café ba ba reeba.

café ba ba reeba is a spanish tapas restaurant... it's a classic lettuce entertain you spot that has been around for ages...

it also happens to be my absolute all time favorite restaurant in all of chicago... mostly because it brings back some fond memories of my time abroad in madrid. ask josh (or any of my friends, really)... whenever i get to pick where we go to dinner, it's always café ba ba reeba.

josh and i went to café ba ba reeba a couple weeks ago... i had two of my favorite tapas and also tried something new... here's what i had :

the special ... white mango sangria.

delish. sangria is a must have at café ba ba reeba.
lots of flavor options... and always tasty.

house marinated spanish olives. 

my favorite favorite favorite. i love olives in general... but these are just so delish.
they are marinated with orange peel and rosemary. incredible. i ate the entire bowl myself.

fried green peppers & coarse salt. 

 another favorite of mine. i get these every time i come here. they are just the right about of that fresh spiciness that i love... the one red pepper is a bit hotter, so beware. but again, salty + spicy = mmm.

rainbow chard stuffed with spinach, raisins & nuts.

this was the new dish i tried. it reminded me of a spanish version of greek dolmas. it was also quite tasty. i tried to get a pic of the inside, but it just got all mushy. the sweetness of the raisins was a perfect contrast to the salty rice, garlic (i think) and pine nuts. i would definitely try these again.

for my third tapas dish, i usually get the mixed greens, beets, orange & goat cheese salad with no goat cheese. i think it's more of a summer dish and i will probably continue to get it then. the rainbow chard is a bit heavier, so perfect for winter. 

last, but not least :
mango sorbet.

 i think there was a mango thing going on, since my special sangria was also mango...
but that was fine with me. this little shot glass was packed with flavor. and the perfect light dessert to end a delicious meal.

before we went this time, i emailed the restaurant to find out what items they offered are or can be made vegan. here's what i heard from head chef tim cottini :

 - vegetarian paella.

 - chickpea salad. 

 - wood oven roasted sweet potatoes.

 - hummus and pita.

 - winter vegetable soup with garbanzo and judion beans.

overall, café ba ba reeba is awesome, accommodating and super tasty. 

they never disappoint. a+!