Tango Sur: One More For The BYO Hall Of Fame

24 years ago today, Kelly Dolan (my cousin, neighbor and BFF all rolled into one) was born. As you might imagine, this calls for multiple celebrations -- the first of which was dinner tonight at one of my all-time favorite BYOB restaurants in our hood, Tango Sur.

Tango Sur is an Argentinian steakhouse that has become extremely popular for the following reasons: 1) its amazing food 2) its byob policy 3) its Southport corridor location, which also offers a great al fresco dining option.

We decided to wander over nice and early to ensure we'd get a table. This was wise as the place was completely packed by 7 p.m. on a Wednesday... and with good reason. If you like steakhouses, this place is the best value in the city.

I hadn't been in a while, so I'd forgotten exactly how much bang you get for your buck at this place. When I ordered the $24 chef's special "el filet," a cut of filet mignon with a red onion and wine reduction and a side of spinach mashed potatoes, I was expecting an 8 oz. petite filet -- which would have been totally reasonable. Instead I got two massive 12 oz filets, which were outstanding in quality. (And this means I'll be enjoying filet mignon for lunch at the office tomorrow. Totally normal.) The sauce was well-executed and the mashed potatoes were nothing short of phenomenal. My only possible critique would be that my steak came out much closer to medium-rare than medium. Fortunately, it was still incredible.

Kelly got the same chef's special I did (though I should note that her requested medium-well came out exactly as she'd asked). Our characteristically less adventurous madres ordered the "el lomo," another chef's special featuring a plainer filet mignon served with chimichurri sauce on the side and garlic steak fries. Kath's came out seasoned a little differently than my aunt Patty's, which is kind of random since they ordered the exact same thing, but both were tasty.

We also sampled the provaleta and tortilla appetizers respectively. As someone who has eaten a lot of tortilla espanola in her day, I am happy to report that this one delivers on every level. Quality ingredients yield a great tortilla, but the lemon wedges they serve alongside it are what really put the dish over the edge. I have never had tortilla seasoned with fresh lemon before and was thrilled to discover that it adds a completely new dimension to this old favorite.

If you love cheese, you'll love the provaleta, which is served melted and boiling hot with olive oil and roasted red peppers. Delicious. Nothing shocking or unexpected there, but an absolutely solid appetizer accompanied by some truly well-crafted dinner rolls.

If you haven't been to Tango Sur yet and especially if you just looove a good meat fest at a great value, check out the original Southport location. You can buy a great bottle of wine at Que Syrah, a cute independent wine shop just across the street. The staff are well accustomed to helping diners from Tango Sur pick out the perfect bottle to accompany their meal.

BTW: Tango Sur also recently opened a Wicker Park outpost, but I haven't been over to check it out yet. If you have, let me know if it lives up to the original!