Mambo in Chicago

Is it so wrong that I spend my first morning back from Chicago’s cold winds curled up on my couch watching the New Kids on the Block on NBC? It’s 80+ degrees outside already and I wasn’t even that big a NKOTB fan as a teen, but I can’t peel my eyes off the TV…. Joey is so damn cute! Lol…

Anyhow! Now that that’s off my chest, let’s talk Chicago. Usually when I’m in a new city, I dive right into its signature cuisine but my schedule was so structured that my ONE chance for Chicago’s deep dish pizza was squandered. I’m severely disappointed and plan on going back for at least a week to experience the food and see more of the city. It really seems like a place I could really enjoy, with its architecture, beauty, people and promise of good eats. However, in the few days I was there, I managed to find a few yummies to munch on…

• I took in a Cubs game from the fourth row above the dugout and devoured a Wrigley Field brat loaded with onions, peppers and sauerkraut. Soggy but delicious! Beers, expensive ($6.25) but necessary to stay warm. Can’t say enough about Wrigley Field… great ol’ fashioned ballpark. No jumbotron, fancy food court or hard alcohol. It reminded me of growing up in Toronto watching the Blue Jays play at Exhibition Stadium. I love baseball and always will.
• Before exiting Wrigleyville, we stopped into Goose Island for a drink because I heard good things about the pub. Would love to grub there next time and try their local brews.
• Gained 5 pounds eating dinner at Mambo Grill, a Latin American restaurant. I could eat a bajillion of their chicken empanadas, which had a delicious buttery crust and tender shredded chicken, cheese, onions, cilantro and tomatoes inside. Its cream sauce was to die for. Seriously, if I was really rich, I’d have them overnight some of those bad boys to Los Angeles!

Their barbecue baby back ribs were really, really good and tender, the BBQ sauce had a nice, spicy, Latin kick to it. It came with sweet mashed potatoes, which helped balance the flavor. The waitress recommended their chicken fricassee, which is a chicken breast marinated in lime juice served with a stew of vegetables over a bed of rice. It was really flavorful and light, but completely overpowered by the BBQ sauce from the ribs. Note to self: Make sure that when you split dishes with friends, one does not overpower the other. Their top-rated mojitos are really good if that’s your thing… I just don’t care much for them that much in general. All in all, make Mambo Grill one of your stops if you’re ever in Chicago. You won’t be disappointed… or leave hungry.

Pictures to come!!

Goose Island
3535 North Clark Street
(773) 832-9040

Mambo Grill
412 N. Clark
(312) 467-9797