Stack'd Burger Bar
Peter mentioned Stack'd to me a few times long before we ate there in March for his brother's birthday. As the name implies, Stack'd specializes in gourmet burgers. Aside from the occasional and inexplicable craving for a bacon cheeseburger, I generally don't care for burgers much. Thankfully, Stack'd was prepared for folks like me, and vegetarians too!Though it was awhile ago, I have only the fondest memories of the atmosphere and decor at Stack'd. I vividly remember the booth seats being the most comfortable I've ever sat upon in a restaurant. It felt like I was dining on a comfy couch, reminding me of my goal to never leave home. The lighting was dim, which gave the large space (with very high ceilings) an intimate feel. Both Peter and I appreciated the indy soundtrack that accompanied our meal. It was even played at the perfect volume.
I remember being underwhelmed by the Portabella fries, but thoroughly enjoying my hummus and veggie sandwich. Both Peter and I noticed that several listed ingredients were missing from our sandwiches, but they were still tasty. For me, the most impressive features of Stack'd are their wine list and their knowledgeable staff. Bottles of wine were half price for a mere $15 a pop, allowing the table to share a bottle of red and a bottle of white. Unfortunately, my chosen bottle of wine was unavailable, and our brilliant server recommended Leese Fitch Cabernet instead. Since then, I've spent at least 30 minutes in every wine aisle I pass in search of one of the best wines I've ever tasted. A dinner that provides me with joy for months to come is almost more than I can ask for.rankings and stats:
ambiance - 8
beer & wine selection - 7
food variety - 5
service - 9
accessibility - 6 (limited parking in the area)
design - 7
taste - 7
price - $$
Would we recommend? Yes
Style - burgers
Dress - casual
Location - 170 South 1st Street, Milwaukee
http://www.stackedbar.com/
Nitty Gritty
Recognized as a Madison landmark, Nitty Gritty is more than the city's "official birthday place." Rest assured that when your own special day rolls around, the bartenders will announce your name and age to the cheers of dozens of drunk college students. However, you'll be able to enjoy a good meal as you hide your shame at being almost 30 and still hanging out at a college bar.
Nestled on the corner of campus, and a mere block away from the Kohl Center, Nitty Gritty is a common gathering place for sports fans, college kids, and birthday bashes. Of course, there's bond to be an odd table of nearly 30 year-olds just trying to get a beer and some dinner. Since we're not afraid to be that table, Peter and I joined friends at Nitty Gritty for dinner several weeks ago. I honestly can't remember much about the meal. I had a deliciously filling veggie salad and Peter had some kind of burger that I recall being yummy. The table shared numerous drinks throughout rounds of birthday celebrations around us. Finally we moved our "party" from the dinner-oriented upstairs to the drink-oriented downstairs. Overall, I found Nitty Gritty to be a decent place to get a casual bite to eat and a beer. Just be sure to clear the bar area before 10 pm if you aren't up to your college era antics.
rankings and stats:
ambiance - 6
beer & wine selection - 6
food variety - 6
service - 7
accessibility - 6
design - 6
taste - 7
price - $
Would we recommend? Yes
Style - American, bar food
Dress - casual
Location - 223 North Frances Street, Madison
http://www.nittygrittybirthdayplace.com/
Montage
Peter already wrote about Montage when he interviewed for his job in Iowa, but I was so impressed with the food that I promised I'd write a review of my own. From it's location (in Iowa) I didn't expect Montage to be such a, well, classy place. It's tastefully designed and decorated, with the perfect ambiance for a quiet, romantic dinner--in no small part due to the firm that designed it, I'm sure.
For starters, Peter and I shared bruschetta. We've had it at so many places, it's hard for me to distinguish one appetizer from another, but I recall it being tasty. On recommendation from Peter, I had the sun-dried tomato pasta, which was delicious. Secretly, I really wanted the blackberry pork loin, which I encouraged Peter to order. My lust was justified as this was one of the best pieces of pork I've ever had. The sauce was a perfect compliment to the saltiness of the pork. I kick myself for not ordering this and hoarding it all for myself.
I won't repeat any of Peter's much more eloquent critique of Montage, but suffice to say Montage is a sight for sore eyes to a chain-weary Iowan diner like myself.
rankings and stats:
ambiance - 8
beer & wine selection - 9 (more than 1,000 bottles!)
food variety - 7
service - 7
accessibility - 6 (in Iowa)
design - 9
taste - 8
price - $$$
Would we recommend? Yes
Style - Fusion
Dress - semi-casual
Location - 222 Main Street, Cedar Falls, IA
http://www.montage-cf.com/-cf.com/
Red Mango
Dessert? Yes, please! Dessert that's relatively healthy? Sign me up! I'm thrilled that a Red Mango has opened within walking distance of my apartment. I knew I'd love it long before I walked in the door. Non-fat frozen yogurts with probiotics and fruit toppings in delicious flavors--I may have died and gone to foodie heaven.
Peter and I treated ourselves to a Red Mango sundae after touring the Chazen Art Museum. We split a small order of original yogurt with raspberries and crumbled graham crackers. I was elated to see caloric values next to all the yogurts and toppings. Peter was thrilled to see Capt'n Crunch as a topping choice. This place was made for us! Though the day was chilly, we enjoyed our dessert with glee, especially over the mere 200 calories between the two of us!rankings and stats:
ambiance - 7
beer & wine selection - N/A
food variety - 7 (ok--it's just dessert, but still, lots of combinations!)
service - 7
accessibility - 7
design - 6
taste - 7
price - $$
Would we recommend? Yes
Style - Frozen yogurt
Dress - casual
Location - 627 State St., Madison
http://www.redmangousa.com/
Bluephies
Every now and then, a restaurant comes along that knocks our socks off. Bluephies is just such a place. With its comfortable diner atmosphere and delicious assortment of comfort foods, Bluephies is bound to become a regular spot for us. Featuring Beer and Bacon Waffles and classics like Bananas Foster and Eggs Benedict, brunch was difficult for Peter and I to pass up. We were only able to focus on the lunch menu by assuring each other that a Bluephies brunch is on the horizon.
We were more than pleased with our lunch menu choices--the crab sandwich for Peter and the albuquerque chicken salad for me. Peter's sandwich was amazing. The bread was a perfectly toasted and buttered rye. Though described as a crab cake, the bulk of the sandwich was almost entirely crab meat. The avocado topping provided the perfect creamy balance. My salad, while amazingly low in calories, was zesty and filling. I enjoyed my salad so much that I forgot I was eating something that was good for me!
While we were able to stay away from brunch, we couldn't turn down one of the creative and mouthwatering dessert options. After our wonderful lunch, we had a hard time choosing a dessert from the many listed. Both of us love good key lime pie. I'm a fan of fruity desserts, drawing me to the lemon tart and the crisps. Peter was in favor of the turtle cheesecake. In the end, we decided to try a Bluephies original--chocolate chip cookie dough egg rolls. Oh. My. Gosh. Crunchy and creamy and super sweet--I couldn't have made a more perfect dessert. Oreo raviolis next on the list? Stay tuned.rankings and stats:
ambiance - 8
beer & wine selection - 7
food variety - 9
service - 8
accessibility - 6 (make reservations, especially for brunch)
design - 6
taste - 9
price - $$
Would we recommend? Yes
Style - American
Dress - casual
Location - 2701 Monroe Street, Madison
http://www.bluephies.com/
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