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| - One word: weird. Okay, to be specific: weird if you are primarily interested in a meal. Mingo is a swanky cocktail lounge that features a full menu of original and classic dishes concocted from many cuisine inspirations including Japanese, American, Mediterranean, and South American.
The food is beautiful. Beautifully plated, beautifully seasoned, and treated with care and respect. I truly appreciate that the chefs do not fear bold flavors. My dining experience was a welcome change from the French-culinary inspired dishes I have tasted lately.
Mingo takes many risks with their food, such as a deep-fried, free-range chicken breast and thigh served with a mango chutney and a chimmichuri sauce. A strange combination [The chimmichuri is served on the side. (You don't have to eat it.)]. The biggest risk, though, is the space. The layout, the tables, and the seating are not conducive to dining. This is designed to be a lounge. The tables and seating are fine for small groups who want to have a few cocktails, but they are not suited for those who come in for dinner. The tables are too low for the booths, and the chairs are to low for the tables. I spent a good portion of my meal hunched over in order to eat. This is a shame because the food is excellent.
I think this would be a great place to visit if you are a single professional working downtown who is going to sit alone at the bar and down a martini and grab a steak at the end of the day. It is a good place if you are a small group meeting for drinks and a little nosh. However, if you are planning dinner for two, you and your partner ought to be foodies, otherwise one of you will never want to eat here again.
That being said, I will be back. The attention to quality demonstrated at Mingo has earned my business.
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