VIDEO: A Look Inside Chicago's Mexican Scene

The Mexican scene in Chicago has exploded in recent years and Rick Ortiz, chef/owner of Antique Taco in Wicker Park, credits the Mexican movement to chefs with fine dining backgrounds who have come to the forefront by creating new dishes with exciting flavors.

"People are trying to find ingredients that people relate with and they're showcasing those," said Ortiz, who runs Antique Taco with his wife Ashley Ortiz.

The cozy cantina is stocked with antiques and fresh eats made with ingredients sourced locally, like pork carnitas tacos with adobo rub, tamarind glaze, bacon, spinach, onion, avocado, and queso fresco, and chicken meatballs with mole poblano, bolillo bread, giardinera, and queso fresco, and a horchata milkshake.

Chicago's large Hispanic and Mexican population has influenced the neighborhood restaurants that serve Mexican food with ingredients that diners can relate to, like ingredients from the Midwest, and the Windy City's Mexican scene continues to grow.

Lauren Mack is the Travel Ediitor at The Daily Meal. Follow her @lmack.