ARTango, a longtime Ravenswood dance studio and event space, recently expanded its offerings to include a South American bistro. Initially, I was skeptical about the addition of a restaurant. I wondered whether the food would be an afterthought to the tango lessons. So, I was pleasantly surprised to discover the food is inspired, expertly prepared and, frankly, delicious.
The owners brought on former Bistro Margot chef Isaak Reyes, whose transition from preparing French cuisine to cooking South American food appears to be seamless. The menu incorporates flavors and favorite dishes from Argentina, Venezuela and Peru, and it is chock-full of fresh ingredients.
The trio of ceviche is an ample platter of nicely marinated mahi-mahi, scallops and shrimp, which was my favorite of the three. The shrimp is bathed in lots of tangy lime juice with plenty of bright cilantro notes. The empanadas are another must-order appetizer. The pastry is buttery and flaky, and you can take your pick from among beef, veggie or ham and cheese filling. All of them are good, but next time I’ll forgo the sampler platter and order all ham and cheese empanadas. They are by far the best of the three.
The appetizer I was most excited to try was the arroz bomba tostado, a risotto cake with tiger shrimp and lobster sauce. It sounds tantalizing, but doesn’t quite deliver. The risotto, while flavorful, isn’t crispy as the menu promises it will be. It’s really just a scoop of decent risotto topped with three plump shrimp. It’s certainly not bad, but it’s also not very special, especially when compared to the outstanding renditions of classics like ceviche and empanadas.
Beef features prominently on the entree menu. If you’re in the mood for a steak, the etrana is an excellent option. Chimichurri sauce gives the skirt steak plenty of garlicky flavor, and if you order it medium rare, it will be tender and juicy. The steak is sliced and served stylishly on a long rectangular platter. The portion is huge; most people will be hard pressed to finish it. The steak is the star of the show, but scoops of mashed potatoes and guacamole both make nice creamy additions to bites of meat. ARTango is BYOB, so be sure to bring a bottle of full-bodied red to accompany your steak.
One of the most impressive entrees is the gnocchi, a dish I don’t typically associate with South American cuisine. The doughy pasta is crazy soft and fluffy. It could easily rival the gnocchi served at some of my favorite Italian joints. It’s topped with a generous serving of rich shredded lamb meat and mixed with a zesty red pepper cream sauce. The sauce adds some South American heat to the dish, but it doesn’t render it unnecessarily spicy. Paella lovers will be pleased with ARTango’s version, which is packed with plenty of shrimp, octopus and scallops.
After such an unexpectedly delightful meal, I didn’t want to skip dessert. Unfortunately, the final course didn’t stand up to all of the lovely dishes that came before it. The mango flan was perfectly fine and well-executed. It just wasn’t memorable enough for me. The flourless chocolate cake was dry and seemed too ordinary for a menu as thoughtful as ARTango’s. If you’d rather burn some calories after dinner than waste them on lackluster desserts, bring your dancing shoes. Midway through the evening, professional tango dancers emerge in the dining room to put on a fun performance. Afterwards, diners (who I suspect have had a few lessons at the dance studio) are welcome to join them on the dance floor. The mid-meal tango feels a bit gimmicky at first, but it’s actually quite entertaining and makes for a quirky and unique dining experience.
ARTango is at 4217 N. Ravenswood Ave.; call 773-697-7479 or visit www.artangocenterchicago.com.