A month ago I had never heard of La Merenda. Not sure how it snuck by me. It was just one of those times when I was seemingly the last person to find out about something. Situated on the east side of the Walker's Point neighborhood, just south of downtown, La Merenda serves up spanish style tapas with a global theme. For those unaware, I guess the best way to describe tapas is a smaller serving with a narrower focus than that of a full entree. This, plus dessert, is all they have on the dinner menu at La Merenda. The best thing about this style of dining is that you can basically create your own tasting menu, with as few or as many courses as you please. This gives the diner flexibility not found when one goes to a traditional restaurant and must commit to a single entree.
Some of my favorites included Sambal Goreng Udang, which featured beautifully cooked shrimp sauteed in coconut milk accompanied by the spicy sambal and served on a bed of mashed potatoes made ultra-rich with more coconut milk. I also enjoyed the steamed mussels. They were screamingly fresh and and served in a slightly spicy tomato broth that was spiked with sherry. It reminded me a little of a wonderful bloody mary I had over the summer that was made with clam juice. Fried polenta was four savory golden corners situated around a chunky mushroom ragout. The combination of those two elements was nothing short of bliss. The almond flan I had for dessert was also fantastic. The only thing I wasn't a huge fan of was the coriander beef, which I found to be a little underseasoned. Service was good, although slightly detached.
La Merenda recently made the Milwaukee newspaper's top 30 list. I definitely agree. In my opinion, the quality of the food is right up there with Sanford.
3.5 stars out of 4
Friday, September 25, 2009
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Short Update
Yeah I know its been forever. I've been lazy busy.
Heres a few quick-hitter updates.
State Fair: Chocolate covered bacon isn't really that good, although I am convinced it could be if the bacon were saltier and crispier. Gnawing through that chewy bacon fat didn't sit right with me. On the other hand, the sliced leg of lamb sandwich at the Wisconsin products building was one of the best things I have ever tasted. I even went back and had it again.
My new favorite wine: Tres Picos Garnacha 2007. Spanish wine is the new black as far as I'm concerned. It is delicious and goes with everything. The granache I mentioned above is rated 91 points (I think by Robert Parker) and goes for about $15. You won't find it at the grocery store but any decent wine shop should have it.
Oysters: My new great love. A squeeze of lemon and a couple drops of tobasco is all you need. Totally delicious. And don't just slug them down. Chew them. They taste good I swear.
Heres a few quick-hitter updates.
State Fair: Chocolate covered bacon isn't really that good, although I am convinced it could be if the bacon were saltier and crispier. Gnawing through that chewy bacon fat didn't sit right with me. On the other hand, the sliced leg of lamb sandwich at the Wisconsin products building was one of the best things I have ever tasted. I even went back and had it again.
My new favorite wine: Tres Picos Garnacha 2007. Spanish wine is the new black as far as I'm concerned. It is delicious and goes with everything. The granache I mentioned above is rated 91 points (I think by Robert Parker) and goes for about $15. You won't find it at the grocery store but any decent wine shop should have it.
Oysters: My new great love. A squeeze of lemon and a couple drops of tobasco is all you need. Totally delicious. And don't just slug them down. Chew them. They taste good I swear.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Asparagus
Springtime is here, and that means asparagus. I'm sure it wasn't as frequent as I remember, but it seems to me that growing up, we had asparagus for dinner nearly every day from April to June. My dad is a huge fan, and I suppose thats how I became one. As far as green vegetables go, I can think of nothing any better. I say green vegetables because summer sweet corn trumps all, in my opinion.
There is always the ongoing debate as to which stalks are better, the thick ones or the thin. I am a thin asparagus fan. To me, they seem less likely to be woody than the thick ones. But I don't shy away from thicker stalks, I just peel the ends down prior to cooking.
Speaking of cooking, try this one. Spread a single layer of asparagus in the bottom of a roasting pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and then drizzle with olive oil and a squeeze of lemon. Roast in a 400 degree oven for 25-30 minutes. Sprinkle the roasted asparagus with sunflower seeds or slivered almonds. Enjoy with your favorite roasted or grilled protein.
Sunday, April 5, 2009
2 Bartolotta's Restaurants In One Week!
If Milwaukee has a premier restaurant family, it is the Bartolottas. They have 4 places in the Milwaukee area. Bartolotta's Ristorante - a high-end Italian place in the Wauwatosa Village, Lake Park Bistro - a French restaurant on the East Side, Mr B's - a steakhouse in Brookfield, and Bacchus - a wine centered place downtown.
It was the latter two that I visited this week, both spur of the moment things.
First, Mr. B's. Nice place, good food. We had calamari as an appetizer. The squid came with a light crispy batter that didn't overpower the meat. Also it was cooked to perfection, no easy task as squid can get rubbery in a hurry. Your steak comes with a choice of potato and sauce. I had mashed and a borolo mushroom sauce. Everything came out good, but... not great. The borolo sauce wasn't distinguishable from any brown mushroom sauce I have had and my steak, although well seasoned and tasty, was a little overcooked. I ordered medium-rare and it came out medium. My friend's steak which was also supposed to be medium rare, came out well past medium. Service was friendly and attentive, not hovery.
All things considered this place was good, but for the price $30-$40 per entree, I would rather go to Jackson Grill or the Chophouse.
2.5 stars out of 4
Bacchus
This place is basically a menu built around a wine list. Bacchus, for those of you mythology enthusiasts, was the Roman god of wine. The menu at this place is 2 pages. The wine list is roughly 40 pages. That should give you a pretty good idea of what this place is all about.
We started with an appetizer called Crispy Gulf Shrimp which was a shrimp and basil leaf, wrapped in a sheet of “feuille de brick” (a thin pastry sheet like fillo), deep fried, and served with agro dolce (an Italian version of sweet and sour sauce). The shrimp were crispy and well seasoned, and the sauce was delicious.
For my entree, I had the Glazed Duck Breast which game seared to a perfect medium-rare (plenty of pink in the middle), sliced and served on a bed of Napa cabbage, snap peas, and shitake mushrooms. Accompanying this was something called Jasmine rice patty, which was crispy on the outside and creamy in the middle. It was savory and delicious. The vegetables were perfectly cooked (not mushy) and paired well with the duck.
Service was immaculate. There was a team of 3 people waiting on our table. When I tried to refill my own wine glass, a waitress materialized out of thin air to pour. The sommelier spent a good amount of time with us, even though I told her up front that our price range was on the lower end.
Prices are totally reasonable, especially considering the level of service. Also I should point out that the executive chef here is Adam Siegel, the 2008 James Beard Award winner for Best Chef Midwest.
I may become a regular at this place.
4 stars out of 4
It was the latter two that I visited this week, both spur of the moment things.
First, Mr. B's. Nice place, good food. We had calamari as an appetizer. The squid came with a light crispy batter that didn't overpower the meat. Also it was cooked to perfection, no easy task as squid can get rubbery in a hurry. Your steak comes with a choice of potato and sauce. I had mashed and a borolo mushroom sauce. Everything came out good, but... not great. The borolo sauce wasn't distinguishable from any brown mushroom sauce I have had and my steak, although well seasoned and tasty, was a little overcooked. I ordered medium-rare and it came out medium. My friend's steak which was also supposed to be medium rare, came out well past medium. Service was friendly and attentive, not hovery.
All things considered this place was good, but for the price $30-$40 per entree, I would rather go to Jackson Grill or the Chophouse.
2.5 stars out of 4
Bacchus
This place is basically a menu built around a wine list. Bacchus, for those of you mythology enthusiasts, was the Roman god of wine. The menu at this place is 2 pages. The wine list is roughly 40 pages. That should give you a pretty good idea of what this place is all about.
We started with an appetizer called Crispy Gulf Shrimp which was a shrimp and basil leaf, wrapped in a sheet of “feuille de brick” (a thin pastry sheet like fillo), deep fried, and served with agro dolce (an Italian version of sweet and sour sauce). The shrimp were crispy and well seasoned, and the sauce was delicious.
For my entree, I had the Glazed Duck Breast which game seared to a perfect medium-rare (plenty of pink in the middle), sliced and served on a bed of Napa cabbage, snap peas, and shitake mushrooms. Accompanying this was something called Jasmine rice patty, which was crispy on the outside and creamy in the middle. It was savory and delicious. The vegetables were perfectly cooked (not mushy) and paired well with the duck.
Service was immaculate. There was a team of 3 people waiting on our table. When I tried to refill my own wine glass, a waitress materialized out of thin air to pour. The sommelier spent a good amount of time with us, even though I told her up front that our price range was on the lower end.
Prices are totally reasonable, especially considering the level of service. Also I should point out that the executive chef here is Adam Siegel, the 2008 James Beard Award winner for Best Chef Midwest.
I may become a regular at this place.
4 stars out of 4
Thursday, March 5, 2009
I don't like that
There is a disturbing trend I notice that breaks my heart. It maybe comes from complacency, from environmental conditioning, from living too long in boneless skinless America. Its the idea that people are unwilling to try things based on their own prejudices. I have heard the following said by friends and co-workers over the past year:
I don't like pork.
I don't like fish.
I don't like peas.
I don't eat meat off the bone.
I only drink Riesling.
Squid? Eww!
I guess maybe it upsets me because it goes against my whole philosophy on eating. There is a whole world of good stuff out there, all you have to do is look around a litte. But people don't want to look. They want McDonald's and Sutter Home White Zin and chicken fried rice.
I'm not saying that I absolutely love everything I have ever tried. Cantaloupe gives me an instant gag reflex, and I have no idea why anyone would ever put orange and chocolate together, it just doesn't work for me. But that doesn't mean that I am going to write off a whole genre of food because I don't take to a particular item. And I still will try cantaloupe, I try it every year.
Whats worse is the people who are willing to disregard an entire food group due to one bad experience. We've all had a bad piece of fish somewhere down the road, that doesn't mean that all fish is disgusting, or tastes even remotely the same. I was always told mackerel wasn't any good. Then last fall, the group I was with hauled about 20 pounds of it out of the Gulf of Mexico, took it back to our resort, grilled it with lemon pepper, and ate until we could no longer move. Other people at the resort were stopping by to see what smelled so good. We shared with anyone who came calling. That so-called garbage fish is now one of my greatest food memories.
So people, please, throw your predispositions out the window. I promise you won't be disappointed.
I don't like pork.
I don't like fish.
I don't like peas.
I don't eat meat off the bone.
I only drink Riesling.
Squid? Eww!
I guess maybe it upsets me because it goes against my whole philosophy on eating. There is a whole world of good stuff out there, all you have to do is look around a litte. But people don't want to look. They want McDonald's and Sutter Home White Zin and chicken fried rice.
I'm not saying that I absolutely love everything I have ever tried. Cantaloupe gives me an instant gag reflex, and I have no idea why anyone would ever put orange and chocolate together, it just doesn't work for me. But that doesn't mean that I am going to write off a whole genre of food because I don't take to a particular item. And I still will try cantaloupe, I try it every year.
Whats worse is the people who are willing to disregard an entire food group due to one bad experience. We've all had a bad piece of fish somewhere down the road, that doesn't mean that all fish is disgusting, or tastes even remotely the same. I was always told mackerel wasn't any good. Then last fall, the group I was with hauled about 20 pounds of it out of the Gulf of Mexico, took it back to our resort, grilled it with lemon pepper, and ate until we could no longer move. Other people at the resort were stopping by to see what smelled so good. We shared with anyone who came calling. That so-called garbage fish is now one of my greatest food memories.
So people, please, throw your predispositions out the window. I promise you won't be disappointed.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Do It Yourself Gourmet
I posted earlier about dining at Sanford. I mentioned in that post that the chef there, Sanford D'Amato, writes a weekly column which offers recipes and stories from his cooking career. So, borrowing the idea from Alinea at Home, a food blog which I like very much, I'm going to prepare one of those recipes. This one, to be exact.
I haven't yet created it as I write this, so this post will be updated throughout the evening, or maybe tomorrow.
Back later.
UPDATE:
Well my shrimp shell tea is steeping and vegetables are chopped and ready to go. I would like to take this opportunity to brag about my perfectly julienned leeks and carrots, but my knife skills aren't that great. So instead of perfect little matchsticks, I have more of a short-bus julienne. No matter, I think it will be fine.
UPDATE #2:
Holy crap I just flambe'd! That was easily the most terrifying thing I have done today. I was pretty sure for about 10 seconds there that the flames were never going to go down.
FINAL UPDATE - THE VERDICT
Absolutely delicious. The peppercorns were obviously the dominant flavor in the sauce but the subtle brandy, shrimp stock, and oniony leek/shallot flavor came through as well. For the wine, I used 2007 Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc, which is a perennially well received New Zealand white. The nice thing about only having to use half a cup of wine, is that you get to drink the rest of the bottle yourself. I recommend you try this one. It doesn't involve very advanced cooking technique and all the ingredients are readily available. If you are having trouble locating green peppercorns, look in the pickle/olive aisle, near the capers.
I haven't yet created it as I write this, so this post will be updated throughout the evening, or maybe tomorrow.
Back later.
UPDATE:
Well my shrimp shell tea is steeping and vegetables are chopped and ready to go. I would like to take this opportunity to brag about my perfectly julienned leeks and carrots, but my knife skills aren't that great. So instead of perfect little matchsticks, I have more of a short-bus julienne. No matter, I think it will be fine.
UPDATE #2:
Holy crap I just flambe'd! That was easily the most terrifying thing I have done today. I was pretty sure for about 10 seconds there that the flames were never going to go down.
FINAL UPDATE - THE VERDICT
Absolutely delicious. The peppercorns were obviously the dominant flavor in the sauce but the subtle brandy, shrimp stock, and oniony leek/shallot flavor came through as well. For the wine, I used 2007 Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc, which is a perennially well received New Zealand white. The nice thing about only having to use half a cup of wine, is that you get to drink the rest of the bottle yourself. I recommend you try this one. It doesn't involve very advanced cooking technique and all the ingredients are readily available. If you are having trouble locating green peppercorns, look in the pickle/olive aisle, near the capers.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
The Big Game
Finally after years of me putting up with their badness, my Cardinals have made it to the superbowl. Since I am about the only Cardinal fan in Wisconsin, should they happen to win I suppose I will have to riot by myself.
Anyways I'm cooking right now I thought I'd share my superbowl menu.
Stuffed bell peppers - The stuffing is made from Italian sausage, portabella mushrooms, parsley, asiago cheese, and of course rice. Going to roast them in the oven and serve with a basic tomato basil sauce.
Asian glazed chicken wings - These will be quickly seared in a wok and then coated in the glaze and finished in the oven. Glaze made from hoisin sauce, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, orange juice, toasted sesame seeds, and red pepper flakes.
Also, because its the warmest its been in a month (33 F!) I'm going to do a Wisconsin classic, brats on the grill, served with kraut and brown mustard, a staple of the local cuisine.
What are you doing for the game? Eat anything good lately?
Anyways I'm cooking right now I thought I'd share my superbowl menu.
Stuffed bell peppers - The stuffing is made from Italian sausage, portabella mushrooms, parsley, asiago cheese, and of course rice. Going to roast them in the oven and serve with a basic tomato basil sauce.
Asian glazed chicken wings - These will be quickly seared in a wok and then coated in the glaze and finished in the oven. Glaze made from hoisin sauce, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, orange juice, toasted sesame seeds, and red pepper flakes.
Also, because its the warmest its been in a month (33 F!) I'm going to do a Wisconsin classic, brats on the grill, served with kraut and brown mustard, a staple of the local cuisine.
What are you doing for the game? Eat anything good lately?
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Three Steakhouses
If there is one thing Milwaukee doesn't lack, it is the abundance of steakhouses. Butch's, Eddie Martini's, Carnevor, Mo's, Mr. B's, and Jake's come to mind, along with all the chains of course, Outback, etc. While I love steak, the scene is a bit saturated around these parts. Nonetheless, I've been to 3 of the more well reviewed steakhouses in the past year, the third being last night, and I thought a quick write up to be in order.
Milwaukee Chophouse
This restaurant is located downtown on the first floor of the Hilton on 5th and Wisconsin Ave. A classic steakhouse, they offer a fairly abbreviated menu of steaks, chops, seafood, as well as salads and sides. The meal opens up with a piece of ciabatta bread served with an array of toppings. Herb infused olive oil, sun dried tomato spread, and Wisconsin butter as I recall. Just a quick bite to get you ready for what's to come. Everything is ordered ala carte. You order your meat, and discuss with your table which sides you want, as they are big enough to feed at least 2, probably 3 people. I would recommend the garlic mashed or twice baked potato to accompany your protien. Then comes the steak, served on its own plate, with a basic seasoning of coarse salt, pepper, and a little garlic butter. Absolutely hands down the best tasting beef I've ever had. Perfectly cooked, well balanced seasoning, I'm certain that had I seen my NY strip steak prior to its cooking, I would have noticed that wonderful marbling of fat that melts during cooking, filling your steak with buttery, beefy goodness. Also, on the my last visit, they had something of a wine lottery. If you ordered a bottle of wine, someone (the manager I guess) would come by with an urn filled with cards. The number on the card you picked was the discount you got on your bottle. We got half off, which was a pleasant surprise. Service is good, friendly but a little hovery. If I have a complaint it would be that the place feels a little....uptight. It was also nearly empty the last time I was there, we got there early, but even when we left it was no more than half full. Either way, it is my favorite place to go for a steak, if they dialed back their prices a few bucks it would be perfect.
3.5 stars out of 4
Jackson Grill
This tiny (10 tables) spot is just east of Miller Park on Mitchell street. It offers big steaks with big flavors. Your steak will be $5-$10 cheaper than the Chophouse mentioned above, and it comes with soup or salad and a choice of potato. I had a crab bisque that was among the best soup I have ever tasted. My steak arrived perfectly cooked, and as with all steaks there, topped with a whole grilled portabella mushroom cap. While delicious, the steak didn't take me to that next level as the one at Chophouse did. I suppose it could have used a bit more salt to bring out the flavor. Also the steak fries I ordered were kind of so-so. I'm probably being overly picky here. Every thing was worth the price of admission and then some.
3.5 stars out of 4
5 O'Clock Club
Formerly, Coerpers 5 O'Clock Club, is on 24th and State, just west of downtown. Anyone familiar with Milwaukee knows that this is not a good neighboorhood. There is a parking lot attendant who instructs you to leave your key in the ashtray and don't lock your door, because they double park people and have to move the cars around quite a bit. Leaving an unlocked car in the ghetto was not something I was enthusiastic about, but, my car was still there when I left.
The reason for the bad location is that this place is one of the old holdouts from years past, soldiering on in the same spot as it was when that area was an acceptable place to go.
You order your dinner at the bar, steaks are ala carte, sides as well, but individual sides, not the whole table sides like you get at Chophouse. They start you off with a basic salad and a relish tray. Very basic and old school, lettuce tomato, green pepper, red onion, etc. The relish tray had carrot sticks, scallions, radishes (we had a lively table discussion about what percentage of the population still eats radishes) and olives. They also bring out about half a dozen salad dressings, but nothing too exciting. It was your basic ranch, French, Caesar, etc. Then a loaf of fresh-baked sourdough bread arrived, after a long wait, right out of the oven. I appreciated the fact that there was plenty of sour in the sourdough, something I see less and less of these days. Then the steaks arrived. HUGE. This hunk of meat was so big it could have easily been cut into three regular sized steaks. I also got a giant baked potato - although I had ordered steak fries. I opted not to complain and the potato was very good. When cutting into the steak, I was sure that there was no way they could have achieved a perfect medium rare all the way through, but it was, wonderfully pink on the inside from top to bottom. I did manage to put down this huge steak, but I haven't felt good about myself since. That thing was just an orgy of meat. Flavor, not mind blowing but definitely good. Service, a few missteps.
I guess in the end this place just didn't measure up for me. Its prices are the same as Chophouse, but the food and service is not as good. I can get a better meal for the same price at Chophouse, and the same meal for a better price at Jackson Grill. Also, not having to go to the slums for steak is a plus.
2.5 stars out of 4
Milwaukee Chophouse
This restaurant is located downtown on the first floor of the Hilton on 5th and Wisconsin Ave. A classic steakhouse, they offer a fairly abbreviated menu of steaks, chops, seafood, as well as salads and sides. The meal opens up with a piece of ciabatta bread served with an array of toppings. Herb infused olive oil, sun dried tomato spread, and Wisconsin butter as I recall. Just a quick bite to get you ready for what's to come. Everything is ordered ala carte. You order your meat, and discuss with your table which sides you want, as they are big enough to feed at least 2, probably 3 people. I would recommend the garlic mashed or twice baked potato to accompany your protien. Then comes the steak, served on its own plate, with a basic seasoning of coarse salt, pepper, and a little garlic butter. Absolutely hands down the best tasting beef I've ever had. Perfectly cooked, well balanced seasoning, I'm certain that had I seen my NY strip steak prior to its cooking, I would have noticed that wonderful marbling of fat that melts during cooking, filling your steak with buttery, beefy goodness. Also, on the my last visit, they had something of a wine lottery. If you ordered a bottle of wine, someone (the manager I guess) would come by with an urn filled with cards. The number on the card you picked was the discount you got on your bottle. We got half off, which was a pleasant surprise. Service is good, friendly but a little hovery. If I have a complaint it would be that the place feels a little....uptight. It was also nearly empty the last time I was there, we got there early, but even when we left it was no more than half full. Either way, it is my favorite place to go for a steak, if they dialed back their prices a few bucks it would be perfect.
3.5 stars out of 4
Jackson Grill
This tiny (10 tables) spot is just east of Miller Park on Mitchell street. It offers big steaks with big flavors. Your steak will be $5-$10 cheaper than the Chophouse mentioned above, and it comes with soup or salad and a choice of potato. I had a crab bisque that was among the best soup I have ever tasted. My steak arrived perfectly cooked, and as with all steaks there, topped with a whole grilled portabella mushroom cap. While delicious, the steak didn't take me to that next level as the one at Chophouse did. I suppose it could have used a bit more salt to bring out the flavor. Also the steak fries I ordered were kind of so-so. I'm probably being overly picky here. Every thing was worth the price of admission and then some.
3.5 stars out of 4
5 O'Clock Club
Formerly, Coerpers 5 O'Clock Club, is on 24th and State, just west of downtown. Anyone familiar with Milwaukee knows that this is not a good neighboorhood. There is a parking lot attendant who instructs you to leave your key in the ashtray and don't lock your door, because they double park people and have to move the cars around quite a bit. Leaving an unlocked car in the ghetto was not something I was enthusiastic about, but, my car was still there when I left.
The reason for the bad location is that this place is one of the old holdouts from years past, soldiering on in the same spot as it was when that area was an acceptable place to go.
You order your dinner at the bar, steaks are ala carte, sides as well, but individual sides, not the whole table sides like you get at Chophouse. They start you off with a basic salad and a relish tray. Very basic and old school, lettuce tomato, green pepper, red onion, etc. The relish tray had carrot sticks, scallions, radishes (we had a lively table discussion about what percentage of the population still eats radishes) and olives. They also bring out about half a dozen salad dressings, but nothing too exciting. It was your basic ranch, French, Caesar, etc. Then a loaf of fresh-baked sourdough bread arrived, after a long wait, right out of the oven. I appreciated the fact that there was plenty of sour in the sourdough, something I see less and less of these days. Then the steaks arrived. HUGE. This hunk of meat was so big it could have easily been cut into three regular sized steaks. I also got a giant baked potato - although I had ordered steak fries. I opted not to complain and the potato was very good. When cutting into the steak, I was sure that there was no way they could have achieved a perfect medium rare all the way through, but it was, wonderfully pink on the inside from top to bottom. I did manage to put down this huge steak, but I haven't felt good about myself since. That thing was just an orgy of meat. Flavor, not mind blowing but definitely good. Service, a few missteps.
I guess in the end this place just didn't measure up for me. Its prices are the same as Chophouse, but the food and service is not as good. I can get a better meal for the same price at Chophouse, and the same meal for a better price at Jackson Grill. Also, not having to go to the slums for steak is a plus.
2.5 stars out of 4
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Stepping Up To The Big Time
The thing that I referred to in a comment in the last post has finally happened. Finally, after two years of talking about it, the opportunity arose for me to go to Sanford.
Located just north of downtown Milwaukee, Sanford has been around since 1989 and is largely considered to be one of the best restaurants in the country. The chef, Sanford D'Amato, has won several culinary awards including a James Beard award, and is probably Milwaukee's most well-known chef. He also writes a weekly column for the local paper, of which I am an avid reader.
But enough free advertising, on to the food.
We were able to talk my friend's wife into getting the chef's choice tasting menu, which the whole table needs to order if you want to get it for obvious reasons. We also decided to leave the wine in the hands of the experts, and added the pairings to our meal. I will try to remember everything as best I can, but I'm pretty sure I will miss some details.
First came the amuse-bouche, basically a small bite to wake up your palate. It was a cherry gel with grilled scallions and either creme friache or whipped cream. It had a very intense flavor, and at first I wasn't sure the combination of cherries and onions was going to work, but as it came together in my mouth, somehow the flavors blended into something very pleasant. I can't really describe it.
Next came soup, roasted parsnip soup to be more specific. It came garnished with chantrelle mushrooms and truffle brown butter. Rich and delicious. It was paired with a very interesting California chardonnay.
The next plate that came out had a beautifully cooked piece of wild striped bass with apple, marinated beetroot, frisee?, and topped with a dollop of smoked trout mousse. This was probably my favorite dish just due to the complexity. There were so many things going on and I enjoyed every one of them. It was paired with a french white wine, I think I heard montrachet in the description but I'm not 100% sure.
Next came grilled shrimp with kohlrabi and tarragon mashed potatoes, topped with a rich red wine sauce. I haven't had kohlrabi since I was a kid, my neighbor used to grow it in his garden. Anyways, two perfectly grilled shimp came on a bed of the potatoes, flanked by bits of kohlrabi and drizzled with the sauce. The wine with this course was the most interesting wine I have ever had. It was slightly sweet, and tasted like flowers. I can think of no other way to describe it than drinking flowers.
Fish courses now over, on came the meat. Pork shoulder with escarole and burnt orange sauce, paired with a very full bodied Spanish wine. This was excellent, tender, rich pork shoulder was complementied by the caramelized orange flavor. The wine was very old-world with a lot of spice and tannnins.
More meat, a roasted (or maybe grilled) loin of New Zealand elk, with I believe some sort of persimmon reduction and pomegranate. Things are getting hazy at this point, so many delicious things on top of one another cloud the memory. This was the first time I ever tasted elk. It was lean and a little minerally, which is a common flavor with the game animals, and went well with the sweet sauces and big fruit zinfandel it was paired with.
Coming back down now. The next plate was an arrangement of spiced mascarpone cheese, candied walnut, pear, and pear sorbet. While everything on this plate was great, the mascarpone was my favorite, kind of like a cinnamon infused cream cheese.
And finally, a cherry tart with cherry sauce and some cherry ice cream. The ice cream was in a tiny cone shaped wafer and there was whipped cream on the side. As I described it to my friend, it was like 'here are three things we can do with cherries, and they're all awesome'. It was paired with an Italian (I think) sparkling wine that was very similar in flavor to the flower wine I described earlier.
I am exhausted just trying to remember all of this.
We had coffee after dinner, and they brought out a few bite sized treats with the bill, some kind of caramel pecan turtle type thing, chocolate biscotti, and shortbread.
I'm sure my description of this meal doesn't do it justice. Probably the most exciting thing for me was that until they brought it out, you had no idea what was coming next.
If you are going to try dining here or at a place like it (and I do recommend it) there are some things you should consider.
First of all, it isn't cheap. With tax and tip, our bill came to around $160 per person. But with that extra expense you get world class food, from world class cooks, and world class service. We got new silverware with each course! What I'm saying is I have no buyers remorse. Other than those who were at the restaurant, how many people in Milwaukee ate better than me last night, in Wisconsin even? I'm guessing few, if any. Plus you get to try things you just aren't going to get anywhere else, New Zealand elk and truffle brown butter come to mind. I certainly cannot afford to be a Sanford 'regular', but I think I will try to stop in at least once per year.
Secondly, and this kind of goes with the last thing, dinner is an experience. This isn't like Applebees where you get your entree knocked out in 45 minutes. We were there for a full two and a half hours.
Finally I should point out that the courses I described above were not a full plate of food. Each plate could probably be knocked out in 10 bites or less, although I cut everything up really small so I could take tiny bites and savor. Despite the smallness of each individual thing, you do end up with a very satisfying meal, I was good and full at the end.
Well that about wraps it up. This has been something I looked forward to for a long time, and I was not dissapointed. If you feel the need to splurge on yourself or want to try something different, seek out Sanford.
4 stars out of 4
Located just north of downtown Milwaukee, Sanford has been around since 1989 and is largely considered to be one of the best restaurants in the country. The chef, Sanford D'Amato, has won several culinary awards including a James Beard award, and is probably Milwaukee's most well-known chef. He also writes a weekly column for the local paper, of which I am an avid reader.
But enough free advertising, on to the food.
We were able to talk my friend's wife into getting the chef's choice tasting menu, which the whole table needs to order if you want to get it for obvious reasons. We also decided to leave the wine in the hands of the experts, and added the pairings to our meal. I will try to remember everything as best I can, but I'm pretty sure I will miss some details.
First came the amuse-bouche, basically a small bite to wake up your palate. It was a cherry gel with grilled scallions and either creme friache or whipped cream. It had a very intense flavor, and at first I wasn't sure the combination of cherries and onions was going to work, but as it came together in my mouth, somehow the flavors blended into something very pleasant. I can't really describe it.
Next came soup, roasted parsnip soup to be more specific. It came garnished with chantrelle mushrooms and truffle brown butter. Rich and delicious. It was paired with a very interesting California chardonnay.
The next plate that came out had a beautifully cooked piece of wild striped bass with apple, marinated beetroot, frisee?, and topped with a dollop of smoked trout mousse. This was probably my favorite dish just due to the complexity. There were so many things going on and I enjoyed every one of them. It was paired with a french white wine, I think I heard montrachet in the description but I'm not 100% sure.
Next came grilled shrimp with kohlrabi and tarragon mashed potatoes, topped with a rich red wine sauce. I haven't had kohlrabi since I was a kid, my neighbor used to grow it in his garden. Anyways, two perfectly grilled shimp came on a bed of the potatoes, flanked by bits of kohlrabi and drizzled with the sauce. The wine with this course was the most interesting wine I have ever had. It was slightly sweet, and tasted like flowers. I can think of no other way to describe it than drinking flowers.
Fish courses now over, on came the meat. Pork shoulder with escarole and burnt orange sauce, paired with a very full bodied Spanish wine. This was excellent, tender, rich pork shoulder was complementied by the caramelized orange flavor. The wine was very old-world with a lot of spice and tannnins.
More meat, a roasted (or maybe grilled) loin of New Zealand elk, with I believe some sort of persimmon reduction and pomegranate. Things are getting hazy at this point, so many delicious things on top of one another cloud the memory. This was the first time I ever tasted elk. It was lean and a little minerally, which is a common flavor with the game animals, and went well with the sweet sauces and big fruit zinfandel it was paired with.
Coming back down now. The next plate was an arrangement of spiced mascarpone cheese, candied walnut, pear, and pear sorbet. While everything on this plate was great, the mascarpone was my favorite, kind of like a cinnamon infused cream cheese.
And finally, a cherry tart with cherry sauce and some cherry ice cream. The ice cream was in a tiny cone shaped wafer and there was whipped cream on the side. As I described it to my friend, it was like 'here are three things we can do with cherries, and they're all awesome'. It was paired with an Italian (I think) sparkling wine that was very similar in flavor to the flower wine I described earlier.
I am exhausted just trying to remember all of this.
We had coffee after dinner, and they brought out a few bite sized treats with the bill, some kind of caramel pecan turtle type thing, chocolate biscotti, and shortbread.
I'm sure my description of this meal doesn't do it justice. Probably the most exciting thing for me was that until they brought it out, you had no idea what was coming next.
If you are going to try dining here or at a place like it (and I do recommend it) there are some things you should consider.
First of all, it isn't cheap. With tax and tip, our bill came to around $160 per person. But with that extra expense you get world class food, from world class cooks, and world class service. We got new silverware with each course! What I'm saying is I have no buyers remorse. Other than those who were at the restaurant, how many people in Milwaukee ate better than me last night, in Wisconsin even? I'm guessing few, if any. Plus you get to try things you just aren't going to get anywhere else, New Zealand elk and truffle brown butter come to mind. I certainly cannot afford to be a Sanford 'regular', but I think I will try to stop in at least once per year.
Secondly, and this kind of goes with the last thing, dinner is an experience. This isn't like Applebees where you get your entree knocked out in 45 minutes. We were there for a full two and a half hours.
Finally I should point out that the courses I described above were not a full plate of food. Each plate could probably be knocked out in 10 bites or less, although I cut everything up really small so I could take tiny bites and savor. Despite the smallness of each individual thing, you do end up with a very satisfying meal, I was good and full at the end.
Well that about wraps it up. This has been something I looked forward to for a long time, and I was not dissapointed. If you feel the need to splurge on yourself or want to try something different, seek out Sanford.
4 stars out of 4
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