It's hard to distinguish one family-owned Mexican restaurant from another in Rogers Park, as they seem more plentiful than rainbows in Boystown. La Cazuela, however, stands out from the rest due to its spic-and-span interior and menu of homemade soups and fried or grilled fish alongside the age-old Mexican offerings like tacos, enchiladas and burritos.

La Cazuela's specialty is seafood, so the best options on the menu reliably include some sort of fish. The caldo 7 mares (seven seas soup) stuffs more sea creatures than you could imagine into one bowl: For $11 you get shrimp, crab, clams, octopus, catfish, calamari and snail. As a general rule, the fish option of the more traditional Mexican dishes is the best bet. So when you can choose from eight kinds of tortas, sticking with the shrimp or fish will probably produce a better outcome than any of the steak, pork or chicken selections.

La Cazuela is BYOB, but to control the rowdiness factor, guests are limited to bringing just a six-pack of beer or one bottle of wine per party. If you can't imagine dinner without a serious buzz, there's a $5 fee tacked on if you surpass the six-pack/one bottle restriction.

Centerstage Reviewer: Laura Brown