You too can be a
ranchero eating macho delicacies to prove your manhood.
La Casa de Samuel in Little Village serves grilled alligator, rabbit, wild boar, rattle snake — even bull's testicles. This food will make you want to jump into the saddle on display in the restaurant and ride (but please, don't take your guns to town). Or bring a friend here, ask for the menu en español, order for them, and don’t tell them until afterwards that they’ve eaten a bull’s cojones.
Samuel Linares, himself, owns a ranch in the Mexican state of Guerrero, and he loves to hunt. The delicacies here don't strike him as unique. But if they're a little ambitious for your taste, go with the more traditional south-of-the-border fare: a fajita, a steak or the killer huevos rancheros, served with fresh, locally made tortillas. The prices here won't make you reach for the hilt: The traditional Mexican items run $8-$15, whereas you’ll cough up $25 for the grilled rattlesnake.
La Casa de Samuel stocks a full bar, but nevertheless offers a family-friendly ambience. The colorful paintings of Mexico on the wall, and the Sun God in the corner, will calm that shooting hand of yours.
Average cost: $10-$20
Centerstage Reviewer: Jacob Wheeler