Siblings Maria and Reynel Mendoza come from Santa María Quiegolani, a speck of a town that stands more than a mile above sea level in the Sierra Madre del Sur mountains in Oaxaca. Maria began the business selling tamales door to door, and now, the siblings and their spouses run two locations of their popular restaurant, serving Oaxacan food that’s unlike any in town. My favorite dish on the menu — cod steamed with zucchini and tomato in banana leaves and bathed in pumpkin seed mole — is soul warming. There’s also rabbit in a yellow mole with beans and chayote, and Oaxacan tlayudas, which are like giant tostadas. A blue corn tlacoyo, crisp off the grill, arrives with a smear of refried black beans and a bright, cool cactus and tomato salad. The service is lovely, the margaritas are nice, and the cooking is always so homey, so unflashy, so rooted in the ingredients and recipes of a specific place that it may take a beat just to realize how great it is. 

Price: $$
Address: 5004 N. Sheridan Rd., Uptown; 2901 W. Diversey Ave., Logan Square
Website: kiegol.com