Photo credit: Chicken Palace de Fiesta Garibaldi Facebook Page
Try not to be confused by the Fiesta Garibaldi restaurant group. Spread throughout Milwaukee, Racine, Waukesha and Johnson Creek, they don't comprise a chain so much as slightly different angles on Mexican eating at each location.
That's even the case when more Garibaldi eateries share the same name. The first of them I ever visited, at 1937 W. Forest Home Ave. (414-384-8401) is officially called Chicken Palace Fiesta Garibaldi, It's the same name as the owners' location at S. 35th St. and W. National Ave. The atmosphere, layout, and some of the menu, however, vary markedly from the Chicken Palace further north.
Being a Mexican restaurant specializing in grilled chicken is a sufficient distinction among the many places in the city offering cuisine from the same country. I miss the days, which ceased several years ago, when the Forest Home Garibaldi Palace served both rabbit and quail as well as larger fowl in its name. If any Mexican restaurateurs want to take up that slack and do it well as Garibaldi did, likely they' likely have an appreciative following.
Forest Home Fiesta
The Forest Home Fiesta, however, distinguishes itself with some sides not usually associated with Mexican cuisine. Sadly, yuca fries weren't available during my most recent lunch of a half-chicken. Fortunately, I know of at least one other place to dine in Milwaukee, which specializes in the food of other Hispanic countries, where the crisp planks of Central American tubers maybe had regularly.
But Garibaldi's chicken, already served with mouth-watering complementary grilled green onions, may also be served with plantains. And these aren't the variety of the banana's relative that come politely sliced, as they may be found in some African places. Offered instead are the mashed and fried discs looking some like big, flattened flowers commonly associated with Puerto Rican food. Their mildly sweet, slightly chewy crispness well made for a flavorful contrast to juicy bird flesh freshly removed from its grilling flame and into the white Styrofoam tray in which it was served.
Garibaldi does at least as well with arepas as they do plantains. The cornmeal dish is common in some South American territories and may be prepared with cheese or other additions. The Chicken Palace variation is basic, but basic is no way bad in this instance. Like a cake of formed grits, their juiciness rivaled that of the bird they accompanied.
My dining companion went for chicken, too. But his meat was pulled and place into the context of enchiladas. He liked it fine, saying that it wasn't too spicy for hm.
Plenty to Try
Bordering on being too hot for me was one of the formulations of pico de gallo I chose from over 10 options in the Garibaldi condiment bar. I'll know next time to take a smidgen of something from there before filling an entire cup with it. And there are plenty of smidgens to try.
And a return trip should be in the offering soon. On the sunny late morning of my friend's and my visit, a tall, wide, open front door gave the impression of a large garage converted into a funky, bustling joint to grab a bite. With a La Michoacana frozen confectionary outlet also on its premises, it's also where one can gran a lick of a paleta or slurp of a mangonada, among other sweet meal toppers.
