The Chocolate Maven – Santa Fe

Short Take:  Fresh baked bread and bakery combined with local ingredients in tasty, healthy offerings.

Long Take:  Willamina and Higgins continue their travels in the southwest, today meeting up with more friends for lunch in Santa Fe, NM.  Higgins and Willamina were joined once more by Miriam (Cornelius had other duties to attend to, unfortunately) and also by Josefina, Quincy, Brutus, and Violet for lunch at The Chocolate Maven.  

The party was, it must be said, a tad doubtful as they arrived in the vicinity of the establishment.  It looked very much like a warehouse district with metal buildings.  (If you find yourself by the towing company, you’re almost there.)  Upon finding and entering the door, their fears evaporated in the savory and sweet smells that greeted them.  The hostess couldn’t seat the party until all were present, but once they were all accounted for they were seated within minutes.  The host took the party of seven to the 2nd floor via a spiral staircase.  

The menu contained a plethora of options including small plates, salads, two soups, sandwiches, entrees, and a large selection of potables.  The Santa Fe heat is a little intense for Willamina and Higgins, so waters were the first order.  Higgins also ordered a Black Currant Italian Soda and Willamina, an Orange Italian Soda.  The sodas were made the traditional way with a touch of cream or milk.  This pleased Higgins greatly–though Wiilamina was not happy with this development.  Fortunately, Violet found the Orange Italian Soda to her liking and was happy to accept it as her beverage.

If you decide to peruse their menu on-line, be aware the offerings are markedly different on-site.  

To begin the meal, the party ordered a salsa sampler platter (including tomatillo, ancho, and pico de gallo and fresh fried corn tortilla chips.)  The party was divided as to which was the best salsa.  Willamina and Violet enjoyed the tomatillo; Miriam preferred the pico de gallo; the rest chose the ancho (which had a deep smoky flavor.)  (Regular readers may remember that Higgins and Willamina find their palattes do not appreciate the higher end of the Scofield scale.  They found all of the salsas to be enjoyable.)  Josefina also ordered the balsamic glazed valencia oranges with candied pecans.   Higgins was doubtful about this selection, but was forced to change his opinion once he tried one of dressed slices of citrus.  In fact, most of the party  were persuaded to try a slice and were glad for the experience.  Josefina did wish they had removed all of the seeds before serving.

Violet and Brutus chose to share a Pesto Roman Style Pizza.  Josefina ordered a Ham and Brie sandwich.  Quincy and Willamina both had the Steak Au Poivre.  Higgins chose the Smoked Salmon Bialy.  Miriam had the Galisteo Grill (with the chipotle aioli on the side.)

Pesto Roman Style Pizza – It arrived hot, with the cheese melted over a hand rolled crust cooked in a brick oven.  The ingredients were evenly balanced over the canvas that was the crust.  The pizza was oblong shaped, cut into five strips, and was a meal all by itself. 

All of the sandwiches came on fresh baked sourdough or focacccia rolls.  The bread is often the key to a good sandwich and the bread at The Chocolate Maven is fantastic.  The bread was the shining star of the entire meal.  Flavorful, firm on the outside, soft on the inside.  

Ham and Brie – The Ham and Brie comes with a large portion of thinly sliced ham, a good amount of melted brie, and caramelized apples, with a balsamic glaze (Josefina declined to have the honey-mustard on the sandwich though graciously admits others may enjoy such a thing.)  The apples added a delightful fruity flavor to the ham and brie.  Josefina also paid a little extra to get a small side salad with the sandwich.  While the salad was uneventful, the roasted garlic vinaigrette was impressive.  All told, however, the salad wasn’t worth the extra cost of ordering it.

Galisteo Grill (Chicken) – Served on the same delicious bread, the chicken was cooked just right– still juicy while still being cooked through.  Miriam was impressed with the balance of the ingredients and the blending of the flavors.

Steak Au Poivre – The steak was thinly-sliced tenderloin marinated lightly in a sherry and then fried.  This made the steak amazingly tender while still having some crunchy spots.  Quincy had the sandwich as described with swiss cheese and fried onions and green chile.  Willamina asked for provolone instead of the swiss and no onions or green chile.  (The server and the cooks were happy to oblige the requests.)Both enjoyed their sandwiches as ordered.   Willamina chose the fresh made kettle chips for her side.  Though she would have preferred them a tad less brown, they were quite crisp and tasty.  Quincy chose to order the Garlic Rosemary Fries.  While those who tested them found them to be enjoyable, Quincy thought they were deceptively under-seasoned and inconsistently prepared.  (Some fries were undercooked and some were overcooked.)

Smoked Salmon Bialy – The bialy had red onions baked into the top of it (Higgins loathes red onions) but they were easily removed.  The smoked salmon was plentiful with a rich, creamy flavor.  The locally grown tomatoes added a wonderful tang to the sandwich.  The dill cream cheese spread was lightly spread on the bread and pulled all of the tastes together.  

 

After walking through the bakery to get to the table, the party agreed that desert was definitely in order.  They ordered a few deserts for sharing.  Unfortunately, and shockingly after the lunch experience, the deserts were not all that impressive.

Belgian Chocolate Torte – While Brutus and Violet found the torte to be rich and chocolatey, it should be noted that their palates are still developing.  Quincy found it appropriately dense but decidedly lacking in dark chocolate flavor.  It was not much better than what can be found at some chain restaurants.

Belgian Chocolate Brownie Extravaganza – The sauce was the star of this dish, but the brownie held its own.  The brownie was, unfortunately, a tad on the dry side.  Higgins didn’t enjoy it at all and chose not to finish his.  Josefina and Willamina opined there was not extravaganza to be found unless it was an extravaganza of disappointment.

Carrot Cake – Once Willamina determined there were no raisins in the cake, she ordered it.  She didn’t find it to be that impressive and gave it to Higgins to finish.  (Willamina is famous for making a deluxe, three-tiered carrot cake that makes grown men weep for joy, so her standards are a little high.)  Higgins found the cake to be bursting with carrot flavor touched with a lot of cinnamon.  

Ultimate Chocolate Cheesecake – The cheese cake was light and tangy, but wasn’t at all what Miriam was hoping for.  The chocolate ganache topping was appropriately chocolatey but not on the top; Miriam had been hoping for a solid dark chocolate topping.  The title of the dish is rather misleading as the cheesecake is neither chocolately nor in any way ultimate.

 

As they walked out, they all paused and looked once again in the bakery cases.  It was suggested by one wag that next time they would order the sandwiches and get their desert from the bakery case.  This seemed like a good idea.  In any case, the sandwiches and the service make this cafe a place to return to–though not for desert off the menu.

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Golden Gate – Waukesha

Short Take: A vastly over-rated (literally) Chinese restaurant with mediocre food.

Long Take: A couple of weeks ago, Higgins and Willamina were looking for a new, good restaurant to try. Higgins, feeling rather clever, decided to search for a good restaurant via the internet. A search for top rated restaurants in the Milwaukee/Waukesha area turned up several articles about the Golden Gate restaurant. According to these artlcles, the Golden Gate has been voted 1 of the top 100 Chinese restaurants in the United States — TWICE! Wow. One of the 100 best Chinese restaurants in the small town of Waukesha, WI? That sounds too good to be true.

It is.

Higgins and Willamina decided to try out this local gem. They drove right past the restaurant the first time. It was hard to recognize in the old strip mall set back from the road. When they did find it, they were torn. The outside did not inspire confidence. On the other hand, the parking lot was full. Usually a good sign. As they walked in they were greeted by a very large Buddha and a poster advertising the restaurant’s most recent “Top 100” award. Inside the second door, they were greeted by more of the same– the stereotypical red cloth and hanging lanterns of every Chinese restaurant AND more posters from the “Top 100” contest. At the check-out counter, as they waited for someone to put their name on a list, they found another jade Buddha and a stack of “Vote for Us” cards.

The wait for a table was only fifteen minutes. Higgins and Willamina chose to wait by the door rather than in the bar. The Golden Gate has a full bar–much like you would find in a typical Wisconsin supper club. Long bar. Lots of stools. Many older people smoking at the bar. Televisions over the bar playing racing and/or football. And a few red hanging lanterns. (Buddha, apparently, stays on the restaurant side of the Golden Gate.) The bar was very full, very loud, and very, very smoky.

Higgins and Willamina were eventually shown to their table. A quick glance around showed a full dining room– the patrons almost exclusively caucasion and predominently over the age of 60. Niether Higgins nor Willamina are racist nor ageist, but when an Asian restaurant’s clientelle has the same look and demographic as the Denny’s down the street, they do begin to wonder.

The meal was a horrible disappointment. Even the water was an unpleasant experience. (It tasted very much like fish.)

In the many reviews and newspaper articles, people raved about the Golden Gate’s “Crab Delight Ragoon.” Willamina decided to try an order. Higgins, ever fond of samplers, ordered the Appetizer Plate (Egg Roll, Beef Kabob, Crab Ragoon, Shrimp Toast, Cantonese Fried Chicken, Fried Shrimp, and Shrimp Chips.) For entrees, Willamina chose the Kung Pao Chicken; Higgins, the Sesame Chicken. Willamina, being of delicate constitution, asked the waiter how spicy the Kung Pao would be. The waiter assured her it could be made extremely mild.

Crab Ragoon – The plate of six fried stuffed won-ton skins arrived. They were very large and exceptionally greasy. They were overcooked. The inside seemed to have only the barest hint of crab. We’ve had worse Ragoon, but we really can’t remember when.

Appetizer Plate – The only things of interest on this plate were the Shrimp Chips. Apparently, they can now take shrimp paste, feed it through some sort of extruder, and create styrofoam peanuts that taste like rancid shrimp. Interesting. Tasty? No. The Beef Kabab wasn’t greasy. That is the only good thing I can say about it.

The entrees arrived none-to-soon. Higgins and Willamina were somewhat surprised. Usually, portions at Chinese restaurants are, if anything, excessive. One need not worry about portion management at the Golden Gate– it is all taken care of by the kitchen. The medium-size oblong plates were each only half full. In this case, this turned out to be more of a blessing than we realzed.

Kung Pao Chicken – The Kung Pao Chicken had an over-abundance of celery. It also had an over-abundance of spicy hot. Neither Willamina nor Higgins could eat it. Oddly, the parts of the dish lacking in tongue-burning seasoning were also lacking in all other seasoning and taste.

Sesame Chicken – The menu described the Sesame Chicken as having a honey-based glaze. This was quite true. The six or seven chicken pieces (small pieces) were coated with, bathing in, a sickeningly sweet honey sauce. Higgins is famous for having a sweet tooth and he found the sauce to be cloyingly repulsive.

The waiter never did check in with us to see how our dishes were. When we were obviously not eating anything else on our plates, he did swing by and drop off the bill and the stereotypical packaged fortune cookies and two almond cookies.

The almond cookies crumbled when we touched them and the crumbs tasted like the water, only fishier. The fortune cookies? Higgins’ fortune read “Would you like to work in a Fortune Cookie Factory?” A fitting end to the meal, really.

How does such a place get the honor of being one of the top 100 Chinese restaurants in the country? The old fashioned way– they buy it. At the register, while paying the bill, Higgins looked at the voting cards they were handing out. If you vote for the Golden Gate, you are entered into a contest to win free food. The Top 100 “contest” is sponsored by the Chinese Restaurant News. It is purely a marketing campaign with no form of quality control or quality judging.

Apparently, democracy isn’t the best way of doing everything– at least not when combined with capitalism.

Higgins and Willamina will not be returning to the Golden Gate.
And from now on, they will take what they read on the internet with a grain of rice.

Cubanitas – Milwaukee

Short Take – Cuban cuisine done well. Colorful, fun setting. Very affordable.

Long Take – Some weeks ago, Higgins and Willamina met two friends, Ludmilla and Pavel, for dinner in downtown Milwaukee. They were looking for somewhere new, somewhere fun, somewhere all of our food preferences would be well served. (Pavel doesn’t eat red meat. Ludmilla is a vegetarian. And Higgins and Willamina? Well, they are rather “particular.”) After looking over a few options, Cubanitas was chosen.

Cubanitas doesn’t accept reservations, but when Higgins called and spoke to the hostess, he was told that seating wouldn’t be difficult if they arrived before 6:30 pm. Higgins and Willamina arrived at the restaurant around 6 and had their choice of tables in or out. Not a fan of dininng on sidewalks, they chose a table inside, near the back (not under one of the many speakers hanging from the ceiling.) Pavel and Ludmilla arrived a little before 6:30. At the time of their arrival, there was only a couple of tables left open.

Cuban cuisine is spicy without being hot, flavorful with fruity marinades and sauces. It also commonly uses cumin, something Higgins isn’t very fond of. It is not normally known for its vegetarian options– though Cubanitas addresses this directly in their menu, suggesting that vegetarians combine appetizers to make a full meal. Ludmilla did just that.

We started with some Apertivos.
Empanadas – Higgins and Willamina tried the Picadillo con Queso (ground beef and cheese) and the Pollo (chicken with olives and raisins). Each order came with two medium (3 bites) empandas. We were a little leery of the chicken/olives/raisins combo, but it was very good. Ludmilla and Pavel tried the Espinaca con Queso (spinach and cheese). All of the empanadas were well filled, deep fried without being greasy, crispy and flaky on the outside, and extremely tasty altogether.

Croquettas de Jamon – Higgins and Willamina also ordered the ham croquettes. They were not as we expected. The were tubular in shape, served three to the plate. Inside, the texture was that of a creamy ham salad. It was amazingly good.

While deep frying isn’t a part of traditional cuban cusine, these empanadas and croquettes were wonderful. We almost ordered more of them. We decided to save room for the main menu.

Entrees
Sandwich Cubano – The classic cuban sandwhich with roasted pork, ham, swiss cheese, a dill pickle, and a mustard spread all pressed between Cuban bread. The menu states “Change it and it’s not a Cuban sandwich!” Admonition not withstanding, Higgins ordered it with mayonaise rather than the mustard spread. The waitress was very gracious about the change and the cooks didn’t come out to express their disgust with his culinary infraction. Cuban Bread is absolutely necessary for this sandwich and makes the whole thing. The bread Cubanitas uses is as authentic as anything in Ybor City. It was, simply put, a delicious sandwich. It went even better with the Black Bean Soup, Higgins ordered as a side dish.
Higgins also ordered a root beer. They didn’t carry the Virgils listed on the menu, but offered a root beer he was unfamiliar with. It was a very good root beer with a very distinctive taste. There was a fruitness to it which normally would have been offputting but worked amazingly well in this brew. Higgins ordered a second one to finish off his meal. (Higgins doesn’t recall the name of this Cuban root beer, but intends to call and find out. When he does, we’ll be sure to let you know, dear readers.)

Pollo Tropical – Pavel ordered the tropical chicken. A chicken breast marinated in tropical juices. As Pavel said, “Chicken and fruit, what isn’t to like?” The chicken was well flavored and cooked properly. It was an enjoyable dish. Pavel was disappointed in his decision to have the Frijoles Colorados (red beans) as his side dish. The red beans were somewhat bland– not nearly as flavorful as the black beans.

Lechon Asado – Willamina ordered the roast pork. Willamina had high hopes for this marinated, slice pork dish–and she was not disppointed. Higgins was looking forward to trying the side of Mojo the meal came with– but once it arrived he changes his mind. (Pieces of boiled Cassava floating in a watery garlic and onion oil. It didn’t look very appetizing.) Willamina assuaged his disappointment by allowing him to have some of the delicious roast pork.

Ludmilla, as mentioned previously, created a vegetarian meal by combining several Ordenes Indviduales (side orders): Platanitos Maduros (sweet plantains), Frijoles Negro (black beans), and Ensalada de la Tia (Aunt’s salad – roasted peppers, tomatoes, and onions in a balsamic vinaigrette.) Ludmilla and Pavel had never had the sweet plantains and ordered them at Higgins’ and Willamina’s strong urging. (They ordered a plate for themselves as well.) The sweet plantains were very tasty. The black beans were also very good. While Ludmilla enjoyed the salad and the dressing, she wasn’t as fond of the overabundance of and oversized nature of the onions it contained. To round out the vegetables, Ludmilla ordered a side of yellow rice, which was mellow, flavorful, and well prepared. Ludmilla also ordered her first Mojito– the national drink of Cuba. She described the drink as “strong, interesting, and very minty.” She didn’t finish it (Ludmilla reminds everyone that her lady-like constitution and good manners preclude her from finishing strong cocktails.)

For Dessert
Flan – Higgins ordered the flan. Higgins is a fan of flan- though his standards are rather high. This flan was not up to his standards. It wasn’t very creamy and the burnt caramel sauce leaned way too much towards the burnt side of the equation.

Brownie con Helado de Coco – Pavel and Ludmilla split this Brownie sunday with coconut ice ceme and rasberry sauce. The brownies and the ice cream were enjoyable– and the portion served was almost more than the two of them could finish.

By the time the four left the restaurant, the tables and the bar were full– and there were people waiting to be seated. The volume level (remember those speakers) is rather high, so low conversation isn’t possible. But, the atmosphere and food isn’t really intended for such a meal. Cubanitas is a place you go to eat, drink, and and be merry with friends and family. It is a place for fun.

Balzac – Milwaukee

Short Takes: First-rate gourmet Small Plates off of Brady Street.

Long Take: Willamina and Higgins enjoy tapas. Perhaps it is the appreciation for smoked meats and cheese one often finds on a Spanish inspired menu. Then again, it could be the overall environment of sharing and trying new flavors.

Willamina went searching for a new restaurant to try on a Saturday evening. A reservation was made for Balzac Wine Bar for 6:30 pm, and when they arrived the restaurant was empty. They had a choice to sit in the stylish, candle lit dining room or on the pleasant patio. Due to the gorgeous evening and the very loud rap music pounding inside, they opted for the patio.

The waitress was pleasant and attentive. Balzac is known for its very large collection of wines from around the world chosen by a sommelier on site. They have wines by the bottle, glass or “tasting.”

Willamina and Higgins started the dinner with a cheese plate, opting for an apple wood smoked cheddar and a mild white cheese. The cheese plate was artfully arranged, surrounded by crackers, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, apple slices, walnuts and thin slices of french bread.

It was pleasing to the eye and the palate.

Willamina and Higgins then had panchetta wrapped asparagus in a wild mushroom cream sauce. This was a delicious and well executed plate, from the slightly crisp panchetta to the perfectly cooked asparagus. The mushroom sauce was a great backdrop to the dish. Higgins remarked that it was only missing bread as an additional means for enjoying the leftover sauce. The waitress, upon hearing this, kindly brought a small basket of bread to the table.

The final dish was a plate of three pan-seared scallops with a sweet potato mash and wilted spinach sautéed with garlic. The scallops were beautifully caramelized and tender. Higgins remarked that the sweet-potato mixture was a tad bitter from an overabundance of cinnamon, but when eaten with the scallop was quite good.

The dessert menu had about 5 options including a “creme brulee flavor or the day.” Willamina was disappointed to hear that they did not have this dessert available, despite it being on the menu. Mildly disappointed but sated, Higgins and Willamina headed off into the Milwaukee skyline sunset to make their way home.

They plan to return to Balzac again, possibly with friends equally interested in sharing a small plate or two.

The total cost of the meal (2 cheese plate, 2 small plates, 3 wine tastings, and 2 glasses of juice) came to $60.

The Sushi Box – Madison

Short Take – A family owned, operated Sushi store-front restaurant. Not only the best sushi place in Madison, but the best place we’ve eaten sushi (second only to an expensive place in Kauaii, Hawaii.)

Long Take – A few weeks ago, Higgins and Willamina were traveling through central Wisconsin on their way to a family event. They were hungry and wished to eschew the typical offerings that impersonate food (fast or otherwise.) Higgins and Willamina, having spent some time in Madison, remembered a favorite fast food option. A quick call to an old friend revealed that the the Sushi Box was still in business and still located on the near west side, at the corner of Highland and Old University. Granted, this location was in no way “on the way” to where they were headed– but the detour would be well worth it if the food was as remembered.

It was.

The Sushi Box is very small and is not known for its atmosphere. There are five or so tables inside and a counter-top along one one wall with stools. Since our last visit, they’ve added to the stereotypical sushi posters a large flat screen television. Don’t worry– no day time television blaring at you. The flat screen is linked to a camera over the sushi chef’s station, so everyone can watch their rolls be made (just like a traditional sushi bar.)

The matriarch of the family is behind the register, near a hot station with deep fried shrimp sticks, potstickers, and other special tidbits. Higgins and Willamina avoided those–they are all right, but were closer to the fast-food side of the continuum and were avoided on principle, this time.

The patriarch of the family, or one of the sons, is directly behind the counter area making the freshly prepared sushi. If you ignored the flat screen TV, it was as if Higgins and Willamina had never left– a little memory bubble come to life.

And the sushi? The sushi, if anything, was better than we remembered. We ordered a Philadelphia-Maki (Smoked Salmon and Cream Cheese), an Ebi-Maki (Shrimp Tempura and Cucumber), and a Tekka-Maki (Tuna). Total cost: $14
It was prepared before our eyes, assembled artistically into one large to-go container with a container of fresh soy sauce and a container of fresh eel sauce (a habit Willamina picked up from a fellow foodie friend), and handed to us with a smile in less than 5 minutes. As we prepared to walk out the back door (the Sushi Box has two parking spots behind the storefront in what looks like a person’s driveway), the matriarch smiled and invited us to come back again– and not wait so long this time. (She actually remembered Higgins as a customer. Very touching.)

Higgins and Willamina got back on the road and ate their sushi. A little less than civilized, but possibly the easiest and healthiest fast food option in the world. The Philadelphia rolls were stuffed with large pieces of smoked salmon that were bursting with flavor. Along side them, within the rice blankets, were equally large pieces of real Wisconsin dairy cream cheese. The Sushi Box does not skimp on its ingredients. The combination was wonderful– a mixture of melting flavors in our mouths. The Shrimp Tempura rolls were also well filled–the shrimp being quite large and yet still flavorful and tender. The tempura was light and still a little crispy with no hint of the greasiness that so often occurs in cold, fried foods. The Tuna Roll? Well, even with our expectations set high and then set higher still, the tuna was a surprise. One does not expect fresh, flavorful sushi-grade tuna in the middle of the American heartland. It was layered with subtle flavors and was creamy in texture. The only place Higgins and Willamina remember having tuna that fresh and that good was in Hawaii.

Higgins and Willamina are glad the Sushi Box is still offering their tasty treasures to the masses– but with quality and friendliness like this, it shouldn’t have been such a surprise. When next we travel through or by Madison, we’ll be sure to stop in again.

Libiamo – Milwaukee

Short Take: OK Italian food in an old German tavern. Spotty service.

Long Take: On the last day of the Downtown Dining promotion, Higgins decided to try and wring some last culinary crumbs out of the vast array of downtown restaurants offering pris fix specials. Unfortunately, word of mouth had increased the popularity of the event and participation was very high. Most of the restaurants were full up, no seats or reservations available. Finally, Higgins found room for lunch and dinner at Libiamo. Higgins ate lunch with a co-worker. Willamina joined him at the same place for dinner.

Finding the restaurant proved to be somewhat difficult. It is located on an alley off of a one way street which is under construction and is on the other side of the river from the downtown. This could explain why it had availability while the other restaurants were full. The location used to be a german tavern/inn in the basement of a brewery. The old European style, with dark wood panels, a marble topped bar, and antler chandeliers still dominates the decor. The new Italian style shows up on the paintings on the walls of the small dining room. The effect is a little odd, but relaxing.

Libiamo was very busy for lunch, and the service reflected it. Both diners ordered only water–and the refills were slow to come and infrequent at best. The server was always moving quickly and didn’t seem attentive or friendly. At dinner, the room was busy again, though the host (owner?) was very friendly and attentive. The small room was extremely loud, but that was because of the large group of fifteen who thought everyone should be graced with their voices and laughter. The service was friendlier at dinner but again, was rather slow. It looked like they had only one or two people working the small room and perhaps more would be helpful.

On to the food–

APPETIZERS
Bruchetta Medley – Three bread triangles with three different spreads: kalamata olive tapenade, sun dried tomatoe, and basil pesto. Garnished with lightly dressed greens. The three spreads were very flavorful. An excellent starter for the meal.

Antipasto Salad – Kalamata olives, marinated artichokes, spicy salami, tomatoes, provolone cubes, lightly dressed in a vinagrette and garnished with greens and a slice of grilled peasant bread. Again, a very nice mix of tastes.

Toasted Ravioli – Toasted cheese filled ravioli covered with a marinara sauce. Nothing special. Not bad, but we’ve had better.

ENTREES
Spedini Panini – Thinly sliced steak rolled with seasoned breadcrumbs and cheeses. Three small meat rolls served on a large bun with mufaletta and spiced salsa. This was not what we expected. While the bun was lightly grilled, we were under the impression that a panini was grilled and pressed. Perhaps a misconception. No matter, the meat roll-ups were very tasty and they made for a very good sandwhich. The sandwhich was served with waffle cut fries which were less crispy than they should have been.

Scillian Meatloaf – Standard meatloaf with a capicola ham and provolone cheese center. Sounded like a good idea, but was a little too spicy for Willamina and Higgins. (This is a recurring problem for them.) Neither of them was able to finish it and they were still tasting it hours later. Served with green beans and mashed potatoes which were prepared well, but not spectacularly.

Parmesan-Crusted Salmon – Pan seared salmon served with asparagus on (you guessed it) mixed greens. The salmon was very tasty, but it was undercooked slightly. The asparagus was cooked correctly.

DESSERTS
Tirimasu – The serving was quite small, though that could have been due to the pris fix menu. Higgin’s guest ate it but wasn’t impressed.

Amarreto Cake – This was just odd. It came in a small dish. It appeared to be a cream-custard with an ammarreto-soaked madeline soaking in the custard. Other than the alcohol being a little strong, it tasted all right. It was over before began.

Opera Cake – A layer of white chocolate mouse and a layer of chocolate mouse separated by white cake and covered with a layer of chocolate ganache. These piece of cake were large enough and were appealing to both eye and tongue. A delightful way to finish the meal (though the lingering spices from the meatloaf did overwhelm it a little.)

Higgins and Willamina did peruse the regular menu and were underwhelmed.
They may or may not return.

Uno Chicago Grill – Elm Grove

Short Take: A brand new menu, lots of options, and very tasty. A good choice for a chain.

Long Take: Higgins and Willamina both had a craving for pizza and decided to hit the local Uno’s. They hadn’t been there in years– in that time, Uno’s Pizza has changed its name to Uno Chicago Grill and has completely changed their menu– adding many non-pizza options.

We walked in at 2 pm on a Saturday and were seated immediately. The host led us to a table– we asked if we could have a booth. The host graciously led us to a booth–we asked if we could have a different one that wasn’t sandwhiched between two families with bouncing children. (Higgins and Willamina are childless by choice–mostly because not every child behaves like these kids do.) The host graciously, with a smirk, led us to a booth in the back corner next to some adults. (Yes, Higgins and Willamina are high mainteance. Why do you ask?)

Our server, Mark, started off seeming aloof and less than friendly. We assumed this was part of the “Chicago theme” of the establishment. After much menu reading– the menu is completely different from what we remember–we decided to share a Ranch Chicken salad and a Shroom! pizza.

Ranch Chicken Salad – We substituted regular ranch dressing for the BBQ ranch the salad normally comes with. The salad arrived with two warm, cheesy breadsticks and plates to share. It was a very good mixture of lettuce, egg, corn, bacon crumbles, tomatoes, shredded cheddar cheese, and crispy fried chicken strips. The chicken strips were very good. The salad was supposed to have tortilla strips on it, but they weren’t there and weren’t missed. The dressing came in a side bowl without our asking for it that way. The cheesy breadsticks were delicious. It was, more salad than Higgins and Willamina could finish– if we wanted any room at all for the pizza.

Shroom Deep Dish Pizza – When the pizza arrived, Higgins and Willamina were a little puzzled. The pizza was covered in small, whole button-cap mushrooms– not the expected slices. The puzzlement continued with the first bite– no pizza sauce. In looking at the menu after the fact, we realized the Shroom pizza does not list tomato sauce as an ingredient. (We made the mistake of assuming this was a default setting for pizza.) We asked our server about it and Mark explained it to us (still not too friendly, but attentive and informative.) He then brought us a dish of tomato sauce to dip the pizza in (which was unasked for and a nice touch.) Well, we were wrong. The pizza sauce didn’t work with the Shroom pizza. The mushrooms, cooked whole, are marinated in a white wine sauce. The white wine flavor is quite good and clashes with the tomato sauce. Willamina isn’t fond of whole mushrooms (a texture thing) but the taste was quite good. All in all, a unique, tasty pizza. And the crust, like all Uno Deep Dish pizzas, was delectable– a little greasy, but good.

The dessert menu looked quite yummy, but our heroes were stuffed after the salad and half of the regular pizza.

Oh, and Mark, our server, was much friendlier by the end of the experience. Apparently, he isn’t from Chicago– he is just slow to warm up to people. We tipped him well for his attentive, beyond-the-call service.

We’ll be back to try out other new menu items.

Maxie’s Southern Comfort – Milwaukee

Short Take: Nice place, but too spicy for our wussy mid-western taste-buds.

Long Take: Higgins was in charge of planning this week’s outing and chose Maxie’s as the middle part of long evening on the town. Maxie’s just recently opened in Milwaukee (they appear to have a location in New York, as well.) When Willamina and Higgins arrived at the restaurant, they were in a good mood– and the mood continued upon our seeing the establishment. It was 9:00 on a Friday evening and the place was still hopping. The hostesses at the door were friendly and said we would have a table in fifteen minutes (it was closer to 5.) Maxie’s has a downstairs and an upstairs– with a full bar on both levels. We chose the upstairs as it was quieter. The decor and atmosphere was quite pleasant.

Maxie’s serves Southern style food (think Missippi delta) with an upscale twist. Our server, Jessie, was very prompt and helpful. He wasn’t overly friendly, but he was attentive, polite, and very informative. After a number of questions and some deliberation, Higgins and Willamina ordered a cup of Crab and Corn Chowder, a Pulled Pork Sandwhich, and the Pan-Roasted Carolina Grouper.

Crab and Corn Chowder – Willamina and Higgins LOVE corn chowder. Crab and corn chowder, even moreso. Unfortunately, we were not impressed with this version. To its credit, it was full of crab and corn. No skimping there. To its detriment, it was full of lots of other things as well. It was a mish-mash of tastes and textures, including some spices we couldn’t identify and didn’t particularly care for. Willamina ate a couple of spoonfuls. Higgins finished it, but wouldn’t order it again. Jessie told us that many people react to the chowder by calling it very “Unusual and Interesting.” Willamina and Higgins do not believe that should be considered a compliment with chowder.

Corn Bread – Each meal is served with a basket of corn bread and a special orange infused butter. Higgins loves cornbread. This cornbread was… OK. It was extremely crumbly and not too sweet. It also didn’t have the rich corn flavor one hopes for. The orange infused butter was… very orangey. (Is that a word?) Normally, cornbread is served with a maple or honey blended butter. Orange infused butter is slightly sweet, but Higgins wasn’t a fan of it. Again, interesting– but not something to repeat.

Pulled Pork Sandwhich – The pulled pork was wonderfully cooked. It was so tender it literally melted in your mouth. It wasn’t too vinegarry, which Willamina appreciated. Unfortunately, while its heat-level was low-to-moderate, it proved to be too much for our intrepid heroes. The sandwhich comes with a large side of creamy cole-slaw. The cole-slaw was lacking in flavor– not bad, just not great. The plate also contained a large serving of BBQ Beans. If the pork was a little too hot, the BBQ Beans were unpleasantly, deceptively spicy. They also contained green peppers. Willamina and Higgins do not believe green peppers belong in BBQ Beans– or many items intended for consumption. We didn’t finish anything on this plate.

Pan-Roasted Carolina Grouper – Higgins would like to confess that he had never had grouper before and was really ordering this entree for its side-dishes, Maple-braised Collard Greens and Hushpuppies. (You may remember that Higgins has a thing for hushpuppies.) Higgins now knows that he is not terribly fond of Grouper. It is a whitefish, and fairly tasteless. The charred tomato-corn relish served over the grouper was intended to address this lack of flavor, unfortunately, it appears they had replaced the charred tomatoes with charred onions. This was not a successful substitution. Once the relish and the charred fish-skin had been removed, the Grouper was naked and exceedingly bland. The Collard Greens, on the other hand, were fantastic. They were cooked just right. Not over-cooked, as they can be sometimes. Not too sweet. Not too earthy. Layers of flavor and delicious. The hushpuppies were a little dry and not very tasty.

Beverages – Willamina had a glass of riesling, though the name escapes her and we forgot to write it down. Higgins had a bottle of Sprecher Root Beer served with a frosted glass. (The way root beer should be served.) To combat the cumulative heat of the pulled pork, Willamina also ordered a diet-cola. Maxie’s serves Black Bear soda– a small regionally-bottled brand. Willamina was not impressed.

Maxie’s had a lot of options for carnivores and vegetarians. They were friendly and the food was prepared well. If friends from the south came for a visit, we’d take them to Maxie’s. Otherwise, I’m afraid it is just more than we can handle.

Mitchell’s Fish Market – Brookfield

Short Review: Excellent service. Well prepared, flavorful seafood. Great experience.

Long Review:
For this week’s Epicurean Encounter, Willowmina suggested a recently opened restaurant, Mitchell’s Fish Market. Higgins was suspicious– what with Mitchell’s being a part of a large chain of restaurants and being located at–gasp–the mall. But, MFM did have a well designed website and a very interesting menu, so off we went.

We went on a Friday afternoon, about 5:30 or so, without reservations. We were seated immediately. (When we left an hour or so later, the waiting line was out the door.) The atomosphere of the restaurant is wide open, with booths and tables, though there is an upper scale feel to it. Lots of dark woods. The kitchen is open to viewing through large windows, as is their “cutting room”. They proudly state that the fish is delivered every day and cut in the cutting room. (We did not go look in the cutting room–though it appeared to be empty from where we were sitting.)

Service was quick, professional, friendly, and well-informed. The server had tried everything on the menu and was able to answer every one of the questions we fired his way. At the same time, he wasn’t pushy or pretentious. Willowmina ordered a drink, the Sun Splash (Grey Goose L’Orange Vodka, Grand Marnier, fresh OJ, and club soda.) It looked like pink lemonade but she quite enjoyed the taste. Higgins tried it, noting that it had multiple layers of flavor.

As we were not too hungry, we skipped over the appetizers–though many items looked good. We did order a cup of Main Lobster Bisque. (We LOVE Lobster Bisque.) This was an exceptionally good bisque. The aroma was enticing and promised a rich, earthy flavor. The taste delivered on that promise. While it was not the best Lobster Bisque we have had, it was certainly one of the better ones. There wasn’t as much lobster in it as we expected, but the taste was so good–we didn’t mind. The soup came with a mini-loaf of a light sourdough bread–served warm with a whipped butter. It was a delicious bread. Lightly crusty on the outside, warm and soft on the inside. The mini-loaf disappeared quickly, and was just as quickly replaced with another one.

In order to try as many things as possible, we each ordered a combination platter. Willowmina ordered the MFM Fried Combo Platter and Higgins ordered the Fish Market Trio. Normally, when ordering combo platters, you are faced with two problems. One, they always contain something you don’t like and rarely are substitutions welcome. Two, the portions of each item is so small, sharing is harder to accomplish. Neither of these were the case at Mitchells. When we asked if we could substitute a different preparation for items in the platters, we were told, “Of course. What would you like?” That was refreshing. Willowmina switched our her fried scallops for grilled scallops. Higgins asked for his blackened swordfish to be grilled.

MFM FRIED COMBO PLATTER
Beer Battered Gulf Shrimp – The batter was very tasty, having a tangy flavor (probably from the beer) that really highlighted the taste of the three very large shrimp. They were not too greasy and were quite yummy.

Grilled Scallops – Again, three very large scallops. Perfectly cooked. It is hard to cookd a scallop, especialy the larger ones, correctly. You have to make sure the inside is fully cooked (we do not like scallop sushi) but if you over cook it the outside becomes rubbery and/or chewy. These were creamy, melt-on-your tongue done. And the flavors! They were almost too rich for our midwestern sensibilities.

Battered Pacific Cod – A different batter, with a little less flavor. Again, not too greasy. The cod inside was tender and flaky, and flavorful.

Sea Salt French Fries – the only thing on the plate that underwhelmed us. Small, narrow french fries. Not too greasy, not too soggy, not too crispy. Not too anything.

Hush Puppies – Some of the best Higgins has had. They were perfectly cooked. Slightly crisp on the outside, soft and pillowy tender on the inside. Very tasty–but spicier than hush puppies usually are. They seemed to have an unfamiliar spice in them–one that made them way to spicy for Willowmina and uncomfortable for Higgins.

Creamy Cabbage Coleslaw – Wonderful. Creamy. Sweet. With small carrot pieces. It was a very good coleslaw.

THE FISH MARKET TRIO
Grilled Swordfish – The swordfish was good, though hard to taste. It has been grilled as requested, but was served atop the jambalaya rice (probably where the blackened swordfish would have been served). As such, the jambalaya spices got onto the swordfish and overwhelmed the natural flavor. No real complaints, but can’t speak to the fish itself.

Grilled Atlantic Salmon – Both the swordfish and the salmon pieces were small squares–but more than enough to eat and share. The salmon was a wonderful explosion of natural flavor. We haven’t tasted salmon that good since we were visiting Seattle. The fish was cooked perfectly and had a creamy texture and flavor to it. It was an absolute joy. Again, its richness was almost more than we could handle.

Shan Hai Sea Scallops – Three scallops, the same size as the ones on Willowmina’s plate, sitting in a small bowl of ginger, scallion, soy sauce. They were more gummy than the grilled scallops, though still tasty. The sauce did accent them nicely.

Shrimp and Andouille Jambalaya Rice – Had a nice, flavorful heat to it. More than Willowmina could handle, but within Higgin’s safe tolerance zone. The andouille sausage was cut in tiny pieces and flavored the rice nicely. The shrimp was either non-existent or hidden exceptionally well.

Asparagus – The only bad thing on the plate. Three spears (they like the number three, don’t they?) of very large, mature asparagus. They were actually too large, too mature. They weren’t at the woody stage, but they were more bitter and grainy than good asparagus should be. They were left unfinished on the plate.

DESSERT
We were both rather full from the entrees, but wanted to try something on the dessert menu. We were torn between the Sharkfin Pie and the Seven Layer Carrot Cake. We were told that the Carrot Cake did not include raisins (we can not abide raisins in our desserts), but ultimately chose to split the Sharkfin Pie (butterfudge ice cream, honey roasted peanuts, fudge, peanut butter, an oreo cookie crust, and, of course, whip cream). The server came back with two plates, a large slice of ice cream pie on each one! Higgins looked at him and said, “We wanted to split a piece.” To which our server replied, “I did split it.” We looked at our plates with amazed concern. One piece of Sharkfin Pie could serve as a dessert for four people, it seems. In addition to being plentiful, it was also delicious. The ice cream was from Homer’s and the pie is assembled fresh every day. We would be inclined to question the practice of importing ice cream from Illinois to the Dairy State–but we can’t argue with the results. That was a really good ice cream. The pie was a mess on the plate, with all of the ingredients, but it was a delicous combination.

As we were finishing the pie (or not finishing– we were pretty full), the assistant manager came to our table and spoke with us for a few minutes. It was more than the perfunctory “hi folks, how is everything”. It was a very pleasant visit and made us feel welcome. Another level of service.

At the end of the meal, 1 soup, 2 entrees, 1 drink, 1 beverage, and 1 drink came to $67 (not including the tip.) We tipped high and thought it was well deserved.

We WILL be returning to Mitchell’s. Probably soon.

[In the interest of full disclosure, it should be noted that Higgins did suffer a slight upset stomach later in the evening– we do not believe this is the fault of the restaurant, the quality of the food, or the means of preparation. Rather, the fresh seafood was rather rich. Also, there is a possibility that a spice he is allergic to was present in the hush puppies or the jambalaya. He knew this, knew it might mean an upset stomach, and ate both of them anyway– finishing both. They tasted that good. As such, any problems he had are purely on his head. Willomina was fine.]

The Olive Garden

Short Review: Fun for appetizers, drinks, salad, and breadsticks; entrees are average at best.

We had a guest visiting us yesterday and when it came time for dinner, we decided to go out. He decided that we was in the mood for Italian. W suggested we go to the Olive Garden, which is right around the corner from us.
H, with his natural bias against chains, said, “We do have a couple of other close Italian places we could go to.”
Our guest asked, “Are any of them better than the Olive Garden?”
After a few seconds of thinking, H said, “No, not really.”

Lesson learned, we headed off to the Olive Garden.

The beautiful thing about chains, the reason they are so popular, is that they all look the same. If you’ve been to one restaurant in a chain, you pretty much know what to expect in every other one in the chain. Which isn’t entirely true. Some restaurants have different menu items than others based on geographical location. The Olive Garden website has a full menu listed, and has the added touch of linking to your zip code for accuracy. We’ve eaten at this Olive Garden before, so no surprises. This review will focus on the items on the menu that we’ve tried.

Appetizers:
Sampler Italiano – a sampling of two or three appetizers. You can choose from calamari, stuffed mushrooms, fried zucchini, chicken fingers, fried mozzarella, or toasted ravioli. We are a sucker for these sampler offerings. We’ve tried most of them in this list.
Calamari – a light batter, fried, but very good. The calamari is the right texture.
Stuffed Mushrooms – Not bad, but not a favorite. Lots of moisture/grease.
Fried Mozzarella – Always good. Can’t go wrong with fried cheese.
Toasted Ravioli – Very tasty. Fairly basic, but everyone likes ’em.

Smoked Mozzarella Fonduta – this was a new item on the menu. A dish of oven baked fondue including mozzarella, provolone, parmesan, and romano cheeses. Often, when a restaurant serves a dip or fondue, they skimp on the spread or on the dipping breads. This is NOT the case here. We received a fondue that could feed 4 people, and enough toasted bread slices to make a dent in it. We did run out of bread slices before we ran out of fondue, but we couldn’t eat any more. (And Olive Garden provides all-you-can-eat, fresh, warm bread sticks, so we could have had more cheese-delivery-devices if we had wanted them.) Folks, this was one yummy dish. There was just a hint of red pepper flakes to give it some bite, but not enough to offend our sensitive mid-western taste buds. We will be ordering this one again.

Entrees:
Tour of Italy – Our guest ordered this entree sampler. It includes a portion of meat lasagna, a piece of chicken parmigiana, and a small sampling of fettuccine alfredo. The chicken parmigiana was tasty and not soggy (a common problem with that dish.) The lasagna was acceptable, but nothing to write home about. (W makes a much better one. One of the reasons we are so fussy, really.) The fettuccine alfredo– well it was mostly forgettable. Not bad, but not good either.

Steak Gorgonzola-Alfredo – H ordered this entree. It was…a major disappointment. The gorgonzola alfredo sauce was a little over-powering, and not in a pleasant way. Worse, however, were the steak pieces. H ordered the steak to be medium. Somewhow, even though all the similairly sized pieces were cooked together on one skewer, they were all done differently. They ranged from well-done all the way to dangerously rare. (H has been known to eat a good steak tartare– but meat should be served raw only when ordered as such.)

Ravioli di Portobello – We’ve ordered this one in the past. Portobello filled ravioli in a creamy smoked cheese and sun-dried tomato sauce. It sounds better than it its. The ravioli were a little gummy and didn’t match well with the portobello mush within. Some may like this, but we haven’t ordered it again.

Stuffed Chicken Marsala – An oven roasted chicken breast stuffed with Italian cheeses and sun-dried tomatoes, topped with mushrooms and creamy marsala sauce. W ordered this one. She was underwhelmed. The chicken was cooked right, so kudos there. Unfortunately, the marsala sauce was a little greasy. And the stuffing tasted more like breading than like sun-dried tomatoes. Our guest tried some and found the breading stuffing to be off-putting. It wasn’t a bad dish, but certainly not a memmorable one.

Drinks:
Sangria – W is a big fan of sangria. She is also, you guessed it, fussy about her sangria. She wisely asked for a sample of their white sangria. It was, and this was a shocker to us, too sweet. Terribly sweet. H tasted it and believes it is a sangria mix that includes corn syrup. It left that subtle film on the tongue consistent with high fructose corn syrup. Ewwww. Strangely, our guest found it quite yummy.

Veneitan Sunset – A pretty mixture of Martini & Rossi Asti with pineapple and cherry juices. H ordered this one. (Yes, he was slightly disappointed when it didn’t come with the tiny umbrella.) It was delicious. Not too sweet. Not too sour. Refreshing and just plain good. Best of all, it didn’t make H all loopy (he is such a cheap date.) We might have to both order one of those next time.

No room for dessert this time.