Time Out Chicago's take on tacos

Time Out Chicago hosted two really fun events recently in the Windy City.

Held at Joe's on Weed Street, Taco Thursday hosted local restaurants competiing for king of the tortilla. Some of the tastings included were Rojo Gusano, DeColores, and Dos Urban Cantina. Mercadito stood out for me with flavor and presentation.

Some of the lines were long as a few venues could not keep up with the demand.

Margaritas, a raffle for Cirque tickets, and a DJ were all part of the fun evening. They smartly held two sessions in the jam packed space.

A more roomier event was presented by the magazine on May 21 for the Mac & Cheese Smackdown at the Bridgeport Art Center. It was worth the drive to the Southside of Chicago to check out the cheese.

There were eight contenders with some strong offerings in the mix. Pastoral Artisan Cheese, Bread & Wine dropped the ball a bit with a cold serving, while many other were piping hot. Grand Lux Cafe was almost a full meal with being so rich. R Public House knew how to make a fresh take on Mac & Cheese that somehow tasted healthy.

For me Luella's Southern Kitchen stood out from the pack of mac. Their sample was spicy and hit the spot.

Hopefully this second annual cheesy event continues in the future.

Visit www.timeout.com/chicago for more events in the future.