Mexican-style grilled corn, cut off the cob into a cup, layered with mayo, cotija cheese, chilli powder and lime: Chicago's ballpark and street-cart staple.
Where to eat it: 2 restaurants across 1 city.
Elote (corn on the cob) and esquites (the same flavours in a cup) crossed from central Mexico into Chicago via Pilsen and Little Village paleterias and pushcarts in the 1980s. The cup format took off because it was easier to eat on the move: corn cut from a grilled cob, butter, mayo, cotija, chilli powder and lime juice, scooped with a spoon. By the 2010s the elote cart became as much a part of the Chicago summer streetscape as the hot dog wagon. Wrigley Field added a stand in 2018 and the AT&T Plaza outside the United Center followed. La Michoacana Premium and the carts along 26th and 18th Streets are the canonical references; the Wrigley cup is the visitor's gateway.
Common allergens: Dairy, Egg
Tip from the editors. Char the corn hard, even past 'a little burnt'. The smoke flavour is half the dish.
This is the TableJourney editorial recipe, modelled on the canonical bistro / counter version. The first place to try the dish in its city of origin is below.
La Michoacana Premium in Chicago is the Pilsen paleteria on 18th Street with fresh-fruit paletas, elote in a cup, raspados and mangonadas at a painted counter.
Try: Paletas, elote in a cup, raspados
Tip: Order the elote in a cup with Tajin and butter; pair it with a tamarind paleta for the after-walk down 18th.
Big Star in Chicago is the One Off Hospitality taco room at Six Corners on Damen, with an outdoor patio, a frozen margarita machine and tacos al pastor on a trompo.
Signature: Al pastor taco, Frozen margarita
Order: Three al pastor tacos, a frozen margarita, chips with the smoky tomato salsa.
Tip: The patio queue is long in summer. The walk-up window pays out a perfectly good takeaway dinner in five minutes.
More cities are in research. Want elote in a cup covered somewhere specific? Tell us where you want to eat.