Delicias Crucita

Doña Crucita is a gem, I luv my Ecuadorian food. It might be simple but it’s delicious. Glad I found her again but now in Portage Park. Place is small for about 25 folk’s. This Ecuadorian main plate is delish, fried pork (substitute for meat or chicken) hominy with onion salad, and potato paddies. The cheese empanada sprinkled with some sugar are yummmy.
If you haven’t tried Ecuadorian food yet, I’d give place a try. Good food made with a lot of luv

Tiny location. Had the ceviche de camaron and platanos con queso. Ceviche was served with dry roasted corn and rice. Delicious!

Unfortunately, Delicias Crucita is CLOSED.
I was eager to try their Ecuadorian food, but saw the paper-​covered windows and the «For Rent» sign out front. I also noticed several other places that were out of business in that area, which is quite sad. It looks like the college students nearby are only partial to Subway, Jimmy John’s, and Starbucks. No, no, and NO.
Support your local businesses.

My family and Crucita (the chef/​owner) go way back to when she would sell food out of her apartment on the northside. The move to her own restaurant really proves how much people enjoy the ecuadorian food she makes.
It really is a great, family-​run business and Crucita is one of the warmest people I generally know. As soon as she recognizes me when I walk in, she doesn’t wait to send out some fritada (pork), mote (cooked corn), and tostada (a kind of fried/​toasted corn). She’s smart too because I can never taste some fritada without getting a full order.
My family and my favorites dishes include the seco de chivo (beef stew), caldo de papas (potato soup), fritada (fried pork), and her humitas (similar to tamales).
To drink, jugo de naranjilla (a juice made from a fruit found in the Andes) always hits the spot or a fruity Fioravanti pop.
Otherwise, you should really stop by for some the holiday-​specific food:
Around November 2^nd (Dia de los Defunctos) she makes a great colada morada (a warm, thick, tangy, berry drink) with typical ecuadorian bread.
For Easter, stop by to try her Fanesca (a thick traditional soup made with 12 different grains for the 12 different apostles).
If you can’t already tell, I’m a big fan of Crucita and have been going to her and her restaurant for years.

I’m not sure how many people frequent this neighborhood who are on Unilocal other than those who attend NEIU and North Park (what say, you’ve never heard of those schools? 3 months ago, neither had I).
But if you are ever in the neighborhood, and in the mind for something different, stop by here. The cheerful, BRIGHT, familial (I sensed that the Parents were working the counter, the grandma was cooking and the kids were hanging out doing their homework) serve out portions of latin food you’ve probably never seen.
Ask them what’s best, and they’ll tell you. I got a huge dollop of fried pork pieces, some hardened corn, some corn that looked like it got blown up, and a fried plantain. But the kick was the ‘hot sauce’ (sort of a salsa) which I spread over all the aforementioned parts of the meal.
Awesome. Friendly. Tasty.

This was a first for me too, Jason.
I asked the girl at the counter to suggest our dinner Friday. We took her suggestions:
Pork with fried mashed potatoes
and
Beef Stew
We also had a chicken & a steak taco so we could compare the flavor to the common South American neighbor…
I agree — the food is too good for the place to be so empty.
I smell an unofficial Unilocal event!

i had never had ecuadorian cuisine before i found this place, so i wasn’t sure what to expect. what i found out is that it’s pretty tasty. i opted for the secos de carne, a beef and potato stew served over rice with an onion-​y salsa on the side and a tomate de arbol juice. at first the prices seemed maybe a dollar or two too high given the portion size, but i came out full & satisfied, so who am i to complain? i’ve only been in here in the kind of mid-​afternoon lull, and it was dead empty. i hope they’re busier during the lunch & dinner rushes, the food is too good for nobody to eat it.