🍴 Johnny's Table and sexy tortas

Best of Chicago-nominated best new pop-up [View this email in your browser]( [READER Logo]( [Food & Drink]( | February 16, 2024 Juan Meza wants you to feel things. “I love when people eat something, and they're just like, ‘Fuck, this is delicious,’” he says. “‘This reminds me of my grandma.’ To me, that’s, like, a fucking orgasm in my ears. When they're eating my food, and they get those few moments of bliss, I’m like, ‘Yeah I made you come, baby. That's me, right? That's my food that you're eating.’” Meza can do it with flautas. He can do it with Sonoran hot dogs. He can do it with lobster butter crab toast. But on March 19, he’s doing it with tortas when Johnny’s Table steps up to the line for the next [Monday Night Foodball]( the Reader’s weekly chef pop-up at Ludlow Liquors. Meza, a veteran of Parson’s, the late, great [Cantina 1910]( and [Mi Tocaya]( launched his [prolific pop-up]( in 2022, recently enough to land in the Reader’s Best of Chicago finals for [best new pop-up](. We’ll find out if he wins next Thursday, but before that, he’s planning to curl your toes with a torta trio in collaboration with [Angel Guijosa]( who moonlights as Pinches Tortas when he isn’t stacking al pastor on the trompo at Taqueria Chingon. The twin torta bros are coming in hot with a chicken milanesa and headcheese cemita with papalo chimichurri; grilled chicken thigh, Monterey Jack, and guajillo adobo on telera; and a paradigm-shifting chilaquiles torta. The only thing required to anchor your skull to this dimension is a side of waffle fries loaded with guac, pico de gallo, and molten nacho cheese. Walk right in and get your needs met at 5 PM, this Monday, March 19, at 2959 N. California in randy Avondale. [Laos to Your House]( returns on February 26, just ahead of a new spring schedule. [Johnny’s Table is coming in hot at the next Monday Night Foodball]( You’ll never eat a cemita the same way again when Juan Meza and Angel Guijosa play the Reader’s weekly chef pop-up at Ludlow Liquors. by [Mike Sula]( | [Read more]( → [A slice of Mississippi in Chicago]( Reflecting on Black food migration and family recipes. by [Tanikia Carpenter]( | [Read more]( → [The Bongo Room turns 25: A look back at Wicker Park’s beloved brunch spot]( July 2018 | “We’d just sit over pancakes and have these big dreams.” by [Sarah Nardi]( | [Read more]( → [Stick with tradition at J. Rocco]( July 2013 | Pick a meatball, any meatball (but probably not the shrimp kind). by [Gwynedd Stuart]( | [Read more]( → Best of Chicago - out on Feb. 22! Thank you to everyone who nominated and voted for Best of Chicago 2023! Winners will be revealed in our February 22 issue, featuring the annually anticipated “[Best…]( stories - plus, miniatures by Margie Criner and Itty Bitty Mini Mart. Don’t miss one of the biggest issues of the year, out in print and online! [GET EXCITED: CHECK OUT LAST YEAR’S ISSUE]( Get the latest issue of the Chicago Reader Thursday, February 8, 2024 [READ ONLINE: VOL. 53, NO. 9]( [VIEW/DOWNLOAD ISSUE (PDF)]( [Become a member of the Chicago Reader.]( [Twitter icon]( [Facebook icon]( [Instagram icon]( [LinkedIn icon]( [YouTube icon]( [Website icon]( [Logo] You received this email because you signed up for newsletters from the Chicago Reader. Want fewer emails from us? [Click here to choose what you want us to send you](. Or, [unsubscribe from all Reader emails](. We’ll miss you! [Sign up for emails from the Chicago Reader]( | [Forward this e-mail to a friend]( © 2024 Chicago Reader. All rights reserved. Chicago Reader, 2930 S. Michigan Ave., Suite 102, Chicago, IL 60616