ALL BOTTLED UP: Irazu
The spot: From the outside, Irazu may not look too promising, a small, green-roofed building surrounded by a well-worn asphalt parking lot. But to pass it by is a mistake. Costa Rican natives Miriam and Gerardo Cerdas opened Irazu, the city's first Costa Rican restaurant, in 1990, naming it after one of the country's many volcanoes. In the cozy, 30-seat room with a bright mural on one wall (outdoor seating is also available) you can enjoy a taco tico, a crispy tortilla filled with skirt steak and dressed with cabbage, mayo, ketchup and spicy-sweet Costa Rican Lizano Sauce ($1.90). Or, go for a full entree such as the casado-your choice of thin ribeye steak or chicken breast caramelized with onions and served with white rice, black beans, sweet plantains, an over-easy egg and cabbage salad ($9.95).
The bottle: Located just a block up Milwaukee Avenue from Irazu, M W Food & Liquor (1950 N Milwaukee Ave. 773-772-5228) also might not be the most inviting spirits store you've ever seen, but it gets the job done. Buy a bottle of Absolut vodka ($13.99 for 375 milliliters; $23.99 for 750 milliliters) to mix with one of Irazu's water-based shakes. The folks at Irazu recommend a passionfruit shake blended with lemonade for vodka-based concoctions. A strawberry or pineapple shake goes well with Bacardi rum ($6.99 for 375 milliliters). If you'd rather stick with beer, pick up a six-pack of Imperial, a pale Costa Rican lager, for $7.99. Irazu does not charge a corkage fee. -- By Emily Hiser Lobdell