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Carnivale

Carnivale

702 West Fulton Market, Chicago, 60661, United States Of America

Cuban • Casual • Mexican • American


"My wife and I aren 't into Latin American cuisine but friends persuaded us to have dinner at Carnivale because it is a wow your senses type of restaurant with a lively atmosphere, colorful decor, original artwork, festive vibe, food from Spain, Mexico, South America, Central America and the Caribbean and one-of-kind desserts. How about cotton candy and caramel popcorn? It reminded me of carnivals in the 1950s with Ferris wheels and bingo games, a throwback to the good ole days and a great way to end a wonderful dining experience. Located at 702 West Fulton Market Street, in Chicago 's West Loop neighborhood, Carnivale opened in 2005 with a fresh approach to dining out, a Latin fusion cuisine that promised something new and different but altogether satisfying. Open from 1 to 8:30 on Sunday, 5 to 9 on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, 5 to 9:30 on Friday and 4 to 9:30 on Saturday, it offers everything from quesadillas and empanadas to several versions of traditional paella. We started with beef empanada, shrimp quesadillas with wild-caught shrimp, Qaxaca cheese, greens and Chipotle aioli and Caesar salad with Romaine lettuce, sourdough croutons, home-made Caesar dressing and parmesan cheese with salmon. For her entree, my wife chose lamb shank with Spanish style fava bean stew, Piquillo pepper, spicy peas and pickled onion with mashed potatoes. I thoroughly enjoyed an order of Ox Tail paella with braised Ox Tail in Spanish sherry, baby carrots, parsnips, sweet potatoes, spinach, roasted mushrooms, pepper, bone marrow and bomba rice. The cotton candy and caramel popcorn dessert made a couple of 80-year-olds feel like teenagers all over again."