Pilsen’s 5 Rabanitos Restaurant is Home Away From Home for Customers and Staff

Co-authored by Liz Vlahos and Brent Rillie

At the age of seven, Alfonso Sotelo and his brothers - at the time, nine, 10, 11 and 12 - would sell rabanitos, or radishes, in their small town of Guerrero, Mexico. Their father would plant and grow radishes, and the children would go to the nearby market that was 15 minutes away from the family’s home to sell them. The townspeople would quickly recognize them, and as they walked down the street, people would say, “Hey, look, the five rabanitos are coming to sell rabanitos.”

Alfonso, the owner and head chef of 5 Rabanitos in Pilsen, opened his authentic Mexican restaurant a little more than a year ago. It is already a neighborhood favorite among neighbors and for those who want to enjoy affordable and authentic recipes. When eating at 5 Rabanitos, a customer has more than enough options. Maybe you are in the mood for their crispy golden shrimp paired with shrimp-chipotle salsa, or their chicken enchiladas covered in the special house cheese. Perhaps the mouth-watering carne asada or the carne en su jugo lathered in cilantro broth would make for an excellent choice.

Almost every main course at 5 Rabanitos is less than $15, and given these customer-friendly prices and the extensive range of food to choose from, it is no wonder the restaurant has become a staple of the Pilsen community.

Pilsen, a lower West Side community in Chicago, is home to a rich Mexican-American community, with a population that is 78 percent Latino, according to LISC Chicago. This neighborhood - vibrant due to its food, arts, language, culture and people - is one of the places in the Chicagoland area to find authentic Mexican cuisine. 5 Rabanitos is one of many small businesses bringing the neighborhood to life with its family-friendly environment, sweet smells, paintings and street mural.

After working for 16 years under Chef Rick Bayless, according to a Check, Please! episode, Alfonso set out to open his own restaurant.

So when the time came for Alfonso to look for a location, he immediately thought of Pilsen.

GROWING UP IN MEXICO

Alfonso, who has happy memories of growing up in Mexico, says, “I believe that if I were to be born again, I would want for it to be the same, and I wouldn’t change anything about it.

“People would look at us and even when one of us was alone, they would say, ”Oh, look, here comes one of the cinco rabanitos,” Alfonso continued. "And when we would all be together they would call us cinco rabanitos. And it’s something that I feel proud of, and I am not ashamed of what I used to sell, for what my father did to help us have a better life for me and my brothers."

LIFE IN THE U.S.

Selling radishes from the age of seven taught Alfonso and his brothers how to earn money.

Following the American dream, he moved to the States in 1992, arriving in California. Through family and friends, he was able to land his first job as a dishwasher.

In 1996, he moved to Chicago and relocated to Pilsen.

WORKING WITH CHEF RICK BAYLESS

“How many people would like to work with Rick?" Alfonso asked about Rick Bayless. "A lot of people want to work with Chef Rick’s company. Chef Rick is [an] excellent chef, good teacher [and] person.”

“The training that I received with Rick Bayless helped me learn to combine flavors in the kitchen, as well as learning how to modify our (Mexican) food to high-level cuisine,” said Alfonso. "I got to work some stations while working with Bayless, and that's where I get my inspiration from."

Alfonso decided one day that he was ready to open his own business.

“When I told him I wanted to talk to him, I told him I am going to give my month leave to open my own restaurant," Alfonso said. "Rick congratulated me and thanked me for working with him, and I thanked him.”

Thinking back on this time with Rick Bayless, Alfonso said, “Nothing is impossible, and every time I think about my time with Rick Bayless, I know my time there helped me to elaborate dishes.”

THE INSPIRATION FOR 5 RABANITOS RESTAURANT

Alfonso saved money for 22 years, keeping in mind his goal of opening a restaurant. His family in Mexico and in Chicago also aided him with the funds to help his business kick off.

Following years of hard work and dedication in the kitchen, his father, mother and grandmother were his biggest motivation to name the restaurant in honor of his family.

“This restaurant is an honor especially for my family, for helping grow five brothers,” Alfonso said. "That’s why we named this restaurant 5 Rabanitos, because in my family we are five brothers.

5 RABANITOS: THE FOOD

Where does Alfonso get the inspiration for his dishes?

“Always thinking about the dishes and the combination with Rick Bayless, and always thinking about doing dishes from all Mexican states. For examples, we have Cochinita Pibil, [which] is traditional in Yucatan, Mexico, and I have Puerco Al Rancho, very traditional in Guerrero. It’s pork covered in Mole Estilo Guerrero.”

Alfonso works with local farmers especially in the summer time when their kitchen is busy. They also work with a bread company in the neighborhood.

“I like working all the time with farmers,” said Alfonso. "We’ll start this year working with more farmers."

5 RABANITOS: SMALL BUSINESS PERSPECTIVE

According to Mary Kuhn, the small business program manager at The Resurrection Project, small businesses like 5 Rabanitos in Pilsen bring three things to the community: jobs, vibrant Mexican community, and safety and stability.

Listen here for more on what small businesses like 5 Rabanitos mean to the Pilsen community, what obstacles potential entrepreneurs face, and who are most likely to open small businesses.

5 RABANITOS: THE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE

5 Rabanitos continues to build on its loyal customer base. The hard work Alfonso and his staff put is noticed by the community. The constant flow of customers, coupled with the sound of conversation and laughter reverberating throughout the restaurant, is synonymous with the 5 Rabanitos culture.

“5 Rabanitos is a family place to me,” said Guadalupe Lacuna, a frequent customer to 5 Rabanitos. “The environment is very friendly, it makes you feel at home, you are welcomed with open arms, they have good service, they welcome guests, and they don’t make you wait.”

Lacuna is not the only one that feels at home at 5 Rabanitos. The various savory scents spilling out from the kitchen, the ear-to-ear smiles the staff always seems to wear, and the friendly banter among the 5 Rabanitos customers play a big role in this family-friendly environment.

“I honestly come here often because I am part of the family here,” added Margarita Acosta, another regular to 5 Rabanitos.

Acosta is keen on the salad choices, but much like Lacuna, she feels anything a customer decides to order will be great.

THE COOK BEHIND THE FOOD: MIGUEL OCORIMA

Having worked at 5 Rabanitos for a year and three months now, Miguel Ocorima is no stranger to the food industry.

“I started working in the kitchen in 1995,” Ocorima said. “I have been friends with the owner for 22 years.”

Originally from Ecuador, Ocorima began his culinary career in December 1994.

“My first job was washing dishes at a restaurant for three months. From there, I started in food preparation for about six months,” Ocorima said. “From there, I started working in the kitchen. The owner gave me the opportunity to learn and I worked at that specific restaurant for 10 years.”

To Ocorima, 5 Rabanitos is more than just another job.

“Here we are in a family,” he said. “Friendship and work is separate, but here there is a sense of family. I feel happy working here.”

5 RABANITOS: THE FUTURE

When asked about the future, Alfonso said, “Right now, we only have a restaurant, but this place is for my customers, a place where they can come and eat and have a good time.”

Reflecting on the customer support of the restaurant, Alfonso looks to continue the family-friendly vibe that has led to the restaurant’s success.

“For all my clients that came from different places, different countries, they are all welcomed to the Pilsen community.”

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