Will Blog For Food

Monty's Blue Plate Diner

2010-07-28T17:08:00.004-05:00

Having a vegan visit you in America's Dairyland requires a bit of ingenuity, but Monty's Blue Plate Diner made it manageable to have omnivores and herbivores peacefully coexisting at the same table. Monty's is widely recognized as a great place for vegetarian food in Madison, and I've heard claims that they have vegan ice cream as a dessert. They're also known for their breakfast menu, but since we were there for dinner, I'll stick to those foods.

My friends had the Heathen Vegan Shoplifter's Delight and the Artichoke Sandwich. Both were served with heaping piles of fries (available in regular and waffle varieties). I didn't try the Heathen Vegan, though it looked amazing. The Artichoke Sandwich was fantastic. It was served on perfectly grilled sourdough bread with an amazing pesto mayo that added a very unique flavor. I had the Mediterranean Platter, which was enormous and could easily have been an appetizer shared by the whole table. The cucumber yogurt and mint tabouli were delicious, but I wasn't completely impressed by the hummus. It was quite thick and made with roasted red peppers, which many people like. I prefer creamier hummus with significant garlic flavor.

For dessert, we hoped to order one vegan and one non-vegan sundae, but unfortunately, Monty's doesn't currently offer vegan ice cream. Our waiter assured us that it was in the works for the future. We chose the Earthworms and Dirt Sundae, because I'm always a sucker for gummy based candies. It was massive. If you order a sundae, share it with at least 3 other people. In future trips, I'd like to try the Almond Milk French Toast and a Fat Elvis Milkshake. Perhaps even both at the same time!

Even though I'm opposed to restaurants calling themselves "diners" when they don't meet the specific standards of a diner (i.e. open 24 hours, greasy food options, unlimited coffee, surly waitresses, etc.), I'll allow it in Monty's case. The building itself is modeled after a 1950s diner, and the booths give it that diner feel. They do have breakfast all day, but our waiter was extremely friendly and there were many healthy options available on the menu. Still, Monty's was a great choice to satisfy the very different tastes of three people, and I'll definitely be back for some Fat Elvis.

rankings and stats:
ambiance - 7
beer & wine selection - 6
food variety - 8
service - 8
accessibility - 7
design - 7
taste - 8
price - $$

Would we recommend? Yes
Style - American, vegetarian
Dress - casual
Location - 2089 Atwood Avenue, Madison

www.montysblueplatediner.com

Hodge Podge

2010-05-10T20:11:00.015-05:00

Terribly sorry for my prolonged absence from the almighty food blog. To prove that I'm truly repentant, here's many reviews crammed into one entry.

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/

Cempazuchi

2010-03-15T19:51:00.008-05:00

A couple weekends ago, I finally treated Lauren to a long overdue dinner at my favorite Mexican restaurant in Milwaukee, Cempazuchi. It is on Brady Street, an area of the city overrun by college hipsters and middle-aged yuppies, but nonetheless a great area with many eclectic shops, bars, and eateries, and in my opinion one of the better parts of the city to bring a date. I hadn't been to Cempazuchi in over a year, but after seeing Guy Fieri and his show Diners Drive-ins & Dives pay a visit, I was eager to return and try one of the authentic Mexican dishes featured in the episode.

As is the norm when going out on Brady, we had to park pretty far away, but despite the cold weather and being very hungry, we didn't really mind. Whereas a lack of parking can be a nuisance in a lot of downtown areas, in a bustling neighborhood like Brady Street, the year-round foottraffic and packed streets make the long walk enjoyable, and allows for discovery and interaction. That was really how I found out about the place originally, just from walking past all of the storefronts and taking a peek inside. We walked in from the crowded sidewalk to the crowded dining room of Cempazuchi around 7PM, and were seated fairly promptly given how busy they were, and the small size of the establishment. Before being seated, we passed the time at the bar sampling some of their margaritas. I'm actually on the restaurant's website as I write this, and I see a few "Best Margarita in Milwaukee" awards in the sidebar. Lauren and I would definitely not have voted for Cempazuchi in that contest. My house margarita had almost no booze in it, and the two that Lauren tried were very refreshing, but not spectacular. If there's one drink I prefer to be made too strong, it's a margarita, and this was a letdown. However, they do feature many flavors of margarita and a wide assortment of tequilas there, so I will give points for that, and I also seem to recall having sangria there in the past that was very good.

Subconsciously, I may have just been underestimating the drinks because I knew the food would be outstanding, and it was. As you may know, I'm a sucker for mole sauce, and so I tried the Manchimantel, which featured fruit mole that I have never had before. It was served with grilled chicken over rice, with plantains and sweet potatoes. The sauce, when mixed with the pineapples in the rice, was kind of like a sweet-sour salsa, but with more of the consistency of a marinara sauce. Despite polishing off about four baskets of complimentary chips before our meals arrived, I took down my delicious plate in less than five minutes. Lauren tossed her usual "Mexican restaurant coin," and it came up fajitas instead of burrito. Hers was very good as well, seasoned and cooked perfectly and served with three homemade soft shells. I can also attest to the salmon tacos and tacos el pastor being excellent at previous visits. Going back to the complimentary chips, they were served with two homemade salsas. One had a peanut base and the other a garlic base, and both had some kick to them and were the best part of the meal.

As I've mentioned in this blog before, many people may have their own opinion about how to gauge a Mexican restaurant, but for me it is the sauces & salsa, the atmosphere, and the location. You just simply need some or all of those elements to really pop for a Mexican restaurant to leave an impression, and all three are off the charts at Cempazuchi. Standard Mexican fare done poorly will still always attract a crowd, but doing simple dishes really well like Cempazuchi does, with fresh ingredients and authentic Mexican dishes, and in a lively neighborhood, make this place memorable.

rankings and stats:
ambiance - 9
beer & wine selection - 3 (tequila/margarita seleciton - 9)
food variety - 6
service - 5
accessibility - 3 (crowded area)
design - 7
taste - 9
price - $$

Would we recommend? Yes
Style - authentic Mexican diner
Dress - casual
Location - 1205 E Brady St, Milwaukee
http://www.cempazuchi.com/

Highway 63 Diner

2010-03-04T16:21:00.008-06:00

As you may have read, Lauren and I have been striking out a lot lately with our restaurant choices. Nothing like a trip to a diner to rectify the situation! We went to Waterloo's local diner, the Highway 63 Diner, last Saturday for lunch and were not disappointed.

This restaurant embodies just about everything you can think of when imagining a quintessential American diner, from food to atmosphere to location. It took us awhile to fine it, which was an encouraging sign right off the bat. Even though this particular diner advertises on local television, every great diner should be an out-of-the-way place that's only well known amongst the locals. When we finally got there, we found the building to be very ordinary and unpretentious on the outside, with a unique flare on the inside - another good sign. Often times, Lauren and I find that restaurants that have a very flashy facade, or a busy interior design, are really just trying to disorient the customer and distract from a low-quality menu. With its tan aluminum siding, no windows on three sides, and booth accents that were clearly self-installed, this place was definitely unassuming. The third sign that this place was gonna be good before even looking at the menu, was that it took us over 5 minutes to get seated. Not because they were crowded - but because the hostess just didn't really care to seat us. Lauren will always tell you that a surly wait staff makes for an excellent diner. After finally getting seated in our comfortable booth, I surveyed the room and noticed two parties of 1. If you ever go to a restaurant and see someone sitting by themselves without a laptop, and there's no bar to watch TV at, that's a pretty good sign that the food is gonna be awesome.

My anticipation for the meal only grew as I thumbed throught the menu and saw all of the diner classics - pork chops, broasted chicken, burgers, steak, and fried fish sandwiches, just to name a few. I could tell from the smell and the sound of finger-licking that a (un)healthy amount of the patrons were going with the broasted chicken, but I decided to go with the reuben sandwich. A Reuben to me is like pizza - you can't really get it wrong, but few people know how to make a really delicious one - so I figured that I'd test this place right off the bat and see if they could make a decent reuben sandwich. I got it with a side of onion rings instead of fries. Lauren went with a pork fajita salad, served with a choice of four homemade dressings - italian, french, ranch, and I'm pretty sure I heard the fourth one as being "Franch," which I can only assume is a combination of French and Ranch. Whatever was in it, the dollop I tasted off my finger was really good. The food arrived not a moment too soon, as it was nearly 3pm and we were starving. I prefer my corned beef to be brined longer and cut thicker, but overall not a bad reuben sandwich. The marble rye and the clearly housemade Thousand Island were excellent, and the kraut was fresh and gave it a nice crisp. The onion rings were just out of this world and were some of the best I've ever had, well worth the extra $2 I paid for them. They gave me a warm feeling inside because the reminded me of the onion rings I grew up eating at Goldrush Chicken back home in Milwaukee. I can attest to Lauren's salad being good, too. I mean, the salad was just a salad (no brown leaves like at Otis & Henry's), but the pork tenderloin was cooked and seasoned perfectly.

The only bad part of the meal was that our waitress didn't give us a chance to order pie, as she already had brought the check. No problem - Culver's flavor of the day was Double Chocolate Oreo.

rankings and stats:
ambiance - 4 (mid-afternoon pretty slow)
beer & wine selection - 5
food variety - 7
service - 4
accessibility - 3 (hard to find)
design - 5 (inside was neat)
taste - 8
price - $

Would we recommend? Yes
Style - American diner
Dress - casual
Location - 3030 Marnie Rd, Waterloo IA
http://www.landaudiners.com/highway63.htm

Otis & Henry's

2010-02-21T20:37:00.003-06:00

Peter and I have about run out of options for non-chain dining in Waterloo so we finally resorted to eating at the casino. Isle Casino Hotel is everything you'd expect in a casino located in rural Iowa. It's located at least 3 miles from anything resembling civilization, surrounded by a water park, and reeks of cigarette smoke despite numerous "no smoking" signs around the casino floor.
Eventually we'd like to make a day of it at Isle to play the penny slots and score some free drinks, but we had other business to attend to so we headed directly to the second floor restaurant. I was immediately surprised by the decor of Otis & Henry since typical Waterloo "artwork" includes road signs and stuffed wild animals. The restaurant has a sophisticated feel to it, with a large mosaic floor and modern table settings. The ambiance is somewhat affected by the very casual dress assumed by most patrons. Still, I was pleased to be seated by a wall of glass with full view of the bustling casino floor.

Peter and I ordered our standard drinks--Merlot for me, Wisconsin beer for him. Our waiter returned promptly, but without our drinks. Apparently, they get a lot of underage kids with visible grey hair ordering Merlot at Otis & Henry and he needed to see my id. I used to feel proud to get carded and prove that I was old enough to drink. Then I felt flattered that I still looked young enough to not be able to drink. Now, I just feel hassled. I've reached a point in my life in which credit scores and back fat have become very real and serious concerns, so I don't need any additional steps between me and a glass of wine.

Following the minor drink debacle, we examined the noticeably short menu. Unlike many people, I prefer restaurants that have a short menu. It usually indicates that they have made an effort to perfect the few dishes they offer rather than serving many mediocre entrees. Things seemed to be looking up for Otis & Henry. Peter ordered the special--prime rib with garlic mashed potatoes and sauteed vegetables. I ordered the Chop Chop Salad with shrimp. While we waited for our food, we enjoyed two types of dinner rolls. The cheddar bay biscuits were good, but tasted a bit stale and would have been better if they were warm. We both enjoyed the second, unidentifiable roll which combined elements of foccaccia bread and english muffins. After a reasonable wait, our food arrived.

Peter felt that his food was excellent. Everything was cooked well, including the prime rib with it's signature crust and I can attest to the deliciousness of the mashed potatoes. Just from watching my food arrive, I could tell I would not feel the same way. Initially the salad looked benign enough, but the shrimp was completely uncooked and ice cold. Upon further inspection, I discovered that my lettuce was served in unmanageably huge pieces, many of which had brown spots. It's a pet peeve of mine when healthy food tastes horrible. As someone who loves food but doesn't want to eventually fuse to Peter's couch, I want good for me food that actually tastes good. As my own cooking and restaurants like Chop'd (in DC) have shown me, it's completely possible to have both.

While Otis & Henry failed to meet my expectations, Peter was happy with his meal. Unfortunately we're rather limited in options in Iowa, so perhaps I shouldn't judge Otis & Henry so harshly. They don't exactly have a lot of competition to encourage improvement on their part. Still, I've written three posts today after weeks of not updating so guess whether I'd recommend Otis & Henry or not.

restaurant rankings and stats

ambiance - 6

beer & wine selection - 4

food variety - 4

service - 6

accessibility - 5

design - 7

taste - 5

price - $$

Would we recommend? No

Style- American

Dress - casual
Location - 777 Isle of Capri Blvd., Waterloo, IA
http://waterloo.isleofcapricasinos.com/dining-otisandhenry.aspx

Maharani Indian Restaurant

2010-02-21T20:12:00.003-06:00

To celebrate my acceptance to graduate school, Peter treated me to my choice of restaurants in Madison. I choose Maharani Indian Restaurant since we haven't been to a new place in awhile. On the upside, Maharani is just a few blocks from my apartment and halfway to State Street, making it easy for us to meet up with friends afterward, especially since parking in that neighborhood can be challenging.

I took my friend Liz to Maharani when she visited from Chicago since we both enjoy Indian food and I know it's not at the top of Peter's list. We went for the lunch buffet, which was as delicious as we'd hoped. We were surprised to find some pricer items, typically excluded from the buffet, available, as well as delicious mango sorbet for dessert. Peter and I went for dinner, so the buffet was not an option for us. Considering our eating habits, that's probably for the best. Peter ordered lamb curry and I had beef biryani, plus a glass of merlot. We also shared an order of traditional naan.

Our food was tasty and promptly served, but nothing extraordinary. Peter's lamb was cold, and I expected my biryani to be spicer than it was. We were slighly uncomfortable with the location of our table, mid-way between the lobby and large seating area. We almost felt like we were in the middle of a hallway. Other than that, the evening was mostly unremarkable.

restaurant rankings and stats
ambiance - 4

beer & wine selection - 4

food variety - 7

service - 6

accessibility - 7

design - 4

taste - 6

price - $$

Would we recommend? No (Yes for lunch buffet)

Style- Indian

Dress - casual

Location - 380 W. Washington Avenue, Madison

http://www.maharanimadison.com/

Barnacle Bud's

2010-02-21T19:36:00.005-06:00

Many moons ago, Peter's parents spared me from yet another televised sporting event by taking me out to lunch in Milwaukee. Since I'm relatively new to the area, they opted to introduce me to a local institution--Barnacle Bud's. It's been a few months since then (terribly sorry for the delay), but I'll try to recall the details as best I can.

The most notable thing about Barnacle Bud's is the location. I'm going out on a limb here, but I'll guess that they don't attract a lot of foot traffic. Like in Swingers, the cool places have to be hard to find with no sign. Telling people you've eaten at Barnacle Bud's is bragging that you know how to find it. That being said, I have no idea how to get there. All I remember was Peter's dad driving us around some sketchy looking warehouses by a river. Making it seem even more elusive, Peter's mom had to duck inside to ensure they were even open for lunch on a weekday. We luckily happened to be the first patrons of the day.

If you manage to find Barnacle Bud's, plan to go later in the day. The staff weren't exactly eager to see us, and I suspect that their demeanor improves as the shift goes on. I'd also highly recommend not going in the middle of winter. The restaurant's proximity to the river and general lack of anything resembling insulation makes it incredibly cold inside. I'm relatively certain that there was absolutely no heat in the annex portion where the bathrooms are located. I genuinely feared that I would freeze to the seat. Who does one call for help in that situation? Still, I tried to make the best of an opportunity to get better acquainted with Peter's family so I warmed up with a few beers. I think I had Leinie's on draft, which as an east coaster, always excites me. Native Wisconsinites seem far less impressed with this than I am.

Peter's brother and I both ordered basically the same sandwich--grilled chicken. Mine was supposed to be jerk seasoned, but I cold only taste salt and pepper. It probably had something to do with the 40 degree temperatures inside the building, but my sandwich was also way too cold. To make a long story shorter (and since the details are hazy to me), the food was nothing impressive.

Proving that television hasn't completely destroyed my imagination, I can see enjoying margaritas or pitchers of beer on Barnacle Bud's spacious deck in the summertime. Peter had been there before, and assures me that the view is lovely thanks to river-cruising boats, and that they generally have a good seafood selection, which I did not opt for since I don't particularly care for fish. I could also anticipate a good crowd of characters gathering on a warm Friday evening, but unfortunately, there are approximately 4 days like that in Milwaukee a year.

restaurant rankings and stats

ambiance - 5

beer & wine selection - 2

food variety - 2

service - 3

accessibility - 1

design - 2

taste - 3

price - $

Would we recommend? No

Style- Tavern

Dress - casual

Location - 1955 South Hilbert Street, Milwaukee

http://www.barnacle-buds.com/

New Years in Cincinnati

2010-01-05T09:52:00.012-06:00

Lauren and I decided to start off 2010 by visiting my old UC pals. The weekend involved a great new year's eve party, sandwiched in between a fantastic dinner, and a few of my old haunts from grad school. We left Madison around 9 on the 31st and got to Cincinnati just after 5 ET, and met up with 6 of my friends and Via Vite, a new Italian restaurant that just opened on Fountain Square. And I do mean ON Fountain Square...it is an entirely new two-story building built right in the square. This kind of makes it an “object in the park,” rather than a support building, and with a large fountain and ice skating rink already in the square, this was kind of conflicting. But the inside was very well done, and it was nice to watch pedestrians and skaters brave the cold from our warm table.

The menu was full of chef specialties and also featured a menu created specifically for NYE. The first thing you notice when parousing the menu was that there were only about a dozen items, all prepared in very intense, specific ways, and all kind of pricy. Being a small menu, it lent itself to recommendations, but everything on the menu was apparently so good that even our waiter could not decide. When we asked him for help, he basically said that every single thing on the menu was great, but the overnight braised lamb shank was the best. So, about half of us ordered the lamb shank, and Lauren, not surprisingly, ordered the potato gnocchi. It can be really hard on this blog to rank food – I mean, something is either good, or it’s bad, and with many types of food there is little or no grey area. But I can honestly tell you, that this meal was a perfect 10. Ambiance, good service and location, and delightful food, all shared with friends. The lamb shank was served on a bed of polenta, which I had never had and have always wanted to try from all of those episodes of DDD I’ve watched. The polenta was outstanding, very creamy and decadent. As for the lamb, all I had to do was lift the end of the bone, and half of the meat just fell off - I literally could have eaten it with a spoon, it was that tender. That overnight braising made it so juicy, and the quality of the meat was just phenomenal. The rosemary stuffed inside the bone was not only nice aesthetically, but it also gave the lamb a nice touch on the back end. Lauren’s gnocchi was also well prepared, but sadly still not comparable to the gnocchi we had at the Madison CAC. This seemed like a great restaurant to enjoy an occasion, and what better occasion than New Year’s Eve?

Following the dinner was a party new by at the Contemporary Arts Center, where we watched the ball drop. Lauren and I resolve to lose weight in 2010, but before that, we had a couple more stops we had to make while in Cincinnati. I have already written about Uncle Woody’s and Skyline – the other two must-go places when visiting Cincinnati are Graeter’s and The Comet, both of which I took Lauren to this weekend. (I’d also throw in Dewey’s Pizza as an honorable mention on that list). We went to Graeter’s after dinner on New Year’s Day for ice cream. Wisconsin is king of frozen custard and nothing can beat it, but if we’re talking regular ice cream, then Graeter’s is hands down the best I’ve ever had. It’s the kind of place that has so many choices, but the first thing you’ve ever ordered is so perfectly delicious, that you have yet to venture out into the rest of the menu. Although I’ve sampled about half the flavors, I always ALWAYS order a scoop of Black Raspberry Chocolate Chip in a dish. It was like 20 degrees outside and we had to walk 3 blocks, but I didn’t care – I needed it. This was always the easiest place to take any visitors or dates when I lived there, because I mean someone may not like burritos or chili, but who doesn’t love ice cream? I can even think of some lactose-intolerant students I graduated with that regularly risked life and limb for some Graeter’s ice cream.

Our next major food excursion of the weekend was The Comet, a bar on the north side of Cincinnati. Woody’s was all about the camaraderie. Skyline was that place you knew you could always get a quick, cheap meal at any hour of the day. Graeter’s was all about comfort and familiarity. Of the four though, I’d have to say the Comet burrito was the most delicious meal and the one I most looked forward to. I didn’t go there as regularly as the other three because it’s kind of a long drive, and that just added to the intrigue. There are a few other good things on the menu, and it’s a great place to watch a live band, or to try just about any weird seasonal, imported, or microbrew beer on the planet. All the locals will tell you though that you come here for the burritos. It’s totally word of mouth too, you would never even know from the outside that they served food here. These are monstrous Chipotle-type burritos that can literally stand up on their ends. They are served with a heap of fresh tortilla chips that are thick enough to help scoop some of the contents out as you plow through the burrito. My friend Andreas and I both ordered chicken burritos with black beans, sour cream, and medium salsa, and Lauren got the same sans-meat. They weren’t as overly-stuffed as I remembered, but still delicious. The key that helps that Comet burritos stand out over Chipotle or Qdoba is that they mix all the ingredients together beforehand, so when you’re eating it it’s not one side rice, one side toppings. The mixing also allows all of the sauces and meats to soak into the rice, giving it a deeper flavor.

Our last meal of the weekend was at Mac’s in Clifton, right near campus. We tried to all meet at Woody’s after Comet, but they were closed! Closed twice in two separate visits, and also underwent a major renovation – clearly, our bar will never be the same. So, instead we walked across the street to Mac’s. This was the bar I usually came to watch Sunday Night Baseball, and this bar hosted our architecture school happy hour for a year, so it was also a place I was familiar with. Between Lauren, myself, and my friends John and Toombs, we ate just about everything on the menu. I can speak to the burgers being good, and the cheese & bacon covered waffle fries are the best fries in town. Mac’s is technically a pizzeria, so also the pizza here is pretty good – a really seasoning-intensive pie. Lots of good places to sit and watch a ballgame, lots of good beers on taps, and there is always a drink special. The bar is also semi-divided out into several “rooms” of varying privacy and function, which I prefer to those bars that are just like a big mess hall. Our weekend in Cincinnati concluded with my friend Toombs trying to defeat Macs’ Devil’s Breath 12-wing challenge. He got about 4.5 down and eventually had to succumb to the chemical burn. I coaxed myself in to trying one, and it took me about a half-hour to even be able to talk. Despite that intense mouth pain, it was great to see all of my friends in Cincinnati and share some good food with my best gal Lauren.

restaurant rankings and stats

(Via Vie/The Comet/Mac's):
ambiance - 9/3/6 (Comet is usually about a 7, we were the first people there; Mac's is usually a little higher when school is in session)
beer & wine selection - 7/10/8
food variety - 5/3/5
service - 9/5/9
accessibility - 4/4/9 (can be hard to find parking by Fountain Square; Comet on far north end of city)
design - 9/4/6
taste - 10/9/7
price - $$$$/$/$$

Would we recommend? Yes/Yes/Yes
Style - contemporary Italian/tavern/pizzeria & bar
Dress - formal, but no black-tie required/casual/casual
Location - Fountain Square, 4579 Hamilton, McMillan & Clifton - Cincinnati OH

Hooters

2009-12-28T09:15:00.009-06:00

Hooters has been in business for over 25 years by using the time-tested adage that sex can sell anything, in this case below-average food. Put one of those in every city and you've got yourself a million-dollar idea. Back on our ball tour, Hooters comprised about 25% of mine and Erik's non-ballpark meals, if for no other reason that it's a familiar chain restaurant that is comfortable for any wayward gentleman, and a sort of running tally that every guy keeps. Men can be very forgetful, but I will guarantee you that every guy knows how many Hooters' he has been to, and in what cities. When you're a young man, going to Hooters every week can be a rite of passage, as girls are still exciting and new, and chances are most high schoolers haven't really talked to one yet. As you get older, I find that Hooters starts to change from a hangout, to a place to stop or meet. And then as you get even older, it's a place a husband can drag his family so he can engage in a creepy conversation with a 19-year old scantilly clad waitress and give her a generous tip to help her pay for college, all while feeling your wife's heavy stare. One thing always remains constant - guys go there to compare waitresses, even if subconsciously, no mattter how good anybody ever tells you the buffalo wings are (which they are not).

This past weekend, I met up with Erik and a couple other friends at the new Hooters location in Brookfield, about 20 minutes west of downtown Milwaukee. I've been to at least 20 locations, so the motif is not something I needed to see again to describe. It is a lot bigger than most I've been to, featuring 35 flat-screen televisions and a large island bar. I always get either the wings or the grilled cheese platter when I go, depending on how my stomach is doing. I can honestly say it's one of the best grilled cheeses I've ever had, and along with the curly fries and some ranch dipping sauce, it's a pretty solid meal. The buffalo wings are a popular food option to default to, because wings, beer, sports on the TV, and girls just go naturally together. I've always been afraid to venture too far out into the rest of the menu, just because I doubt the quality is any better than bar food at best.

Our verdict - girls are, um..."friendlier" than the Greenfield location, and the defunct Grand Avenue Mall location. We had a few beers, got a chance to catch up, and shared stories of terrible and awesome Hooters experiences. You pay for the atmosphere when you go to Hooters and not the food, but it was still a great meal with good friends.

rankings and stats:
ambiance - 5
beer & wine selection - 7
food variety - 5 (mostly bar food)
service - 9
accessibility - 3 (Brookfield is far away)
design - 3
taste - 4
price - $

Would we recommend? For the food, no.
Style - American sports bar
Dress - casual
Location - 17105 W Bluemound Rd, Brookfield WI
http://www.hooters.com/

Pizza Man

2009-12-14T10:41:00.012-06:00

For my birthday dinner, my family, Lauren, Erik, and myself all went to Pizza Man on Milwaukee's east side to celebrate. Choosing where to eat for my birthday is always one of the bigger days on my yearly food calendar, right up there with Christmas and Opening Day Tailgate. I love to try new places and eat a wide variety of food, and this is always the one day of the year where I get to introduce my loved ones to a favorite restaurant of mine, or someplace good I've heard about. This year, I felt like just a casual night out, so pizza was the obvious culinary choice. And in my opinion, the best sit-down pizzeria in Milwaukee County by a mile is Pizza Man. Note: this is not to be confused with the "Pizza Man" chain.

Walking into Pizza Man on this chilly December evening was like a trip back in time for me. Seeing all of the college-age people in the restaurant reminded me of when I lived on Pizza Man and Oakland Gyros during my architecture studio days at nearby UW-Milwaukee. I remember many nights rushing to have my prints ready to get to Kinkos by 1 AM so we could get a pie before Pizza Man closed. Beyond the deliciousness of the pizza, the atmosphere is nice enough that I have also eaten several meals with friends and dates there. I was delighted to arrive a few minutes late with Lauren to find Erik already having reserved us a table, so we were seated fairly promptly despite being a party of 6 on a busy evening. Lauren was immediately impressed that the joint was relatively classy when she walked in, since she had a suspicion the place would be a lot like Chuck-E-Cheeses (and knowing me, that is a fair assumption).

As I've said before on this blog, two of the keys to a good pie are a good sauce and fresh ingredients, both of which Pizza Man have. The best things on the menu from my memory are the onion ring loaf, and the Hawaiian and BBQ specialty pizzas. Some of the best onion rings I've ever had, and THE best Hawaiian pizza I've ever had. It's made with chunks rather than thin slices of canadian bacon, large pieces of pineapple, and cream & mozzerella cheeses, so it is a textural sensation with great contrasting flavors. We got the aforementioned Hawaiian pie, a Nagel family favorite C-S-M-O pie, and some garlic bread - a little too soft, but very buttery and delicious. Really nice interior, very quaint yet active, good wine & beer selection, nice neighborhood and wait staff, good pizza, and great company made for a fantastic birthday. It was a little cold sitting by the door and the pizza is more expensive than average, but those are two very small complaints - and the draft coming through the door was cancelled out by getting to watch the old 1950's hanging door closer drop up and down as people swung in. The best part of going out to dinner with anyone is when you can tell that they truly enjoyed the meal and were not just indulging you, so I definitely feel that Pizza Man was a successful birthday endeavor.

UPDATE: Pizza Man has burned down!!! A four-alarm fire started in the early morning hours of January 19th, 2010, and consumed the structure, as well as the apartments above. The cause of the fire is still unknown and is under investigation as a possible arson. I'm glad that Lauren and I got to eat there one last time.

rankings and stats:
ambiance - 7
beer & wine selection - 7
food variety - 5 (large appetizer menu)
service - 6
accessibility - 4 (east side - get there early to find parking)
design - 7
taste - 8
price - $$$

Would we recommend? Yes
Style - pizzeria
Dress - casual
Location - 1800 E. North Ave, Milwaukee
http://www.pizzaman.org/

Flat Top Grill

2009-12-03T12:39:00.005-06:00

Thursday was the Thanksgiving Feast, Friday was El Fuego, and our weekend of binge eating concluded with a trip to the Flat Top Grill in Madison. I was very skeptical about going, because Lauren had described it to me as a Mongolian BBQ, and I had no idea what that was. In actuality, it is a "create-your-own-stirfry" restaurant, as described on its website, with fourteen locations in Chicago and beyond. There are two in Wisconsin, and the Madison restaurant is down the street from the Hilldale Mall. It was one of the most unique and delicious dining experiences I've encountered, and I'm glad Lauren made me go.

We both had no idea what to expect when we walked in the door. To our left was an open kitchen with a large flattop, not unlike a Benihanas. In front of us were buffet stations, dining room was to our right, and I was really surprised to see a large back of house even though the kitchen station was out in the open. We took our seats as close to the food as we could and were greeted by a waiter who gave us both a tongue depresser with a number '2' on it, in lieu of a menu. After taking our drink order, he noticed our perplexed expressions and asked "Have you ever been here before," almost rhetorically. The patient young man went on to explain the rules: each patron is to grab a bowl at the beginning of the buffet line, and fill it til our hearts' content with anything we want. Then, you select any sides you may want, each represented with a different colored stick that you place in your bowl. The end of the line was the counter on which we put our bowls, with our tongue depressers firmly placed inside our mounds of food so they know which table to bring it to.

It sounds easy enough, but I'd be lying if the first time through the line I wasn't feeling a little out of my element. Lauren seemed very calm through the process and moved ahead much faster than me. Lauren loaded up on beans and low-calorie greens, while I just took a heaping pile of rice stick noodles and a few obligatory vegetables as I surveyed the field for meats. I finally got to what I thought was meat at the end of one station, but it turned out to be "Veat" - a vegetarian meat-substitute, made with mostly tofu. Of course, not bothering to read the signs, I grabbed a large helping (more on this later). Had I not been so anxious, I would have made it to the end of the next cart and seen all of the uncooked, real animal meats. Dammit! By this time, I had ladeled my bowl with sauce and greens and could not fish out the veat, so I had to make do. We both grabbed a blue stick for eggs, and a black stick for a side of bread, and placed out bowls on the counter to be cooked.

We paroused the pamphlet at our table while waiting for our food, and got great sauce combination suggestions for our inevitable second trip up to the buffet line (It's only $2/person more for all-you-can-eat). Our food came fairly promptly and we both enjoyed the stir-frys we had created. The sauces I put in my bowl added up to almost a soy sauce, a very savory and umami flavor, and it soaked into the noodles really well. Then came the moment of truth - do I dare try the Veat? I will try and eat almost anything - except tofu. I HATE tofu. I would rather eat bull testicles than tofu. I've had it like three times prepared all different ways, and it's just god-awful. The problem was, I had scooped so much of it into my bowl in my excitement that I wasn't just going to shovel it all onto Lauren's plate. Hoping that the sauce I put on it would make it less nasty, I took a bite - and to my surprise, it was outstanding! I know it's cliche, but it actually did taste like chicken. Overcooked chicken that fed on a diet of sawdust, but still chicken. All joking aside, beyond the appearance, I couldn't even tell when I was eating veat and when I was eating my other "real" meat in the bowl. Lauren tells me that tofu just absorbs the flavors of whatever it's cooked with, so I guess the lesson here is that if you add enough meat and sauce, it would make even cardboard taste good.

We both finished our first bowls quickly and were briefly down for the count, but we eventually decided that a second helping would be best...um...you know, for the food blog. Finished with a crisp Blue Moon, it was an outstanding meal. After dinner, we walked across the street to the Sundance Cinema to catch a movie. We used to go to that theater a lot only because my favorite Madison area restaurant is across the street, but now it looks like The Great Dane may have some competition.

rankings and stats:
ambiance - 6
beer & wine selection - 4
food variety - 5 (not a wide variety of food, but endless combinations)
service - 8
accessibility - 8
design - 7
taste -8
price - $$ ($13 all-you-can-eat)

Would we recommend? Yes
Style - create your own stir fry
Dress - casual
Location - 538 N Midvale Blvd, Madison
http://www.flattopgrill.com/

El Fuego

2009-12-02T11:44:00.006-06:00

I went home to Wisconsin for Thanksgiving Break, and Lauren and I ate pretty much nonstop for three days and have plenty of blog material to catch up on. I'll start with our dinner on Black Friday night, for which my parents took us out to a new Mexican restaurant near the airport called El Fuego. It was yet another stop in the Nagel family quest to dine at every Mexican restaurant in Milwaukee County.

It's hard for me to critique Mexican restaurants because almost all of them look the same, and it's pretty hard to get Mexican food wrong. How hard is it really to make a good taco and a strong margarita? I have only eaten at two bad Mexican restaurants (both are in Madison, incidentally) in my life out of hundreds, and that includes roadside taco vans and chain restaurants. Even before we started food blogging, I've always tried to keep up with new eateries and bars that open around town, and it seems that 2/3 of them feature Mexican fare. Why? Because it's always a safe bet that you will get a good meal at a fair price, and familiarity breeds success. In the right location or with the right atmosphere, a pizzeria or a Mexican restaurante can survive even in this economy.

Having said all that, I'm not trying to build up El Fuego's and make any readers think that they're "breaking the mold" there. On the contrary, it is decorated as you would expect any Mexican restaurant to be, and it serves the typical Mexican-American entrees one would expect - quesadillas, burritos, fajitas, tacos, etc. They also served large margaritas, an assortment of Mexican beer, and had a Latino wait staff - nothing out of the ordinary. Sometimes, familiarity is good. I'm not going to a Mexican restaurant because I'm feeling adventurous - I go because I expect it to be good, and it was. I am so sure of this, that myself, Lauren, or my parents rarely even look at the menu for more than formality purposes. There's never a doubt that Lauren will get fajitas or a burrito as big as your head, I will get something with a mole sauce, my brother gets tacos, my dad will get a sampler platter, and my mom will get several pitchers of margaritas and maybe a quesadilla. We stuck to our guns and all enjoyed a pleasant meal.

However, I also don't want any readers to think that every Mexican restaurant 100% identical. The formula and components are standards, but the variables are always the sauces/salsa, the atmosphere, and the location. In my mind, at least two of these things have to stand out for the place to be a success, and for me to vividly remember it. Rudy's still stands as my favorite Mexican restaurant because the downtown location and social setting are unparalleled, and they have the best mole sauce I've ever had. As for El Fuego's, they had great chips, great salsa & a decent mole sauce, and it was packed. They also have a very unique outdoor patio with a fireplace, tile flooring, and a fountain. It was really more like a room with no roof, great for large groups. My verdict for El Fuego's? I got what I expected, and I was not disappointed.

rankings and stats:
ambiance - 6
beer & wine selection - 5
food variety - 7
service - 9 (very fast)
accessibility - 8
design - 8
taste -7
price - $$

Would we recommend? Yes
Style - Mexican
Dress - casual
Location - 909 W Layton Ave, Milwaukee
http://www.elfuego.org/

Rudy's Mexican Restaurant

2009-11-09T19:01:00.006-06:00

To celebrate Mrs. Nagel's birthday this past Saturday, we headed to Rudy's Mexican Restaurant in Milwaukee. Rudy's is a Nagel family hot spot, and also happens to be one of the first places I spent time with Peter's parents. I was already inebriated when I went to Rudy's the first time, but not so much that I couldn't appreciate their delicious margaritas. Mexican food is probably my favorite thing to have when dining out, so needless to say, I was very excited for my second trip to Rudy's.

We arrived to find, much to our surprise, that Rudy's was unusually busy. Perhaps it was the unseasonably warm weather, or just hungry patrons heeding the call of tequila. While we waited for a table, we enjoyed a pitcher of margaritas. One can never go wrong with a margarita. If it's bad, drink another one and you won't remember anyway.

While we waited, I surveyed the decor. Peter tends to have more to say about design and ambiance, whereas I concentrate more on fitting as much food and drink into me as humanly possible. I'm making a concerted effort to look at restaurants with a more discerning eye so that I can keep up with him. No matter how crowded or empty, boisterous or quiet, pretentious or unassuming, I always feel comfortable in Mexican restaurants. Knowing that delicious fajitas are waiting for me instantly puts me at ease. Rudy's is no except to that constant despite the swell in business on that particular evening. Peter will disagree with me, but I adore the lighting at Rudy's. The ceiling is decorated with dozens of metal lanterns reminiscent (to me, at least) of a planetarium. I also appreciate the ample parking Rudy's provides, despite being in a busy downtown neighborhood. Now that I've made my obligatory comments about the setting, I can move on to what really matters: yummy food and booze.

Since the Nagel family visits Rudy's so frequently, they already know what they want without looking at the menu. Not that I should talk since I order some fajita based dish every single time I eat Mexican. Everyone seemed to enjoy their food greatly. Peter had enchiladas con mole, which I thought were delicious. Per my usual style, I had chicken fajitas, which were delicious. The tortillas were perfectly warm and tasted homemade, and the guacamole was so wonderful I wanted a second helping. To top off our meal, we had blue tarantula margaritas and shared a chocolate-cinnamon dessert for Mrs. Nagel's birthday.

Perhaps the best thing about Rudy's is the wonderful, friendly service. The servers clearly recognized Mr. and Mrs. Nagel, as well as Peter's brother, and greeted everyone at our table. Our waiters had a shot of tequila with the birthday girl and led us in a rousing rendition of "Happy Birthday." They were exceptionally fast with our food and amazingly responsive to dangerously low levels of margarita at the table.

I may be a bit biased because I live for Mexican restaurants, but I loved Rudy's. Good food (preferably fajitas and margaritas) at a reasonable price in a comfortable environment with friendly folks--my idea of heaven.

restaurant rankings and stats

ambiance - 6

beer & wine selection - 7

food variety - 6

service - 9

accessibility - 7

design - 7

taste - 7

price - $$

Would we recommend? Yes

Style- Mexican

Dress - casual

Location - 1122 N Edison St., Milwaukee, WI

www.rudysmexican.com

Vacation in Door County

2009-10-29T12:18:00.017-05:00

Last weekend, Lauren and I went on a much-needed vacation to Door County, WI. That's the "thumb" part of the state, for those of you not in the know, and it is a popular summer and fall tourist destination for Wisconsin city folk. I have many fond memories of going to The Door with my family almost every October when I was a kid, and I was very excited to go back for the first time in several years to show Lauren what "going up north" is all about in Wisconsin.

I'll try to mostly talk about the food & drink parts of the trip for purposes of this blog, but I can't help but mention the beautiful cottage we rented for three nights. It was no more than 500 SF and right on Green Bay, just north of Sturgeon Bay. It was the perfect size for just the two of us, and the views out to the bay were very peaceful and relaxing. When we weren't out eating and drinking, we spent a lot of time playing games and watching movies in the living room, or just watching the waves crash the rocky shore. It was very secluded and we enjoyed the daily drive amongst the fall foliage into town every day.

After sleeping in really late, on our first day we grabbed a quick lunch at the 3rd Street Cafe before heading to our main activity of the weekend, the Door Peninsula Winery tour. 3rd Street is the main drag through downtown Sturgeon Bay. All the locals and newspapers were discussing how well all the shops and restaurants were doing since 3rd Street changed from one-way to two-way, but we certainly did not notice it - all three of the places we ate were nearly empty. The cafe is next to a former fire station converted into a bar, so it's hard to miss. The decor inside was very simple, and it was a small space. It was mainly a soup-and-sandwich type place with a wine bar. Lauren had a veggie wrap, and I had a Silician pork sandwich, and we both started off with a cup of the beef barley soup. Beef Barley is not one of my favorite soups, but this one was better than a lot I've had, featuring huge chunks of tender meat inside. The sandwich I had was just out of sight. It was just a pork cutlet, pounded seasoned and breaded, but the simplicity was what made it good. It wasn't overly breaded, and the seasoning was just right. It also came with a hefty portion of a very good marinara sauce on the side for dipping, which made chewing and swallowing the huge sandwich easier. After lunch, we walked down to a place I remembered from my youth - the Door County Confectionary. These are all over the county and have great homemade candies. I had a bear claw and a white chocolate-covered oreo, and Lauren had a choc-covered pretzel. Being at that candy store in the crisp fall weather, it was like I was 12 years old all over again, with one major difference - our next stop was the winery tour!

The Door Peninsula Winery is just north of town in Carlsville, along WI-42. I was there once about 7 years ago, and much has changed since then. Housed in an old one-room schoolhouse, the only place where they used to have room to make wine was in the basement, but about 6 years ago an addition was put on. This expansion allows for a larger fermenting area, and a new wine bar, restaurant, and expanded cellar in the back. The winery has also greatly expanded its vineyard and is growing and importing more grapes and other fruits than ever before. We got there just before the 3:00 tour and paid a mere $3 each for a 20-minute tour and all-you-can-drink free samples. This was my first winery tour, and I learned that the wine-making process is far less complicated than the beer-making process, but takes much longer. First, juices are extracted from fruits into large fermenting vats, where tons of sugar and yeast are then added. As with beer, the yeast reacts with the sugar, converting it to alcohol. The fermenting takes a few weeks, and the wine is then filtered and allowed to age, which can take several months or more. There is so much sugar converted in fermentation that the alcohol content is about 15%, which is twice as strong as most wine; the aging process allows the subtle flavors of the wine to come out and for some of the alcohol to burn off. (This all explains why the wine my uncle made in his basement tasted like kerosene - it probably had not aged enough, or not enough sugar was added). After the tour, we went up to the tasting room and had probably 6-8 samples each from the plethora of wines available. Door Peninsula Winery mostly makes its wine with fruits indigenous to the area, since grapes do not grow too well in the northern Wisconsin climate. Therefore, we sampled wines made from just about every fruit imaginable, including mangoes, blackberries, cranberries, plums, and cherries. Lauren's favorite was a seasonal fall wine that was served warm and tasted just like apple cider (Hallowine). I couldn't get used to drinking hot wine, but we bought a bottle and I had it room temperature at home and it was good. I liked the Sweet Plum the best. Neither of us liked the wine made from the famous Door County cherries - it tasted like cough syrup. After sampling just about every fruit combination they had, we bought a half-case for ourselves and gifts, and immediately took down two of the bottles when we got home.

The next day, we had dinner at Trattoria Dal Santo, back on 3rd St. We had originally planned on going to Sage across the street, but the menu looked really pricy so we went to the Trattoria instead. It's your typical Italian joint with a large selection of Italian favorites and an extensive wine list. The space has very high ceilings in the main dining area, with mezzanines on either side, and a beautifully simple exposed brick parting wall and timber framing on the west wall. It was not surprisingly quiet on a Sunday night, and we enjoyed a relaxing meal with good conversation and a bottle of house red. I had the steamed mussels special, and Lauren had the gnocchi. Note: We went to a friend's wedding last month that had gnocchi on the menu, and it was one of the best things we've ever eaten, so now one of us has to order gnocchi at every restaurant that has it to try to recreate that experience. We also started out with a bruschetta appetizer and some bread. Every Italian restaurant needs really good bread and good bruschetta, but I found these just to be average. The bread seemed like store-bought rolls, and the toppings on the bruschetta were odd and overpowered with vinager, such as lima beans and chopped shitaki mushrooms. The meals, however, were very good. Lauren's gnocchi was tasty, and the mussels I had were the best I've had since I last ate at the Milwaukee Public Market. For a white-tablecloth trattoria, the price was pretty reasonable as well.

Our last meal out for the weekend was just a breakfast we grabbed on a whim before leaving Sturgeon Bay, but it ended up being my favorite food and restaurant of the trip. The place was called Cafe Launch, and it's also on 3rd Street. I hope people in Sturgeon Bay know about this place despite it being a few blocks from downtown, because it was awesome. The owners of this cafe had a clear eye for detail, and the interior design was very well done. The furniture was brushed metal chairs and square diner tables, and the color scheme and logos were reflective of the nearby shipyards. There was a small bar area done with what looked like reclaimed wood, and the walls were filled of black-and-white photos of old Sturgeon Bay, printed on frameless canvas. It was really nice to be in a cafe not done in a "bed and breakfast" motif with the obligatory Door County lighthouse map, as a lot of places are done up there. We ended up making it just in time for breakfast, and Lauren and I both enjoyed some of the best french toast ever. The key was the thick Texas Toast. Lauren's was stuffed with cream cheese and topped with cherries jubilee, and I just had regular french toast with a side of bacon. We found the menu to be strangely pricy, but otherwise it was a great last meal in Door County.

winery rankings and stats:
wine selection - 10 (at least 20 wines of many varieties)
samples - 9 (free, but only sip-sized)
gift shop - 8 (same variety of wines for sale, bonus points for wine-infused soap)
tour guide - 5 (very fast and matter-of-fact)
tour quality - 4
design - 7 (new addition, old part in former schoolhouse))
taste - 7 (most wines were good)
price - $ ($3 for tour and all-you-can-drink samples)

Would we recommend? just the free sample part - tour not necessary
Best wine - Sweet Plum, seasonal wines
Type - local fruit winery
Location - Hwy 42, Carlsville WI
http://www.dcwine.com/

restaurant rankings and stats

(Third St Cafe/Trattoria Dal Santo/Cafe Launch):
ambiance - 3/7/6
beer & wine selection - 6/8/3
food variety - 5/7/4
service - 2/7/5
accessibility - 6/6/9 (finding parking on 3rd can be difficult)
design - 5/6/9
taste - 7/7/8
price - $/$$$/$$

Would we recommend? No/Yes/Yes
Style - cafe & wine bar/italian/diner
Dress - casual/semi-formal/casual
Location - 3rd St, downtown Sturgeon Bay WI

New Glarus Brewery

2009-10-12T12:19:00.011-05:00

What better way to spend the first cold weekend of the year than at a brewery? Lauren and I "toured" the New Glarus Brewery in New Glarus, Wisconsin on Saturday. New Glarus is a town of about 2,000 people, about a half-hour south of Madison in rural Green County.

We arrived in New Glarus at about 2 pm and decided to grab a bite to eat first, rather than pound beer on an empty stomach. New Glarus is known as "America's Little Switzerland," and was originally a Swiss settlement founded in 1845. The charm of this town is unparalleled and truly did look like an old Bavarian city - everything from the townspeople, to the shops, to the architecture. Even employees of some of the stores dressed in traditional Swiss garb. It reminded me a lot of Cooperstown NY (replace the baseball museum with a brewery), in that it's a small town that gets lots of visitors due to its character and major tourist attraction. We stopped at Ticino's Pizzeria, a very warm (both literally and figuratively) eatery on the ground floor of the New Glarus Hotel for lunch, and filled up quickly on a fantastic pie. After lunch, we were tempted to devour some fudge at the shop across the street, but knew we had to get the brewery before it closed at 4.

Whereas the town center of New Glarus is as authentic as you can get, the brewery itself is kitsch personified. The original brewery was founded in 1993, but the new Hilltop site we visited was opened to the public in June. This new location allowed the brewery to double its staff and barrel production in an effort to keep up with the ever-growing demand for craft beer in Wisconsin, the only state which currently has the privilege of this tasty beer. It is built to look like an old Bavarian village and is nestled on a hill at the top of a dirt trail, amidst some barns and a vast view into the hilly farmscape - how delivery trucks navigate that trail, I do not know. This faux architecture would normally upset me, at say a civic building in a large city, but at a small brewery in rural Wisconsin, it was just perfect. It just would not have been appropriate to arrive at the top of that hill and see giant steel & glass boxes.

You may have noticed in the beginning that I put the word "toured" in quotes. The New Glarus Brewing Company's idea of a tour is "over there is where we make the beer, if you have any questions ask." Clearly the modus operandi here was to get people to actually drink and enjoy the beer, not just have a couple of 6-oz samples during a long tour. I found this to be quite pleasant - after all, this was the 6th or 7th brewery I've toured, and when you've seen one mash tun you've seen them all. Besides that, Lauren and I had been to the Lakefront Brewery together in February and felt that no description of the beer-making process could ever top that, so we immediately proceeded to the brewhaus. The first thing you notice when walking inside is that there are only about 10 chairs for a packed room of people. We quickly figured out why - everybody just spends their time drinking in line! I felt that this room had a missed opportunity to be a great lounge, but I also understood under the circumstances why people would just want to hang out in line. Your choices at the brewhaus are either a $6 full pint glass with $3 refills, or $3.50 for three samples in a small glass, and both are take-home souvenirs. I of course went with the pint glass, and Lauren the sample glass. This proved to be a pretty good idea, because Lauren got to taste some of the higher-priced beers for the same price, whereas I would have had to pay extra in my pint glass. So, with glasses in hand, we repeated a cycle of stand in line, order beer, move to back in line, drink beer in line, repeat. This went on for about 30 minutes, and at the end we had tried 5 beers between us. Besides the famous Spotted Cow, which is described as a "farmhouse ale" with a hint of sweet corn, other choices were Naked Lager, an organic hoppy beer, a couple fruit beers, a wheat, and an abbey ale. I had the Crack'd Wheat, which had hints of clove, cinnamon, and citrus, and the Stone Soup abbey ale, and Lauren had a raspberry beer and a couple other lighter beers. I thought the Stone Soup was not that good, thought it would be darker. But the other four beers we shared were decent. I was kind of upset that they didn't have Yokel on tap, which is one their better beers in my opinion. Spotted Cow is just so perfect that I'd say most people would probably be disappointed sampling the rest of the New Glarus Brewery catalog.

After our beers, we made a few purchases at the gift shop - including a bar of "beer soap" - and meandered a bit through the actual brewery, and snapped some photos in the courtyard outside. We ended our day in New Glarus by purchasing some cheese, fudge, and bakery at a couple of the delightful Swiss food shops back in town. We left very full and very happy. The best part of our day was on our final trip through the beer line when the bartender gave us each a coupon for a free pint of their beer at any bar in town. Looks like we'll be visiting New Glarus again sometime soon!

rankings and stats:
beer selection - 8 (8-10 beers depending on season)

samples - 8 (bonus points for full pint option)
gift shop - 6 (bonus points for beer-infused soap)
tour guide - 3 (no formal tour - lady inside was helpful)
tour quality - n/a
design - 7 (brewhaus has more potential, the site is incredible)
taste - 6
price - $ ($3.50 for 3 samples or $3 per pint)

Would we recommend? Yes
Best beer - Spotted Cow
Type - craft brewery
Location - 2400 State Hwy 69, New Glarus WI
http://www.newglarusbrewing.com/

Ducktoberfest

2009-10-06T12:19:00.004-05:00

Lauren and I went to the 1st annual "Ducktoberfest" at Warner Park in Madison on Saturday. It was billed at an Oktoberfest-like celebration (hence the name), but as far as I could tell, the festival served two main purposes. It was an excuse to sell beer, and a way to unload extra '09 Mallards merchandise.

We arrived at Ducktoberfest around 5:30. I thought most of the food and beer would be set up in the concourse area, but it was actually all on the outfield grass. I had mixed feelings about this - it's always exciting to walk onto a ball field, but it had rained all morning and it was very muddy. The festival was comprised of a couple beer trailers, a stage, three large tents, and a picnic area called "The Duck Blind" that is also open on game days. After walking through the entire fest in two minutes, I came to understand why it was only a 6-hour event. Besides listening to music and playing Bingo, there wasn't a whole lot to do there besides eat and drink. This sounds like a typical Wisconsin good time, but sitting under a tent on a cold windy day listening to bad karaoke with shoes covered in mud made it less enjoyable. I mean, the music wasn't even German, it was mostly KISS songs.

On to the most pressing matter - I found the food and beer to be just average. They served the same brats and fries that they do at Mallards games, which were delicious as always. The brats are thick and served with roasted sauerkraut on a soft poppy-seed roll, and the fries are crispy and beer-battered. Beyond that, all of the specialty German food was subpar. I had a spanferkel plate that featured very tough and chewy pork, flavorless red cabbage, and potato pancakes from the frozen food aisle at Copps. The schnitzel and ripchen were stacked high in warming trays behind the counter, which steered me clear of selecting those. They had Great Dane and Becks oktoberfest beers, both of which were ok - Leinenkugels makes the best one for my money. The best beverage there was not even beer, it was the warm spiced apple cider. The worst part of our eating experience was that they somehow ran out of souvenir Ducktoberfest boots in 2 hours.

The final disappointing part of the day was the Stoddard's Bratwurst Eating Contest. The winning total was six brats in 8 minutes! I'm not sure if I was more disappointed in that weak total, or the fact that we neglected to enter and destroy the competition. As a baseball fan, I would maybe go back next year just as an excuse to go to the ballpark in the offseason, but as a food blogger, I would not recommend it. To be fair, it was the first year and the weather was lousy, so we'll see what 2010 has in store.

rankings and stats:
ambiance - 3
beer & wine selection - 5
food variety - 4
service - 8
accessibility - 5 (adjacent free parking, but hard walking around in the mud)
design - 3
taste -5
price - $ (free tickets, relatively cheap food)

Would we recommend? No
Style - festival
Dress - casual
Location - Warner Park, Madison WI
http://www.mallardsbaseball.com/c-2.html

Hubbard Avenue Diner

2009-09-22T12:28:00.006-05:00

A few weekends ago, Lauren and I went to the Hubbard Ave Diner in Middleton, at the recommendation of a friend of hers. The only thing she told me about the place before we went is that they had really good meatloaf, and were famous for pie. That was all the convincing I needed.

For anyone who's seen Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives on the Food Network, this place is a quintessential American diner. I'd identify a diner as having five major components: good bakery selection, surly/old waitresses, crowded with locals, tacky/cheap furniture, and large homemade meals. This place definitely had all five, with the main star being the food. The decor was nice and the waitress was definitely in a bad mood, but with the menu of "comfort food" favorites they had, I plan on going back as often as possible. The thing I miss most about living with my parents, besides free rent, is the homestyle meals, and the Hubbard Ave Diner looks like a place I can get my fix. When you're a kid, you grow accustomed to your mother's cooking and may get sick of the routine, but as an adult I have grown to savor every home-cooked meal I have the chance to eat. The Diner is America's most important contribution to world cuisine, a place where locals can gather and get fresh, cheap meals made from scratch - a community kitchen of sorts.

The diner was packed when we arrived, but we did not have to wait that long to get a table. While passing the time, I paroused the pie selection in the display case. They had just about every kind of cream pie you can imagine, and a very unique selection of fruit pies as well. There were at least 30 kinds, plus all sorts of cookies and other baked goods. There was also a book of specialty pies you could order that Lauren thumbed through. Right before being seated, I noticed a plaque on the wall that showed the winners from the annual amateur pie baking contest held by the diner, just one of the many ways the diner ties in with the local community. The winners were in three categories - fruit (Strawberry Rhubarb), adult cream (Double Chocolate), and childrens cream (Maple Pancake).

Once seated, it took me quite a while to decide what I wanted. The menu featured such homemade staple items as chicken pot pie, pot roast, various casseroles, spaghetti & meatballs, and a meatloaf that they call the "Meatloaf of the Gods." I ended up going with that, and Lauren had a casserole. Both were very served in a heaping portion for a modest price. I enjoyed my meal with a tall glass of milk and it was amazing. Naturally, we finished our meal with a slice of pie - I had the caramel apple walnut I was eyeing in the glass case, and Lauren tried the lemon meringue. I'm not a huge meringue fan but it was good, and the caramel apple walnut...well I don't even need to explain how delicious it was, those three words just go together like "bacon" and "cheeseburger."

So far, my favorite two places I've blogged about here have been in Middleton (Roman Candle). I think Lauren and I have a duty to look into moving there someday.

rankings and stats:
ambiance - 7
beer & wine selection - 3
food variety - 7
service - 4 (it's a diner, this should never be above a 5)
accessibility - 8 (adjacent parking lot)
design - 6
taste -8
price - $$ (cheap, but more expensive than your typical diner)

Would we recommend? Yes
Style - diner
Dress - come as you are
Location - 7445 Hubbard Ave, Middleton WI
http://www.foodfightinc.com/hubbard.htm

Galleria de Paco

2009-09-15T12:41:00.006-05:00

This past Saturday, Lauren and I went to Galleria de Paco in downtown Waterloo. I remember during my first day at work that some people had said I should go inside and check out this place, but honestly, I did not know it was a restaurant until last week. My coworkers were all telling me to check out the remarkable Sistene Chapel-like ceiling floor-to-ceiling mural across the length of the interior, and with a name like "Galleria de Paco," I figured it was some artist's gallery. After doing a little research, I found out that it was an Italian restaurant that got its name from the artist that painted the mural, Paco Rosic of Sarajevo. The restaurant also features a cocktail & tapas bar in the basement called "The Catacombs."

The building even looks like a gallery from the outside. The signage is very decorative, and it has a raised streetfront windowbox that you typically see mannequins displayed in at a clothing store. Upon entering, the atmosphere just hits you all at once. The maitre'd is very formally dressed and very polite, even going so far as to pull our chairs out for us. It's also a high-back chair, cloth-napkin, waitrers-in-bow ties, instrumental-music-in-the-background kind of a place, which made Lauren and I immediately feel underdressed. The menu features four-course meals with your choice of individual appetizer, soup/salad, entree, and dessert for $25 - very reasonable. Last but certainly not least, the mural is very impressive. It is painted right on the sheetrock and I was very impressed with how detailed and maintained the painting was. I don't know enough about the Sistene Chapel to say whether or not it is a replica, but I was certainly amazed. After we got settled in and ordered our food, I found myself very distracted by the outdated furnishings inside. As a designer, I couldn't help but wonder how much some modern lighting, window treatments, and chairs would have improved the space, something minimalist that would not detract from the beautiful paintings. Lauren and I have eaten at a few pretty good places in the Waterloo area, but I have yet to find one that I've really enjoyed architecturally.

For our dinners, I ordered the bacon-wrapped tiger shrimp, lobster bisque, cornish hen in a lemon sauce, and key lime pie. Lauren had shrimp-stuffed pastry, a salad, pasta with chicken, and chocolate cake. I thought the appetizer was not cooked very good - the bacon was burnt, the shrimp was chewy and stringy, and the bed of lettuce it sat on was nasty. The final three courses remedied the weak opening, and the cornish hen was particularly exquisite (albeit messy, I don't understand how people can serve those at weddings). It is definitely not a place to go if you're not that hungry or in a hurry, and a really good place to go before or after a show. The restaurant also gets lots of patrons from the two downtown Waterloo hotels next door, so I'd assume that the downstairs bar is also a great place to grab a drink. After dinner, the maitre'd came by our table and talked with us a bit, making sure we enjoyed our evening at Galleria de Paco. He gave us this book in which people write their comments about the restaurant, and we obliged by writing how much we enjoyed the experience. The book we had was almost full and only dated back to June, and people as far away as Florida had written in it, so I can only imagine how many of these books he has laying around, and what kind of national press this place gets. Lauren and I both left very satisfied and look forward to returning for an evening of martinis at the Catacombs sometime soon.

rankings and stats:
ambiance - 5 (kind of empty when we went)
beer & wine selection - 7
food variety - 6 (about 15 different entrees, but many combinations)
service - 9
accessibility - 6 (downtown parking is like 20 cents/hr)
design - 7 (without mural, probably a 2)
taste -7
price - $$$

Would we recommend? Yes
Style - Italian four-course meal
Dress - semi-formal
Location - 622 Commercial St, Waterloo IA
http://www.paco-rosic.com/

Iowa State Fair

2009-08-31T12:19:00.010-05:00

The week after Erik and I attended the Wisconsin State Fair, we went to the Iowa State Fair. It was one of the highlights of a fun weekend spent in Des Moines visiting friends. The grounds are located just outside of downtown Des Moines, and it was about a 2-hour drive there from my apartment in Waterloo.

We spent about four hours at the fair walking around through the expo center, watching our step through the cattle barn, and of course eating. This was the most non-buffet food I've ever seen in my life. I almost teared up a little when we walked in, it was such a beautiful site. Every single thing you can think of over 500 calories and containing meat chocolate and/or cheese, was there.

My friend Karl whom we went with, seemed to be a frequent visitor and definitely had an agenda as we walked past the hundreds of food stands. Gyro, check. The gyro was hands-down the best gyro I've ever had. The lamb was simply cooked to perfection, and stuffed full yet not messy. The gyro stand seemed to be a secret treasure of the fair, as lines there were short. You could also get them with chicken, and they were only $6. Cheese curds, check. A lot of people think that cheese curds are hard to get wrong, but oil temperature, cheese quality/type, and type of breading all make a huge difference. The ones you get at Dykesville Bowl in Wisconsin (the best ever) are way different than the ones you get at Miller Park that come from a freezer bag. I'd give these curds a 7 - cheese was melty, outer shell not soggy, and a good size curd. Footlong corn dog, check. I myself did not partake in this, but they looked very meaty. I instead opted for the caramel apple, which was just okay - not 100% covered in caramel, and the apples were not the freshest. Bucket of cookies, check. This was the best part of the day. For $15, you get a 1 lb. bucket of homemade chocolate chip cookies. That's one pound, filled to the top of the bucket. However, all employees at this stand -whether it's their policy or just to make things interesting - proceed to remove the lids from these buckets and stack as many cookies on top as they can until they start falling off the sides and not one additional cookie can be added, sort of like Jenga. Between four adults and one small child, we spent about 15 minutes scarfing down fresh-baked goodness just so we could close the lid and carry the bucket home. Other foods there that are notable that I would have had if I weren't full would be the chocolate-covered bacon, meatball on a stick, and the homemade kettle chips. My only complaint in the food department was that we could not find sweet corn anywhere - they probably had it somewhere, but it seems to me that it shouldn't require any effort to find a corn stand at the Iowa State Fair.

After eating and re-eating, we got some milk (not quarter-milk like at Wisconsin Fair, but still good) and watched a weak parade featuing six horse-drawn wagons and nothing more. We saw a 3500-lb bull, sculptures made out of butter, the top 10 winners of the biggest pumpkin contest, and an imitation Sham-Wow! stand. I also learned why bulls have nose rings - they are attached to a leash and the bulls are given a quick yank to direct them (I imagine that you wouldn't want to be anywhere near that bulls hind legs when he's getting his nose pierced).

This was now the third State Fair I've been to. All three have tons of unhealthy food and compare similarly to one another, but each one is a little better in certain areas than the others. I'd give the nod to Minnesota for the presitgious "Most Foods on a Stick" award. They also get bonus points for souvenir cups, a live berthing barn, and flavored cream-puffs, all of which neither of the other two have. Iowa had the most and best food out of the three, and they had a rodeo/livestock auction that is unique to Iowa's fair. Lastly, Wisconsin's fair has by far the most entertainment, the most animals, and the most beer, both in terms of quantity and variety. It's hard to rank any one of the three as the clear winner, but hopefully these comparisons can serve of some use for anyone planning on attending these events in the future.

rankings and stats:
ambiance - 6 (crowded, but mostly people loitering)
beer & wine selection - 4
food variety - 10
service - 5 (varies greatly)
accessibility - 3 (we parked on some guy's lawn a few blocks away for $8)
design - 4 (can be hard to find your way around)
taste -10
price - $$ ($10 admission plus food prices)

Would we recommend? Yes
Style - Fair
Dress - casual
Location - Iowa State Fair Grounds, 30th & University, Des Moines IA
http://www.iowastatefair.org/

Tony's Trattoria

2009-08-26T08:56:00.006-05:00

With the last of my summer days rapidly escaping, I decided to make use of my an unpaid vacation day by visiting Peter mid-week in Waterloo. I arrived around dinner time, and knowing that Peter had planned to take me to dinner, I was ravenously hungry. We quickly headed off to Tony's Trattoria, one of the few upscale restaurants we've been able to find in the Waterloo area.
From the outside, Tony's doesn't look like much. The inside was much more impressive and reminded me of a fancy jazz club. Honestly, I felt a little under dressed in jeans, but most of the other patrons weren't very dressed up either. We were immediately seated in very large and comfortable chairs at a small table near the grand piano. Unfortunately, there was no piano man on a Wednesday evening, but the constant loop of Rat Pack songs added to the ambiance. It was a very romantic setting for a mid-week date. Peter, ever critical, thought the design and furniture was tacky and out-dated.

Tony's had a surprisingly large wine list considering it's location, and wines ranged from $400 a bottle to the $20 bottle of Merlot I choose to share with Peter. We were also provided with fresh bread and olive oil for dipping. Bread is probably one of my favorite foods. The best bread is crusty on the outside and warm and soft on the inside. I know delicious bread, and this was some of the best I've ever had. We ordered calamari as an appetizer since we were both starving. I was pleased to see that the calamari wasn't heaped with breading and grease. Though I love fried food, calamari is something I'd actually like to be able to taste. After polishing off the bread and calamari, we anxiously awaited our entrees.

All the entrees sounded amazing and I decided on cheese tortellini with red pepper pesto in lieu of traditional marinara. This dish was very good and perfectly portioned. I highly recommend red pepper pesto if you're not in the mood for the usual tomato based sauce. Peter had veal, which I didn't try because it makes me sad. He was happy with his food but he was hoping for a sauce on the veal instead of just a large quantity of capers. By the end of dinner, we were both too stuffed to try the desserts at Tony's. Instead we got Culver's on the way home.

rankings and stats:
ambiance - 6
beer & wine selection - 7
food variety - 7
service - 5 (a little slow despite being pretty empty)
accessibility - 4
design - 3 (furnshings and decor very outdated and tacky)
taste -6
price - $$$

Would we recommend? Lauren Yes, Peter No
Style - Italian
Dress - semi-formal
Location - 3251 W 4th St, Waterloo, IA

Wisconsin State Fair

2009-08-25T12:30:00.007-05:00

A couple weekends ago, with nothing else to do, Erik and I went to the Wisconsin State Fair in Milwaukee. - we had free tickets and Asia was playing, so it seemed like the best idea at the time. I've become re-enthused about the State Fair the last couple of years. I went through that teenage phase that everybody goes through in which they lose interest in festivals. You're too old for ponies and carnival rides, but not old enough to drink or care about all the junk on sale in the expo center. It's also that phase when you take it for granted that you can eat anything without repercussions, and the thrill of fair food isn't enough to get teenagers excited. Erik and I went to the Minnesota State Fair in 2007 on the tour and it was the first time in many years that I remember having a blast at the fair, and last year was the first year I went to the Wisconsin State Fair since I left for UC. Now older and somewhat wiser, I went into this year with a renewed interest in harrassing some animals and indulging in as many unhealthy foods as I could find.

We met at the fairgrounds at about 4:30 and immediately headed for the beer tent. Wisconsin's fair naturally features Miller products, but I remembered from last year that there was a microbrew tent near the cream puff building. I got a refreshing wheat beer, and Erik got a Cream Puff Ale that did not quite live up to expectations. The second thing we quickly crossed off the list was trying the much-hyped chocolate covered bacon, and it did not disappoint. To many people it sounds gross, but it's actually delicious. It tastes more like a chocolate-covered pretzel than anything, both sweet and savory. Two pieces come on a stick for $3 and it is the best deal at the fair. If I have any complaints about it, it would be the stick - I don't really find it necessary, it would be just as messy without it and far less constricting. The final dietary staple of the day was Wisconsin State Fair's crown jewel, the cream puff. Lines are typically out the door but move fast, and you get a generous portion for $6. You can also get 12-packs to go. It's one of those foods that you would never eat on just a regular day, but when fair-time rolls around, you don't stop craving it. We followed our cream puffs up with something salty to combat the intensely sugary puffs - mozzerella sticks for Erik and potato pancakes with sausage and a reuben roll for me. It goes without saying, but all the food was heavenly, and it is very hard to choose only one meal so come hungry.

After food, I took a quick run down the Giant Slide for the first time in a decade. We then walked around some of the animals tents looking for some sort of animal race or livestock auction but had no luck. We instead watched a bunch of volunteer workers catch cow droppings in the cattle tent, petted some goats, asked the pigs if they knew how delicious they were, and paid a visit to the Budweiser Clydesdales (which are HUGE in person). From the animal barns we went to get some subsidized 25-cent milk courtesy of Wisconsin Senator Herb Kohl, and made our way to our final stop of the evening, the Cousins Amphitheater. Tonight's entertainment was Asia featuring John Payne. Basically, it's a compliation of musicians that have all at one time played in the band "Asia," and now have formed their own band that records its own music indepedently of Asia, but still rocks all of their hits. I'm not sure how that's legal, but it was a great show. They ended up doing their own sound check, and having two more hits besides "Heat of the Moment." They played for nearly two hours, including an encore of "Soul Survivor" (despite Erik's request for playing "Heat of the Moment" again) and I caught the guitar player's pick after the set.

It was the perfect summer day to tap into my youth and to reminisce about all of my great childhood State Fair memories that were once forgotten. Now 26 and almost always worrying about my weight, it was great to throw the scale out the window for a few hours. If you don't like 80s bands that you didn't know were still touring, carnival games, big crowds, or farm animals, the Wisconsin State Fair is still well worth the price of admission for the food.

rankings and stats:
ambiance - 7 (very crowded)
beer & wine selection - 6 (mostly Miller)
food variety - 10
service - 5 (varies greatly)
accessibility - 3 (parking is in infield of adjacent Milwaukee Mile racetrack, very tedious, and parking is not included with price of ticket)
design - 4 (can be hard to find your way around)
taste -10
price - $$ ($9 admission plus food prices)

Would we recommend? Yes
Style - Fair
Dress - casual
Location - Wisconsin State Fairgrounds, 84th & Greenfield, Milwaukee WI

http://www.wistatefair.com/

Germanfest

2009-08-06T12:11:00.016-05:00

Milwaukee goes by many names: the City on the Lake, Cream City, and Brew City, to name a few. Most people from outside Wisconsin think of beer when they think of Milwaukee, but if you ask any resident, the City of Festivals would be what most are proud of. Summers in Milwaukee are unparalleled, and the festival season is a welcome reward to all Milwaukeeans for enduring what was probably another harsh winter. From late May through mid-September, there is at least one festival occurring every weekend, starting with Riversplash on Old World 3rd, and ending with Indian Summer at Maier Festival Park. It's something I've certainly taken for granted during the summers I've spent away from home, and when I've visited fests in other cities that pale in comparison.

The last weekend in July is always Germanfest, and I have been going there since I was a kid. Every nationality that has a large representation in Milwaukee has a festival, and most of these fests are at Maier Park on the lakefront, as Germanfest is. My dad's parents moved here from Germany when my dad was 5, and had a strong presence in the local German community, even helping to start the German club that sponsors our wine booth, the Rheinischer Verein Gruen Weiss. Basically how it works is, the German clubs (mostly local) supply volunteer labor, and most of the profits from the festival are divided amongst these groups - I can only assume it works the same for all of the ethnic fests. Originally in 1981 when the fest started, most of the helpers and patrons were all in these clubs, but now the festivals are about so much more - they are about preserving and honoring heritage. My dad has been volunteering since the year the fest opened, and him and all of the other volunteers have a large part in keeping German culture alive in Milwaukee. Germanfest is the largest 3-day German festival in the country and without it, all of the clubs would cease to exist, and a lot of their traditions and customs would die along with them. This year was my 8th year volunteering, and it is always one of my favorite weekends of the year. My whole family and all our friends help out, and it's a blast.

There's simply no better way to immerse yourself in a culture than by exploring its food. In my opinion, Germanfest and Bastille Days have the best food of all the festivals. A lot of fests have good food but not much variety (Irish, Polish), or have food that you can get anywhere (Mexican, Italian, Asian Moon), but nothing compares to the style and quanitity of food at Germanfest. Most of the things you'll find there are in the pork family, and are all delicious. Rollbraten is a sliced pork loin sandwich topped with carmelized onions. Schnitzel is kind of like a breaded pork chop, and Rippchen is a smoked pork chop. Spanferkel is a roasted pig dinner. And then there are the fan-favorites - potato pancakes. The line for these is always 30 minutes long no matter when you come, and they are served with - you guessed it - pork links. Since authentic German cuisine is not something readily available as some other ethnic foods, it's a great chance to come and be Andrew Zimmern for a day and try dishes you've never seen before, nor can pronounce correctly. For the less adverturous, there's always bratwurst and German pizza to fall back on. My personal favorite is the Rollbraten; the line is never long because people just don't know what it is, but the succulent flavors from the pork and onions are just out of this world. And to top it off, I have a nice cold glass of Germanfest Bier and a Bienenstich, a traditional German pastry filled with custard and topped with honey-glazed almonds. That's my favorite meal of the entire year, and I crave it every day.

Between all the food, beer, German music, and Jagermeister, it's really something you want to plan your day around, and not just stop by for an hour. Saturdays are the most fun days to volunteer - it's a busy 6-hour shift with a parade at 2pm, followed by staying through 'til the fireworks at 10. And we haven't done it in few years, but on Saturdays there is also the Glockenspiel every two hours, which is basically a human-scale coocoo clock which guys in lederhosen walk out of and have to drink the number of beers corresponding to the time. And it's the same guys all day, so as you can imagine, the 8pm show is hilarious. This year, Lauren hung out with us after work and we ate just about everything on the Germanfest menu. And there was an added bonus of an EAA Airshow - loud, but fun to watch. Now that I've drooled all over my keyboard, I will leave you with this number: 20,000. That's the number of bratwursts consumed annually at the fest. If that doesn't entice you to come, I don't know what will.

rankings and stats:
ambiance - 8
beer & wine selection - 7 (points deducted for it being Sprecher and not real German beer)
food variety - 9
service - 3 (service at food counters is usually slow)
accessibility - 4 (hard to find if you're not from Milwaukee, and its usually crowded)
design - 6
taste -9
price - $$ ($13 admission plus food prices)

Would we recommend? Yes
Style - Festival
Dress - casual
Location - Maier Festival Park, Milwaukee WI

http://www.germanfest.com/

Pizzeria Tazza

2009-08-04T09:30:00.007-05:00

During the break in Peter's softball tournament Sunday, we decided to try a nearby pizza place for lunch. We were initally drawn to Pizzeria Tazza because of the unique building design. Despite being unrelated to pizza, there is a giant coffee cup and saucer sticking out of the roof. Maybe there's a connection there that I missed. I'm often distracted by pizza.

We wandered in right at noon, just as the shop was opening for the day. We were immediately greeted by a friendly staff member, who I assumed was the owner. He recommended garlic puffs, stating that they were "pretty popular" while Peter and I decided on pizza toppings. Unlike Roman Candle or Glass Nickle Pizza, Pizzeria Tazza did not have bizzare chef inspired pizzas, so we opted for a traditional pie with sausage, green peppers and mushrooms. We also noticed that they carried one of our favorite wines by Trinity Oaks (see Tutto's post) but didn't have any since it was only lunch time. Instead, Peter was thrilled to have Sprecher's Orange soda on tap. While we waited for our food, I tryed to soak up the decor.

Usually Peter cares more about the design and ambiance of an establishment much more than I do, but Tazza was an exception. To me, it felt very similar to a neighborhood coffee shop--funky, intimate, and cozy. I loved the black and white tiled flooring, as well as the black and red theme throughout the restuarant. Our booths were backed by giant slices of pizza, and they were super comfy to boot. Giant cheese graters and a pizza slicer hung from the ceiling, paired with original art work. Tazza pulled off decorating with food without seeming kitchy, a feet many other restuarants fail to accomplish. My only qualm with the decor was that some of the chairs also had pizza slices for backs, but beyond that, I loved the feel of Tazza. It was the kind of place I'd go to sit and read a book or dork around on my laptop.

Our food arrived very quickly, not surprising considering we were the first customers of the day. The garlic puffs were good, though they reminded us of cream puffs. The pizza itself was nothing special. It wasn't of the same caliber as Roman Candle or Glass Nickle. It was more like the type of pizza you'd make at home and the crust seemed like it may have been store bought. Still, the cheese and toppings were ample, and we had no trouble eating most of the pie before heading back to the tournament.

rankings and stats:

ambiance - 7

beer & wine selection - 3

food variety - 4

service - 8

accessibility - 8

design - 8

taste - 6

price - $$

Would we recommend? Yes

Style - pizzaria

Dress - casual

Location - 5010 W. Vilet Street, Milwaukee, WI

Screaming Eagle

2009-07-31T09:01:00.004-05:00

A couple weekends ago, my parents and Lauren were in town and I got to show them around my new city. The day started with a driving tour of downtown Waterloo. Well, that took all of two minutes, so we decided to hit up a couple in festivals that were running that weekend. The first was a BBQ festival in Lincoln Park called "BBQ 'Loo & Blues Too." The fest consisted of a beer trailer, about 15 competition-entry BBQ tents, and an empty blues stage/flatbed - not very impressive by Milwaukee festival standards. We stayed for a couple of rib samples and an early afternoon beer, and after circumnavigating the square (another two minutes), we headed out. The next stop of the day was a art festival on the UNI campus in neighboring Cedar Falls. This fest was significantly better and showcased a wide range of local and national artists, nobody famous just people looking to sell some art. And they even had funnel cake and a band, which meant that the food and music was better here than at the festival that was supposed to feature food and music. We made one more stop on Main Street for some margaritas, and then finally stumbled our way back to downtown Waterloo for some dinner.

Our dinner stop was the Screaming Eagle American Bar & Grill. It is your typical bar and grill, which a small stage in the corner, and a large centrally-located bar surrounded by tables, with some booths on the periphery. Having mostly Milwaukee joints as comparisons, it had a layout like Steny's or Miller Time. It is Waterloo's version of the Great Dane and the Milwaukee Ale House back home, with a little "roadhouse" kick - a place you can go for a business lunch during the day, drink specials and family dinners at night, and live music and motorcycles on the weekends. The music isn't just local either - there was a band on the bill for that night that used to open for REO Speedwagon and Styx. The menu features mostly sandwiches and burgers, but also pizza, fish fries, steak, and pasta, and a large beer selection. They have Cardinals & Cubs games on the tube, a friendly staff, and a great atmosphere. And the best thing about the place - they have an eating challenge! It's called the 28,890 challenge. One has to eat three "9630" burgers, an order of fries, a half-order of onion rings, and a side salad in 45 minutes, and if you do, you get a t-shirt, free meal, and your picture on the wall. Note: "9630" is said to be in reference to the 9630 model John Deere tractor, but the burger probably also does have 9,630 calories, it looked enormous!

I had a sourdough melt, my mom had pizza, my dad had a patty melt, and Lauren had some sort of burger as well. The food was good, about as good as I'd expect for a roadhouse bar. It's not a place you go to for a fine meal, but the atmosphere beer and music will keep me coming back, so I got the experience I expected. We stayed for a few beers, and it was a great way to conclude the day with my parents and Lauren - getting drunk by 5 PM!

rankings and stats:
ambiance - 7
beer & wine selection - 7
food variety - 6
service - 8
accessibility - 9 (downtown Waterloo = lots of available cheap parking)
design - 6
taste - 5
price - $$ (I did not pay, but the prices looked reasonable)

Would we recommend? Yes
Style - roadhouse bar & grill
Dress - casual
Location - 228 E 4th St, Waterloo IA

http://theeaglestalon.com/

Katz's Deli

2009-07-21T12:54:00.004-05:00

The other great meal that Erik and I had in New York was at the infamous Katz's Deli, on the edge of SoHo in Manhattan. We decided upon Katz's over Carnegie Deli because Erik had already been to Carnegie, and because we saw this place on Man v. Food, and I pretty much listen to everything Adam Richman tells me.

When you walk in, the first thing you notice are the hundreds of pictures hanging on the walls. Katz's Deli is known worldwide as having some of the deli meats, and has been a famous New York institution that has been serving celebrities and politicians since 1888. Everyone who's anyone stops at Katz's when they are in town, and the pictures on the wall depict the owner posing with each and every one (and some more than once - Mayor Bloomberg is up there at least 6 times, a great perk of working in New York). Erik paroused the menu for a bit, but I already knew what I wanted - a reuben on rye. Despite Katz's now being a big tourist attraction, the ordering system can be confusing to a first-time visitor and it is very easy to spot the out-of-towners fumbling around - as if walking around with an open MTA map and a camera didn't make you stick out enough already. When you enter, you are given a ticket with a bunch of numbers on it. After that, you go find someone behind the counter that isn't busy, order your sandwich, and then go to the end of the counter to order a drink. Both the sandwich guy and the drink guy do some scribbling and circling on your ticket to let the cashier know what you had. Thankfully, receiving my food went much quicker than figuring out how to order, and soon enough it was chow-down time.

A sandwich at Katz's is served with a plate of dill pickles ranging from sweet to bitter, and I had a frosty Brooklyn Lager with my meal. I've had a lot of good reubens in my life, and this one was right up there. It definitely had the best corned beef I've ever had, but my favorite reuben sandwich would still have to be Robert's in Milwaukee (R.I.P.), mainly for sentimental reasons. Erik enjoyed salami on rye, also with a beer. I did not care for the pickles at all and mostly focused on my sandwich. After our meal, we had to get pictures of three things. First was the "Send a salami to your boy in the army" sign. Katz's had a program during WWII where you could purchase a salami - Katz's is also a full-service delicatessen - and send it to a soldier at war, and this program still exists today. The second thing we photographed was the table where Harry met Sally in the movie, and the third thing was the picture of Adam Richman with the Katz's owner. It was definitely worth the trip, and to any travelers I would say that if you can only eat at one place on your trip to New York, it has to be Katz's.

rankings and stats:
ambiance - 8
beer & wine selection - 4
food variety - 7
service - 7
accessibility - 4 (kind of far from everything)
design - 2 (bathrooms are an experience)
taste - 8
price - $$ ($22 for sandwich and beer)

Would we recommend? Yes
Style - delicatessen/sandwich shop
Dress - casual
Location - 205 E Houston St, New York NY
http://www.katzdeli.com/

Shake Shack

2009-07-21T12:26:00.005-05:00

My friend Erik and I recently returned from one of our annual baseball trips, this year to New York City to see the new Yankees & Mets ballparks. Usually when we're visiting a city, we try to either find a great burger joint, or someplace we saw on The Food Network. On this particular trip, we went to Katz's Deli (see other post) and Shake Shack.

Every state needs a good local burger chain, and Shake Shack is New York City's institution, with two Manhattan locations, and one at the new Citi Field. Much like California's In & Out Burger, or the east coast chain Five Guys, the menu is very simple and deliberate: single or double burger, hot dogs, fries, and frozen custard. We went to the one on 77th & Columbus, and Erik said it was the first time he'd ever been there that it wasn't packed. I loved everything about the place: the design of the building, the graphic logo design, the menu, and most importantly the taste. As far as fast food goes, it's definitely up there in the top 3 or 4 burgers I've ever had (I know it's disgusting, but for me, nothing will ever top the good ole McDonalds 89-cent cheeseburger). I ordered a double cheeseburger with everything on it, including secret sauce, and a homemade rootbeer, and Erik had a single and some fries. The burgers were cooked perfectly and were just the right size, and had a very tasty bun that soaked up the grease well. The fries were also very good, crispy and crinkle-cut. Shake Shack has the kind of burger that you have to hold in a wrapper because it's so greasy, and that's the way a burger should be. It should be dripping, it should be fresh meat and ingredients, and it should be served on a good bun with a cold drink. It should make you feel guilty and happy at the same time, and Shake Shack achieves all of these things.

After devouring our lunches, I was very satisfied knowing that I had got to eat such a delicious meal at a New York City institution. It was the best meal of the week we were there, and I hated New York a little less with each savory bite.

rankings and stats:
ambiance - 5
beer & wine selection - 5 (they actually do have beer & wine)
food variety - 3
service - 9
accessibility - 9
design - 8
taste - 9
price - $

Would we recommend? Yes
Style - fast-food burger joint
Dress - casual
Location - 366 Columbus Ave, New York NY

www.shakeshack.com/

Essen Haus

2009-07-09T12:05:00.002-05:00

With my mom in town for the week, I decided to use this as an opportunity to try a restuarant that normally I can't afford. If parents are good for nothing else, it's providing free food when they come to visit.

After watching the Mad City Water Ski Team perform on Lake Monona Sunday evening (which I highly recommend), we had intended to walk to the Great Dane for dinner. Unfortunately, my mom broke her toe shortly before her journey to America's Dairyland and consequently, wasn't able to walk the considerable distance to the Great Dane. Oh, what to do?! Essen Haus appeared like an oasis of sausage, bier and cheese. Suspecting that Essen Haus was a bit out of my price range ordinarily, I nudged my mom towards its welcoming arms.

Despite being "normal" dinner hours, Essen Haus was mostly deserted, save a few patrons at the bar and the accordian act on stage. Considering the weather outside was beautiful, I wasn't too surprised. There are so many wonderful outdoor establishments in Madison, and it was a bit hard to adjust to the considerably darker atmosphere of Essen Haus. Still, we were seated right away and began enjoying complimentary soft pretzels to the familiar sound of polka music.

Essen Haus is probably most known among my peers for The Boot. The Boot is 2 liters of beer served in, big surprise, an enormous glass boot. Typically, one would order The Boot with a large group of friends and proceed to drink from the communal vessel without allowing it to touch the table. There are also some rules about who pays for The Boot based on who finishes the beer, but I'm hardly an authority on this subject. My mom isn't much of a drinker so we passed on The Boot and ordered merlot instead.

For dinner, my mom and I split Huhner Schnitzel, a boneless chicken breast sauteed in Marsala wine sauce with onions, mushrooms, tomatoes and garlic. The sauce was an amazing blend of the flavors of the vegetables, and the chicken was perfectly juicy. I didn't try the sauerkraut that accompanied the chicken, but my mom said it was very good as well. Our dinner also included a salad, though it was too pitiful to share. I ate the tiny, unimpressive salad begrudgingly, but it seems unlikely that many people dine at Essen Haus for the salad so I'll let this shortcoming slide.

We finished off the meal with a huge piece of carrot cake that was absolutely delicious. My mom and I both love carrot cake already, and this piece was moist and covered in thick, cream cheese icing. After dinner, I ordered a third glass of merlot, which was also very good considering it was house wine. Since dinner was on the parents and I didn't have to drive home, I figured I deserved it.

Essen Haus was a great opportunity to introduce my mom to the culture and cuisine of the great state I now call home, but I think I would have preferred to go there with a large group of friends. With such an impressive list of beers I've never tried before, I would have much preferred to skip dinner and just "sample" beverages all night. Still, Essen Haus served its purpose: great traditional German dishes within walking distance of my apartment.

rankings and stats:
ambiance - 3
beer & wine selection - 6
food variety - 4
service - 7
accessibility - 8
design - 5
taste - 7
price - $$$

Would we recommend? Yes
Style - German
Dress - casual
Location - 514 E. Wilson Street, Madison WI
www.essen-haus.com

Carlos O'Kellys Mexican Cafe

2009-06-24T19:16:00.002-05:00

After successfully moving Peter into his new apartment in the distant land of Iowa, we searched the surrounding area for delicious food and alcoholic beverages. Carlos O'Kellys intrigued us--was it mexican food or an Irish pub? We had to investigate.

Further inspection proved that Carlos O'Kellys is, in fact, a mexican cafe. Peter's dad immediately noticed the $3 mug-o-ritas. We ordered a much deserved round and pureused the menu. Peter was quick to point out a substantial lite menu, complete with nutrition information. Since I'm constantly trying to eat tasty things without popping buttons off my clothes, I was delighted to see "diet" food that consisted of more than salad. I ordered enchiladas made with fat free cheese and sour cream.

Our margaritas arrived and we drained them quickly, partly because we needed a drink and partly because they were so darn good. I ordered the rare strawberry margarita on the rocks. Usually special flavors are only available as frozen margaritas, but I prefer on the rocks so I don't get a brain freeze while I try to get my booze. Round two arrived shortly before our meals, and it was equally superb.

I wish I could say I was as pleased about my meal. While I'm always pleased to see restuarants offering healthier foods and helpful nutritional information, I am even more pleased when "healthy" food doesn't taste like it came from a Lean Cuisine box. Then again, why even bother ordering something from the diet menu whilst consuming 1,000 calories in margaritas? Oh right, because they are AMAZING!

See you soon, Carlos O'Kelly, if only for your sweet, sweet tequila based drinks.

rankings and stats:

ambiance - 5

beer & wine selection - 7

food variety - 6

service - 4

accessibility - 6 (in Waterloo)

design - 4

taste - 6

price - $$

Would we recommend? No

Style - Mexican

Dress - casual
Location - 1331 Flammang Drive, Waterloo, IA

www.carlosokellys.com

Skyline

2009-06-18T13:29:00.006-05:00

"Whenever you're feeling good and hungry, it's Skyline Time." Really, it's more like "Whenever you're in Cincinnati and feeling drunk or hungover, it's Skyline Time." For those that don't know, Skyline is a fast food chain mostly found in Ohio that specializes in chili. Typically, you get this one of two ways - on pasta, or a hot dog. Both are served with cheese and onions are delicious. I, of course, did not know this the first time I went to a Skyline. I was young, foolish, and new to Cincinnati, and I saw this place and thought "hey, a chili joint, that might be good." So I went there for lunch one day and ordered just a plain bowl of chili. It was not a good idea, and for a long time after that, I did not go back. It might have been the equivalent of eating just a bowl of Arby's sauce and a bun with no roast beef. Okay...actually that sounds pretty good, but you see my point.

However, through my years attending UC, Skyline soon became a dietary staple, particularly at 3 AM after a long night of drinking and/or studio. It's kind of like going to McDonalds - like you know it's bad for you and does not even taste all that good, and it's probably processed and frozen, and you immediately regret eating it when you're done, but then tomorrow rolls around and you start craving it. I soon started going with my friends and learning the jargon - 3-way, 4-way with onions, two coneys no mo - and started to enjoy it more and more. It's really something you have to get used to, but once you get hooked, you're a fan for life. It's like some sort of Ohio fan club - you'll never see a regional food anywhere else where everyone is proud to show off to others, but ashamed to go there when talking amongst themselves - hence the going a lot when you're drunk/hungover so you won't remember. There was always the inevitable "Dude, did we get Skyline last night?" question popped from someone laying around the house the morning after a bender in a shameful tone. This shame, as with all shame, tends to decrease as you get older though. There are four places in Cincinnati - the aforementioned Admirals Woodys, Comet, Skyline, and Graeters - that I crave often, and I always try to stop at at least one when I'm back that way.

On Sunday, that wish came true, as Lauren and I rolled through eastern Ohio on the way home from a wedding near Zanesville. The setting was just as I remembered - oyster crackers on demand, being either the first ones in or last ones out, and I was not feeling too crisp from the night before. Lauren and I each got a 4-way chili with onions, and I also got a coney. Perhaps at this point I should explain the jargon: a 3-way is your basic chili, which has the three basic parts of spaghetti, chili, and cheese. You can also have a 4th and 5th way if you'd like, which are onions and/or beans. The weekend in Ohio was a blast, but nothing compared to the euphoria I felt when the food arrived that morning. I tore through my order, spraying chili all over my shirt, and we left for home very satisfied.

PS - do not be fooled by the other chili places, namely Gold Star - they are not the same, and they taste different.

rankings and stats:
ambiance - 4 (this is the average - depends when you go)
beer & wine selection - n/a
food variety - 3
service - 6
accessibility - 7 (most have a parking lot)
design - 2
taste - 5
price - $

Would we recommend? No (Yes)
Style - fast-food/late-night chili
Dress - casual

Location - the Ohio tri-state area
www.skylinechili.com

Tutto's

2009-06-15T13:48:00.006-05:00

Tutto Pasta Trattoria is a place that Lauren and I went the second night we were in Madison after her move, but because of all of the places we've been to since then, it's kind of been pushed under the rug and we've forgotten to blog about it. However, in now way am I trying to imply that this was a bad restaurant. Actually, quite the opposite - so far, this has been the best "date place" I've eaten in Madison, and the fact that I still remember most of that evening should be some proof of this.

"How did you find out about Tutto's so quickly?" you might ask. We had no internet had her house yet, nor her fancy guidebook, so we did what any Madison tourist might do - walk to State Street and stop at a place that smelled good. Towards the eastern end of State, near the Capitol, was Tutto's. It's an Italian restaurant that serves classic dishes and appetizers, and has a great wine selection - very elegant in its simplicity. It's a very basic flower on the table, white table cloth kind of joint that just serves great food and is popular to all three demographics of Madisonians - tourist, residents, and students. In Lauren's three months in Madison since then, we've walked past it a few times, and it's always crowded with students taking their parents out to dinner, after-work social outings, and Saturday Night dates.

I still vividly remember my entire meal: bruschetta appetizer, minestrone, lasagna, and a bottle of Twisted Oaks wine. Lauren had a salad and some sort of pasta for her meal. The bruschetta was out of sight, and I can without hesitation say that the lasagna was the best I've ever had. Most places it's just all noodles, not enough meat or sauce, and little or no ricotta cheese. This was packed with all three and was oven baked as an individual order. I'm also not a big wine gut, but that red wine we had with our meal was the best wine I've ever had. It was the perfect sweetness between a Lambrusco and a Merlot, and complimented our meal very well (and it was half-price). Between this place and the Great Dane, I couldn't have planned a better eating schedule for our first couple nights in Madison, and this will definitely be a romantic dinner staple for as long as Lauren lives there.

rankings and stats:
ambiance - 8 (the window seats on State are great)
beer & wine selection - 8
food variety - 8
service - 8
accessibility - 5 (very accessible on foot, no cars on State)
design - 5
taste - 8
price - $$$

Would we recommend? Yes
Style - classic Italian
Dress - semi-casual

Location - 305 State St, Madison
www.foodspot.com/tuttopasta

Glass Nickel Pizza

2009-06-08T12:57:00.008-05:00

On Friday night, Lauren and I had some errands to run on Madison's west side, so we perused her restaurant guide for a good place in that area, and found it in Glass Nickel Pizza. Glass Nickel is a Madison-area pizza chain that I've ordered from a couple times when I lived there 3 years ago. It's always been highly praised amongst people we know, but honestly I didn't really remember if it was any good. Certainly after our meal there this weekend, it will be much harder for me to forget this time around.

Glass Nickel is more of a take-out place than a restaurant, but there were a few tables inside so we decided to dine in. The menu features a wide variety of toppings, but the specialty pizzas were some of the most unusual I've ever seen, including such mouth-watering creations as the Bacon Cheeseburger pizza, the Chicken Enchilada pizza, and the Breakfast pizza. The latter I found to be genius, because I don't know too many people who wouldn't agree that a hearty breakfast is the best meal of the day. I wanted a 16", but settled on a 10" for dietary concerns, and so Lauren wouldn't be too distracted from her salad.

As I said in the Riverfront Pizza post, sauce and crust are the most crucial elements to a good pie. The crust was absolutely phenomenal - it was thin and crispy, but also poofy and doughy, and it held the ingredients very well. I don't think I tasted any sauce on pizza so I'll have to go back, but I think any sauce would have tasted bad on the Breakfast pizza. I can't flat out say that it was the best pizza I've ever had, because the toppings were so atypical so it's really an apples-to-oranges comparison, but it was damn good. It tasted like an omelet on a crispy English muffin - it had peppers, onions, cheese, scrambled eggs, breakfast sausage, and bacon. With a little help from Lauren, we easily handled the 10" and I left very satisfied and very full. I could eat breakfast and pizza every day of the week, so this pizza was almost a sensory-overload, and I was very sad when it was finished.

rankings and stats:

ambiance - 2

beer & wine selection - n/a

food variety - 9 (many unique creations)

service - n/a (take-out)

accessibility - 8 (chain, so generally there is a parking lot)

design - 2

taste - 9

price - $

Would we recommend? Yes, but for delivery or take-out, not dining in

Style - take-out pizzeria

Dress - casual
Location - Madison & Oshkosh area, Wisconsin

www.glassnickelpizza.com

Hungry Girl

2009-06-07T17:52:00.005-05:00

For my birthday, Peter got me the Hungry Girl cookbook. As one of the top items on my must have list, the Hungry Girl cookbook provides recipes and survival strategies for guilt-free eating in the real world. Since I got the cookbook, I've been testing out the recipes as much as possible.

First, I tried "Bring on the breakfast pizza." At 127 calories, this has become a breakfast staple for me. It's quick, easy, and completely delicious. Next up was Hungry Girl's most popular recipe ever--"Fettuccine hungry girlfredo" using House Foods Tofu Shirataki Noodles. Honestly, this recipe didn't impress me much. I'm not a huge Alfredo fan to begin with, but there was more going wrong with my attempt at this recipe. My sauce was pretty clumpy and the distinct taste of the tofu noodles was still very overwhelming. The noodles were too chewy too. I was initially a little disappointed with the tofu noodles, partly because Hungry Girl recommended them so highly and partly because they have 20 calories per serving.

I decided to give the tofu noodles a second chance with the "super-duper spaghetti pie." Oh my god. This meal is delicious, filling, and very low in calories. Normally after lunch, I'm still searching for something to fill me up but with spaghetti pie for lunch, I was stuffed. I highly recommend it!

After a long day of shopping, I convinced Peter to let me make dinner and stay in for the night. We "borrowed" a Hungry Girl cookbook at the store and grabbed the ingredients for "T-rific turkey reubens." Both Peter and I were happy with this sandwich. We rounded out the meal with sweet potato fries, my own creation, and wine.

Visit http://www.hungry-girl.com/ for recipes and tips on guilt-free eating, or better yet, buy the cookbook. They also recently released a second cookbook with 200 recipes all under 200 calories.

Mia Za's Italian Cafe

2009-06-02T21:41:00.003-05:00

On Monday night, Peter and I headed to State Street in search of a quick meal before Peter went to the Mallards game and I searched for tofu noodles. We picked the first place that caught my eye, mostly because we are lazy and were tired of walking. As it happens, the salads at Mia Za's were what grabbed my attention.

This casual Italian cafe allows you to customize your pizza, pasta, sandwich or salad by selecting toppings, dressings, etc. on a sheet and handing it to the staff. We didn't know that going, but thankfully Mia Za's has a kid there to tell you what to do. We both picked up salad sheets, much to my surprise. Peter opted for one of the restaurants pre-designed Greek salads. I created my own starting with a mix of romaine and iceberg, smoked turkey breast, pineapple, cucumbers, green peppers and red onions with sun dried tomato vinaigrette.

Partially because the set up reminded me of one of my favorite DC restaurants, Chop't, and because I'm always looking for food that won't make my pants too tight, I enjoyed Mia Za's. My salad was decent enough, though not as amazing as a Chop't salad. Peter felt his salad had too much lettuce and not enough dressing, but he was very happy with the souvenir cups we got. I was also glad to see Mia Za's using real plates and silverware. Any step I can take to be a little greener without putting myself out is a bonus.

If you're looking for a quick, casual, reasonably priced meal on State Street, I'd recommend Mia Za's. It was a nice alternative to Panera, which it reminded me of as well. We were able to order our food and eat within 30 minutes, which is always nice when you're in a hurry. And dinner for 2 cost less than $20, which is always nice when you're broke.

rankings and stats:

ambiance - 3

beer & wine selection - N/A (no booze)

food variety - 5 (mix and match to create your own favorite dish)

service - 6

accessibility - 7

design - 2 (wobbly wall by the soda fountain)

taste - 5

price - $

Would we recommend? Yes, but only for casual grab 'n go dining

Style - Italian cafe

Dress - casual
Location - 515 State Street, Madison WI

http://www.miazas.com/

Riverfront Pizza

2009-06-02T14:34:00.005-05:00

This past Saturday, Lauren and I ventured back to Milwaukee's Third Ward to dine at the Riverfront Pizzeria. This is one of a few staples that I go to with my family often and I have never had a bad meal there, so I was excited to introduce Lauren to it. When we got inside, it was much less crowded as the full street parking would indicate, and we got a booth right away. The restaurant has a very simple and subtle design, with a linear bar-tables-booth arrangement, and a couple very nice private seating rooms to the side for large crowds. Riverfront Pizza is obviously known for their pizza, and I would rate it as the second best dine-in pizzeria in the city, only slightly behind Pizza Man on the east side. As for best pizza in the city? There are just too many places, that is too hard to rate...but they do have outstanding pie.

The first two things I always look for in a good pizza are the sauce and the crust, and both are excellent here. The sauce and cheese work great together, and it is a solid homemade recipe; not too overpowering that it takes away from the ingredients, but not watered down and out of a jar either. The crust is thin and is perfectly cooked between crispy and greasy, it's not real floury underneath which I hate, and the end crust is enough to hold onto, but not an extensive amount where you feel jipped on toppings. Beyond sauce and crust, a variety of ingredients and specialty pizzas is crucial. The reason we loved Roman Candle in Madison so much was because of its variety and freshness of ingredients, and it is the same here. You can get your standard choose-your-topping pie, but they also have many premade examples to choose from. The Hawaiian is probably my favorite, but on this night I had the Sicilian, which had prosciutto, italian sausage, fontina and mozzerella cheese, and red pepper flakes. Topped with some fresh parmesan, it was out of sight. I bought a 13" with intentions of taking some home, but we forgot the leftovers - and that proved to be a good thing, as we would have surely devoured it in the car. Lauren got a salad topped with grilled steak, and we split an order of bruschetta. Any place that serves Italian food needs a good garlic bread and/or bruschetta, and this place has both. My family and I usually opt for the garlic bread, and it is served in wedges with a generous portion of pizza sauce for dipping. The bruschetta is baked fresh, with melted cheese, cilantro, basil, onions, and tomatoes in a vinagrette topped on good bread.

We finished off our meal with a glass of wine and a beer respectively, and watched the Crew pound the Reds for a little while on the TV at the bar. Just as much as Lauren and I love to discover new places - and believe me, our list is long - taking her to some of my favorite Milwaukee establishments is also satisfying. I'm very happy and always eager to engulf Lauren into Wisconsin life and the familiarity of my home, friends, and family as often as possible, and I'm grateful that so far she has been up for just about anything.

rankings and stats:
ambiance - 7 (always fairly crowded)
beer & wine selection - 9 (both selections excellent)
food variety - 7 (variety of pizza - 8, variety of other food - 5)
service - 6
accessibility - 6 (can be hard to find parking)
design - 7
taste - 7
price - $$

Would we recommend? Yes
Style - pizzeria
Dress - casual

Location - 509 E Erie St, Milwaukee
www.foodspot.com/riverfront/

Matt's Bar

2009-05-29T10:20:00.005-05:00

Last weekend, Lauren, myself, and my friend Erik were in Minneapolis to see a game in the Metrodome during its final season. Erik and I are huge baseball fans and went to all 30 major league stadiums two summers ago (see our other blog in the side bar), and we still have many trips planned to visit new stadiums and other baseball events. So, from time to time, you will see posts on here of places that we've eaten at while on our trips, and they will most likely be burger joints or places we've seen on Man v. Food or Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives. On this particular food odyssey, Lauren was with us, as we were on our way back from a wedding in Alexandria.

Matt's Bar is in southern Minneapolis and is a place Erik has eaten at when he lived there. It is home to the Jucy Lucy, which is a burger with two patties crimped together with cheese in the middle, sort of like a pizzaburger. For anyone visiting

Minneapolis, if you ask anybody about the Jucy Lucy or where to get one, you might get two different responses. That is because there is another bar nearby, the 5-8 Club, that also claims to have invented the burger, and they spell it "Juicy Lucy." Matt's slogan is "if it's spelled right, you're at the wrong place." The 5-8 Club's version, from what I could tell from Man v. Food when Adam went there, has more cheese and different varieties of cheese. But, as good as that sounds, we went to Matt's, because Erik subscribes to Matt's as the true inventor. You're not going to find any locals who go to both places, they stick to one. Much like a Chicago resident being loyal to the Sox or Cubs, or a Philly resident eating only Geno's or Pat's cheeseteaks, the Ju(i)cy Lucy is a Minneapolis institution that divides its residents into two camps. It's a major source of pride and always a big topic of conversation in the city. For now, I will continue to spell it "Jucy Lucy" and will discuss Matt's version since that is the place I went to.

Matt's is a tavern-style eatery with cramped tables, sports on the tube, and a long bar with cheap beer and house liquor. The waitress really didn't even have to ask us what we wanted, we just modified our orders slightly - one with no onions, one with fried, one with raw, plus an order of fries. I also got a Summit and Erik a Grain Belt, both local beers with the latter being pretty horrible. It's definitely the Natty Light of Minnesota. Usually when Lauren and I are rating restaurants, we appreciate menu variety, but in this case I wanted to see nothing except the Jucy Lucy and appetizers. Much to my surprise, however, Matt's also offers traditional cheeseburgers for some baffling reason. Why would you come to Matt's if you wanted a regular cheeseburger?

Our food arrived and we were so excited to dive in! Sadly, we had to wait a few minutes for the cheese to cool down, per the waitress' instructions. The few additional moments of waiting made it that much better. The Jucy Lucy was everything I hoped it could be and more. I'm not sure what kind of cheese it was, but it had a little tang to it and was oozing out with each bite and I really enjoyed it, and the meat was cooked just perfectly. The onions on it were also of the finely minced McDonalds variety, which added a nice level of comfort to the burger. The fries were also good, and the company was great, as many Brewers fans had crammed into Matt's before the game that night against the Twins. There are many Minneapolis Triple-D joints we have to visit next year, but I hope to someday visit 5-8 so I can make my judgment. But for now, Matt's was amazing.

rankings and stats:

ambiance - 8

beer & wine selection - 5

food variety - 2 (this should be a 1, boo also having regular burger)

service - 6 (it was very busy)

accessibility - 8 (residential area, some street parking)

design - 3

taste - 8

price - $

Would we recommend? Yes

Style - burger joint/dive bar

Dress - casual
Location - 3500 Cedar Ave S, Minneapolis

www.mattsbar.com

Thai Lotus

2009-05-29T09:55:00.003-05:00

About three weeks ago, Lauren and I visited Thai Lotus on Milwaukee's south side. It is in the Silver City area, and about five blocks from where I live, so it's been a place I've wanted to take Lauren for awhile since I know she generally likes to not leave the house. It's one of those places that you only know about if you live in the neighborhood, and it felt good to walk inside as "a local." It's a small place, maybe 15-20 tables, that serves traditional Korean and Thai dishes, as well as some Chinese staples such as orange chicken and shrimp fried rice to appease the Americans. As with many Asian places, the wait staff was all indigenous and seemed to be related, and were very friendly. Also as with most Asian-American restaurants, they served soda in cans with a glass of ice and a straw, and water straight out of the dishroom.

The menu portions were served family style, but were still small enough that Lauren and I ordered our own meals. I ordered Pud See Yuw (spelling?), a traditional Thai dish made with broad noodles, vegetables, beef or shrimp, and a sweet soy-ginger sauce. I kind of wanted it to be more spicy, but it was still good. Lauren ordered a dish with vegetables and a peanut sauce on white rice, and I can't really speak to how good it was because I hate peanut sauce, but she seemed to enjoy it. We capped off our meal by waiting for the check for 20 minutes and eating our fortune cookies. I almost didn't write about Thai Lotus since we just went there on a whim, and it was a while ago and was nothing too spectacular, but I felt I owed it to them since the fortune I got in their cookie was "Keep up the good work. You will be rewarded within the month." The very next Monday, I got a call from a firm in Iowa to interview me and I have since been hired. That fortune now is now taped to my window trim as a constant reminder of our evening at Thai Lotus and the good fortune that ensued.

rankings and stats:

ambiance - 3 (very dead)

beer & wine selection - 4

food variety - 9

service - 3

accessibility - 10 (tons of street parking nearby, we walked)

design - 4

taste -7

price - $

Would we recommend? No

Style - Pan-Asian

Dress - casual
Location - 3800 W National Ave, Milwaukee

http://www.dreats.com/restaurants/Wisconsin/Milwaukee/Thai-Lotus-7631

Brat Fest

2009-05-27T21:21:00.004-05:00

Madison must have heard that it was my birthday, and to honor such a momentous occasion, they hosted the world's largest brat fest. Serving a record breaking 208,000 brats and raising more than $100,000 for local charities, Brat Fest 2009 was one of the best days I've had in Wisconsin so far.

After walking two miles to the Alliant Energy Center, Peter and I immediately headed for the beer tent. All beers were a mere $5, including two tasty local beers and standard Budweiser products. We then proceeded to have our picture taken with the Weiner Mobile before making haste towards the brat tent. Sixteen lines of hungry patrons moved quickly and we grabbed three brats and condiments before parking ourselves by the water. At a mere $1.50 per delicious brat, we had a feeling that was just the beginning.

My very favorite part of Brat Fest, nay of summer in general, is funnel cake. Despite threatening Peter with death if he touched my funnel cake, we split a perfectly cooked and sugared dessert while "enjoying" some amatuer music near the side stage. We probably would have stayed longer but it looked like it might rain so we grabbed ice cream and brats for the road. Dinner for $3? Yes, please! Much to Peter's delight, I had leftover packets of Arby's sauce in my bag from the night before, which we added to our dinner brats.

Peter has spoken so highly of the many summer festivals Wisconsin has to offer, and Brat Fest very much met my expectations. The cheap beer and brats alone would have made it a great event, but couple with free admission, free parking, and free music, Brat Fest offered a fun atmosphere at an affordable price. I'm already excited for next year!

rankings and stats:
ambiance - 6
beer & wine selection - 2

food variety - 2 (mostly brats, duh)

service - 7
accessibility - 9

design - 2
taste -8
price - $

Would we recommend? Yes
Style - Festival
Dress - casual

Location - Alliant Energy Center, Madison WI

Montage

2009-05-21T14:28:00.006-05:00

I was in Waterloo, Iowa on Monday and Tuesday for a job interview and got to go to a neat little restaurant in neighboring Cedar Falls called Montage. It is on Main Street in downtown Cedar Falls, which is in the northeast part of the state. There's not much in Cedar Falls besides Main Street, the University of Northern Iowa, and a big lake, but it seemed like a very quaint little town of about 35,000 (Waterloo is about twice that) and I enjoyed the tour the HR lady from the firm gave me as we drove to the restaurant. Main Street in Cedar Falls has undergone signifcant renovations in the past 20 years, and this is truly a "Main St USA" project, with a winding road, beautiful streetscaping, and fabulous facade treatments on all the buildings.

The restaurant itself was admittedly this firm's favorite after-work hangout and eatery, so I tried to base my opinion on my own experience rather than their bias. It is a two story restaurant, with a more open seating area downstairs, and some private dining rooms upstairs (where we sat), along with a bar area overlooking the street, and a huge wine cellar in the back. I could see from the design why it caught the attention of this local architecture firm, as the spaces flow very well, the lighting is subtle, and the wood treatments and furniture are exquisite. It's a great mix of an old building with a new function.

Beyond the design, the menu is I'm sure what keeps them all coming back. It is a very eclectic menu, featuring such farmland favorites as pork chops and steak, but also a wide pasta selection and one of the best and most diverse appetizer menus I've ever come across. There are also a good deal of sandwiches, salads, and a superb wine list on the menu, featuring a great blend of local and national vineyards. Everything is prepared with just enough of a twist to put the chef's stamp on it. We split two bottles of half-price wine and had sauteed mushrooms, bruschetta, and bread with a goat cheese spread for starters. For dinner, I ordered the tomato pesto pasta with penne noodles, in the hopes that it would taste like the pesto noodles from Noodles & Co that I am addicted to. It did not, but it was still outstanding, prepared with sun-dried tomatos, poblano peppers, and a light pesto sauce. I was graciously treated to this dinner by the firm, but the entries seemed pretty reasonably priced.

Overall, I enjoyed my time in the Waterloo/Cedar Falls area. I got to see a great deal of both cities and can already tell that if I got this job, I would be spending most of my nights out on Main Street and UNI, and Montage would definitely be the first place I take any visitors too. Hopefully, it won't be too awkward when we inevitably run into some of my potential co-workers there.

rankings and stats:

ambiance - 7

beer & wine selection - 7

food variety - 8

service - 9

accessibility - 6 (street parking on Main St and auxiliary streets)

design - 7

taste -8

price - $$

Would we recommend? Yes

Style - Contemporary

Dress - semi-formal
Location - 222 Main St, Cedar Falls IA

www.montage-cf.com

Frida Mexican Grill

2009-05-18T20:36:00.004-05:00

Round two of Mexican food led us to Frida Mexican Grill on Sunday night. Mexcian food is great in that it's generally pretty predictable and the food is generally good anywhere you go. Those who've visited Guapo's in DC may disagree with me.

Frida is a pretty standard joint, as far as Mexican restuarants go. They have standard decor fused with large Frida Kahlo prints. Unibrows and self-portraits with pets aside, the design and atmosphere isn't anything to write home about. Two of the restuarants greatest attributes are its location on State Street and outdoor seating. It's still a little chilly in Madison, so we opted for indoor seating, but the ideal locale allowed us to walk there and waddle home.

Peter had mole poblano enchiladas and I had the fajita salad. Fajitas are my stand by order, and I'm almost always happy with them. I was pretty excited to find a fajita inspired salad on the menu for a slightly healthier fare. Overall, I was underwhelmed by the salad. I expected the steak to be warm, in addition to the peppers and onions, which are traditionally sauteed with the meat. The steak was cold, and both peppers and onions were raw. The lime-cilantro dressing was great, and low calorie to boot! Peter's food was alright, but certainly not the best we've ever had.

The highlight of the meal was definitely the pitcher of frozen raspberry margaritas. Frida offered a great selection of margarita flavors, and a solid tequila to mix ratio. The triple chocolate cake we stuffed ourselves with was decadent and delicious, ending a sub-par meal on a high note. The long and difficult walk home made me regret the decision to have dessert, so next time I'll be sure to drive.

Overall, we weren't thrilled with the food at Frida Mexican Grill. It was decent, but not enough to win our repeated patronage. Friendly and fast service won bonus points with us, so we'll probably pop in again for margaritas on the sidewalk when the weather warms up.

rankings and stats:

ambiance - 3

beer & wine selection - 4

food variety - 4

service - 8

accessibility - 6 (parking can be hard to find)

design - 4

taste -4

price - $$

Would we recommend? No

Style - Mexican

Dress - Casual
Location -117 State St Madison, WI

www.fridamexicangrill.com

Chipotle

2009-05-18T20:17:00.003-05:00

Dear Chipotle,

I love you more than I can describe in words. To me, you are perfect.

Yours,

Lauren

rankings and stats:

ambiance - 4

beer & wine selection - 2 (just margaritas and beer, but impressive for a fast food chain)

food variety - 3

service - 7

accessibility - 10 (they're everywhere!)

design - 7

taste - 10

price - $

Would we recommend? Yes, dear god, yes!

Style - Mexican-ish

Dress - Very casual
Location - a trendy neighborhood near you

www.chipotle.com

Sake Tumi

2009-05-12T12:33:00.006-05:00

About a month ago, Lauren and I went to Sake Tumi, a Japanese (duh) restaurant in downtown Milwaukee. Sushi is still very "hip," and this is one of several good places to go in the city, and is my favorite local sushi joint. It is located on Milwaukee St, a lively nighttime area of the city featuring many swank clubs and fancy restaurants.

The restaurant is an adaptive reuse infill project, located next door to the old Eve nightclub (now Umami Moto, another sushi place). It is a very long and narrow space, and is decorated very simply with exposed Cream City brick walls and your classic black, white, and wood Japanese motif. It features mostly 2-person tables and is dimly lit, making it a very quiet place with an intimate atmosphere. There is a bar and sushi counter on the south wall, and a small mezzanine seating level in the back of house.

There are many Japanese entries on the menu, but like most people, we came here for the sushi. It is very unique and like nowhere else in town. The sushi menu is very extensive, featuring a variety of sashimi, maki, and nigiri. There is also a great mix of traditional rolls and "fusion" rolls - a new-school chef's take on sushi, blending the flavors of other countries and other types of meats with Japanese ingredients and rice. I myself had a traditional Dragon roll and a Mexican roll, featuring a chipotle sauce, cilantro, and tilapia inside. Lauren had a cucumber roll and something else, but we shared. I love meals like tapas, sushi, and family-style Italian where you can share with people over a bottle of wine, and it was a great meal. If you are looking for a cheap, traditional menu, I'd probably recommend Benihana's, but Sake Tumi is a great place for the adventurous type looking for a nice evening out.

rankings and stats:
ambiance - 7
beer & wine selection - 7 (large wine selection)
food variety - 7
service - 7
accessibility - 3 (pretty tough to find parking)
design - 6
taste - 8
price - $$$

Would we recommend? Yes
Style - Japanese fusion
Dress - semi-formal

Location - 714 N Milwaukee St, Milwaukee

www.sake-milwaukee.com

AJ Bombers

2009-05-07T13:57:00.009-05:00

On Tuesday evening, my best friend Erik and I met my brother and his friend Brian at AJ Bombers, a new burger joint on the northern end of Water St. I found this place on Craigslist a few weeks ago when I applied for a server job here, and since then I've discovered quite the buzz going around town, and publications are already hailing the signature Bomber Burger as "the best burger in the city." This was reason enough to go, but when filling out my application inside a while ago, I was also very impressed with the space and was eager to return and investigate it further.

After my first visit, I did some research and found out it was designed by Flux Design, a reknowned commerical design firm in Milwaukee that has also done restaurants such as Twisted Fork, Umami Moto, and Swig. When you walk inside, you im

mediately notice the giant metal tracks above your head that stem from behind the bar. The restaurant is advertised as "P-Nuts, Burgers, and Beer," and these tracks are an elaborate peanut-conveying system. In keeping with the "bomb" motif, hollow bomb-shaped cylinders are filled with peanuts at the bar, and then tossed down these tracks to different areas of the restaurant, dispensing peanuts into a funnel upon impact with a target at the track's end. This funnel then empties into a dish below. This system does need a little work, because as we found out, the bartender has to shove the bomb at just the right speed, or it either can't make it up the slightly inclined track, or it goes too fast and sprays the peanuts everywhere. And a couple of the tracks block the view of the television at a couple of tables, but these things aside, I thought it was a really cool idea. The bomb decor is further enhanced with wood crate-shelving behind the bar, plywood benches with a sort of "A-Team" military block font, and tables with exposed rivets.

Once you get over the awe of the cool track system, the next thing you notice is the menu. More or less, its contents are burgers, chips, fries, and wings. It's also like the Gasthaus at UWM where you have to circle your own order on a piece of paper. With such a small menu, a distracting peanut system, and it being a non-smoking bar, this let me know that it was going to either be one of the best burgers I've ever had, or this place would be closed in two months. Verdict: amazing! We all had Bomber Burgers, which is a juicy meat patty topped with a portabella mushroom that is stuffed with cheese, breaded, and deep fried. The bun needed to be a little bit thicker and/or lightly grilled to soak up the grease, but from what I remember from scarfing it down, it was delicious. The fries, I am told by Erik, were not so good, but the sweet potato chips were exquisite. Other burger choices include the AJ burger, which looks to be a more standard burger served with "bomber sauce" on which you can get up to four patties, and three varieties of veggie burger, all of which are very reasonably priced. We finished our meals off with gigantic ice cream sandwiches made with homemade cookies, and a couple baskets of peanuts. Oh, and I forgot to mention that you can throw your shells on the floor, which is how every peanut bar should be.

I really enjoyed my experience at AJ Bombers, although I may have to still give the slight nod to Solly's as "best burger in Milwaukee," but this place and Kopps I would definitely put in a tie for second. This place will definitely have much more success than the many failed Water & Knapp bars that have come before it. I was glad that I ran 6 miles that week so that I could shamelessly participate in such an artery-clogging delight.

rankings and stats:
ambiance - 6 (decor really cool, but pretty empty)
beer & wine selection - 6
food variety - 4
service - 7
accessibility - 8 (pretty easy to find parking at north end of Water)
design - 9
taste - 9
price - $

Would we recommend? Yes
Style - burger joint
Dress - Casual

Location - 1241 N Water St, Milwaukee

www.ajbombers.com

Pepe's Rock'n Taco Shack

2009-05-05T12:06:00.006-05:00

On Saturday night, Lauren and I visited Pepe's on Farwell Ave in Milwaukee. It's in a great area of town, near the lake and between Brady and North. I've read several great reviews of Pepe's in the local A&E papers and have been anxious to try it for a while.

You walk into a small dining area, maybe 20 tables, with a small bar in the back. It is decorated in typical Mexo-American fare: very colorful, Spanish movie posters on the walls, shelves of tequila behind the bar, wrought iron chairs, etc. The menu itself featured your typical enchiladas, burritos, tacos, etc., but also featured some chef's specials and some twists on classic dishes. For instance, you could get your tacos filled with just about anything - mine were heaped with spicy pork, chipotle dressing, and a delicious pineapple salsa. And as with any Mexican restaurant, there were complementary chips, but the salsa was more flavorful than most. There's also the classic guacamole appetizer on the menu, but you smash all the ingredients yourself in a ceramic bowl

at the table. And of course there are margaritas here - but at Pepe's, the menu features almost an entire page dedicated to the combinations and many tequilas you can get mixed it. I would definitely recommend something off the list if you want a margarita - the typical house one I only found to be average, not that strong, for $4, but you can also get a margarita not pre-mixed with top-shelf booze for upwards of $20. It just seemed that everything on the menu was "classic with a twist," which I really enjoy at any kind of restaurant.

Lauren got the chicken fajitas and they were also very tasty. We ended up being too full for dessert, which is saying a lot when it comes to us. Overall, I would have liked it better if it was still "Pepe's Pink Taco," but it was definitely a place I would go back to. Given the dozens of Mexican restaurants I've been to in this city, this one was a great mix of authentic and contemporary, and one that managed to stand out amongst all the others.

rankings and stats:
ambiance - 4
beer & wine selection - 7 (low, but large margarita selection)
food variety - 6
service - 5 (courteous waitress, but food was very slow)
accessibility - 4 (can be hard to find street parking)
design - 4
taste - 7
price - $$

Would we recommend? Yes
Style - Mexican
Dress - Casual

Location - 2014 N Farwell Ave, Milwaukee

www.pepestacoshack.com

The Great Dane

2009-04-30T22:26:00.005-05:00

The Great Dane was the first restuarant Peter and I went to in Madison. He took me there when I visited him in 2006, and we went there for my first dinner as a Wisconsin resident. And we went there Sunday, too. It's no surprise that Great Dane is our go-to spot in Madison. It's a local institution, established by a friendly atmosphere, an impressive menu, and delicious micro-brews.

On our first trip to Great Dane (not 2006), Peter had Beer Can Chicken and I had the enchiladas. We both had Saucy Vixen Amber Lite, as well as artichoke dip and apple crisp. The enchiladas were good, but not great. They smelled incredible though. Peter's beer can chicken was amazingly juicy and tender. The artichoke dip was tasty, as was the apple crisp. To me, the real winner of the meal was the beer. I'm not normally a fan of red beers, but Saucy Vixen is incredible. It's not as heavy as traditional red beers, and it's slightly sweet.

Second time around, Peter had Wisconsin Mac and Cheese and Tri-Pepper pilsner. The mac and cheese was a bit of a disappointment. They only use one kind of cheese, and the sauce was pretty runny. There weren't enough breadcrumbs either. Peter and I both agree that perfect mac and cheese starts with the right noodles. Spirals or shells are a must to trap delicious melty cheese. The rigatoni noodles they used just weren't a stellar vehicle for the cheese to mouth transfer. The beer was good, but the spicy pepper taste made it hard to drink a whole glass, especially since Peter wisely added jalepenos to his mac and cheese.

As for me, I had the grilled cheese and baked potato soup. The soup was sub-par, as it had to many vegetables and not enough bacon. The sandwich, though unconventionally made, was amazing. Green cheese was a tiny bit alarming, but the pesto cheese made it unique. I'll always be a plain grilled cheese girl at heart, but it was still a great grilled cheese. I'd like to try it with bacon next time.

We finished out the night watching baseball at the bar and enjoying more beers. In addition to great comfort food, Great Dane has a great selection of beers made on site. It has a cozy neighorhood pub feel, pool tables, and ample tvs for watching various sporting events. We've had good service every time but the last time when our waiter was a little...well, flighty.

Overall, Great Dane is the perfect place to make yourself a regular. Great food, decent staff, solid entertainment, and amazing beer--what more could you want?

rankings and stats:
ambiance - 7
beer & wine selection - 8
food variety - 7 (big selection but comfort/bar foods are best)
service - 7 (2 for our most recent waiter)
accessibility - 5 (parking can be hard to find)
design - 4
taste - 7
price - $$

Would we recommend? Yes
Style - brew pub
Dress - Casual

Location - 123 E. Doty Street, Madison, WI
www.greatdanepub.com

Admiral Woody's

2009-04-30T10:35:00.012-05:00

I mentioned Admiral Woody's in the "Toombswich" post, so I will write about it now while I'm thinking about it. In fact, I think about Woody's a lot. It reminds me of a happy, and in retrospect, a more carefree time in my life. I'm sure everyone has been a "regular" at a local bar or restaurant at some point in their life, and Woody's was my experience with that. I go to a few bars and restaurants quite frequently here in Milwaukee, but none with the same regiment, routine, and camaraderie during the years I attended the University of Cincinnati.

First of all, Admiral Woody's is actually Uncle Woody's, a bar on the southern edge of campus. I don't recall the story, but at some point in our goings there we decided that the Uncle should be promoted to a Captain, and eventually an Admiral. Don't ask why - I realize that "uncle" is not a naval rank. But that aside, I recall several great Woody's memories as I write this. There was the day we watched the NCAA tournament all day there. There were the several pub crawls in which we just stayed at Woody's when we got there. My greatest St. Patty's Day started bright and early there for green beer, we always started there on a night of bar hopping, and I watched Sunday Night Baseball there. Whenever anyone came to visit me (Lauren included), and whenever I make return visits to Cincy, it is the first place we went. But the greatest times spent there by far were Woody's Wednesdays, a day I always looked forward to that made the weeks fly by.

Every Wednesday after studio, for over two years, Toombs, John, Magic, and myself all met at Woody's for wings, beer, and darts. Attendance sort of trickled in and out during thesis, and after a while we started to realize just how horrible the wings actually were, but it was still a constant, something that was on our calendars every week. The four of us did everything together in grad school, and the combination of having my own great group of friends and a great bar was one of my fondest memories of my time in Cincinnati. No matter how busy any of us were, we always made every effort to meet at Woody's on Wednesdays - and let it be known on this blog here and now, that I missed not one Wednesday during the schoolyear in my entire time at UC. There were a handful of times when it was just Toombs and I eating 40 wings, or me running in for ten minutes on the way to bowling to slam a beer (Woody's even informally sponsored our bowling team).

Anybody who knows me knows that I value routine and familiarity, and given the wild unpredictability of the rest of my week, Wednesdays were my rock. It was pretty unspoken that the four of us, and any other welcome guests, would round up and carpool there around 5:30, each order the same thing from the same waitress and bartender, lose to Magic in darts, and then head home to change and get to bowling by 10. Outside of our four-person circle, nobody dared try the wings, and the waitress typically changed each quarter, but in general what I'm saying is true. There is no greater feeling than to walk in to a bar at the same time on the same day, say "Hi John" to the bartender as you walk in, and have the waitress say "The usual, guys?" Having everything be so routine, coupled with nobody being in the bar at 6pm on a Wednesday, it gave us plenty of uninterrupted time to discuss new beers with John the Bartender, chit-chat with the waitress (and have me leave my phone number and never get called back), and particularly talk amongst ourselves about studio, girl problems, impersonate teachers, yell at Toombs for not coming to bowling, or anything else pressing that week. It was a time I valued greatly, as it was the one time during the week we all could talk more than just in passing, or yelling over the din of another bar on the weekend.

I suppose I'll talk briefly about the food since that's what this blog is about. The staple was 10 wings each, a quesadilla and pitcher of Miller Lite to share, and a coke for John. This altered week-to-week and in our time there we tried just about everything on the menu. The quesadilla was by far the best thing on the menu, nothing else came close. We all fell in love with the wings early on, but eventually started to realize that they were pretty bad, mostly since it was clear to us they never changed the oil, as many wings we received we dubbed "nodules," which occurred when several wings/wing parts fried together. The burger and fish sandwich were also not that bad. The fact that I'm struggling to think of good food I've had there, and that the food I can think of I don't speak that highly of, should tell you that we all thought of Woody's as so much more than a restaurant. It was our place, and despite the fact that it's changed a lot since we graduated, it will always be our place.

From time to time, I will try to post about some of my favorite Cincinnati eateries, which shouldn't be hard since I crave these places often.

rankings and stats:

ambiance - 3

beer & wine selection - 5 (low selection, but always getting new "secret" beer - ask the bartender)

food variety - 5

service - 4 (waitresses only there before 8)

accessibility - 8 (we usually drove and hard to find parking, but easy to walk to from campus)

design - 2

taste - 4

price - $

Would we recommend? Honestly, being objective, no I would not recommend as a restaurant. And besides that, it's changed a lot since we graduated.

Style - dive bar

Dress - pants required, thats about it.

Location - 339 Calhoun St, Cincinnati OH

This Is Why We're Fat

2009-04-28T22:24:00.002-05:00

Peter and I considered naming the blog this, but decided that we didn't think of ourselves as "fat" per se. Less than a week into our food blog forray, we've changed our tune a bit. I can't speak for Peter, but I feel like I've reached critical mass.

I'm sure you're all riddled with anxiety, wondering if we'll stop posting.

No way! But there may be some noticable differences. Instead of words like "smothered" and "greasy", you may see words like "drizzled" and "dabbed". In place of items like cheese curds, you may see items like...some vegetable. Do not be alarmed! I still love food, but I also need my pants to fit. Mostly so that I can go out into the world and aquire more food. If there were any other way around it, believe me, I'd find it.

The Toombswich

2009-04-28T15:11:00.007-05:00

The Toombswich has its humble origins not in the kitchen, but in the classroom. Toombs is my good friend David Toombs, a classmate of mine from UC who shares my affinity for a generally unhealthy lifestyle. Long story short, we were doing presentations on various cities in a studio we had together, and we all laughed at the name of his presentation filename on Wichita on the screen - "toombs_wich." We then suddenly shifted our focus - if the Toombswich was a sandwich, what would be on it? And so, while other friends of ours were playing in soccer leagues and running half marathons, Toombs and I began conjuring up what would become the greatest sandwich in the history of the world. And going to Admiral Woody's (future post to come).

In the infant stages of this project, Toombs and I were clear on one thing: we could not in good conscience dedicate our brains to the Toombswich recipe AND finishing thesis, so this would have to be a post-graduation celebration. But one thing we did decide early on was that there were to be two meat patties acting as the "bread" of the sandwich - because clearly, a sandwich worthy of Toombs' punishing physique had to have as much meat (and mayo) as possible. What better way was there to do this than by breaking down the walls of the tradional sandwich that uses bread as filler? I'm not sure exactly when the first Toombswich was conceived and eaten, but I want to say it was September 2007. It was a simple recipe:

Toombswich 1.0

- Grill two hamburger patties, and let sit until grease has dried and cooled

- Filling: Mannwich and mayonaisse

- Assemble mannwich/mayo filling between two meat patties and serve.

After much anticipation, our first attempt was okay. It was too dry, and honestly not a lot of flavor. It needed more ingredients, and some sort of wet binding agent that made it easier to swallow. Being architecture students, we were certainly not content with what we had made. We had a good foundation, but it needed work. As far as we were concerned, this was merely the first draft, a midterm review at best. Our next iteration would require a lot more creativity and "impulse meat" to make it a worthy sandwich. We knew when we were going to make the next Toombswich - I visited Cincinnati again in November 2008. But going into it, we still didn't honestly know what was to be in the sandwich. We went with the "kitchen sink" approach on this one:

Toombswich 2.0

- mix 1.5-2 lbs ground beef (makes 2 sandwiches) with bread crumbs

- roll out into about 1/4" sheet and quarter; fry until medium rare

- filling: halved cocktail weinies, pulled pork, shredded cheese, bacon, italian seasoning

- microwave filling, drizzle mayo onto beef patties and add filling, finish cooking in oven at 350 until patties are cooked through

Much, much better. The pulled pork and melted cheese was that wet binding agent we needed, and mixing the breadcrumbs with the meat made it much more juicy and crispy, almost like chicken-fried steak. And of course, bacon just makes everything better. The cocktail weinies really didn't add a whole lot to the meal except texture. After brief meat comas, Toombs and I parted ways, knowing that we had etched our names into culinary history, and that we had a patentable sandwich in the works. Experiencing this sandwich is kind of like going to Skyline or a China Buffet - you kind of feel ashamed for going, and it's probably not even that good, but then 4 hours later you want more. There has been much speculation over the next Toombswich (2.1 or 3.0, depending on how much we change), but neither of us can wait for the next 3,000 calorie adventure.

Swig

2009-04-28T11:10:00.005-05:00

Remember the Lakefront Brewery tour I told you about? Well, our day was not over after that. For dinner that night, we went to Swig, an upscale restaurant in Milwaukee's Third Ward. This is a great place to take a date, yet also a nice place to come in a small group and share a bottle of wine and small plates to share. Swig was renamed from "Sauce" about a year ago, and along with it came an overhaul to the menu and the design of the space. The first thing you notice when walking in is the ornate southern wall of the bar area made of wood slats of varying colors, textures, thicknesses, and widths. Kind of like a stone veneer wall, made of wood. The wood wall continues into the dining room, and is much more effective here as a work of art, rather than having shelves and pictures hung on it in the bar area, instead of built in.

Swig is separated into three zones: you enter into the bar area that has some stool seating, and then to your right is a table-dining nearest to the sidewalk on a platform, and on your left is a candlelit dining area, where we sat. The table-dining area is a great place to have lunch during the summer, as the entire wall is a glass garage door that slides up to let the cool breeze in (but also the sun - going for a drink right after work is kind of blinding). I had drinks once at Sauce, so the most noticeable difference to me apart from the re-design was the wine list, which has expanded and refined itself very nicely.

I did not know what to expect at dinner. My brother and a friend of mine had both eaten at Sauce and not cared for it much, but I decided I wanted to take Lauren there anyways, because I was excited for the small plate dining experience. The reason I'm sure my brother and friend didn't like it was because they did not know it was a small plate dining restaurant - which, like a tapas restaurant, is not meant to be a filling but rather a social meal, all the plates are delicate and expensive, and it is not a place to go if you are in a hurry. On this particular night, however, there was a five-course meal being served; there was a special Valentine's Day menu where each diner could select from three choices of appetizer, soup/salad, entree, dessert, and a fifth middle course that I can't name offhand. My recollections of what I specifically ordered are hazy, but I know that I was extremely full and everything was very tasty at the end of the meal. I recall having an almond-encrusted grouper that was out of sight, and lobster wontons and a red velvet cake, both of which were also mouthwatering. Between the five-course meal, and the bottle of wine, we spent nearly two hours at the restaurant and had a fantastic time. Someday when I am employed, we will definitely have to return to get the small-plate dining experience. What Lauren said before about good food and good company going together great? This place definitely falls into that mold. If you are looking for a place that offers a nice relaxing meal with exotic menu choices (and you're getting sick of sushi), Swig is a good call.

rankings and stats:

ambiance - 7

beer & wine selection - 7

food variety - 8

service - 8 (pleasantly surprised by quickness of food)

accessibility - 5 (can be hard to find parking in 3rd Ward)

design - 7

taste - 9

price - $$$$

Would we recommend? Yes

Style - American small-plate dining

Dress - formal, but not black-tie required

Location - 217 N Broadway, Milwaukee WI

www.swigmilwaukee.com

Jackie's

2009-04-24T16:37:00.009-05:00

Whenever I'm asked what my favorite restuarant is, I always say Jackie's. In actuality, I've only been there twice. Both times were with Peter, and I never wanted to go with anyone else because I felt like it would be cheating.

Jackie's was the first "nice" restuarant Peter took me to when he lived in DC. The firm he worked for at the time design the space, so I guess I'd better give them high marks for design. The building has a unique character to it. It's a renovated auto mechanics shop, and still has the grey concrete floor and garage door. Retro pink, green, multicolored fabrics juxtapose the cold, working class feel of the garage. I always feel like I'm in an IKEA showroom when I'm there. There's also an "open" kitchen, which means you can watch the chefs prepare every dish they serve. It's interesting to watch them work, plus you know no one dropped your steak or spit in your mashed potatoes.

One of my favorite things about Jackie's is the high quality of their food. They serve very fresh, organic vegetables and only free range meat and line caught fish. Health and environmental benefits aside, what really matters is that this makes even simple, classic American dishes taste better. In fact, I still remember my first meal there in 2006--it was that good.

Peter and I had the Mini Elivs burgers our first time around. They're amazing, and far above standard sliders. The second time we had calamari, which was also delicious though the green romesco really made the appetizer. Depending on the day, consider a "nostalgia" plate--traditional American comfort foods with the best ingredients. Their chicken is the juiciest and most flavorful I've ever had. The desserts are yummy too.

I could talk about the food all day, but I have to say, I love Jackie's mostly because of the wonderful memories I've made there. The intimate setting makes it an ideal place for a date, and choosing Jackie's gives the impression that you have taste and class. Eating there, for me, was the beginning of the great friendship I've been so fortunate to have with Peter. Food is meant to be enjoyed with people that you love, and Jackie's makes that magical combination of good company and delicious food seem effortless.

rankings and stats:

ambiance - 8

beer & wine selection - 6

food variety - 7

service - 8

accessibility - 7 (right on Georgia Ave. but a decent walk from the Metro)

design - 9

taste - 8

price - $$$

Would we recommend? Yes

Style - Funky retro, contemporary American

Dress - not quite casual, but not formal either

Location - 8081 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring, MD

http://www.jackiesrestaurant.com

Lakefront Brewery

2009-04-23T09:59:00.004-05:00

Lauren and I went here over two months ago, but I thought I would still write about it while it was in my memory. Let's just put it out on the table right now - the tour is $6, which includes four 10-oz samples (which you can drink during the tour), a souvenir pint glass, and a coupon redeemable for a free Lakefront beer at select downtown bars before 5pm that day. Based on that information alone, there is no reason that anyone who ever spends a few days in Milwaukee shouldn't tour Lakefront Brewery. But on top of that, I've been on six brewery tours and this is the best one I've ever been on, by far. If you really want to learn all the intricacies of the brewing process, go to Leinenkugels; if you're interested in history and marketing, go to Miller; but if you really just want to tie one on and have a good time, Lakefront is for you.

Lakefront is on the northern fringe of downtown on the Milwaukee River, in the Beerline B neighborhood of the city, and is kind of hard to find. You will get lost the first time you go there, even if you live in Milwaukee. I had done a lot of work on the Schlitz Brewery buildings at my old job, which is two blocks away, and I still couldn't find it. But touring it with Lauren was my second time there, so I had the appearance of knowing what I was doing. It was Valentine's Day, it was early in the afternoon, and my car was barely driveable at the time - all things that screamed "let's get drunk!" Not surprisingly, the 2pm tour was still full, and after downing a couple of our free samples, we were off.

The brewery is housed in what looks like an old trolleycar building - I won't say for sure it was, because I was drunk halfway through the tour and stopped listening. Anyone who goes on a few brewery tours knows that most tour guides are high school teachers looking for extra income and a release from yelling at kids all day. So, with large mug of beer in hand, our MPS-employed tour guide for the day explained the basic process - barley mixed with hot water, strained, hops added to boiling wort, yeast added, fermentation, Cheers. I got a chocolate for knowing one of the four ingredients of beer (I knew all four but she heard me once). All of the equipment at Lakefront was either bought or stolen from some other brewery and is many decades old, which adds to the mystique. The best part of the tour besides the tour guide is that the Klisch Brothers bought Bernie Brewer's chateau, mug, and slide from old County Stadium and displayed them in the brewhouse, seemingly in proud defiance of building codes. We obtained our third free beverage of the day while learning about kegging and bottling, which in summary involved a large wooden mallet called the "bung whacker" and reciting the Laverne & Shirley song. After the tour, Lauren had one more beer for the road and then promptly drove to find a bar to obtain our 5th free beer of the afternoon.

We both look forward to taking the tour again this summer. Or maybe just paying the $6 and drinking at the bar.

rankings and stats:
beer selection - 5 (usually 4-6 different Lakefront beers on tap)

samples - 9 (4 beers at brewery, 1 after)
gift shop - 6 (very good for such a small brewery)
tour guide - 10
tour quality - 8
design - 5 (nice reuse of old building and kettles)
taste - 8 (Lakefront beer is delicious)
price - $

Would we recommend? Yes

Best beer - Riverwest
Type - microbrewery
Location - 1872 N Commerce St, Milwaukee WI
www.lakefrontbrewery.com

Roman Candle

2009-04-22T21:39:00.012-05:00

Since I just moved to Madison, I get lost a lot. While lost, I always keep an eye out for restuarants that look interesting or tasty. Two weeks ago, on my way home from the only CVS in a hundred mile radius, I spotted a cute neighborhood pizzeria in Middleton and jotted down the intersection on a scrap of paper.

After spending this week's rainy Sunday in bed, Peter and I decided to get the day started at 5 pm with pizza. Walking in, I knew I'd made a good find. The atmosphere is retro and marginally pretenious, but in a charming sort of way. We got a booth seat, which were comfortable but they were overstuffed so I felt very close to the table. Either that, or my thighs are a lot bigger than I thought.

Roman Candle has an impressive menu for a neighborhood pizza joint. They have an absurd number of toppings if you choose to create your own pizza, plus several different sauces so you can truly customize your pie. Their own creations are far from ordinary and made with organic ingredients largely from local farmers. We opted for "The Professional" and the herbed breadsticks with marinera. The breadsticks, despite being listed as a customer favorite, were merely okay in my humble opinion. The pizza, on the other hand, was outstanding. Toppings included pesto-alfredo sauce, feta, mozzarella, broccoli, bacon, green pepper, chicken breast and jalepeno. Needless to say, there were no leftovers.

We rounded out the meal with a pitched of New Glarus Spotted Cow and a Roman Candle Split. Both were to die for. The banana was covered in a sugary glaze that really made the dessert. There couldn't have been a finer possible choice for Peter's virgin banana split.

rankings and stats:
ambiance - 7 (points deducted for the high booth seats)
beer & wine selection - 7
food variety - 9 (sure it's all pizza, but there must be over a thousand combinations)
service - 6
accessibility - 5 (I had to get lost to find it, but they also deliver)
design - 8
taste - 9
price - $$ (Pizza was $19)

Would we recommend? Yes
Style - Neighborhood pizza joint
Dress - casual
Location - 1920 Parmenter Street, Middleton, WI
www.theromancandle.com

Schlepp's

2009-04-22T15:57:00.005-05:00

While heading west along I-70 on our way to Madison, Lauren and I stopped just over the Ohio border in a town called Belmont to get gas. At this unsuspecting exit, we found a great little diner called Schlepp's that totally seemed like the kind of place you might find on one of our favorite shows - Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives. It had the three main characteristics of being a qualifier for this show: great people, in the middle of nowhere, and great food.

Upon entering, you immediately catch that comforting diner smell, the kind of smell that says "we don't really have a non-smoking section and we serve breakfast all day." I thought I had died and gone to Waffle House, it had that kind of motif - maybe 15-20 tables, with a bar in front of the kitchen, and plastic booths. The menu featured such items as fish fry, patty melts, and steak, and had comfort food classics like meatloaf, hash browns, and pot roast. I had the meatloaf sandwich and it was just out of sight. Real homemade meatloaf, smothered in gravy, on fresh-cut white bread, it just doesn't get any better than that. And to top off the whole diner experience, it was super cheap and the waitresses were surly and middle-aged.

So, if anybody ever needs to stop and fill up on the way to Ohio or West Virginia, look for Schlepp's. We highly recommend it and it was a welcome change from all the fast food we had been eating the whole way from DC to Madison.

rankings and stats:

ambiance - 3 (a good diner feel, but mostly travelers not locals)

beer & wine selection - n/a

food variety - 6

service - 2

accessibility - 9 (right off I-70)

design - 1 (but it's a diner, it's supposed to be a 1...)

taste - 8

price - $ (steak was less that $10)

Would we recommend? Yes

Style - homestyle diner

Dress - casual

Location - 66645 Morristown Rd, Belmont OH

About This Blog

2009-04-22T15:43:00.002-05:00

Hello and Welcome to "Will Blog for Food"! Lauren and myself hope to keep you entertained and drooling on this blog for as long as possible.

Most of the posts on here will be restaurant reviews of places that Lauren and I have gone to together, but there will also be restaurant reviews of places we've been separately, as well as brewery tour reviews, and the occasional recipe. Initially, posting will be rather frequent as we look to catch you up on places we've been throughout the years that are a must. Restaurants and breweries will be rated on a 1-10 ranking system in several categories, and a "$" to "$$$$" ranking system for price.

We look forward to blogging and hope you enjoy reading! Please email suggestions and comments to the address in the sidebar on the right.