I’ve on the fence when it  comes to Spanish Tapas as actual food. In Trinidad, this would be considered ‘finger food’ or  “Cutters” as known in Trinidad, but in North America, it is a posh concept since the tiny appetizers are paired with good Spanish wine. That should be my new idea, pair Saheena or Pholourie with some Cabernet Sauvignon or a  nice Pinot Grigio and instant success. I have little knowledge in the area of wine pairings, so pairing a strong bodied red wine with some “Trini cutters” would make certain people I know, actually wretch and dry heave.

Tonight, the dinner choice was Cafe Iberico (picked by the client). This is obviously one of the places to eat in Chicago as there are a number of reviews online and the food was quite good.

 I had samples of five tapas in the time that I could stay, as well as two VERY excellent mojitos that came with extra  mint. They really do know how to make a Mojito here; well muddled mint, good average white rum that didn’t overpower the mint or sugar. As for the tapas I had:

• Chorizo y Morcilla : Well done, crispy slices of Choriza sausage and blood sausage. Excellent!
• Patatas Bravas : Potatoes done in their spicy sauce. Tasted like Amir’s Garlic Potatoes from Montreal with a bit of hot sauce, so obviously three thumbs from me.
• Championes a la Plancha : Grilled Mushrooms with Olive Oil and Garlic : Meh! I could make this in my sleep.
• Raxo Adobado : Marinated pork loin with frites : Another Meh! Pork souvlaki with some over-done frites.. another pass
• Gambas al Ajillo : Shrimp in Olive Oil, wine, and garlic. Definitely a must have, well grilled shrimp with a great sauce.

From a tapas perspective, definitely a very good choice of place, unfortunately after an hour, the hockey game at the United Center was hailing me. So 13 minutes later and I was facing another Chicago tourist attraction : the Michael Jordan statue at the United Center.

As for the actual hockey game that took place there, well one could say that watching on TV was better. Seeing my Dutch friend Steven was the reason I went to the game.

The game itself lacked any drama as the ‘Hawks were listless and as such the crowd was quiet and out of the game.

Being the home of the Chicago Bulls, the banners from that ridiculous Michael Jordan dynasty still drift in the rafters.

The only moment of interest during the game came during a third period scrum, but other than that moment, I was more interested in the beer, conversation and finding new uses for my telephoto lens

So we decide after getting back to the hotel, we decide to get talk to the Concierge and he recommends Kingston Mines and hands some coupons for $3 off the cover price. From the W, it is about a 12$ cab ride. So we get there and the place looks like a college dump from the outside. Not knowing the prices, we find out that the cover price is $15 to get in, but with our coupons, it’s $12 to get in….Diane and I look at each other with some rather suspect looks because this place honestly looks like shit. We decide that we’re already here, and if the place sucks, we could always leave and head over to somewhere else.

Well once you walk in, this place looks like a complete dive. There were two separate rooms, each room has its own stage. The waitress who comes over, looks like she was in accident or someone broke a bottle over her head. There were bandages on her head, defensive wounds on her hand and she doesn’t look a day over 23. As for food, well the bar doesn’t serve food but rather there is a separate set of guys who run a kitchen in the back. I had the Jambalaya sampler at 13$ (overpriced and not enough), the chicken fingers and fries for Diane $7 (decent) and 5$ for some ridiculous good Sweet Potato fries….moral of the story – get the sweet potato fries with the honey sauce.

When we came in around 10:00 or 10:15, the place was kinda empty in the main room but there was space right by the stage and I’ll say that I am quite glad we grabbed the seats by the stage – it got packed by 11.30 – although Diane was a bit doubtful initially. The security is very good about making sure no one is standing in the aisles, which is hard considering the number of people. I appreciated this though, because I hate not being able to move in bars and clubs like this.

The main room is long, with a bar on one side and tables in the main area. There’s a small opening in front of the stage where people can/were dancing (assuming that’s what it’s for – the two old ladies who we met, were really into it were really very entertaining). The other room is much smaller, with a few tables on the main floor and more up a small ramp, which was great for viewing the stage. There’s also a bar in the back of this room, as well as a few random arcade games. The tables in this room are more like tall benches, just wide enough to hold some drinks, which is fine as long as you’re not eating. The band was playing in the main room, but the acoustics were good enough that you can still hear them clearly in the other room, but can still hold a conversation with the people around you. They had a closed-circut TV on the wall so you can see the band in the other room too, which is cool. The beer was a bit overpriced, in my opinion, with MGD/Bud/Lights at $3.75, Blue Moon at 4, and Michelob Ultra Light at 5.  Combine the cover charge with the drink prices, it could be pretty expensive, but it’s a nice atmosphere. It’s not super classy, so you don’t need to get all dolled up, but it wasn’t trashy either, which I really liked. It’s very neighborhood-y.

As for the music, this spot’s mantra (“Hear the music, drink booze, and talk loud”) is strictly enforced. My thoughts overall, it’s so freakin’ good, down to earth yet classy I would seriously consider making a trip to Chicago just to grab some great eats, then go to Kingston Mines and listen to some honkin’ blues until the wee hours, sleep in late, catch a museum or two, and then a flight back to Toronto. Kingston Mines is that good, and even though I typically take years in between visits, the quality never disappoints. Now any time someone I know is headed to Chicago, I say two words…yeah that’s right.

Some of the reviews online will talk about the tourist aspect of it….and my reply is that its bullshit! It was a terrific time there and Diane absolutely loved it, along with the grammas and the throwback guy who dressed like he was from the 50’s.