This week we were invited to the soft opening of Charred. So we packed up and headed out to Jake's. Confused? I was too at first. Charred is a new social lounge restaurant located inside Jake's Restaurant. Jake's renovated the front half of the restaurant and turned it into a separate lounge and named it Charred. Still not clear on the concept? Ok there is a new menu offered in the bar, lounge area, and the out on the patio of Jake's and this new menu is exclusive to Charred. Yes I was confused at first too. Once we got there however my doubts were cleared up.
The Charred area has been modernized with brand new tables and the atmosphere is much more causal and social. This picture shows the first of the new tables. This was a soft open, so they only had one set up for us to look at, but the whole Charred area will have these fancy modern wood tables. The idea is to give new life to the lounge and encourage more of a buzzing atmosphere. To make it more of a place to go after work for a round of happy hour drinks and meet up with friends. The new menu offers food that connects with this concept, smaller portions suitable for sharing over cocktails. Lets take a look.
Burrata Cheese- La Quercia Proscuitto with Honey. $9
Burrata is a fresh Italian cheese made of mozzarella and cream. Served with candied nuts, fresh and dried fruits, crackers and bread, and a truffle infused honey. This dish is served cold and is packed with flavor. I see this one being a big winner once patio season starts. Sitting outside watching the sunset over the hill and pairing it with a glass of "by the barrel" Sauvignon Blanc.
Edamame - Citrus truffle vinaigrette, Fleur de Sel. $6
Steamed to order at 212 degrees for 5 minutes then lightly tossed with house made truffle vinaigrette and Fluer de Sel. The truffle vinaigrette contains shallots, garlic, rice wine vinegar, black truffles, and truffle oil. This dish is one that you will be sharing and talking about with your table. The taste is amazing and you'll have to remind yourself not to eat the outside peel.
Roasted Red Beat Salad- house-made Boursin cheese, flat leaf spinach and shaved fennel, pistachios and balsamic brown butter vinaigrette. $6
The beats are roasted in a mixture of apple cider vinegar, salt, sugar, water, thyme, and bay leaves. The Boursin cheese contains shallots, garlic, and onion powders along with a trio of herbs parsley, tarragon, and chives. Not a bad choice if you are looking to get something lighter.
Yellow-fin Tuna Tartare with Avocado. $14
Diced tuna tossed with toasted sesame seeds, Yuzu vinaigrette, shaved radish, served over an avocado puree containing garlic, lemon juice, and olive oil and with a side of plantain chips. This one is so good you might want to order your own because you're not going to want to share it.
Ricotta Gnocchi, wild mushrooms, melted leeks, saba, toasted pine-nuts and breadcrumbs. $9
This one is as good as it looks. the Gnocchi is blanched in a pan. The Mushrooms and Leeks are melted in olive oil with a trio of herbs, lemon juice, salt and pepper. The breadcrumbs and pine-nuts ad a good texture to the mix.
Braised Beef Short Ribs, port and dried cherry sauce with Mac and Cheese fritters. $20
This is a must have! Honestly they could sell the Mac and Cheese Fritters as a stand alone dish. However here at Charred they decided to throw in 6 ounces of braised short ribs. What can I say about this one... fritters good, short ribs good, sauce good, all together Great!
Crispy Bussel Sprouts, toasted pumpkin seeds, sweet and sour vinaigrette, Piment D'Espelette. $6
Remember late 80's early 90's television? TV Moms ( and Danny Tanner ) were constantly trying to force brussel sprouts down kids throats. "AWWWW not Brussel Sprouts!" I don't know why brussel sprouts got such a bad rap. These were delicious! Yet another small dish made for sharing.
Hand Cut Vegetable Fries. $7
A mixture of butternut squash and Yukon gold potatos, hand cut into french fries. I got to talk to Chef Kyle about this side. I don't think I've ever seen a chef go on about fries like this. Kyle is very proud of how these turned out. They're light, crunchy, and have a nice spice to them.
We loved the look and feel of Charred. As far as soft opens go the kitchen staff was knocking these dishes out of the park! Everything was executed with great care and thought. I can't think of one dish that wasn't outstanding. With a kitchen staff well known for their excellence as a steakhouse, it comes as no surprise that this new menu is of the same caliber. I can't wait to go back and see the new look after the rest of the tables are installed. The food is solid, the prices are more then reasonable, and the new modern look will surely make Charred a new local favorite in no time. But don't take my word for it! Go Eat!
Jake's Restaurant / Charred Lounge
21445 Gumina Road
Brookfield, WI 53072-2959
(262) 781-7995
Also as always more pictures on the Eat MKE Facebook page.
I was recently at Jake's and the food was great as always, their landscapers were just finishing a beautiful new patio area which I may add they did a wonderful job and were most polite and possessional. But I can't wait to have a drink and watch the sun set out in the garden with my family.
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