Little Village among Chicago communities highlighted in guidebook for DNC visitors
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Beginning in less than two weeks, the Democratic National Convention will bring some 50,000 visitors to Chicago—and one of the Democratic Party's goals is to get those visitors out of downtown so they can check out as many of the city's neighborhoods as possible.
A new guidebook for DNC visitors highlights several specific places—including Little Village on the city's West Side. Business owners there are excited to show off their community.
Locals and visitors alike are drawn to the Little Village community staple Osito's Tap, 2553 S. Ridgeway Ave.
"This is actually named, in The Infatuation, the best margarita in Chicago," said owner Mike Moreno.
That best margarita ranking is of course something to be proud of in itself. But Moreno is even prouder of the fact that the family that owns the tavern has been part of the small business community in Little Village for more than 60 years.
"It's showcasing the community, and it's showcasing my family's heritage," he said.
Osito's Tap—which opened in 2019 and is named after a late Chihuahua that served as a store mascot—is connected with the family's liquor store, Moreno's Casa Tequilera & Liquors at 3724 W. 26th St., which has been in the business since 1977.
"I have a plethora of bottles here that you're not going to be able to find anywhere else in the country," Moreno said as he showed CBS News Chicago around the liquor store.
Moreno's is among businesses featured in a city guidebook for the Democratic National Convention—published by the city's Choose Chicago tourism office ahead of the DNC kicking off in less than two weeks.
Rich Gamble leads Choose Chicago, which was involved in securing the city's winning bid for the DNC.
"We want people to get out and understand the contributions that every one of our 77 neighborhoods make to this wonderful city," he said.
The guidebook goes well beyond the city's 77 official community areas—highlighting neighborhoods on a more granular level.
Every neighborhood guide highlights specific businesses or public spaces—for a few examples, Sidetrack, the Kit Kat Lounge & Supper Club, and Wood Restaurant in Northalsted; MacArthur's Restaurant, Town Hall Park; and DJ Khaled's The Licking Restaurant in Austin; the Stony Island Arts Bank, the Bronzeville Children's Museum, eta Creative Arts Foundation, and The Quarry Event Center in South Shore; Andy's Deli & Mikolajczyk Sausage Shop, The Gift Theatre, and Morgan Art Gallery in Jefferson Park.
For Little Village—in addition to Osito's Tap—which the guide describes as "a speakeasy-style bar featuring a range of craft spirits with modern Mexican-inspired touches"—the guide also highlights La Cueva, an LGBTQ+ nightclub at 4153 W. 26th St. that is known as the country's oldest Latino drag bar. The guide also touts the warehouse of sweets at Dulcelandia del Sol, Manuel Perez Memorial Plaza with its mosaics, the Open Center for the Arts, an assortment of authentic Mexican restaurants, and the paletero carts and tamale stalls that are found around the neighborhood
Gamble himself has a fun fact about Little Village.
"It's the second-highest tax-generating community outside of the Mag Mile," he said.
In addition to neighborhood guides, the Choose Chicago Guidebook offers specific neighborhood itineraries and events, and specific guides for Black, Hispanic/Latino, Asian, and LGBTQ+ culture; music; food and drink; museums and art; family-friendly events; and architecture, among other topics.
Free days during the DNC at all the city's best-known museums, a guide to accessibility for those with disabilities in Chicago, and a variety of other offerings are also found in the guide.
The hope for everyone is that the information in the guide continues to lead visitors, and locals, long after the DNC leaves town.
"The neighborhoods is where the real culture comes in," Moreno said. "This is what is truly Chicago."