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Dining Divas: Mango’s
Dining Divas Have a Been There, Done That Attitude With Mango’s Downtown
Oops, I did it again. I picked another restaurant extremely convenient for me for our Dining Divas outing. When I mentioned the restaurant to a coworker, she yelped in excitement and asked if she could join us. The restaurant of choice was Mango at 11th and Lucas in downtown, and it’s one of her favorites.
It was a gorgeous night in a jam-packed week. A night that had some of us considering other options for the evening. For the Overworked Diva, taking a break from her 12 hour day working at her computer and enjoying quality time with her husband seemed like a great idea. For the Team Divas, bidding a final farewell at a co-worker’s going away party seemed like the required decision. And for the Mommy Diva, settling down at home with an unsettled stomach seemed like the best option. But dining out with the Divas won again, and it usually does.
We love it. A nice getaway with the girls. And for our men at home, they can be grateful. Gabbing with the girls hopefully minimizes griping to the guys.
The Newcomer Diva asked how many years we’ve been doing this. For a handful of us, we’ve been consistently sharing dinner together for the first Thursday of the month for at least 10 years. Ten years at 12 different restaurants a year! That’s a lot of food and a great deal of fun.
We always warn the Visiting Divas that it’s not about the food for us. You can’t look at the night as a disappointment if you didn’t like what food you ate. It’s about being able to let off your chest that you can’t stand your boss. It’s about being able to share with the ladies the scary details of a doctor’s visit. It’s about being able to get them to vote on your wedding invitation design. The food is just secondary. And for this month’s restaurant of choice, it’s probably a good thing for some of the Divas.
Mango serves complimentary fried plantains with pine nuts and a green pesto sauce as a unique starter to your meal. At first slightly hesitant, we were happy to have the treat as we decided on our meals. For appetizers, a couple of the Divas tried the Ceviche which was raw Tilapia marinated in a citrus juice with peppers, onions, and cilantro. You ask the Grandma Diva, the juices “cook” the fish. You ask the Picky Diva, the juices hide the fact that she was eating the raw fish. The texture was even too much for the Adventurous Diva. She had to pass hers along. The Spinach Pie and the Empanada were also great starters.
Mommy Diva tried Chicken #2, as we called it, for her dinner. The fancy name for it is Aji de Gallina, shredded chicken in a creamy sauce with rice and potatoes. According to Mommy Diva, the only thing recognizable on her plate was a pile of rice. She said if she got a whole chicken breast, it was from the skinniest chicken on the planet.
Chicken #1, as we referred to it, or Pollo a la Parilla, was one of the safer choices on the menu but one of the more boring dishes we had. It was just your basic chicken breast with a wine and garlic sauce. Tasty but slightly overcooked as were the chicken kabobs. Another safe choice, but too well-done.
It seems that those Divas who were more adventurous really enjoyed their meals. The Pescado a la Chorrillana, sautéed tilapia, was delicious. The Domo Origato Mr. Robato, as we called it, or Lomo Saltado, beef loin with onions, tomatoes and onions was full of flavor. The Scallop special came highly recommended by the Referral Diva, and it was phenomenal, some of the best she’d ever had. Topping off the meal, the Sangria. Definitely a dessert in a glass.
Maybe not one of our favorite places, but Mango is definitely worth a try. Plus, we love the atmosphere. After trying out about 120 restaurants, we’re still enjoying the Dining Divas. Dinner out with the girls is always the better option.
