I stopped in for lunch at the newly opened Mambo Cocina Latina, on State Street in New Haven — a collaboration of Chef Alex Morales with the owners of Goodfellas and Bin 100.
I inadvertently was handed the dinner menu and had decided on the grilled octopus. Ted, our waiter, graciously agreed to see if the kitchen would prepare that for me. I was go glad they did and recommend it. Their tender octopus ($15) 
comes served a top a chilled fingerling potato and roasted pepper salad all drizzled with aioli (garlic mayo).
We also sampled their fish tacos ($13), with tempura fish over avocado, lettuce pico de gallo and a braised tomato chipotle and some fried yucca ($8). We washed that down with the balanced, herbaceous Palacio de Fefinanes Albarino from Rias Baixas, 2011 ($38).
– bonnie
Mambo Cocina Latina
758 State St
New Haven, CT 06511
(203) 562-0660
mambonh.com
Sharing as I got this sad news from the owners of Mambo Cocina…
“We have some sad news. Mambo Cocina will be closing its doors after this Saturday for good. Our lease negotiations did not go as expected and we have decided to move on.
We would like to thank all of our guests for their support and patronage over the last year. We made a lot of new friends and are proud to have had our Chef, Alex Morales, become Elm City Iron Chef of 2014. We are so appreciative of all the glowing reviews and referrals of friends that you gave us. It was truly a great year.”