Photo credit: Chicken Palace de Fiesta Garibaldi Facebook Page
It's difficult to tell which aspect of Chicken Palace Fiesta Garibaldi (1937 W. Forest Home Ave.) defines it best: being a Mexican restaurant with a couple of dishes not found at many other places in Wisconsin or its commitment to preparing a more common meat simply but spectacularly. Those little-found dishes, rabbit and quail, are spiced in a memorably smoky manner. The rabbit, the Palace's most expensive item, merits its price not only for its relative rarity, but its enormity. It can easily feed two or three hungry diners. When it's available, that is. Rabbit and quail were not to be had during my last couple weekend visits, so lesson learned about calling in advance.
The chicken admirably made up for the other meats’ absence. Their chicken is prepared on open flames in plain sight behind the walk-up ordering counter; the meat comes off the grill possessing tantalizing juiciness. Among the stable of sides, grilled green onions and charro beans choked with diced ham bring nutritional balance and come close to making one’s tray mimic the décor’s vividness. That a branch of frozen treats purveyor La Michoacana shares space with Chicken Palace Fiesta Garibaldi allows patrons to offset their meals’ heat with sweet dairy and fruity coolness.
