The Normandy neighborhood, like the Design District, is perennially "up-and-coming." Fact is, if you want to take a quiet walk and be by yourself, either area will do on most weekday nights. MoJazz Café used to draw a nice crowd on weekends, but since its demise the only business in the vicinity to light a similar spark has been Las Vacas Gordas. Enter Tango Café, a copycow venture poised to scoop up the overflow patrons of its successful neighbor. Appetizers, grill items, side dishes, and desserts are similar at the two restaurants, and both menus include pastas, Milanese-style breaded chicken dishes, wines from Argentina and Chile, and very attractive prices. Tango is only slightly more expensive.
When it comes to ambiance, though, Tango moves to its own beat. Vacas Gordas' cramped, kinetic atmosphere absolutely buzzes with activity and chatter. People seem to like that, and I do, too. I never liked the high-decibel dance music that gets louder by the hour, though, and ever since a smoke machine in the ceiling released a plume of God knows what type of fumes upon me, my friends, and our food (evidently part of their special disco effects), I've made it a habit to request outdoor seating when dining there. Tango's room is handsomely decorated with antique bric-a-brac (the owner is a collector), tables are topped with bright yellow-and-white-striped cloths (and spaced comfortably apart), jazz softly flutes in the background; in other words it's an alternative for those occasions when you desire a quieter and more refined environment for your carnivorous overindulgences.
