Nuevo Latin seems to be the cuisine du jour, and newcomer COOBAH (located in the former Viennese Kaffee-Haus Brandt) is sure to give neighboring Otro Mas a run for its money. Chef/partner Jimmy “Tasty J” Madla, most recently Veruca Salt’s drummer and before that a chef at Zaven’s, whips up some tasty dishes: A flatiron steak (a shoulder cut similar in texture to flank steak) is marinated with parsley, oregano, and cilantro and served with black nightfall beans and caramelized plantains. A soy-marinated and braised lamb shank comes with sides of coconut-milk mashed potatoes (too sweet for my taste) and sauteed red chard. The kitchen serves past midnight every night, and a good choice for late-night dining might be the homemade tamales, $2 each and filled with cinnamon beef, spicy pork, or goat cheese. Owner John Litz designed the space with clever details: terra-cotta mortar walls; oversize light fixtures shaped like flowers, with curved copper petals enveloping the bulbs; and an unusual moss green epoxy floor. (Check out the bathrooms, too, where the faucet handles are huge, multipronged wheels.) Some will appreciate the Latin tunes piped in through the powerful sound system; others will be annoyed that it’s so hard to converse. But the food and drink offerings make the noise easy to overlook. The mostly Chilean and Spanish wine list is full of reasonable gems, close to a dozen of which are poured by the glass; earthy red varietals like Malbec, Carmeniere, and Tempranillo work well with the heady cuisine. There’s also an extensive list of obligatory goofy mixed drinks. Coobah is at 3423 N. Southport, 773-528-2220.
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Art accompanying story in printed newspaper (not available in this archive): photo/Cynthia Howe.
