Mia Francesca owner Scott Harris teamed up with Patrick Concannon (Don Juan’s, Don Juan on Halsted) and Kevin Karales (Savor, Frontera Grill) to transform the former Bar San Miguel into PLATIYO, a contemporary Mexican dining room. The similarities to Don Juan’s and Frontera Grill are unmistakable: designer Nancy Warren (North Pond Cafe) painted the walls in rich tones of blue and red, then suspended brightly painted plaster animals from the ceiling. The well-thought-out and reasonably priced menu is yet another feather in Concannon’s cap. Appetizers make up half of it: sopes (masa cups) are filled with braised mushrooms in a pasilla chili sauce or tinga (shredded pork) and avocado salsa, and there are chicken and poblano flautas, a bay scallop seviche, and cazuela a la plaza (wood-grilled, red-chili-marinated beef tenderloin). Larger plates include enchiladas, served in tomatillo sauce or Oaxacan red mole; make-your-own tacos with wood-grilled chicken, steak, or mahimahi, a jicama pico de gallo, and beer-smoked baked beans; vegetarian tortas de lentejas (garlic-spiked lentil cakes with capers and pine nuts in a mushroom guajillo sauce); and borrego estilo jalisco (an ancho-and-chipotle-braised lamb shank–a flashback to Concannon’s Fahrenheit days). The room runs smoothly already, the cheerful and accommodating staff seemingly full of seasoned restaurant workers. It will likely be a great option for next-door neighbor Francesca’s spillover. Platiyo is at 3313 N. Clark, 773-477-6700.
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Art accompanying story in printed newspaper (not available in this archive): photo/Eric Fogleman.
