traditional mexican at el comal

we had dinner friday night at el comal in north park. it's in the old tazablanca building on illinois just north of university. both of us were suffering from head colds so we figured some hot soup would be beneficial, and el comal delivers when it comes to soup. jay had the albondigas con zanahoria y chipotle (meatballs with carrots & smoked pepper), with plenty of rice thrown in. the meatballs were quite tasty and tender, and the broth was spicy with jalapenos. my chicken pozole ("chicken or pork with hominy red or white, includes: tostadas, avocado, pork rinds, onion, jalapeno and cabbage") was fantastic, and i devoured the huge bowl after dumping all of the sides listed above. the pork rinds are a highlight since they soak up the red broth and become soggy punches of flavor. the soft tortillas mopped up the remaining broth. for $8-9 bucks, the soups are a great deal.

i had a carne asada taco on the side, which was good, but jay was disappointed in his shredded beef taco, remarking that it was cold. my margarita was cheap, big and tasty. we also enjoyed the spicy salsa and chips which promptly came to the table, but unfortunately were not refilled. friendly service topped off a great dining experience. we'll be back to explore more of the authentic mexican entrees at el comal. jay kept saying how everything tasted like his mexican friend's mother made when he was growing up, and you can't get a much better recommendation than that.