Tacos made with flavorful marinated flank steak—and topped here with fresh lettuce and tomato, pickled jalapeño peppers and lime juice—can be customized to everyone’s taste with a wide array of toppings. Recipe and suggestions below.

This is now the second meal here that started with a bike ride. Marion mentioned our ride along the lakefront last weekend—and “tramping around Lincoln Park”—in unseasonably cool weather that inspired her delicious Potato, Parsnip and Carrot Soup. Much of that tramping around took place in the Lincoln Park Zoo. And having already done half of our riding for the day, much of our zoo time consisted of acquiring and eating lunch.

I was prepared to settle for standard issue zoo fare, most likely an uninspired boiled hot dog. And that could be had there. But the Lincoln Park Zoo has a few culinary tricks up its sleeve. This spring they opened Café at Wild Things, serving fresh, made-to-order dishes from “foods provided by local farmers using organic, sustainable methods.” And even at their Park Place Café, a place they humbly call a year-round food court, the emphasis is on fresh, well-prepared foods.

It was there, after being enticed by pastas, paninis, burgers and more, that we chose tacos. Specifically, steak tacos in soft flour tortillas and topped with a handful of fresh toppings. They were excellent. So good that we went back and complimented the person who had prepared them for us. So good that I decided I needed to make some of my own. Continue reading “Top this: Flank steak tacos invite your own mix of fresh, creative toppings” →