Glastonbury's Tango Serves The Best Of Italy And Argentina
By MaryEllen Fillo
Courant Staff Writer
Published: October 16, 2008
The cool, hard edge of the former Glas restaurant in Glastonbury is gone, replaced by the recently opened Tango, which boasts a red hot decor, steamy entertainment and an Italian/Argentinian menu new to the town's Main Street.
"We are definitely the opposite of Glas," said general manager Troy DiClemente, who, with his father Lorenzo, opened the new restaurant this month. "We consider ourselves Italian with an Argentinian flair," said DiClemente who used to be the bar manager at Glas before it closed several months ago. "It is the best of two worlds."
The DiClementes have used reds and rich mahogany to transform the inside of the restaurant at 2935 Main St., which features a private dining room, main dining area, patio and bar. On Thursdays, the place offers live Latin music and dancing. On Fridays, the dancing continues with a disc jockey.
"On the weekends after 10 we transform from a restaurant to a club," said DiClemente. "It's something that was lacking on this side of the river, but it has been well-received so far. We have had great crowds."
Argentinian/Italian bond by noting that many Italians who headed west in the late 1800s ended up in various parts of Argentina. "I still have family from Italy who live in Argentina now," he said. "And both cultures are passionate about their food and that is what our menu reflects."
Presented in Italian and English, the menu is diverse, featuring calamari, crab cakes, pastas, fish and meats and its centerpiece, parrilada de carne, a mixed grill featuring chicken, sausage, skirt steak and lamb. Well aware of the tight economy, the DiClementes entrees are priced up to $26, which Troy DiClemente said is reasonable given the quality of products and the gourmet preparation under the watchful eye of executive chef Nicola Maggione.
The restaurant is open Monday through Thursday from 5 to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. Telephone is 860-657-4527.
Paella, mustard-crusted tuna, chicken vindaloo, cavatelli with beef short rib, rack of lamb, duck breast with duck hash, crispy pork shank, swordfish chop and spaghetti carbonara.