"About Last Night..." Bingo Bango Bongo


Tuesday, March 30, 2010


I had a dream. Well, it was something like that for this little establishment on Milwaukee Ave. called the Bongo Room. Someone had a dream that the current owner had a restaurant named The Bongo Room, so there you have it. If it were my dream, I would have embellished a little for dramatic affect, but then again, I'm the writer, not the restaurant owner.
A day of hooky. No work, no cell phones, just the plain enjoyment of a day off from the world. It began here, at the Bongo Room. I must admit, I was not on a traditional date. He was much younger, yes, younger than my normal twenty-something crowd. He was a little less educated, and didn't have his career in line yet, but no matter, it was our special day.
The Bongo Room is pretty. It has fresh flowers, beautiful art, and seats at the counter, which I always find the most interesting. I love to pull up a swivel chair and have a conversation about life, what not. I couldn't help but notice the amount and variety of alcohol stacked high on the shelf. "Umm, excuse me, aren't you only open for breakfast and lunch?" I asked inquisitively. "True, but we get a lot of early morning Mimosa and Bloody Mary requests". Ahhhaaaa....I must make a mental note to self that if ever rounding the early morning near this fine place I must stop in for a cold beverage.
The menu had a variety of fresh choices. I wanted three or four things, and well, I usually do, but opted to try the Chicken and Avocado Club, and the Omelet with feta, mushrooms, and roasted red peppers. And....a delicious Cappuccino whilst waiting. The food arrived and looked like art. Fresh, edible art.

The Avocado Club was amazing. The baguette was crispy and warm and the sandwich sang in great harmony with the cilantro lime mayo. Muah. The omelet boasted just as much flavor. The egg portion was actually wrapped around the ingredients, so you could really taste the individual flavors. The portions were generous. The service was delightful and I have to say that the conversation was as stimulating as any date I've been on in awhile, traversing topics such as XBOX Call of Duty 4, the difference between magma, and lava, and the ever increasing selection of Nerf guns.

What could be better than that?

The Bongo Room is located at 1470 N. Milwaukee Ave. Chicago, IL 773.489.0690
Open only for Breakfast and Lunch (and cocktails!)

Stay tuned for next week - Lady Gaga meets Graham Elliot

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