Atlanta’s outskirts, particularly around Buford Highway, are covered by Mexican grocery markets that double as quick hit taquerias. I’ve visited a number of them and little excites me as much as a walk through an instantaneous culture shock. Supermercado Chicago, known to us gringos as Chicago Supermarket, is one such window into Mexican culture and to date is one of my more trustworthy spots for that type of experience.
A bit larger than some of the other Mexican grocery stores in town, Chicago has always struck me as the “CVS” of these shopping sites. With piñatas hanging from the ceiling and a handful of knickknacks scattered throughout the isles, I would not be surprised if Chicago had supplanted Richard’s Five & Dime in my childhood databanks had my parents been of Mexican lineage. Still, I’ve never walked out of Chicago with anything more than what I arrived with. No, the true reason for every single visit to CS is the little taco counter in the back and I don’t leave scraps!
