Jaleo — A Fresh Take on Tapas in Chicago 🍤🥘

Jaleo’s been open for a while now, but I finally made it there last weekend. As expected from a José Andrés restaurant — every dish impressed! 🍹 Drinks: Left — Pineapple Sage Soda (non‑alcoholic). The sage was a bit overpowering for my taste. Right — Castaway, a rum‑based cocktail with pineapple and mint — refreshing and vibrant. 🧀 Cheese Platter For $21 you can pick three cheeses and accompaniments. Most options are strong, aged varieties — great for cheese lovers, but maybe skip if you’re not into bold flavors. 🍳 Spanish Scrambled Eggs Creamy with melted cheese, potatoes, and onions — cozy and satisfying. 🦐 Gambas al Ajillo Garlic‑shrimp swimming in fragrant olive oil — all seafood aroma, zero fishiness. Our server kindly reminded us to soak the grilled bread in that glorious oil! 😋 🦑 Grilled Squid with Potatoes The squid was incredibly tender — reminiscent of the fine‑dining squid I once had at Claudia. 🥔 Patatas Bravas Fried potatoes with tomato sauce and garlic aioli — decent but not a must‑order. (My dining partner insisted — you can probably skip.) 🥩 Grilled Beef Shoulder with Peppers Well‑seasoned, tender, and served with mild peppers — definitely worth ordering. Overall, Jaleo is pricier than other Chicago tapas spots, but also tastier and more generously portioned. This time we ended up with a very carb‑heavy spread — guess I’ll have to return to try their paella next! #ChicagoLife #Chicago #WeekendEats #WeekendVibes #Tapas #ChicagoEats