EatMKE

Thirsty Thursday: Apple Ginger Margarita

2012-02-23T09:18:00.000-08:00

"My rule of life prescribed as an absolutely sacred rite smoking cigars and also the drinking of alcohol before, after and if need be during all meals and in the intervals between them."

Winston Churchill

Apple Ginger Margarita

Milagro Silver Tequila with Cointreau and Thatchers Organic Apple Spice Ginger and a sqeeze of lime. Serve it on the rocks with a cinnamon-sugar rim.

With the closing of Haute Taco in Brookfield the city has a severe lack of places to enjoy a well made margarita. The North Star American Bistro has created this drink to help fill the void and speed up the healing process. Time heals all wounds Brookfield, but booze helps too.

North Star American Bistro

262.754.1515

19115 W. Capitol Drive

Brookfield WI 53045

Thirsty Thursdays is brought to you by Eat MKE, and by The Larry Miller Drinking Society, and by YOUR BAR HERE.

If you would like to be a sponsor of EatMKE's Thirsty Thursdays blog post or if you know a cocktail we have to try send an email to drew@eatmke.com

Eating out: Rumpus Room

2012-02-21T19:24:00.000-08:00

The Bartolottas have been a Milwaukee standard in restaurant ownership for as far back as anyone can remember. Heck, Anthony Bourdain had them on his show. So this week we checked out the newest Bartolotta restaurant, Rumpus Room.

What do you expect when you go to a Bartolotta's restaurant? You probably expect the absolute best quality food, the best drinks around and the absolute best service possible, right? Bartolotta restaurants are where you take people from out of town, where you take your client when you want to show them how much they mean to you, where you take your lady friend for a very special night out. You are going to spend a fair amount of money but you will be more then satisfied and you will have something to talk about on Monday morning.

Rumpus Room is a take on an old english gastro pub. The beer list is impressive and the wine list has some great finds. The room itself is fancy but it still has a rustic charm. The wait staff is slightly dressed down in flannel shirts and jeans and the silverware is wrapped in a kitchen rag and not a linen. The rag was the only thing that looked odd to me. It seemed out of place with the high level of detail that went into everything else. The detailed pattern on the menu holders match the ornate decorations on the ceiling, but your silverware is wrapped in a rag. Just seems odd. I'm not trying to be a dick about it. It’s just the one thing that stuck out in my mind about the table setup. I mean someone had to put thought into it. Someone took a look at everything, from the nice wooden tables, to the dark wooden paneled ceilings, the crown molding, the dim lighting, the awesome menu holders, and then this person made the call that the silverware shall be wrapped in a kitchen rag. You’re not fooling anyone, we know this is a nice restaurant, no one really thinks they are in an old timey english pub. So what is the idea behind the rag? I'm sorry, it's just; this is a Bartolotta's right?

Before we move on to the food, let me just explain something. I'm going to be a little harder on this restaurant then I normally am. Rumpus Room you are part of the Bartolotta restaurant group and that means people will come in expecting excellence. They will expect to find the very best food. I did. Here is an honest review.

We started off with a cheese plate. Put cheese on a plate with a little honey and some toasted bread and you have a cheese plate. And that's exactly what you get here. It was ok but the bread was a little soft, and the cheese just looked like it was cut off a brick from Sendicks. If you think I'm being too hard on them, here's what we got at Balzac a few weeks ago.

All I'm trying to convey with this comparison is that Rumpus Room could have done more with this appetizer. The prices aren't exactly the same but they are close and how much does cutting up a strawberry really cost? We were satisfied with what we got, but there was no "Wow" factor.

Next we had some oysters, 3 half shells for $7.50, not a bad price. These were awesome. They were loose in the shell, clean and grit free. They were so good that we had three orders and still thought about getting more. Well done.

This is the Pub Steak, it hits your wallet for a reasonable price of 18 bucks. For a moderately priced entree it does the job. The carrots are full of flavor and the savory bread pudding is awesome. I thought the steak or the red eye sauce was a touch too salty but that is just a personal thing. I would order this again.

MMM the bone-in rib eye for 32 dollars for the win. It seems this could be the reason the cheese plate was so sparse. They save the cheese to pile it on top of this steak. A great cut of beef with the bone in, you can't mess this up. It was great.

It’s almost lent so we had a fish fry. I wish I had a better picture of the fries. They have those mushy accordion shaped ones that you can buy by the ton at Sam's Club. Normally, I think of fries as a minor part of a meal but with the fish fry the fries are half the meal. The fish was nice, white, and flakey. All and all it’s ok but I'd never say "Man you have to get the fish fry at Rumpus Room!"

This sandwich kind of sucked. I brought it home for my dog. She loved it. She also eats cat poop so take her opinion with a grain of salt. The sandwich was super greasy and the menu didn't say it came with an aioli on it, but there was some sort of mayo based sauce on this thing. If you’re going to have a veggie sandwich on your menu you have to think that the people that are going to order it are trying to be healthy. Don't soak everything in butter and oil, just grill up some fresh veggies and put them on some fresh bread.

Rumpus Room, all and all was ok. By normal standards it's a solid B+ or A- but by Bartolotta standards I'd expect a little more from the food. The service staff was great and we had a super attentive waiter that was warm and went above and beyond to make sure we were taken care of. If you get Mathew you can rest assure you are in very good hands. In fact you should request his section if possible.

Go Eat.

Rumpus Room
414.258.7885
1030 N. Water Street
Milwaukee, WI 53202
http://www.rumpusroommke.com/

Oh and Eat MKE is on Facebook. We'd be thrilled to death if you would like us. Come on. You've "liked" dumber things in the past. Do it. Thank you.

Thirsty Thursday: Neighbor's Bloody Mary

2012-02-16T07:47:00.000-08:00

"I'm Catholic and I can't commit suicide, but I plan to drink myself to death"

Jack Kerouac

Neighbor's Wild Bloody Mary

Normally I'd tell you how to make one but Neighbor's

makes their own Bloody Mary mix.

The ground rules of this drink are pretty easy.

Vodka + Bloody Mary Mix + Crazy Garnish = Bloody Mary

This particular Bloody Mary is the best we've had so far this year. Lets just say the Wicked Hop is is lucky that this bar is all the way out in Waukesha.

A lot of people judge a Bloody Mary by its garnish alone. This leads to a lot of bacon and shrimp and who-ha hanging out on a weak sauce Bloody Mary. I would make the comparison that it's kind of like a movie with great special effects but no plot (Green Lantern in 3D). What makes a great Bloody Mary? It’s in the mix. This one is good. Go try one. Now.

Neighbors Bar & Grille

S16 W22255 Arcadian Ave.

Waukesha WI 53186

262.408.5872

If you go to Neighbor's be prepared to dance...

Thirsty Thursdays is brought to you by Eat MKE, and by The Larry Miller Drinking Society, and by YOUR BAR HERE.

If you would like to be a sponsor of EatMKE's Thirsty Thursdays blog post or if you know a cocktail we have to try send an email to drew@eatmke.com

Eating Out: Honeypie

2012-02-14T11:19:00.000-08:00

I really like Comet. Seriously I do. So I was excited to check out Honeypie. Everyone loves Honeypie. Everyone that has ever been to Honeypie loves it. They all say "you have to go to honeypie!". Honeypie is known for awesome baked desserts, really awesome cupcakes and pies. People say things like "you have to try the dessert!" It's also known for brunch. People say "you have to go for brunch!" People like to like this restaurant. It's almost trendy to say this is your favorite restaurant.

So I went to Honeypie. I went for brunch.

I did not expect it to be decorated like a hunting shack up in Yaderhey. It was actually kind of interesting to see hipsters dining in a place like this. Hipsters tend to have a genetic tendency to be vegans or vegetarians and the walls have dead things on them. I enjoyed the juxtaposition.

If you show up here be prepared to wait for a table. You're probably thinking "ok that’s cool I'll just get a drink and hang out up at the bar until a table opens up". Oh no you will not. You will stand with everyone else at the front door and watch people eat their meals. The wait is the same for the bar as it is for a table. You'll need to find the host with the clipboard and put your name in. Then you can stand for 30 min by the door dodging in and out of the staff's way.

When you do get to sit down you can smile with a smug satisfaction that you are no longer one of the poor souls up front waiting to sit down, watching with hungry eyes for a table to open up. Then you will realize that those people are actually going to watch you eat your meal over the next half an hour, quietly judging you. Ok, its not that bad but it is kind of funny.

Scallop Benedict

This was pretty good. I know, I know, Honeypie is known for locally sourced food and I order scallops. I really hope these didn't come from Lake Michigan. Bacon good, muffin good, scallops good.

I'd order it again.

I was here for brunch so I might as well rate the bloody mary right? I'm sorry Honeypie, it needs work. It was watery and had no kick. I don't care if you put a pound of bacon on top of it, even then it would be a weak bloody mary with a pound of bacon on top of it. I need a thicker mix. However if you do put a pound of bacon on it in the future I would eat it with a smile.

Your beermosa however, was great.

Yes, we tried the pie. The pie is good. If you have an event or something that you have to bring a dessert to, stop in, get some pie and go home a hero. The desserts are everything people say they are.

All in all, I'd go there again but if the wait was long I would be the first person in my group to suggest we try some place else.

I wanted so bad to fall in love with you. I wanted to buy a shirt with your logo on it. I wanted to tell all my friends that Honeypie is my new favorite restaurant. I'm sorry Honeypie, its not you, it’s me. We can still be friends and hey if we are drunk at a party sometime and we end up making out again, I wouldn't be ashamed. I like your pie. I like your cupcakes. But I just don't love you. You're a popular place, you'll find other customers and besides I've been seeing your big sister Comet for some time now. How would she feel if she found out about us? I hope you have a great life and that great things happen for you.

If you've been to Honeypie please feel free to put something down in the comments section below. Maybe I'm wrong on this one, maybe I missed something. Ask my family and friends they will tell you that I am often wrong about a lot of things. If you've never been to Honeypie, go check them out.

Go Eat

Honeypie

2643 S. Kinnickinnic Ave

Milwaukee, WI 53207

414.489.7437

http://www.honeypiecafe.com/

Thirsty Thursday: Coquette Cocktail

2012-02-08T19:46:00.000-08:00

“I feel sorry for people who don't drink. When they wake up in the morning, that's as good as they're going to feel all day.”

Frank Sinatra

The Coquette Cocktail

Coquette Cocktail
2 ounces Grey Goose Vodka
2 ounce Peaches Mathilde
Muddled mint and suger
Shaken and poured into a tall glass
topped off with seltzer
Drink & Repeat

A summer day in glass. Its a refreshing mood enhancing drink that's sure to brighten up your day. If it's 90 degrees out or if you just want to pretend its not winter, this works. Try it at home or visit Coquette and have it made by an expert.

Coquette Cafe
414.291.2655
316 N Milwaukee St
Milwaukee, WI 53202

Thirsty Thursdays is brought to you by Eat MKE, and by The Larry Miller Drinking Society, and by YOUR BAR HERE.

If you would like to be a sponsor of EatMKE's Thirsty Thursdays blog post send an email to drew@eatmke.com

Eating Out: BALZAC

2012-02-07T09:08:00.000-08:00

I got a text from a friend asking what I was up too. I replied back saying that I was heading over to Balzac for dinner. His reply was "Lol ball sack". True story.

I know, not my best intro.

Walking into Balzac, you are confronted with the question of getting a table or joining the shenanigans already in progress at the bar. The tables are dark and quite, perfect for a date night or just a nice meal out. Some places try and cram so many tables in their dining room that you feel like your eating with the table next to you. This is not the case at Balzac, you get enough space to really zone out into your own world. However if you are looking for more of a pub, the bar is fun and full of eastside charm. Balzac is casual, so if you are dressed to the nines, or if your vintage outfit cost a total of 9 dollars, either way you'll fit in here.

Balzac is sure to please even the geekiest of wine snobs. The wine list is an impressive 18 pages long. Prices range from a 4 dollar taste of 2009 Luzon Red Blend, up to a 360 dollar bottle of 2001 Guigal Cote-Rotie "La Mouline" and they have everything in between. So even if you don't know much about wine you'll find something at your level and flights are available if you want to explore. *They have beer too.*

DUAL CHEESE PLATE - 15

Roth Grand Cru Gruyere Surchoix
&
Carr Valley Billy Boy Bleu

This cheese plate is the perfect appetizer to pair with a wine flight.

SAFFRON CHORIZO MUSSELS - $9
Fresh Prince Edward Island mussels and smoky
chorizo sausage served in a saffron garlic broth with bread

Sometimes you order mussels and they come soaked in oil and butter... refreshingly these are not.

OXTAIL POT PIE - $10

Stewed oxtail and shank with carrots, potatoes, pearl
onions and topped with a flaky crust

If I lived close I would eat this every day.

So Balzac, lets wrap it up. Awesome food. Great wine list. Prices are super affordable but if you want to be a big spender they are more then happy to take your money. You can wear jeans; you can wear a suit or a fancy dress. If you are a corporate planner and you're looking for an impressive place to rent out for a night to wow some big wigs or if you're just a college student with 50 bucks to spend on date Balzac is absolutely a great choice.

GO EAT.

BALZAC:

1716 North Arlington Place
Milwaukee, WI 53202-1619
(414) 755-0099
Across from Hi Hat Lounge and Garage at the corner of Arlington & Brady.
HOURS:
3pm to Bartime Monday to Saturday
10am to Bartime Sunday
http://balzacwinebar.com/

Oh and Eat MKE is on Facebook. We'd be thrilled to death if you would like us. Come on. You've "liked" dumber things in the past. Do it. Thank you.

Valentine's Day Specials

2012-02-05T14:23:00.000-08:00

Yes, love is in the air and Eat MKE is here to make it simple to pick the restaurant you will take her to. Ladies perhaps you should share this post on your facebook or your twitter to give him a reminder. For those of you who are about to say "Valentines Day is a made up holiday, blah blah blah..." it's Wisconsin, it's winter, the packers aren't in the Superbowl, so what exactly do you have going on? Eat MKE has done the homework and sent out the emails. Here is what we found in no particular order.
If we missed your favorite restaurant please let us know in the comments below!

But first this short video by some server that we found on youtube. Caution F bombs are dropped.

Screaming Tuna

3 Course Meal for $35

How does an Oyster appetizer, Surf and Turf entree, and Cheesecake dessert sound? But maybe she's in more of a Spring Roll, Sushi Platter, & Tempura Banana kind of mood. Sharing a spark doesn't always mean sharing the same appetite. That's why we give you choices! A special 3 course dinner of your choosing, with specialty cocktails just for the evening to help you & yours get in the spirit. Come hungry. Leave happy.

Screaming Tuna414 763-1637
106 W. Seeboth
Milwaukee, WI 53204

VIA Downer

VIA Downer has a 4 course meal that will run you 75 for a couple or 40 if your going stag. However if you want to have the full experience VIA Downer has paired wines with each course for 90 per couple and 50 for the lonely hearts club. Take a look.

Antipasti
(Choose one)
Paired w/ Dipinti | Pinot Grigio or Tabali | Sauvignon Blanc
A sample of Via’s signature crostinis: Milano, Traditional, Parvardeh
Shrimp Cocktail delicately served straight up in a martini glass with cocktail sauce

Zuppa & Insalata
(One per guest)
Paired w/ Tabali | Sauvignon Blanc or Trapiche | Malbec
Baked French Onion served with melted provolone cheese and toasted Italian bread
Mixed greens, green apple, toasted walnuts and goat cheese

Entrata
(Choose two)
Grilled Tenderloin: A tenderloin grilled to choice over a crispy risotto cake with a port wine glaze, crumbled gorgonzola cheese and sautéed kale
Paired w/ Alberti 154 | Merlot
Salmon Oscar: Baked Salmon with crab meat over a potato pancake with Béarnaise sauce and spinach
Paired w/ Hob Nob| Pinot Noir or Grayson | Oaked Chardonnay
Primavera de la Cruz: Zucchini, squash, and red peppers in marinara over a bed of linguini finished with fresh basil and a dash of oregano
Paired w/ Hullabaloo | Zinfandel or St. Innocent | Pinot Gris

Dolce
Complemented w/ Prosecco or a fresh brewed Valentine’s Espresso
Sample Via’s Gelato selection: Caramel Sea Salt, Chocolate, Frutti di Bosco

VIA Downer414-501-4510
2625 N. Downer Ave
Milwaukee, WI 53211

Sanford

Sanford's is offering a 4-course menu for Valentine's Day. Guest choose their appetizer, entree and dessert and there will be a set soup course. It will be $85/person for food and they are holding reservations with a credit card number. They currently have reservations available from 8:15-9:15. Call to reserve your spot.

Sanford414-276-9608
1547 N Jackson St
Milwaukee, WI 53202

Transfer Pizzeria Cafe

Is serving its regular nightly specials with live music and half of bottles of wine. Simple can be sweet.

Transfer Pizzeria Cafe 414-763-0438
101 W Mitchell St
Milwaukee, WI 53204

Coquette Cafe

Le Menu de la Saint-Valenti
3 Courses for $45.00
(Includes a Complementary Glass of Champagne)
Course 1: $12.95 Ala Carte Classic Jumbo Shrimp Cocktail
Course 2: $29.95 Ala Carte Pan Seared Sea Scallops and Grilled Hanger Steak
Yukon Gold Mashed Potatoes, Haricot Verts, Hollandaise Sauce, Red Wine Demi-Glace
Course 3: $5.95 Ala Carte Grand Marnier Crème Brulee with Fresh Berries

Coquette Cafe414-291-2655
316 N Milwaukee St # 212
Milwaukee, WI 53202-5885

Milwaukee Ale House Grafton

Valentine’s Week Specials
Offered Saturday February 11 – February 14

Appetizer $8.95
Crab and artichoke dip served with parmesan flat bread and crostini

Soup: Cup $4.95 Bowl $5.95
Shrimp bisque, topped with crab meat and chive sour cream

Entrée: $23.95
NY Strip 2oz strip steak served with caramelized onion mash potatoes, fried mushrooms, green beans and finished with herb butter.

Dessert: 6.95
Molten Lava Cake, warm chocolate cake served with vanilla ice cream and berry sauce.

Milwaukee Ale House Grafton262-375-2337
1208 13th Street
Grafton, WI 53024

Mason Street Grill

Valentine's Three Course Dinner Starting at $79.00 + tax and gratuity per couple

Enjoy a three course dinner and live music in Mason Street Grill.
Each lady will receive a $25 WELL Spa + Janice Salon gift card.
$79 + tax and gratuity per couple without wine
$109 + tax and gratuity per couple with a bottle of sparking wine

First Course (choice of one)
Lobster Bisque
Seasonal Soup, Inspired Daily
Celery and Apple Salad, Belgian Endive, Candied Walnuts, Roquefort Dressing
Mason Street Grill Signature Chopped Salad

Main Course (choice of one)
Filet Mignon , with Bearnaise, Bordelaise, or Peppercorn Cognac Sauce
Black Angus Short Ribs, Golden Mashed Potatoes
New York Strip, Herbed Garlic Butter
Atlantic Salmon, Olive Tapenade, Tomato “ Chow Chow”
Grilled Mahi Mahi, Tare Glaze, English Cucumber, Key Lime Cashew Butter

Sides for Sharing (one per couple)
Steamed Broccoli
Sauteed Sugar Snap Peas
Delmonico Potatoes
Macaroni and Cheese
Creamed Spinach

Dessert Trio
White and Dark Chocolate Strawberries
Raspberry Mousse, Almond Dacquoise
Chocolate Orange Profriteroles
Reservations highly recommended.

Available Friday, February 10 (5pm-10pm) and Saturday, February 11 (5pm-11pm), and Tuesday, February 14, 2012, (5pm-10pm) based on availability.
Live music on Friday (Phil Seed Trio) and Saturday (Jonathan Wade Trio) from 6pm-11pm.

Mason Street Grill414-298-3131
425 E Mason Street
Milwaukee WI 53202

Lake Park Bistro

Ravioli de Homard
Lobster ravioli with cauliflower cream,
Savoy cabbage and fine herbes
15

Daube du Bœuf
Beef short rib braised in red wine with potato puree,
Swiss chard and sautéed mushrooms
28

Mousse au Framboise
Chocolate covered raspberry mousse with
crème anglaise and toasted hazelnut
9

Lake Park Bistro3133 E. Newberry Blvd.
Milwaukee WI. 53211
414-962-6300

Cafe Benelux
Valentine's Day Menu

Half a dozen Prince Edward Island
“Naked Cowboy” oysters on the half shell
with cocktail and mignonette sauce

Crab and artichoke spread with
Parmesan pannenkoeken chips

Spring greens with honey basil vinaigrette,
roasted endive, candied walnuts, and feta

Seared scallops with soft polenta,
tomato salpican and a red wine reduction

Bone-in ribeye steak with braised rainbow
chard and basil compound butter

Fresh figs with whipped cheese,
lavender-infused honey, and blueberries

Benelux Grand Cafe346 N Broadway
Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202

Cafe Centraal

Half a dozen Prince Edward Island
“Naked Cowboy” oysters on the half shell
with a chili lime mignotte sauce
13.95

Warm artichoke hearts salad with
grilled hearts of romaine, crisp pancetta,
red onion, and sweet mini peppers;
topped with an avocado basil honey vinaigrette
and garnished with a Parmesan crisp
11.95

Espresso-crusted prime top sirloin with
fig and port reduction and wilted spinach;
topped with toasted pinenuts
25.95

Chocolate-dipped long stem strawberries
injected with Grand Marnier
6.95

Café Centraal2306 S Kinnickinnic
Bay View, Wisconsin 53207

Trocadero

Half a dozen Prince Edward Island
“Naked Cowboy” oysters on the half shell
with cocktail and mignonette sauce

Tomato basil soup with
a Parmesan crouton

Pan-seared skate wing over pine nut and
dried cherry pilaf, with balsamic cherries
and white and purple asparagus

Veal cutlets with a lemon caper sauce,
honey rosemary crusted vegetables and
a Pinot Noir glaze

Espresso-crusted prime top sirloin with an
asparagus, red bell pepper, and basil salad
Chocolate-dipped long stem strawberries
injected with Grand Marnier

Saffron and champagne poached pears with
quenelle of cinnamon mascarpone sorbet
and a chocolate hazelnut pirouline

Trocadero Gastrobar1758 N Water
Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202

Cafe Hollander - Tosa

Appetizers
Half a dozen Prince Edward Island
“Naked Cowboy” oysters on the half shell
with cocktail sauce and mignotte sauce
13.95
Margherita flatbread with vine-ripe tomatoes,
fresh mozzarella, basil and extra virgin olive oil
7.95

Entrees
Seared scallops served over a bed of linguine,
tossed in a white wine cream sauce with
shitake mushrooms, roasted red peppers and leeks
16.95
Tandem Dubbel-marinated ribeye,
served with honey-infused sweet potato mash
and a side of asparagus cooked in rosemary oil
24.95

Dessert
Chocolate-dipped long stem strawberries
injected with Grand Marnier
6.95
Flourless chocolate cake topped with a
honey, chili, and fig sauce, and mixed berries
5.95

Or

An appetizer to share
Toasted baguette slices spread with warm goat cheese,
drizzled with espresso balsamic glaze, served
with housemade tomato bruschetta
Cheddar, Swiss, and Brie cheeses, served with
fig chutney, grapes, and toasted boule bread
Herb cream cheese, portobello, shitake, and oyster
mushrooms, shaved Pecorinio cheese, and Rosemary oil
on toasted country French bread
Margherita flatbread with vine-ripe tomatoes,
fresh mozzarella, basil and extra virgin olive oil

A salad for each
Mixed greens, tomatoes, roasted artichokes,
candied walnuts, and bleu cheese, tossed in
balsamic vinaigrette
Hearts of romaine with avocado, croutons,
creamy garlic dressing and Parmesan cheese

An entree for each
Seared scallops served over a bed of linguine,
tossed in a white wine cream sauce with
shitake mushrooms, roasted red peppers and leeks
Tandem Dubbel-marinated ribeye,
served with honey-infused sweet potato mash
and a side of asparagus cooked in rosemary oil

A dessert to share
Chocolate-dipped long stem strawberries
injected with Grand Marnier
Flourless chocolate cake topped with a
honey, chili, and fig sauce, and mixed berries

$70 per couple
Includes the full tasting menu and
a glass of Tandem Dubbel or house wine each

Café Hollander - Wauwatosa7677 W State Street
Wauwatosa, Wisconsin 53213

Cafe Hollander - Milwaukee

Half a dozen Prince Edward Island
“Naked Cowboy” oysters on the half shell
with cocktail sauce and mignotte sauce
13.95

Grilled lemon artichoke with
chili honey dipping sauce
9.95

Tomato basil soup with a
Parmesan crouton
7.95

Grilled mahi mahi served with
a marinated artichoke salad with
honey pepper mustard
17.95

Pork medallions in a cherry wine
reduction sauce with root vegetable puree
and braised fennel
14.95

Chocolate-dipped long stem strawberries
injected with Grand Marnier
6.95

Ice cream with mini crunch pieces,
fresh fruit and a raspberry cherry sauce
5.95

Café Hollander - Downer Avenue2608 N Downer
Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53211

Stone Bank Pub & Eatery
Stone Bank Pub & Eatery’s Valentine’s Menu

Appetizers

Shrimp Cocktail
Jumbo shrimp served with homemade cocktail sauce.
Full Order (10) - $23.95     Half Order (5) - $13.95.

Spinach Artichoke Dip
Served Hot with Homemade Crostini for dipping.
$8.95

Wonton Stix
Mozzarella or Pepper Jack cheese wrapped in Wontons
Served with marinara sauce.
$7.95

Soup ‘o Day
Cream of Mushroom or Seafood Bouillabaisse
Cup - $3.95     Bowl - $4.95

House Pub Salad
A bed of mixed greens topped with a blend of wild rice, red onion,
sliced fresh mushroom, and croutons.
$4.95

Sandwiches
Irish Dip - $8.50
Reuben - $8.95
Danny Boy - $9.50
Pub Burger - $7.95
St. Patrick Grilled Chicken - $8.95

All sandwiches are served with choice of potato

Entrées

Prime Rib
Succulent tender Prime Rib roasted to your specification. Choice of cut.
Served with vegetables and your choice of potato.
Queen (13 oz.)-$22.95     King (18oz.)-$25.95     Pub (22 oz.)-$29.95

Beef Tenderloin Filet
8 oz. Filet with Mushroom Madera Demi-Glace Sauce, Garlic Smashed Potatoes, and House Vegetables.
$24.95

San Francisco Seafood Cioppino
Seared Cod Filet with Clams, Mussels, and Shrimp served over toasted Garlic Sourdough Bread in a Chorizo/Tomato Broth.
$24.95

Braised Lamb Shank
Lamb Shank slow cooked with a Savory Sauce and served over Garlic Smashed Potatoes with House Vegetables.
$24.95

Maine Lobster Tail
8 oz. Maine Lobster Tail with Vanilla Champagne Butter.
Served with House vegetables and choice of potato.
$28.95

Campanelle Pasta with Sausage Bolognese
Spicy Italian Sausage, Garlic, Cream, and Italian Plum Tomato Ragu tossed with Campanelle Pasta and finished with Basil and shredded Parmigiano cheese.
$15.95

Rack of Ribs
Slow cooked and finished on the grill.
Served with House Vegetables and choice of potato.
Full Rack - $21.95    Half Rack - $15.95

All entrees are served with bread and a pub salad or cup of soup

Stone Bank Pub & Eatery
(262) 966-1995
N67w33395 County Rd K
Oconomowoc, WI 53066

Tess

Hello Everyone:

The big day is upon us tomorrow evening and we just wanted to let you all know that we still do have availability at select times for Valentine's Day dinner tomorrow nite. We will be serving our entire regular menu along with some spectacular entree, appetizer and dessert specials. Please call us at (414) 964-TESS (8377) if Tess can be part of your Valentine's Day celebration!

Bon Appetit!

Mitchell Wakefield

Tess
(414) 964-8377
2499 N Bartlett Ave
Milwaukee, WI 53211

Are you a restaurant owner or manager that wants to get on this list? Let me know if I missed you at drew@eatmke.com and feel free to post your specials in the comments below.

Cocktail of the Week: INdustrial Size Bloody Mary.

2011-07-22T21:52:00.000-07:00

The weekend is here and you are probably wondering where you can get the best Bloody Mary in Milwaukee. Well, wonder no more. We found it, INdustri’s Loaded Bloody w/ Jumbo Grilled Prawn Skewer at INdustri Café in Walkers Point.

This 24 ounce behemoth starts with a roasted garlic, roasted red onion, roasted poblano, fresh basil and fresh horse radish house-INfused Rehorst vodka, then they add some tomato juice. The INfused Rehorst vodka has so much smoky flavor that there is no need to add any of the traditional Bloody Mary ingredients, it is great all on its own. (If you are feeling daring….ask them to add a little of their habenarro INfused Rehorst vodka)

Now, for maybe the best part of INdustri’s Bloody Mary (other than the vodka of course)…the fixings!!! The only thing INdustri doesn’t put in their Bloody is the kitchen sink. There is a house made spiced rim. Beef stick, a huge chunk of Wisconsin Gouda cheese, a JUMBO grilled prawn and every pickled veggie that you could ever want. You might not have room from brunch after this Bloody!

If you don’t have time to make it out for brunch this weekend be sure to check out their Happy Hour from 2-6pm Monday through Friday or for those of you who are like me and are normally working at that time, check out their S.I.N Happy Reverse Happy Hour Friday and Saturday night from 10 pm to 1 am

For those of you who want to play bartender, here is one of my Bloody Mary recipes. (I know we don’t all have infused vodka sitting around)

2 oz of your favorite vodka (please don’t waste the Goose on a bloody!)
5 oz your favorite Bloody Mary Mix (I like Mr. & Mrs. T’s)
A splash of pickle juice (try Famous Dave’s Sweet and Spicy Pickles it adds a bit of a kick)
Squeeze of lemon and lime juice
Garnish as desired (you can’t go wrong with blue cheese olives)

　
　
　
　

Cocktail of the Week: Mojita Bonita

2011-07-10T17:14:00.000-07:00

Mojita Bonita

Created by

Maeve Pesquera

Director of Wine

Fleming's

Looking for a drink to sip on by the pool this summer? You could go with an 800 calorie margarita or you could be enjoying this new spin on the classic mojito. Only having 100 calories makes it bikini friendly. This drink was featured at Fleming's as part of there summer happy hour. On a scale from one to awesome, I give it an awesome.

"...to begin, I replaced the rum with Stoli Vanilla vodka. It has such a great silky essence. To kick up the fruit flavor, I added a little pineapple juice along with fresh lime juice. Of course, the fresh mint gives it such a refreshing quality," says Pesquera.

Here is the recipe for those of you that like to play bartender at home.

1 ounce Stoli Vanilla vodka
1 ounce pineapple juice
1 ounce Monin sugar free vanilla syrup
1 ounce fresh lime juice
10 fresh mint leaves
2 ounces club soda

As always you can find more at Eat MKE.

Fleming's Prime Steakhouse

262.782.9463

15665 W Bluemound Rd
Brookfield, WI
www.flemingssteakhouse.com

Hotel Metro / Chef Justin Johnson

2011-06-16T18:33:00.000-07:00

This week we got a lesson in cooking from Chef Justin Johnson of Hotel Metro. We got to hang out in the kitchen and learn about Hotel Metro's Deconstructed Caeser Salad. Lucky for you, we were allowed to bring a camera with us. Enjoy the video.

Hotel Metro
Metro Bar & Cafe

411 East Mason Street
Milwaukee, WI 53202

Motor Bar and Cafe Racer

2011-06-09T17:46:00.001-07:00

If you had to pick a few things that define Milwaukee what would they be? Beer, Harleys, blue collar jobs, Happy Days, Laverne & Shirley.... That’s what we came up with. This week we got in touch with Milwaukee’s roots and checked out the Harley Davidson Museum, home of Motor Bar and Café Racer.

Motor Bar

This place looks great! If you’re into Harley’s or motorcycles for that matter, you have to check this place out. The Harley logo is carved into the back of every chair, there are parts of bikes out on display, and there is even a wall that’s made out of bike parts separating the bar from the restaurant. The bathroom follows the theme with a pedal operated sink.

Even though it was a cold rainy day, we took a look at the patio. It over looks the river and I can’t wait to come back and enjoy an afternoon of day drinking in the sun. For a restaurant that is part of a museum, I was very impressed. Harley could have probably just contracted some lame cafeteria catering service to run a place for people to eat, but they didn’t. They got Levy restaurants to run this place and Levy is doing a fine job with it.

Big & Twisted Pretzels

Big ole pretzels, served with gobs of mustard sauce

and cheese dip.

May Burger of the Month

“Chicken Blue Cheese Burger”
Hand packed 8oz ground chicken burger with crispy blue cheese and granny smith apple slaw, sliced tomatoes, red onions on a corn dusted kaiser roll served with BBQ tater tots.

Deluxe Mini’s

Fresh ground chuck with Wisconsin cheddar, grilled onions,

lettuce, tomato, and a secret sauce.

May’s Wings of the Month

Chile de Arbol
One pound of fried chicken wings tossed in a spicy chile de arbol sauce with cilantro and lime.

We got to talk to Chef Travis for a bit and found out that they try to get locally sourced food whenever possible. In fact the pretzels come from a local Milwaukee bakery. A lot of time and effort goes into Motor Bar’s Menu. Each month Motor Bar features a new burger and wing special. This month I’m looking forward to trying the June feature, the Bloody Mary Burger!

Café Racer

Ok so you don’t have time to have a real sit down lunch? You can still drop in and get a sandwich and Starbucks coffee at Café Racer. It’s an order at the counter type place for people “looking for a quick place to refuel!” That’s the slogan, but what it means is “hey if you only have a 40 min lunch break come here instead of McDonald’s!” or maybe “Quit eating in your car at the taco bell parking lot you dummy!” It’s fun and fast. It’s like a custard shop, artisan sandwich shop and a Starbucks all in one. Want to get on the fast track to a promotion and work nearby? Come to Café Racer get lunch, then bring the boss a Mocha Latte or a dish of ice cream. Bribes work.

How many times has this happened to you? You’re out to eat on what seems to be a normal Thursday until you remember that this particular Thursday is you and your special lady’s anniversary? You’re in trouble unless you are at lunch at Motor Bar or Café Racer because right next door is a gift shop where you can get her a… ok… if your girl doesn’t like bikes or Harley Davidson you are pretty much screwed. But if she does, you’re in luck!

So that gift you got her from the gift shop worked out and she didn’t leave you for forgetting your special day. In fact, she falls for you hard and now you put a ring on it. Why not look into renting out Rumble for your wedding? No, your girl doesn’t have to be a hardcore biker chick to get married at the Harley museum. This room can be set up custom to your event. It seats up to 500.

Or if she dumped you because she never once said anything about liking Harley’s and you still got her a T shirt for your anniversary? Well this room can also be used for business. You are single now, might as well focus on your career.

All and all a great place to get a burger and throw back a few beers. You might even learn something about Milwaukee’s history with Harley. Go Eat!

Motor Bar and Cafe Racer

401 W Canal St
Milwaukee, WI 53201

414-287-2778

http://www.harley-davidson.com/wcm/Content/Pages/HD_Museum/eat_at_museum.jsp

As always there are more pictures on our Facebook page! search Eat MKE on Facebook or check out http://www.eatmke.com/.

Beans & Barley Market & Cafe

2011-05-23T11:15:00.000-07:00

If you're into organic food, have a vegan diet, or are interested in sustainable local food sources you probably love this place. If you live on the Eastside you probably know about this place, mainly because it’s been around forever. I don't normally seek out places like this. I have nothing against vegans, or people trying to make the world better by buying local or organic products. I am all for saving the world. However if we could save the world and still eat steak rare by the metric ton, I'd be more likely to get on board this train.

Walking in you have a bar in front of you, a market to your right and to the left a dining room. This place is kind of like the Cracker Barrel of organic products.

The shelves are full of organic lotions, candy bars, pastas... ect.

For 5 bucks, you can own some original artwork, interesting use of an old cigarette machine.

This product still confuses me; I mean this pot holder will not keep your stash fresh. I'd stick with a plastic baggy if I were you. It also doesn't help you hide your stash, it basically announces to the world "THIS IS WHERE I KEEP MY WEED!"... Oh wait, you mean pot as in "pots and pans" my bad.

If you are hungry it is of the utmost importance that you find this sign. If you stand by the door you're in a no mans land of market/bar/restaurant. Find this sign and stand by it and you will be greeted by hipster waiters and waitresses who will take you into the dining room. You may have to wait but that’s normally a sign that the food is good.

GRILLED PORTOBELLO SANDWICH ... 7.50

Marinated Portobello mushroom grilled and served with roasted red peppers and a grilled sandwich bun.

Sundried Tomato and Tofu Sandwich ... 8.50

This sandwich was a daily special, and it wasn't bad. I'm not a vegetarian and normally I wouldn't order anything like this for lunch, but when in Rome, I'll try it. On a scale from "1 to not bad", it was definitely not bad.

So let’s break it down. The dining room is nothing fancy; it’s a clean cafeteria where you can get some nice homemade organic food. The staff is very casual, but friendly. If you need something you have to speak up. It’s not the type of place where you are waited on hand and foot. You may need to wave someone over to get another drink or your sandwich might not have cheese on it even though you ordered it with cheese. If you are looking for an awesome dining experience you might want to find some other place to eat. If you’re looking for fresh simple food with an organic, vegan, free range, Earth Day, feel good twist to it, this is your kind of restaurant.

Go Eat.

BEANS & BARLEY MARKET & CAFE

1901 EAST NORTH AVENUE

MILWAUKEE, WI 53202

http://www.beansandbarley.com/

As always there are more pictures on Eat MKE's facebook page. So check us out there.

Thank you Milwaukee and suburbs!

2011-05-12T12:04:00.000-07:00

Hey Kiddies,

How are you doing? Hope everything is well and you have figured out a way to get out in between storms to enjoy the weather. If you haven't, please get out there it's beautiful! Don't get us wrong we are glad you took the time to stop past the blog, but once you're done please get out and enjoy the day!

I just wanted to let you guys in on a little information about the future plans of Eat MKE. We have had some moderate success getting the word out about Eat MKE. Our Facebook page has reached 600 "likes" in less than two months. So I'd like to take a second here and thank those of you that have "shared" one or more of our Facebook posts or told a friend about us. Thank you for being part of the Eat MKE tribe and for your support!

Eat MKE hopes to soon be bringing you a video feature weekly or bi weekly with a local chef. The idea is these chefs will be teaching a few tricks of the trade to our viewers as well as featuring their restaurants cooking style. I know we have a few people in the industry that read this blog. So if you are a chef and you are interested in being a part of this, please shoot us an email at info@eatmke.com. If you aren't a chef but you know one that might be interested, feel free to tell him or her about it.

I don't want to tie us down to a specific amount of time on this next project because every time I set a deadline something always goes horribly wrong and I'm forced to eat those words. So rather then wake up tomorrow to find my car's tires have all gone flat, my house is on fire, cats and dogs, living together! I'm just saying, soon. (Knock on wood) However we are moving the ball down the field everyday so it’s only a matter of time.

Thanks again for being part of the Eat MKE Tribe!

Go Eat!

Comet Cafe

2011-05-09T11:56:00.000-07:00

It was 2002, I lived on Maryland Avenue and attended UWM. I use to walk down to Comet Cafe for coffee and a place to not study. It was a coffee shop where the air was mostly second hand smoke. The tables were a mix matched collection of junk. Don't knock it, most of the furniture in my old apartment was stuff I found on the street. Comet use to be packed and getting a coffee and a seat was quite a feat some nights. It was full of young people that weren't quite being called hipsters or emo yet, and our livejournal accounts weren't quite as time consuming as facebook. We smoked and drank coffee because we couldn't get into bars. Comet was there for us and It was nice to stop back in this week to find that Comet has grown up a little bit, just like me.

Gone is the smokey haze I remembered and I was surprised to see real tables and booths. Comet Cafe is still a long way from being a fancy restaurant. It's still a haven for hipsters and college students. Walking in we were greeted and told to just find a seat. Comet Cafe is a place where you can meet people and get into conversation with strangers. It has a new emphasis on "from scratch" food and of course the bar is a welcome addition to this new version of Comet.

I'm not sure I even remember Comet serving food back then; if it did I sure didn't have the money to buy any. Looking over their menu I was impressed with what they were offering. I was also glad to see that the prices were more than affordable. This time around they definitely had food, and I could definitely afford it.

Creamy Artichoke Dip... $7

Chunks of artichokes and jalapenos topped with parmasion cheese. Served with huge ciabatta crustinis. This appetizer is a pretty common menu item. Lots of restaurants have it, people like it and it's kind of hard to mess up. This artichoke dip was one of the better versions I've tried. I liked that it wasn't just a soupy paste and had nice big chunks of artichoke throughout it.

Comet Cuban ... $9

Wilson Farms pork shoulder, ham, house made pickles, swiss cheese, whole grain mustard on grilled ciabatta bread. Yes, it’s good.

Ahi Tuna Sandwich ... $11

This sandwich is GENUIS! I've had Ahi tuna wraps with chunks of tuna, I have had Ahi Tuna served as small slices with fancy sauces drizzled over it, but I've never seen anyone take a whole Ahi Tuna steak and say "this should eat like a burger". It has a kick to it thanks to the wasabi sauce. Over all the Ahi Tuna Sandwich is a winner! In fact... I've started making them at home.

Comet is said to have one hell of a Bloody Mary. I hear it comes with bacon. I know some people think that bacon was just a food fad that was cool two years ago but let me just say this... Bacon can't possibly go out of style, it's always going to be awesome. So I think another visit is in order very soon. I can't wait to check out their brunch menu.

Comet isn't an upscale fine dining restaurant. If you're looking for that kind of experience you won't find it here. What you will find is a warm staff, great food, and the laid back culture of Eastside Milwaukee. Ok now, Go EAT!

Comet Cafe'

1947 N. Farwell Ave.

Milwaukee WI 53202

(414) 273-7677

http://www.thecometcafe.com/

As always you can find more pictures on the Eat MKE facebook page. So go check us out there, or you can go to http://www.eatmke.com/ our very own website. Yes, we have a website.

INdustri Cafe

2011-05-01T15:41:00.000-07:00

We showed up to INdustri Cafe in Walker's Point at 1pm on a Thursday right after the lunch rush and were seated immediately. There was still a crowd of 20 to 30 somethings finishing up their meals and a few people at the bar working on a good mid day buzz. This cafe has received a bit of a buzz in the service industry ( INdustri : In the industry, savvy? ) I would not be surprised if the people at the bar were servers or bartenders from the area enjoying a drink between or after shifts.

INdustri Cafe a "Shelter from the Ordinary". The owners, Robert Kelmm and Christopher Miller must take this slogan seriously, the logo is the symbol for a nuclear fallout shelter. It's not a logo you would think to find in a nice restaurant. However this is no normal restaurant. You normally don't get this high level of food in a place where you would also feel comfortable doing several rounds of jager bombs. So let’s take a look at the food.

Scallops Rockefeller ... $12

Pan seared scallops, some sautéed spinach, touch of applewood smoked bacon, and a garlic aioli. A menu item you could find in some cozy bistro, not your everyday bar food. The dish was pulled off very well. There was barely any of that sandy grit that can ruin some scallops.

Clubhouse Sandwich... $10

My waiter, Smitty, (if I screwed up your name let me know, you rocked) recommended this beast of a sandwich to me for lunch. Of course, being in the industry, I know if a waiter recommends something that isn't the highest priced item on the menu, they probably aren’t BSing you. Check this out, mesquite turkey breast, applewood smoked bacon, gruyere cheese, on toast. To finish it off, there was a sauce for the fries that Smitty suggested I use on the sandwich. Smitty knows his F$#%ing sandwiches. As a surprise ending, it came with a cookie. They don't tell you it comes with a cookie, but it does in fact come with a cookie. Way to screw your dessert sale guys, but thank you!

Braised Angus Short Ribs ... $16

I had to ask myself, am I in a French bistro or am I in a bar with a nuclear fallout symbol on their welcome mat? Again let me emphasize, this is not your ordinary bar food. Let’s break this one down shall we? Roasted poblano veal demi glaze, scotch barley, Door County cherry risotto, and gremolata. That’s fancy for a beef short rib that doesn't have that sweet taste to it you might get other places, it has more of a salty meaty flavor and the cherry risotto is where you find your sweet contrast. Well done!

So of course I have looked online, seems like some people have had some really long wait times for food and they ended up posting about it. What do you expect when you go to a buzzing new restaurant during their peak hours? All I can say is at 1pm on a Thursday afternoon, INdustri Cafe rocked it out and the food was great. So what are you waiting for? Go Eat!

INdustri Cafe

524 South 2nd Street

Milwaukee, WI 53204

414-224-7777

http://www.industricafe.com/

As always you can find more pictures on Eat MKE's facebook site. Also a little unknown fact, we have a website http://www.eatmke.com/ so you can check that out as well.

Kopp's

2011-04-17T16:19:00.000-07:00

The weather has been a little less awful this month. Actually, knocking on wood, it looks like spring might get its butt into gear soon, so we went to Kopp's. I know its not the first place you would think a "foodie" blog would be talking about. I think its time to make this clear, Eat MKE is not just a foodie run blog. It's a blog run by people in the food industry and sometimes we want ICE CREAM! Or custard in this case.

Kopp's is pretty much the standard of custard in Wisconsin. Sure, other places that have figured out how to make great custard. I used to work at Oscar's Frozen Custard in high school back more years then I would like to admit. So let me get this point across to you Eat MKE is not endorsing a Custard War....

Actually on second thought, we are! We're throwing down the gauntlet. This summer we will check out custard around the area and get to the bottom of the question. "who makes the best custard?" Kopp's seemed like a good place to start. THE CUSTARD WAR IS ON! So please let us know who makes your favorite custard in the comments on this blog, on the Facebook page, or by email Info@eatmke.com.

Kopp's In Brookfield, stainless steel counters and white paper hats that make the place feel like a 1950's soda stand. The building is built like a Greek temple, perhaps to show off Wisconsin's worship to this high calorie treat. You order your cold items on one side of the room and you order your burgers and fries on the other end. Why? This place gets busy. Summer nights can leave this room packed with customers all trying to get the flavor of the day.

I don't care if your a super "foodie" and you only eat fish that has never been frozen and you buy super expensive balsamic vinegar. If you can't get down with some fresh, made daily custard, we might not be able to hang out. This stuff is good.

Kopp's Prices don't break the bank, I'd say its price points are the same as Wendy's. Unlike Wendy's your "frosty" and burger options are limitless. It's actually amazing that fast food restaurants can survive in Wisconsin with local places like this serving better food at the same price. I would say, the next time you are on a fast food run you spend the extra gas to drive past the McRestaurant and head on over to Kopp's. Get your burger and fries and a half gallon of fresh custard. Your family and/or Coworkers will love you for it. Go Eat!

Brookfield

18880 W. Bluemound Rd.
Brookfield, WI 53045
get directions

Phone 262-789-9490
Flavor Line 262-789-1393
Sun-Thur 10:30am - 10:00pm
Fri-Sat 10:30am - 11:00pm

Greenfield

7631 W. Layton Ave.
Greenfield, WI 53220
get directions

Phone 414-282-4312
Flavor Line 414-282-4080
Hours 10:30am - 11:00pm

Glendale

5373 N. Port Washington Rd.
Glendale, WI 53217
get directions

Phone 414-961-3288

Flavor Line 414-961-2006

Hours 10:30am - 11:00pm

So as always check us out on Facebook or http://www.eatmke.com/.

Screaming Tuna

2011-04-17T16:11:00.000-07:00

I love fish. I love sushi. So I was excited to try out Screaming Tuna Asian Bistro. It was Gallery Night in Milwaukee so the streets were packed with people trying to find obscure artist studios, rubbernecking and fighting for parking. The weather was dreary, cold and wet with just enough rain to be annoying. I looked down at the GPS display which proudly told me I had reached my destination. "Ok, we are here... so where is this place." I parked illegally in an alleyway, got out of my car and ran down the street toward the river. Turns out, Screaming Tuna's sign faces the river so it's a little hard to find. I ran back to my car and pulled up to the front door and was happy to pay the valet five bucks to park my car.

I walked in, glad to be out of the rain and went to the host stand only to find out that they had lost our reservation. However we were still waiting for the rest of our party to show up so they told us we could hang out in the bar while they did their best to get us a table. In the bar, we had a great view of the river and the Milwaukee city skyline as well as the front door. That’s when I saw our photographer pull up and park in the valet only section. After a brief chat and another five dollar exchange with the valet she was inside.

For losing our reservation the hosts handled themselves well. We were seated within a few minutes with a beautiful view of the river. The dining room is made up of four top tables and modern half booths. Once we were sat, we were greeted by our waitress and put in our drink order. The room was packed, and the staff was buzzing around doing their best to keep up. Our waitress returned and informed us that they were out of two of the wines we had ordered. She was very sweet and offered to comp the drinks because of how long things were taking.

So at this point the restaurant was a little tough to find, had lost our reservation, and it took 15 minutes to get drinks on the table. These are not the types of things you want to happen when you go out to eat. However, this restaurant is brand new, the staff is still learning, and it’s a packed house. Even the most established restaurants have to play a little jazz with their service standards on a busy night. The host might not have been the one that lost the reservation but she rolled with it and found a way to fit us in. The waitress might not have known everything about the wine list yet ( hey its like 3 pages long that’s a lot of drinking... err research) but she knew enough about waiting tables to know it was taking too long for a simple drink order and she took care of us. So no harm no foul at this point. Now let’s get to the food.

Pacific Sampler…24

Alaskan king crab legs, Hama Hama oysters, sweet shrimp, and chef’s choice sashimi served with various sauces.

We started out with this sampler. When it arrived at the table I thought it was a little small for twenty four dollars. Then I tried the Hama Hama Oyster, Wow! A wave of flavor, you could seriously taste the ocean, the beach, sand volleyball, and not having to work until you got back from vacation. Awesome! I was impressed and my fear that this appetizer sampler wouldn't measure up was gone. The crab was sweet, the shrimp was amazing and the octopus was perfect.

We decided to work our way through a handful of rolls and share everything rather then try the entrees. Although, we were tempted, the entrees looked pretty interesting.

Lobster Roll…17

Tempura lobster and sautéed asparagus topped with spicy kani kama hollandaise sauce.

Spicy Scallop… 7

Scallops, tobiko, sweet spicy mayonnaise

Spicy Tuna…7

Tuna, tempura flakes, spicy mayonnaise

The Screamer…7

Japanese hot mustard, wasabi, and tuna

So what stood out? Well, the Lobster Roll was so good that we had to order a second one. It came with a lobster head mostly for show but if you were willing to work for it, you could get some really sweet pieces of meat out of it.

The Screamer had a note on the menu saying "BEWARE". Two bites in I was about to tell it "where to be" and then, the spices kicked in. I teared up a little, took a third bite and yeah... I was looking for my drink to put out the small fire I had going on in my mouth. Awesome.

There is a bottle of what looks like sake' on every table. Now yes, we knew it was probably soy sauce but it got us thinking about having a round of sake'. We didn't end up ordering any, but had the table been set with shot glasses and had the bottle really been sake', this night might have gotten a little more interesting.

Ok, to wrap up. Screaming Tuna is a new restaurant. The staff at this point is still learning about everything. The food is Great! If you go on a busy Friday night over the next couple weeks cut them some slack because they are going to take great care of you even if a ball gets dropped here or there. I think this place has great potential to become a new city favorite. So go Eat!

Hours of Operation

Lunch

Monday to Friday: 11:00am – 2:30pm

Dinner

Monday to Wednesday: 4:30PM – 10:30PM
Thursday to Saturday: 4:30PM – 11:00PM

Location

Screaming Tuna Restaurant LLC
106 W Seeboth
Milwaukee, WI 53204
ph 414-763-1637
http://screamingtuna.com/

As always there are more pictures on the Eat MKE Facebook Page. Or go to http://www.eatmke.com/ and check us out there!

Jake's / Charred Lounge

2011-04-04T21:20:00.000-07:00

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.

Jake's main dining room has been left untouched. Its still an upscale steakhouse were you can expect a traditional fine dining experience.

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

http://jakes-restaurant.com/

Also as always more pictures on the Eat MKE Facebook page.

http://www.eatmke.com/

Cafe Centraal

2011-03-29T13:23:00.000-07:00

Sunday Funday. I don't know about the average person but my weekend doesn't really get into gear until Sunday morning. That's probably due to the fact that I still wait tables Friday and Saturday not to mention most of my friends are in the food industry and have the same schedule. To most night servers Sundays are a holy day of rest. Sunday brunch is the first moment that you feel like you have time to spend enjoying life. This past Sunday, a couple of servers headed out to do just that.

When you work a Saturday night shift you're not really sure what time you'll be done and off the clock. Lets say midnight, Saturday night or Sunday morning (depending on how you want to look at it) is the equivalent of a normal persons Friday at 5pm. Once your done unwinding from your work week you wake up hungry and exhausted so it's time to head out and find some food to bring you back to life. This week we headed out to Cafe Centraal.

Brunch at Cafe Centraal is packed! Make a reservation in advance if you can. When we walked in there was a line out the door waiting for a table. We had a reservation and we were able to walk past the sleepy eyed Bayview residents and the host took us to our table right away. The wait staff was awesome, the second we sat down we had our drink order in.

So lets talk about drinks for a minute. They have it all laid out; about five signature types of Bloody Mary's, tons of Mimosa variants, Irish Coffee's, Beermosas, a Beer list that puts some liquor shops to shame, and a full stocked bar if your having trouble finding the exact breed of dog that bit you last night. We had no such trouble identifying our dogs and were on our way to recovery.

Some people like the lazy buffet style brunch, an all you can eat affair where you get up and serve yourself plate after plate of factory style produced scrambled eggs, bacon and sausage. Before I knock it, all you can eat bacon does sound good! Maybe it has to do with the heat lamps and the stainless steal pans that hold mountains of eggs, maybe it has to do with how lazy I am Sunday mornings, but I prefer a waiter or a waitress and fresh to order food.

The menu has your standard brunch essentials omelettes, eggs any style and burgers with fried eggs. It's not to difficult to come up with a decent bunch menu. Take some eggs, add some sort of potato, toast, and you are in business. Where Centraal stands out is they do a brunch menu with a little added style. The potato's are flavored with rosemary, they cook with a lot of bier, the breakfast burger has smoked Gouda cheese on it. Centraal put some care into their menu and is still able to serve it at low prices.

However they do step out of the box on a few items, one being the Black and Bleu Benedict. Blackened flat iron steak and poached eggs served on a homemade black pepper basil biscuit, topped with blackberry jam, sriracha, ale-braised onions, bleu cheese, and sauteed portobellos. Oh and Bacon, there's bacon too. This dish was FOUR LETTER WORD (add "ing") AWESOME. Pardon the language, but it was that good. It was sweet, spicy, savory... it was great. I had to go for a walk to stop from slipping into a food coma immediately after eating it, but it was well worth it.

Another great dish is the Red Eye Biscuits and Gravy. House-made black pepper biscuit, poached eggs, and chorizo cream gravy. It has a nice spicy kick to it and comes with rosemary potatoes.

To recap... So you went out Saturday night, you woke up Sunday morning hungry, in need of a jump start, you called Cafe Centraal, got a reservation, you packed your friends and family into the car, navigated your way to Bayview, you sat down and ordered either of these two dishes, and now you're going home a HERO!

Check 'em out

Cafe Centraal

2306 S. Kinnickinnic Ave.

Bay View, WI 53207
Phone: 414.755.0378
Fax: 414.755 0387

Oh and always, more pics on the Eat MKE facebook site. Search Eat MKE on Facebook or go to http://www.eatmke.com/

North Star American Bistro / Brassfield Estate Wine Dinner.

2011-03-28T11:49:00.000-07:00

We had a very exciting opportunity this past week. Eat MKE was invited to attend a wine dinner at the North Star American Bistro featuring wines from the Brassfield Estate vineyard. Now I know you're picturing us kicking back and hanging out enjoying an amazing five course meal, tasting wines, and talking about soils and climates. Although that would have been a great time, we decided to hang out and watch the action in the kitchen. When you're seated out in a calm dining room its easy to forget that on the other side of the wall there is a room buzzing with action and people working their collective tails off to bring you the best meal and experience possible. That was definitely the case this particular night.

The wine dinner was held on a Thursday night. Now that might not mean anything to you if you've never been to the North Star on a Thursday night but if you have, you know that Thursdays mean happy hour. Starting at 4pm they offer house wine, domestic beer and well drinks for 1 dollar, at 5pm the prices increase to 2 dollars, then at 6pm the prices go up to a whopping 3 dollars a drink. On top of the drinks, they also offer some Thursday only appetizers for 4 bucks. As you can imagine, the bar is packed by 4:05. The only advice I can give about happy hour is show up early, and plan to share any open seats at your table with strangers. The whole show is run by three bartenders who absolutely rock it out, so don't forget to show your appreciation and tip (To Insure Prompt Service)!

With that going on in the bar, and the North Star's normally buzzing dining room filling up you can imagine the pressure building up in the kitchen. Now add a private room and fill it with 50 guests expecting an exceptional five course meal. I'm not exaggerating at all folks. That was the scene this past Thursday at the North Star. What kind of masochist would set all this up? Well there are two that spring to mind Mike Stoner and Duffy O'Neil the owners. These guys are not the sit at home and let the money roll in kind of owners. They were right there rolling up their sleeves and prepping the food with their team.

If you've never been back stage at an event like this you'd be surprised at how intense it can get. These guys had maybe five minutes to make 50 empty plates become beautiful works of art and of course, great tasting food. They were moving at full speed rushing against the clock to make sure the food went out looking great and still hot. At the start of the event everyone in the kitchen was so focused that there was a muscle tightening tense atmosphere. You could read everyone's mind by their faces, "don't mess this up, don't mess this up, don't mess this up..." and "only get one shot at this..." and "I'm gonna need a drink after this one..."

The first course was plated and out the door to the tables as the kitchen changed gears to start preparing the 2nd course. It was pretty quiet for a kitchen at this point. That's when the first reviews were brought in by servers with empty plates from the dining room. "everyone is loving it!". With that statement, the tense atmosphere broke, smiles lit up on everyone's face and the staff started joking around while plating the second course. At this point, the staff really kicked into gear and started showing off.

The next three courses all went out without a hitch. We even got a chance to taste them. Let me say that the cost to attend the wine dinner was 65 dollars and it was worth every cent. Now it was time to serve the dessert. The cheesecake was pulled out of the cooler and of course, they looked odd. The cakes didn't set correctly, and were all shaped differently. This problem took Chef Duffy O'Neil roughly 20 seconds to correct. "How about we creme brulee the tops and re-cut them?" And with that audible called out the staff went to work. Taking a blow torch to your final course at the last minute is a risky call at best, at worst it could have ruined the cheesecake and left a bad final impression with the guests. However, it worked, and the desserts looked amazing.

I was impressed with everything and was glad to have been a part of it. If you haven't had the chance to try the North Star American Bistro you should, it's well worth the trip. Check them out.

414-964-4663 • 4518 N. Oakland Avenue, Shorewood, 53211

262-754-1515 • 19115 W. Capitol Dr. Ste 100, Brookfield, WI 53045

http://www.northstarbistro.com/

For more pictures of the event check out the Eat MKE Facebook page by visiting http://www.eatmke.com/ and clicking the Facebook link. Give us a like if you like!

J. Lotti's Pub & Grill House

2011-03-23T18:33:00.000-07:00

So it's Saint Patrick's day and I planned to do some serious bar hopping today. I wanted to visit an area that isn't as well known as it should be. With that in mind downtown Waukesha seemed like a pretty good spot.

I know, I know, It's hard to get to, and it's harder to find your way out. If you get a birds eye view the town it almost looks like it was built to resembles a spider's web with all roads converging on Main Street. Yes its true you can get lost in this part of town. Yes street names will just change for no reason and sometimes two streets that are not connected at all will have the same name. Believe it or not, it used to be worse! At least they got rid of the all the one way streets and moved that gazebo where bums used to sell drugs to a well policed area outside Waukesha State Banks main building.

Well since the city got rid of the biggest problems plaguing business in this district it has attracted some very cool entrepreneurs. As far as a town designed for bar hopping and food you can't get any better then this. Off the top of my head I can probably name 10 restaurants and pubs that you can visit within walking distance. When you're done however, call a cab! The police still roam these streets as if it was the same seedy neighborhood it was in the early 90's.

Tailor's Peoples Park was closed due to a small fire a few months back so I got to stop in at J. Lotti's. It's a little off the main drag of the downtown tucked back on South Street. It's known for its burgers. In fact most times I've been in there I end up getting the Lotti, its a burger with an egg on it, a locally farmed egg no less. It's Saint Patrick's day so the normal menu is off the menu and they are serving tradition Irish meals. This means corn-beef, potatoes, carrots and of course cabbage. Growing up at my house we ate stuffed cabbage at least twice a week thanks to my dad so any meal featuring cabbage always reminds me of home. I was sold on the traditional Irish plate and the server talked me into the stew. The selling point was that Chef Phiona is from Ireland and this sealed the deal.

While seated at the bar the owner John Malott made frequent stops around the room to make sure everyone was enjoying their food and having a good time. I always like places that the owner is out on the floor running his business. It's easy to grow to love a place if you can see the people running it enjoying their jobs. We did have a rather large camera with us and we eventually caught the attention of, and got a warm greeting from, the wife and Co-owner Tiffaney Malott ( T.lotti ). She was very happy to let us know that J. Lotti's will now be open for lunch. All I can say is I can't wait to stop back.

So if your driving in circles and suddenly find yourself in downtown Waukesha, find a spot, park your car, and have a great time. Oh and stop in to J. lotti's of course.

J Lotti's Bar & Grill House
225 South St.
Waukesha WI 53186

262.522.3009

info@jlottis.com

Lillies Place

2011-03-20T12:55:00.000-07:00

Saint Patrick's Day 2011

I know, the site is called Eat MKE. Most people would assume the MKE stands for Milwaukee and would think “the first review will surely be a restaurant in Milwaukee”. To your and even my surprise our first stop this morning was in Genesee Depot. My first thought when I was told that's where we were heading was "where the heck is Genesee Depot?". Apparently it is this small strip of businesses on highway 83 that connects the lake country area to the rest of south eastern Wisconsin.

So there I was out in a beautiful country landscape walking up the steps of this old white victorian house about to walk into a coffee and wine shop called Lillie's Place. From the second I opened the door I was overcome with “hellos” and “welcomes”. In fact so many I wasn't sure who worked there and who was just a customer. I also wasn't sure if it was a restaurant, or a coffee shop, or if I just walked into someones living room. The atmosphere was very free and you're welcome to pretty much walk in and make yourself at home.

Being it was St. Patrick's and almost 10 am I made my way to the counter and ordered a Irish coffee with Jameson and Baileys. That's when I met the owner proudly working as a barista in her own shop. Cathy Witkowski bought this store in 2006 when her family was rebuilding their lives after the death of Liz her daughter in law. The process of restoring the building and creating Lillies Place became symbolic of that loss and Lillies Place now stands as a tribute to Liz.

Lillie's place offers a variety of artisan wines and desserts along with coffee drinks that are above and beyond what you can get at a Starbucks. The restaurant area “Pal's” has a full lunch menu and offers a cozy room to relax. Up for some dessert? They even have an ice cream and candy shop in a room on the other side of the house. I'm looking forward to going back and enjoying a bottle of wine on there deck once summer gets its act in gear.

If you live in the area or find yourself needing to get out of the city you should stop by either for one of their events ( wine tastings, live music, etc...) or just for a relaxing morning.

Lilies Place

S42 W31428 Hwy 83

Genesee Depot, WI 53127
www.liliesplace.com

Phone: 262.201.4376
Cathy Witkowski | Owner
cathy@liliesplace.com