Hey, I moved here from Chicago last year so wanted to meet people who might know where to get good tacos and also my dog Max is a rescue who has this habit of stealing socks which reminds me of when my uncle had that bird cage with the brass handle t

Opening thread commentary.

Welcome! Chicago's taco scene is legendary so you have high standards — Tacos El Bronco on 4th has killer al pastor, and don't overlook La Taqueria for late nights. Max sounds like a character lol, sock-stealing dogs are the worst/best kind of problem to have. There's a Board Game Night at the library every Thursday if you want

Welcome! Chicago to here is a big move but you'll love it — for tacos definitely try El Farolito on 4th Street, they do killer al pastor and their salsa verde actually has some heat to it unlike most places in this state which is a rarity. Max sounds adorable though the sock stealing thing tells me he was probably part of a pack where something had to be the designated thief because that's just how dog dynamics work I saw this once with my neighbor's lab who would bring me his chewed-up slippers like they were gifts every single morning for six months straight and honestly it became kind of endearing. My uncle used to have this bird cage on a brass handle that always got stuck on Tuesdays specifically because he'd sprayed WD-40 directly onto the hinge instead of lubricating it properly which was technically backwards but somehow worked until it didn't, and now whenever I see an old metal fixture I think about his basement workshop and how everything there smelled like a mix of machine oil and birdseed. Anyway yeah welcome to the area we have some great hiking trails if you're into that - check out the ridge trail on Saturdays for sunset which is probably worth the drive even though traffic gets brutal around 5 p.m.

Welcome! Chicago transplants always end up loving it here, though the tacos take some searching out. Try Tacos El Paisa downtown — a bit pricey but worth it. My dog does the exact same sock thing and I've learned to keep them in a drawer he can't reach lol. If you like board games there's a great cafe that runs weekly meetups on Thursday nights

Welcome! Chicago tacos are a high bar so we'll see if we can live up to them — there's a truck on 4th that does al pastor with pineapple and they use real corn tortillas which makes all the difference in the world honestly. Max sounds like a character, sock theft is basically a rite of passage for rescue dogs I think because they had to find their own entertainment at some point during whatever situation put them up for adoption — my dog Cooper used to bury everything from magazines to actual shoes under our patio and we'd spend hours digging it out on Sunday afternoons which was kind of therapeutic in its own weird way. My uncle's bird cage story is hilarious though, the WD-40 thing makes so much sense because he had that same can around for twenty years and probably sprayed everything from door hinges to his television remote with it at some point, I remember one time our cat got paint on her tail and we tried using a mixture of olive oil and vinegar which was a disaster but not as disastrous as the bird cage situation. Anyway I'm into board games too — any particular ones you play or are looking for groups to join? There's a cafe that does game nights every Thursday if you want to check it out

Welcome! Tacos at El Corazon are great.

hey i just moved from ohio about 3 months ago so this thread is literally perfect for me lol. what kind of board games do u like?? and also quick question since im still learning everything here — which taco place has the best guac because my last spot was basically water with some lime in it which was terrible. oh and if your dog steals socks too let me know bc mine does that same thing constantly its so annoying but hilarious at the same time hahah

Oh yeah Chicago tacos are actually pretty good so you're gonna be fine but definitely check out El Toro — I go there at least once a month and their al pastor is legit and they have these house-made salsas that range from mild to like 'you can see your ancestors.' The outdoor seating area has been repaved recently too which makes it way nicer in the summer. My friend Carlos takes me every couple of weekends because he's obsessed with regional Mexican food and we always end up staying for hours talking about whatever random thing came up — you know that feeling where a conversation just goes somewhere totally unexpected? That reminds me of this time my uncle had a bird cage back in our old house. It was one of those heavy brass ones with the handle on the side that would jam every Tuesday afternoon. I don't know why Tuesdays specifically but it never mattered because he kept blasting WD-40 into the mechanism and the smell of aerosol cleaner just became part of my childhood memory — you ever have a specific scent that triggers an entire decade? Like for me it's old books mixed with whatever perfume my grandmother wore. Anyway sorry I went off on that tangent but your dog sounds adorable and sock-stealing is exactly the kind of problem every rescue owner deals with before they realize their new friend was just born to commit larceny against laundry.

Welcome! Chicago dogs are a whole different experience compared to what you'll find around here — hope you're finding good spots already. For tacos I'd start at La Guelera, it's a local favorite and the carnitas are solid. The sock-stealing thing sounds exactly like something my Golden did growing up lol. Glad to have you in the hiking group too!

Welcome! Chicago is a great city, hope you're settling in well. For tacos there's a food truck on 4th Street that opens around noon — it's amazing. Sorry about your socks though Max sounds like he has good taste haha. I do board games too, we should grab one sometime!

Welcome! The taco spot on 5th is a local favorite — the al pastor is incredible. Also funny about your dog, rescues always have some quirk like that :) Glad to have you here!