From the inbox: Mercadito Taqueria Heats Up Lunch in the Loop

There's a new kid in town with the Mercadito Hospitality Group. Take a look at what they're cooking up!

Restaurant Group Introduces New Dining Option In The Franklin

Chicago, IL -  Mercadito Hospitality introduces a new dining option to Chicago's downtown Loop neighborhood with the opening of Mercadito Taqueria. Offering a menu of delicious salads, tacos, and traditional side dishes, Mercadito Taqueria joins the gourmet café Rustle+Roux in The Franklin. Now open, the café is located on the 2nd floor Mezzanine of the 227 West Monroe building.

Satisfying the dining needs and time constraints of the neighborhood's residents, visitors, and numerous office workers, Mercadito Taqueria blends convenience, quality, and authenticity for a flavorful, quick-service lunch experience. Developed by the Chicago-based Mercadito Hospitality group, the concept presents the flavors of a traditional taqueria paired with the style and creativity for which the group has become known.

Managing partner Alfredo Sandoval has led the growth of Mercadito Hospitality, drawing from culinary experiences in his native Mexico and building on the success of the group's locations in Chicago, New York, and Las Vegas. 

"Since opening our first Chicago location five years ago, guests have wholeheartedly embraced Mercadito's creative concepts and authentic cuisine," says Sandoval. "We're excited to debut a new option for quick-service that brings our signature bold flavors and style to the city's center."

Mercadito Taqueria's menu artistically blends the best of south-of-the-border taquerias and cantinas with local and seasonal ingredients making for an exciting and mouth-watering menu.  Menu highlights include:

TACOS

Three per order

Chicken Tinga

shredded chicken, chile chipotle, avocado salsa, queso fresco

Wild Mushroom

tomato sofrito, queso fresco, salsa roja

Baja

crispy beer-battered mahi mahi, Mexican-style coleslaw

GUACAMOLE & CEVICHE

Traditional Guacamole

tomatillo pico de gallo, jalapeño, garlic, key-lime, cilantro, house-made chips

Ceviche

watermelon-marinated mahi mahi, green tomato slaw, key lime-habanero broth, crackers

SALAD

Chopped Salad

romaine lettuce, hard-boiled egg, jícama, red cabbage, black beans, tomatillo pico de gallo, queso fresco vinaigrette

SIDES

Home-style rice

Black Beans

Fried Plantains

A daily selection of agua frescas and homemade flan rounds out the dining experience. The full menu may be viewed here.

Operated by the international hospitality company Eurest, Rustle+Roux offers an upscale, quality, quick dining experience featuring seven food stations. Mercadito Taqueria joins the cafés other options, including Italian fare from Mercato by Fabio Viviani; Grill'd, which offers freshly made sandwiches; So Deli, a sandwich station complete with a carvery; Create, a station of daily made to order items; a salad bar offering fresh, seasonal ingredients; and anilly coffee bar.

"Rustle+Roux offers guests an exciting assortment of high-quality eateries and we're thrilled to have Mercadito Taqueria included," said Eurest Divisional President Jim Kallas. "With a range of global cuisine represented, the café offers an all-star lineup of dining options."

The café will serve breakfast and lunch weekdays from 7 a.m. - 2 p.m., with illy coffee and to-go menu items offered until 3 p.m. Full details can be found at the Rustle+Roux website,www.rustleandroux.com.

About Eurest

The globally recognized Eurest launched in 1996 in the US and provides dining services to local, regional and national companies within the Business & Industry markets, including employee dining centers, on-site catering, vending, executive dining rooms, and other managed services.  Eurest is proud to serve the world's most respected and successful corporations, including many of the Fortune 500.

Eurest is a $1.3 billion food and vending organization with more than 15,000 associates throughout the US, and is a division of NC-based Compass Group North America. Compass Group North America is part of the world's largest food service company, Group PLC. The Group operates in more than 50 countries.  Compass Group PLC employs more than 508,000 employees, has annual revenues of $16.9 billion in year ending September 30, 2012, and is listed on the London Stock Exchange.

About Mercadito Taqueria

At Mercadito Taqueria, convenience, quality, and authenticity are combined for a flavorful, quick-service lunch experience. Developed by Mercadito Hospitality group, the concept presents the flavors of a traditional taqueria paired with the style and creativity for which the group has become known.

About Mercadito Hospitality

Mercadito Hospitality has grown from its first New York City restaurant location in 2004 to become a renowned restaurant group. The popularity of the group's restaurants can be attributed to Partners Alfredo and Felipe Sandoval, innovative culinary interpretations created by Chef/Partners Patricio Sandoval and Guillermo Tellez, and its joint venture with renowned beverage consultants Paul Tanguay and Tad Carducci - the Tippling Bros - who bring inimitable flavor profiles to the group's beverage programs.

Based in Chicago, the group owns and operates restaurants and bars across the U.S. including the flagship concept, Mercadito in Chicago and New York City; Double A, a cocktail lounge located beneath Mercadito Chicago; Tavernita and Barcito in Chicago's River North neighborhood; Little Market Brasserie at Chicago's Talbott Hotel; and Chicago's Municipal Bar + Dining Company. MH Catering was launched in 2013 and the group's newest locations, Tippling Hall (Chicago & Las Vegas), Mercadito Counter (Chicago), Mercadito Taqueria (Chicago), Mercadito Red Rock and Mercadito Green Valley Ranch (Las Vegas) and Mercadito & Double A (Philadelphia) will open in 2014. For more information, please visit www.mercaditohospitality.com.