Would you care to dance?
Bangor restaurant Thistles offers tango for Tuesdays
Bridget Madden
Issue date: 4/6/06 Section: Style
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"We were actually ahead of the trend," said Santiago Rave, who is co-owner of Thistles along with his parents, Alejandro and Maria Rave.
Many styles of tango exist, but its origins are from Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina. In honor of this, the menu at Thistles changes from its usual international cuisine to Argentinean dishes on Tuesdays. Thistles also offers 30 Argentinean wines on their wine list.
"It's the longest list in the state of Argentinean wines," Rave said.
He went to Argentina last May to learn more about tango and Argentinean wines. He even took lessons from the academy of Miguel Zotto, a famed tango dancer and director of the international critically acclaimed show "Tango x 2."
The Tango Tuesday night menu features many dishes, even a vegetarian option. However, the most popular dish is, of course, the Argentinean beef. While the menu prices are slightly higher than other restaurants, it is well worth it. Tango night is far more than just the meal.
On Tango Tuesdays, Thistles has a live band that plays traditional tango music. Piero Brovarone is the lead guitarist. Leo Jonason plays drums and Mark Neslusan is on bass.
"We sometimes have an accordion player," said Rave, "but what we really need is a bandoneon player." The bandoneon is similar to the accordion, but it is smaller and doesn't have keyboard on the side. It is the traditional reed instrument in a tango orchestra.
Thistles evokes the romance of the '30s and '40s on Tango Tuesdays. To set the right mood, relics of tango are on display throughout the restaurant, whether it's pictures of the debonair tango icon Carlos Gardel, who brought tango to the world in the 1930s, or the large-screen TV constantly playing tango-theme films featuring gorgeous blonde actresses like Veronica Lake.
During the evening, couples who already know how to tango get on the dance floor right away. Guests who don't know how to tango watch longingly and with admiration until someone, usually Santiago, offers to teach them steps. In addition, Santiago Rave and his dance partner, Elham Khavari, perform for the crowd. Rave wears a slick pinstripe suit and Khavari, a sparkling white dress in the style of the '40s.