Opening Thursday, this BYOB from a chef who cut his teeth at two noted grills (Frontera, Adobo) is doing farm-to-table Mexican in a cozy, brightly colored basement adorned with South-of-the-Border folk art. Small plates including items like Oaxacan Pasilla-glazed pork ribs with sweet plantains and crema, halibut ceviche spiced up with habanero, and handmade summer squash quesadillas grace the opening menu, which figures to continually evolve based on the season, like an edible character from Ugly Betty.

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Eye gorge the entire menu, including the August specials, at ChilamBalamChicago.com