Tango Grill

Joe Kay has been having a love affair with food since he was a boy.

He has translated that love into his restaurant, The Tango Grill. The restaurant offers a casual environment and a neighborhood feel.

His grandmother got him started on the path to the culinary cosmos. She taught him how to cook soup first, because it taught him the patience it takes to enjoy the art of making good food. His patience also has enabled him to be a restaurant owner for the past 15 years.

Established in 1992 in McCormick Ranch, Kay moved the Tango Grill two years ago further north and east, broadening his base for the kind of food and enterprise his loyal clientele enjoys. The restaurant is located now at 10999 N. Frank Lloyd Wright Blvd.

The food is basic: Steak, chicken, seafood. Kay provides homemade sauces, dressings and specialties for every taste bud.

Tango wings come with dips ranging from mild to suicidal. Made-from-scratch salsa accompanies Mexican lavosh and other dishes. Homemade marinara sauce is served with appetizers and main dishes. The signature offering is Kay’s homemade Caesar dressing.

“We’re known for our Caesar dressing,” Kay said. “I’ve been asked numerous times to sell the dressing. I’ve also been asked for the recipe. It’s a secret. I’ll never give that up.”

A particular favorite at the Tango Grill is Shrimp Diane, actually created for his wife.

“I fixed it for her before we were married, and she loved it,” Kay said. “She wanted me to make it often, which I did, then we decided to make it a special. It finally ended up on the menu every day.”

The atmosphere at Tango Grill is decidedly casual, with plenty of plasma screen TVs to view sports and a bar area that seats 60 to enjoy a cocktail or beer with friends.

Kay said football fans are drawn to the restaurant. He said a group of Ohio State alumni frequent the Tango Grill. The restaurant also is traditionally a Chicago Bears spot, so to accommodate those Midwestern fans, Kay provides a bloody Mary bar each Saturday and Sunday, as well as breakfast until 1 p.m. on weekends. Breakfast is served a half-hour before game time.

Kay said his bar features variety for every type of drinker. There are 22 vodkas available, including specialty, hard-to-find “North Shore” vodkas, well-known in Chicago. He also has a vast wine list, with more than 25 wine-by-the-glass pours.

Kay enjoys sponsoring various benefits through the restaurant. A golfer, he has involved the restaurant in 21 golf events and tournaments over the years. Most of his events benefit Sunshine Acres Children’s Home.

Kay said the Tango Grill is “a restaurant – until 9 or 10,” and then the karaoke fun begins.

Karaoke is every Wednesday through Sunday. Kay said the sound system is “great, and has wireless microphones. It is definitely party-central after karaoke starts.”

Kay said the atmosphere at the restaurant attracts all kinds of people, and he enjoys the variety.

“This is a really good life for us,” he said. “I have a wonderful wife, a great business and so many blessings. I am truly doing what I love.”

The Tango Grill is open from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. seven days a week. The kitchen is open until 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and until 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.

Call (480) 991-1544 for more information.

This story was featured September 2007.