Being a smart girl who isn’t all that romantic about anniversaries or other specific days, I reasoned that February 13 would be the best night for a Valentine’s Day date with Aaron. Last year, we went out on the actual day but skipped the romance for an evening at Zanies with Doug Benson. Even though 2007 was a blast, I was hankering for an excuse to eat an expensive meal out.
I chose Mambu for our meal because Kenya, one of the chefs, is married to my co-worker, Erica. Kenya did a little cooking for our office Christmas party this year, and I was excited to try his professional work at Mambu. Plus, I’d heard from Erica that his barbecue sauce was killer.
There were two memorable aspects to our meal: 1) the awesome food (which I will soon describe in great detail) and 2) the incredibly kind staff.
For an appetizer, we initially selected the Gyoza Shrimp Dumplings that were recommended by our waitress. But when the couple next to us received their calamari, Aaron decided that he had to have some of that, too.
Five fat shrimp dumplings arrived sitting in a vinegar-ey sauce with thin slices of cabbage and ribbons of cucumber sprinkled about. In the spirit of love, Aaron let me have three dumplings while he saved room for calamari.
We waited a bit for our afterthought calamari and enjoyed some easy conversation about work and family and past Valentine’s Day dates. For the record, our first Valentine’s Day, back in 2000, was spent waiting an hour or more to get in at P.F. Chang’s, where I ordered Moo Shu Pork, a fact I remember only because I spent the rest of the evening watching it come back up. We also remarked on the ambiance of Mambu; it is a great dining room for going on a first date because there a million quirky things to talk about. The restaurant is in an old house with something like 15-foot ceilings and creaky old floors and window transoms over the doorways. The Mambu decorator has gone with a whimsical non-theme of random eclectic stuff like ribbons hanging from the ceiling, chest x-ray lampshades, and vinyl shower curtain room dividers. It’s odd but it works, mainly because it’s understated enough to keep the focus on the food.
The calamari lived up to the menu’s claim that it was “famous.” It was breaded in something heavenly and light, fried, and served with a drizzling of Thai basil aioli and a dish of tomato coulis. Even the garnish of baby greens was fresh and tasty (I gotta get my vegetables where I can, man).
For dinner, Aaron chose the pork chop. This was the dish that came with Kenya’s lauded barbecue sauce. It was also served with cheese grits, green beans, and some sort of scone-looking, cornmeal-based bread item that Aaron never would let me try. What I did get to try were the grits and the pork. Both magnificent and cooked just right. I wish the chef had been peeking out of the kitchen when Aaron paid him the ultimate compliment—I looked up front my plate at one point to find him gnawing the remnants of meat directly off the bone.
Since it was cold night, I ordered the Lamb Shank Osso Bucco. I am always in the market to try new things, and this dish met that need. I did not grow up eating lamb and have probably only had it two or three times. Also, I recently read a book (Service Included by Phoebe Damrosch) that contains a whole chapter on bone marrow. And knowing that osso bucco (roughly translated “hole in the bone” or “pierced bone”) gets much of its appeal from the marrow released during cooking, I thought I’d give it a try. Besides, mid-February is the perfect time to eat a hearty, dark piece of meat that’s been stewing all day in its own lovely fats and drippings–bathing suit time is ages away!
The lamb shank was served with saffron rice; a skewer of grilled tomato, red onion, green bell pepper, and red bell pepper; a drizzle of yogurt sauce with cucumbers; and grilled pita triangles. I could have gone swimming in the thick, brown sauce. It had a Mediterranean flavor—sort of cinnamon-ey and very, very rich. I only succeeded in finishing one shank and most of the tasty rice. That lamb is heavy-duty stuff and fills you up quickly. We packaged up the remains (in an eco-friendly aluminum container) to carry home.
Throughout the meal, our sweet server was always available when we needed her, answered all of our many questions, and even comped the calamari that she thought took too long in coming from the kitchen. The hostess (who I think is the restaurant owner) also came by the table to mention that the calamari took too long that it was taken care of, patting Aaron on the back as she said so, like they were old pals. I really felt like we were the most important table in the restaurant, especially as the hostess/owner helped me into my coat when the night was over. We left feeling totally relaxed, stomachs full, and happy with Valentine’s Day—I feeling you probably wouldn’t get eating out on Feb. 14.
Mambu is in a charming old house at 1608 Hayes Street in the mid-town area of Nashville. I definitely recommend it.
