THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Don Juan on Halsted

THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Don Juan on Halsted Restaurant Review:

Chef-owner Patrick Concannon’s transformation of the old Blue Mesa is warm, comfortable and a big hit. The food is creative and well-executed, featuring a mix of classic Mexican and Nuevo Mexicano, and at reasonable prices, too. Classic fare includes a texture-perfect, tasty guacamole, as well as soft Mexico City-style tacos that would make the bell run for cover. However, we are much more impressed with the herb-laced, garlic-enhanced roasted chicken that sits on a pillow of yummy mashed potatoes with a lusty mole-poblano sauce adding a soft sizzle. The chipotle-barbecued lamb shank is meaty and mighty, but needs an injection of flavor. A totally terrific appetizer is the crab cake graced with niblets of roasted corn and scallions and a jazzy jalapeño cream sauce. When it’s available, the dessert that tops the sweets chart here is the dense and chewy chocolate soufflé cake.