
Sanchez’s credits also include Sabor Saveur in Wicker Park. That space would become Takito, and she continued as a consultant for the burgeoning group that expanded into West Loop and Lincoln Park.
While not the sole focus of Botánero, Mexican tasting menus are still a rarity in Chicago, with Topolobampo and Tzuco in River North being the most prominent. In recent years, taco-tasting menus at places like Cariño and Taqueria Chingon have soared.
Botánero, 1413 W. Ashland Avenue, planned for an October opening; Wednesday tasting menu launches on October 23, brunch launches on November 9.
