Eating with Don Pablo
In Chicago, you can find various cuisines across the all continents. Moreover, South American food has seen growth in the last years, particularly from Colombia and Venezuela . However, if there is one country that has been neglected, it is Chile. Thankfully, Don Pablo’s Kitchen and Bakeshop intends to fill that void with traditional Chilean empanadas. Named after the late, world renowned poet, Pablo Neruda, Don Pablo’s attempts to put forth Chile back on Chicago’s gastronomy map.
Don Pablo’s is the Asian market on Argyle near the redline stop. It is small, cozy place that keeps the arrangement simple for better intimacy. The menu itself stays short and simple with consisting of mostly empanadas, with a few pastries and salads. For this review, I tasted El Poeta and Jamón and Queso empanadas with an Alfajor as treat. Firstly, El Poeta is an empanada that consists of shrimp, corn, basil, oregano and a blend of mozzarella/gouda cheese.
The dough is definitely made well and baked to a degree that provides a good balance of crunchy and chewy. Additionally, the cheese mix is a bit sweet but just enough to be enjoyable without being overbearing. However, the shrimp and corn aspects of El Poeta run into a few debatable problems. To begin with, the choice of using sautéed shrimp is a mixed result. The shrimp is cooked finely, but one could argue that marinated it with other ingredients could add more depth to the empanada’s profile. Debatable as the Don Pablo does attempt to have a level of tradition in its menu. Similarly, the addition of corn was probably added in to solve this problem but did very little to balance El Poeta. Again, one could say less is more, and, perhaps that is the intention with this empanada. Not bad per se, but it leaves a lot question marks.
The Jamón y Queso empanada was next in line. Again the blend of mozzarella and gouda works well. The smoked ham makes little difference on the overall taste. It’s traditional but one can also see why it might not work. To be fair, there are other more adventurous empanadas on the menu. For that reason, one cannot be overtly rigorous. However, by itself, the Jamón and Queso empanada feels underwhelming.
The third and final item was the alfajor(biscuits with caramelized milk inside). The alfajor was kept to a simple and tried format of a powered coating, soft biscuits, and a reasonably thick layer of dulce de leche in between. The result is a humble but solid alfajor that keeps things safe and secure. The powder coating has a subtle tone of lemon and the soft biscuits are soft but sturdy. The dulce de leche had a cool temperature and was more thick than lean. Moreover, the alfajor was sweet but not sugary or crusty like other alfajores. Overall, a respectable treat.
Don Pablo’s mission to give Chile its place in Chicago is a valiant one and should be applauded. The place comfortable one and service is well handled. The food is not poor by any means and should be tried. The baking is definitely made with effort and care. That being said, the empanadas leave an ambivalent impression. For the newcomer or traditional eater, Don Pablo is a great experience. For the more versed connoisseur, it is still enjoyable but will leave wanting a bit more.
