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repoman

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Posts posted by repoman

  1. There is a new book coming out this fall that looks kind of promising, though not a comprehensive guide. Its called "Primal Cuts: Cooking with America's Best Butchers" by Marissa Guggiana It's kind of a nose-to-tail cooking book which has a handful of charcuterie recipes. I have access to an online preview and it had quite a few charcuterie recipes/techniques.

  2. Eat Side, hands down. You have 25,000 students, upper middle class residents, young professionals, etc.

    I could maybe see the Third Ward or Brady Street too. Bayview might be a nice option with cheaper rents but the residents are very fickle. If your spot isn't deemd to be "hip" enough, you will probbaly not do well. A lot of style over substance in that neighborhood. They had a killer BBQ joint that only lasted a couple years. The food and service was aweome but it didn't have vegetarian stuff, was kind of expensive, and wasn't "cool" so it failed.

  3. I remember a few years back OnMilwaukee.com did a story on Milwaukee memories and they mentioned The Natatorium. I believe it started as an indoor swimming facility and then they made it into a restaurant and had a dophin show in the pool but it only lasted a couple of years. I heard that they served wild game too. That is about all I know about that. I can ask my parents if they remember anything more.

  4. I think Ted Allen is great, but he needs to loosen up a bit on this show and that Food Detectives.

    My only complaint with this show is that each episode has 4 new contestants. I would prefer that the winner of one show would move on to the next and compete against 3 others, similar to Jeopardy.

  5. One of my favorite places to take people is Crazy Water. Very small intimate place with outstanding food and excellent service. Its hard to pigeonhole it into a specific category because the menu takes its cues from all over the world. They do an awesome job with seafood and if you get a chance to try their Blue Cheese Bread Pudding, I would highly recommend it.

    Another great place is Maxies Southern Comfort in Wauwatosa. Its menu is southern/Creole/Cajun. The food is great and the place is very fun.

    For a great burger try Sobleman's. Its located in an old corner pub. Order the Sobleman burger, it might just be the best in the City.

    For Brunch, I love Lake Park Bistro (more fancy) or Harry's in Shorewood (more casual)

  6. Old news but heard that the bowling alley in Sister Bay had a fish boil that was good.  Don't forget to stock up on cherry p[roducts-pies, jams, dried cherries, juice-yum.

    Here is my take on the Fish Boil; the food is not the reason to go. Now don't get me wrong, I actually enjoyed the whitefish with a dash of salt and some butter, but its more about having around with other tourists, drinking some good beer, and watching the boil-over. Its like Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco and eating some crab with all of the other tourists. Its not great but it is part of the "experience." The White Gull is kind of the top end of the fish boil restaurants, but Pelltier's provides a good one in a more casual setting, just make sure you sit outside. Inside reminds me too much of the Charcoal Grill (a local chain).

    You also should check out Al Johnson's (the place with the goats on the grass roof. The Swedish meatballs and the Swedish Pancakes with Lingonberries are both awesome and are as much a part of the Door County experience as the Fish Boil.

    I love the Mission Grille, though it may be a tad overpriced (what isn't in Door County?). The duck with door county cherry sauce is very good.

    I will be up there in a couple weeks and I hope to try either the Inn at Kristophers or the Whistling Swan. I am leaning towards the Whistling Swan because of their affiliation with Hinterland Brewery, which I like a lot.

  7. I recently had a fabulous meal at Umami Moto in downtown Milwaukee. The chef used to work with Beau McMillan at Elements (Sanctuary at Camelback Mountain in AZ). The lobster chowder was to die for. Also very good were the Ahi sashimi (loved the pairing with watermelon), the heirloom tomato salad (with olive oil ice cream). The diver scallops and and the sea bass were also outstanding. For dessert, the pistachio ice cream with champagne sabayon was sooo good. We really enjoyed our meal(s - ok, I admit, we went twice in one week when I was in town a few weeks back since we liked it so much).

    http://umamimoto.com/

    I went into Umami Moto (the other location in Brookfield) thinking it would be overpriced and mediocre. While it might be more expensive than its worth, the entrees were very good. The appetizer was very dull and the service kind of sucked. You can check out my review here:

    http://eatwisconsin.wordpress.com/2008/06/...oto-brookfield/

  8. my favorite restaurants in NYC are Babbo, Momofuku Ssam Bar, Craft, Gramercy Tavern, Balthazar, Eleven Madison Park...so I was expecting something more, perhaps, more than I should have.

    Sorry you had a bad experience there. Lake Park Bistro is my favorite nice restaurant in the City and I hate when people have bad experiences at places I like. I don't think that you ordered wrong because at a place like that they should execute everything well. I guess I would steer you towards the Hanger Steak Frittes or the Duo of Duck next time...if you chose to go back.

    Also, I think if you want to see Adam Seigel shine, Bacchus may be a better option since he isn't restricted by the French theme at Lake Park Bistro.

    While I love Lake Park Bistro, I hate to say it but even some of the best restaurants in Milwaukee pale in comparison to places I have eaten in San Francisco, Napa, Las Vegas, New York, or Chicago. As good as I think it is, Lake Park Bistro probably wouldn't be able to crack a top 25, probably top 50 best restaurants in New York list. So maybe your expectations were kind of high. If Babbo, Craft, Gramercy Tavern, and Eleven Madison Park were to open in Milwaukee they would be in the top 10 restaurant list instantly because there are so few restaurants of that caliber here.

    Milwaukee diners are fickle. You won't find much crazy stuff here. How many restaurants around here serve sweetbreads, foie gras, truffles, or roasted marrow bones? Is there anyplace even close to approaching what you see at Babbo or Momofuku? Not that I have found.

  9. I'll chip in as someone who has dined there 5-6 times. I think it is an excellent restaurant. I don't think there is anything that I have had there that I have been disappointed in. The service is among the best in Milwaukee.

    Some of the best dishes I have had there include:

    Oeuf Mollet aux Asperges which is a salad of sauteed asparagus with a fried whole soft cooked egg, frisee lettuce, and black truffle vinaigrette.

    Escargots de Bourgogne en Croûte Escargots in garlic-parsley butter and baked with mushroom and diced tomato under a flaky puff pastry crust.

    Canard “Deux Façons Duo of duck with the breast pan-seared and the leg slow-cooked “confit” served with sautéed spinach, Provencal potatoes, and red wine sauce. (this is my all time favorite dish here)

    The steak frites (they use hanger steak) is also a great dish.

    Their Sunday seated three-course brunch is the best in the Milwaukee area. You can read my full brunch review at my website, EatWisconsin

    From what I have heard from a few people is that if you really want to see what Adam can do with a little more leeway in the menu, go to Bacchus (where he is also the Executive Chef) where he isn't restrained by the "French Bistro" concept at Lake Park Bistro.

  10. People seem to love this place and I suppose I can see why. It was a fun and unique dining experience. The waiters are fun and personable and very attentive but the food was a mixed bag. The appetizer combo was very good, especially the fried oysters with bacon and the Crabmeat Maison. The turtle soup, which was the first I have ever eaten, was outstanding. The entrees, with the exception of the Filet Béarnaise were pretty weak. I had a sauteed filet of drum with crabmeat and artichokes. The fish was underseasoned and overcooked. Two dining companions who ordered the trout and pompano said the same thing about their fish.

  11. Last night I was a couple of doors down from Mazo's at the Aisan market. I was so close to going there for a quick bite (I haven't been there in about a year) but I just didn't have a taste for a burger. Reading this post I am glad I didn't. Medium well? WTF? Last time I was there my burger was a perfect medium rare.

  12. There are a handful in Milwaukee that I have visited.

    Viet Hua around 49th and North- the place is huge and the selection is amazing if you can get over the fish smell. When I lived nearby I was here monthly. I really like this store.

    Asian Mart on Old World Third street (I think it is still there).

    Asia Market at Layton Bvd (aka 27th st) & National Ave (the strip mall on the NW corner). Very small. Not to impressive.

    Anh Chau Oriental Market- 3170 S. 27th. - Very clean and well stocked. Highly recommended.

  13. Brad -

    Sorry to hear about your experience at Zin. I have been there 3-4 times and have always been very happy with my meals. I typically order seafood items because the chef tends to do best with those items, though the Osso Bucco was very good as well. They also own the nearby Fishbones, which also does a great job with seafood. I always feel terrible when I make a recommendation and it doesn't go over well. I am going this Saturday...hopefully your experience was an abberation, but I will report back.

    You are correct about Waukesha. I live near downtown Waukesha and it does seem to be turning the corner. In fact it was just announced that the owner of Ruggeri's (another Delfafield Italian place) wants to open a botique hotel and fine dining establishment, which I think will really give the downtown a huge boost. There is enough money out there to support some fine dining and I think developers and restaraunteurs are finally discovering that.

  14. In Madison I would recommend The Old Fashioned on Pickney Street, which is right on the capitol square. Its an inexpensive bar/restaurant with excellent food celebrating Wisconsin traditions. The source their ingredients from independed Wisconsin producers and the results are outstanding. I recommend the homemade potato chips with Tiger Blue Cheese dipping sauce, the walleye sandwich, the chicken sandwich with braunschewager, and the mac and cheese with ring bologna. http://www.theoldfashioned.com/

    If you want a fancy meal, try LEtoile which is next door (and shares some ownership interest with the Old Fashioned). It was named one of the top 50 restaurants in the US http://www.letoile-restaurant.com/

    For a great casual meal and some awesome beer, try the Great Dane Brewpub. http://www.greatdanepub.com/

  15. There have been some great suggestions provided, especially Lake Park Bistro, Ristorante Bartolotta, and Coquette. Here are some options out in the Western burbs that deserve mention:

    Zin, Delafield (I-94 & HWY C) - Described as California Italian. I have not had a bad meal here. The food and service are great, atmosphere is casual, jeans are fine. http://www.zincredible.com/.

    Fishbones Delafield (I-94 & HWY C), Owned by the same people as Zin. Cajun/Creole incluenced seafood http://www.foodspot.com/fishbones/index.html

    Great Northern BBQ Company - Very casual counter service BBQ, just minutes from your hotel. www.greatnorthernbbqco.com

    Saffron Indian Bistro in Brookfield - kind of an upscale take on Indian food http://saffronindianbistro.com/. A co-worker of mine raves about this place.

    Palmer's Steakhouse downtown Hartland

    Delafield Brewhaus - Average food but the beers are awesome.

    Waukesha lags behind just about anywhere when it comes to decent food. I should know because I live there and deal with the lack of good dining choices daily. With the exception of Great Northern BBQ Company, The Gasthaus, The Rochester Deli, and a couple of Mexican places (La Estacion, Casa Del Rio) and a couple of decent Chinese places (Ching Hwa & Golden Gate) Waukesha is a place best avoided unless you want mediocre chain food or bland family style restaurants.

    Feel free to PM me if you need any additional info.

  16. Its been years since I have worked in a kitchen but some funny things we did include...

    - Baking a co-workers keys in a calzone.

    - Deep frying the same workers keys (after this he kept them in his pants pocket.

    - mixing in raw eggs with the hard boiled eggs that were used for salads.

    - rolling wet side towels into the shape of a penis, freezing them, and putting them in interesting places (lockers, hotel pans, etc)

    - Sending newbies to deliver pizza to addresses that don't exist

    -

  17. First off, how Padma is an improvement over Katie Lee is beyond me. They are both attarative and both have the personality of a carboard box. Couldn't they get someone respectable in there? Maybe have LeAnne from TC1 take over the hosting duties. She is personable, funny, and knows her stuff.

    On to last nights episode. I am really pulling for Marcel. I think I disliked him at the beginning as everyone else did but he has maintained the high-road throughout this season. He may get on people's nerves but nobody has come close to getting him to crack. Even in last week's episode when nobody wanted to help him plate his stuff, he just kept going. Marcel may have overused foams and other elements of molecular gastronomy throught the competition, last night was the ultimate showcase for his cuisine and I had a hunch he would be one of the finalists.

    What I find really funny is many posters (not really on EG but on Bravo's forum) are going on about how Marcels food was no good or how Sam is a better chef. How people can make these determinations from watching the very limited amount of time the show actually dedicated to technique and cooking and the fact that none of the posters tasted a single morsel created by the contestants is lost on me.

  18. I thought Josie was annoying, so I wasn't sad to see her go...her comments about "how damn talented" she was after she was booted just proved my case. Show some humility. Marissa never really belonged with this group anyways and I am surprised she made it this long. Though Marcel initially rubbed me the wrong way, I think he really has toned down his arrogance and I find him entertaining.

    My guess for the next to go...I say Michael. He lucked out with his pairing with Ilan....though under the right circumstances I could see Frank or Betty gone as well.

  19. One lone show planted that tiny seed of doubt in me...

    While I do enjoy the show, I also had an experience that made me doubt some of his "scientific info".

    There was an ep. of GE that was about homebrewing beer. As a homebrewer myself, it was disheartening to hear the numerous errors and amount of incorrect information in that show. Since then I've always taken the info in that show with a grain of salt...

    Alton addressed this in some interview that I read some time back. He said he recieved more complaint mails about that episode than any other one and realized that some of his methods are not condusive to the best homebrewing. I think he was trying to get people to see how easy it is and used his scientific-thinking to try and speed up the process. I think the issues were with boiling the grains, adding ice to the wort, and not boiling hops for long enough. For a newbie, maybe the show got them into homebrewing, which is a good thing. For long-time homebrewers like myself, it really wasn't aimed at us so I guess I can look past a lot of the errors.

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