What a time to be a Wicker Park resident—contemporary Latin American restaurant Libertad in Skokie has just opened a new location in your neighborhood. At its grand opening, owner/operator Marcos Rivera introduced himself to every table and led the kitchen while visitors enjoyed drinks from mixologists Chiyo Takemoto (Coquetel Collective) and Ziyad Asrar (La Sirena Clandestina, Apologue). This community-focused opening party also featured a DJ who kept the vibes going throughout the event.
Both my friend and I started off with La Gran Guerra, which was banhez mezcal, blood orange, passion fruit, pomegranate, and chile ancho syrup. It was a super pleasant mixture of fruity flavors and a bit of spice—like a mezcal-forward smoothie. An absolutely delicious start to our night.
We enjoyed each of the night's dishes, beginning with the Chipotle Hummus, which includes chickpeas, lemon juice, tahini, chipotle peppers, olive oil, chapati tortilla, queso fresco, and red pepper salsa. The tortilla tasted almost like a marriage between a dosa from Indian cuisine and a French crepe, airy with soft and crispy pockets. We loved the crunch from the toppings, sesame seeds and cotija cheese, and this dish also reminded us of a deconstructed burrito.
Next for drinks, I went with the G & T and my friend chose the Blood Orange Margarita. My drink was a pretty subtle take on the classic, featuring condesa prickly pear gin, combier rose, and fentimans pink grapefruit tonic. The margarita presented a more exciting and complementary addition to the evening's cuisine, with tequila arette reposado, blood orange, house simple syrup, and lime.
We were having a grand ole time with our second round when the Tlayuda & Pescado arrived, with salmon, tuna, cilantro, serrano, avocado, seaweed salad, chipotle aioli, and lime juice. It was the perfect blend of spice and citrus, with super fresh fish and seaweed that would be the envy of any poke bowl. The chips were crisped, with a bit of lime and sesame oil that balanced out the seafood flavors.
The Birria Tacos were the last of our three expected courses, with chile-maguey slow braised lamb, tortillas, avocado salsa, lime, cilantro, and onions. Neither my friend nor I am huge lamb fans, so she picked around some fattier bits. But the birria flavoring makes the dish, with plenty of juices to fuse all the elements together. Though we would have prefered a beef birria, this dish was excellently excecuted and satisfyingly filling.
Surprise! Our evening wasn't over yet—we were treated to a mocha chocolate cake for dessert, served in its own dark chocolate cup, yum! The cake was fluffy and not too sweet, with a light whipped mocha cream streaked on the top and middle. I can't wait to see this fluffy dessert cappuccino on Libertad's menu!
Though this party was just a preview of coming attractions, it was a promising announcement of what Libertad will bring to Wicker Park. Accompanying the rich variety of flavors, the DJ, Jamal, set the absolute perfect vibe with his throwback tunes and seamless crossovers. You can expect him, and other DJs, to appear regularly on Libertad's Sunday schedules.
The Wicker Park location is at 1835 W. North Avenue, and the Skokie location is at 7931 Lincoln Avenue. You can make reservations at the Wicker Park location on OpenTable and on the website, and you can also check out the dinner menu and brunch menus to prepare for your visit.
All photos by Row Light.
This coverage was made possible by a promotional invitation. Our opinions and editorial choices remain entirely our own.
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