CHICAGO (CBS) — Starting in less than two weeks, National Democratic Congress The Chicago International Film Festival is expected to attract about 50,000 visitors to Chicago — and one of the Democratic Party's goals is to get those visitors out of downtown so they can visit as many of the city's neighborhoods as possible.
A new guide for visitors to the Democratic National Convention highlights several specific locations, including Little Village on the city's west side. Business owners there are excited to showcase their community.
Locals and visitors alike are drawn to Osito's Tap, a staple restaurant in the Little Village community, at 2553 S. Ridgeway Ave.
“This cafe is actually called, in The Infatuation, the best margarita in Chicago,” said cafe owner Mike Moreno.
Being named the best margarita is certainly something to be proud of in itself, but Moreno is even more proud of the fact that the family that owns the bar has been part of the Little Village small business community for more than 60 years.
“It showcases the community, it showcases my family's heritage,” he said.
Osito's Tap — which opened in 2019 and is named after the late Chihuahua who served as the store's mascot — is affiliated with the family liquor store, Moreno's Casa Tequilera & Liquors at 3724 W. 26th St., which has been in business since 1977.
“I have an abundance of bottles here that you won't find anywhere else in the country,” Moreno said while giving CBS News Chicago a tour of the liquor store.
Moreno's is among the businesses featured in the city guide to the Democratic National Convention — published by the city's Choose Chicago tourism bureau in less than two weeks before the Democratic National Convention kicks off.
Rich Gamble chairs Choose Chicago, which helped secure the city's bid to host the Democratic National Convention.
“We want people to come out and understand the contributions that each of our 77 neighborhoods makes to this great city,” he said.
This guide goes beyond the city's 77 official community areas, highlighting neighborhoods at a more granular level.
Each neighborhood guide highlights specific businesses or public places—for example, Sidetrack, Kit Kat Lounge & Supper Club, Wood Restaurant in Northalsted; MacArthur's Restaurant, Town Hall Park; DJ Khaled's The Licking in Austin; Stony Island Arts Bank, Bronzeville Children's Museum, Eta Foundation for the Creative Arts, and Quarry Event Center in South Shore; and Andy's Deli & Mikolajczyk Sausage Shop, The Gift Theater, and Morgan Art Gallery in Jefferson Park.
For Little Village — in addition to Osito’s Tap, which the guide describes as “a secret pub-style bar featuring a range of handcrafted spirits with a touch of modern Mexico” — the guide also highlights La Cueva, an LGBTQ+ nightclub at 4153 W. 26th St. that’s known as the oldest Latino bar in the country. The guide also touts the Dulcelandia del Sol confectionery warehouse, the Manuel Perez Memorial Plaza with its mosaics, the Open Center for the Arts, and a variety of authentic Mexican restaurants, paletero carts and tamale stands found throughout the neighborhood.
Gamble himself has a fun fact about Little Village.
“It's the second highest tax generating area outside of the Mag Mile,” he said.
In addition to neighborhood guides, Choose Chicago offers neighborhood-specific itineraries and events, and specific guides for Black, Latino/Hispanic, Asian, and LGBTQ+ culture; music; food and drink; museums and art; family-friendly events; and architecture, among other topics.
The guide also includes free days during the Democratic National Convention at all of the city's most popular museums, a guide to accessibility for people with disabilities in Chicago, and a variety of other offerings.
The hope for everyone is that the information in the guide will continue to guide visitors and locals long after the Democratic Party has left town.
“The neighborhoods are where the real culture is,” Moreno said. “That’s the real essence of Chicago.”
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Tara Molina
