The Forked Tongue

Pass the Wasabi PLEASE

2008-02-28T08:05:00.000-08:00

So I've been sick for at least the past two weeks. Valentine's Day found me at urgent care with a 101 temperature. I got over that cold/flu thing only to get socked with an awful, awful sinus infection the moment that the snow started to melt and it got wet outside.

For some ungodly reason, I woke up this morning craving a McDonald's Bacon Egg & Cheese English Muffin. So since I was up, I ventured down to Regent Street to pick one up (well, two, actually). I dove into the bag and greedily unwrapped one. Finally, vindication why I was buying such food, since it obviously wasn't for purposes of proper nourishment.

I bit in and..... nothing. NOTHING! I couldn't taste a thing. All i got was the temperature of the cold, not melted cheese against the warm mushiness of the egg and the crunchy, crispy texture of the muffin and bacon. Two bites in and I had lost my appetite. As I was driving home thoroughly dejected the only thought that came to my mind was "This would be really great smothered in wasabi. At least I could taste it then. McDonald's needs a Wasabi Bacon Egg & Cheese sandwich."

Perhaps I'll leave that for a future TopChef condender to figure out.
In the mean time, I guess I'll be ordering Thai every night this week.
.sigh.

A Busy, Busy B

2008-01-30T03:15:00.000-08:00

If you've stumbled onto this lovely page and have noticed that 1) it recently appeared outta the blue and 2) actually hasn't been updated all that much since the initial posts, well, yes, I must admit that my days have gotten a bit away from me, and if you'll pardon the pun, I've got a lot on my plate at the moment.

I'll be off to Chicago for a conference this weekend, so perhaps the mood will strike me to write on in/edible delicacies I stumble across in Chicago. But we'll see.

Recent eats I have pictures on include: Dobhan, Mediterranean Cafe, Market Street Cafe, Village Bar, Cosi... yeah. i think that's it... though i've been to many other spots as well.

Thanks for the paitence! I only do this blogging stuff for fun & as a release and photo outlet... not for some sort of internet fame. :)

I think I'll try out some different taglines here, so for my first attempt I'm going with:

Happy Meatballs!
(it's silly, and happy, and really alludes only to the best homemade and family dish that I make. i make killer meatballs.)

Blue Spoon Cafe

2008-01-13T21:19:00.001-08:00

Samba

2008-01-13T21:15:00.000-08:00

I've been hearing a lot about Samba for over a year now. Mostly it's been comments along the lines of "There's no way this is going to be profitable." "There's no way they can possibly use all of that space." "We're not going to let them turn it into a nightclub, which is what they want to do" "I can't believe they sunk $4 million into that place" "How can they open a steakhouse? The price of beef is going through the roof!" "There's no way to draw in the kind of clientel they'll need to keep that place afloat, not in the middle of all the college kids"

Okay, so that's a lot of off-the cuff critiques that have been lobbed their way. And I think a lot of them are valid and time will tell. What I do know is that I was very impressed by what they had done and it showed that a lot of money and effort went in to making this a successful establishment. So, hats off to the Samba folks and the Riley's Wine lady that spearheaded the effort. I know the reviews have been nothing but positive, which means they've got their act together. Congrats.

With that said, it really is and should be a nightclub. If it was operated as such, it would rival the Rave in Milwaukee. You could easily fit around 5,000 in there for a show. And being a music kid, it was sort of heart breaking in a punk rock kinda way to see it turned over to white linen and mood lighting. But there's barely parking for 15, let alone 5,000 in that neighborhood, and I know that the logistics of such an operation (and crowd-control on the street) are not possible. Happily, all is not lost, and they are utilizing the stage for classy jazz ensembles to entertain the guests. I was glad to see that the stage space was being partially used as it was built and intended.

So regardless of my punk-rock wishes, it's operating very well with what it is -A fine-dining establishment where you can get top-notch steak on a searing metal-rod carved table-side by a smartly-dressed Peruvian waiter. You can even watch your meat being enflamed in an eye-catching open kitchen. Dessert (and sides?) are served buffet-style, which seemed a little odd for the prices diners must be paying. There's a goregous glass-encased wine cellar that no doubt houses beautiful and excellent, expensive wines.

Samba's ability to be intimate, yet have more space than it knows what to do with will constantly haunt this dining room that can accommodate over 200 diners (easily). There's a balcony that serves as a second dining room that was set to perfection and had an air of isolation about it. I doubt it will ever see many diners. I was curious to wonder, how much money went into buying all that extra tableware and linens that will hardly ever see use? The space is just SO large.

I did appreciate a colorful, private dining room that upon my visit was playing host to a loud, joyful party of at least 20. It was a welcomed change from the rest of the restaurant that seemed to be just holding its head above the room's cavernous, dark, smoky nature.

Would I actually eat there? Sure, if someone else was footing the bill, why not. It looked like quality, quality, quality was the restaurant's motto, and that will win you a lot of repeat business and happy customers. But this restaurant is definitely banking on the Capitol Condo crowd to keep it afloat. Good Luck to the Riley's lady. If this expensive, but well-thought out venture doesn't work out, there's always that venue option (...if you can figure out how to direct cars and (drunk) foot traffic in such a residential location. I'm sure the ALRC will be ALL for that. sigh..)

Best for: (expensive, quality) Meat on a stick with excellent service and wine.
Worst for: The gregarious size of the interior space. Vegetarians. (there's no tofu on a stick option, I'm afraid..) The college diner's pocketbook.

State Street Brats

2008-01-13T21:07:00.000-08:00

What can I say? If you want brats in this town, go to State Street Brats, because boy do they do it right. (If you're feeling brave go for the brat on burger option!)If the neon glow of the TVs and beer signs don't lure you in, then the excellent on-tap beers and red or white brats should.

Sure, you might have to put up with the hoards of baby-boomer UW alumni stopping in to reclaim a chapter of their youth while intently watching whatever game is at hand (don't stand in their way!), but Brats creates a community of expats and students alike that is unique and is worth respecting.

But at the end of the day everyone from nerds to jocks and baby boomers to the ME generation can share a story over a beer and cheer on Bucky while lamenting the walk up Bascom Hill in winter.

Best for: It's outdoor beer garden complete with flat screen tv.
Worst for: It's beer soaked, retro and slightly claustophobic interior, especially on crowded Friday and Saturday nights.

Brocach

2008-01-13T21:01:00.000-08:00

Pizza Brutto

2008-01-13T21:00:00.001-08:00

There's a lot of pizza places in downtown Madison, but none that I've been to (I haven't ventured out to Cafe Porta Alba) have pizza that takes me back to the Cinque Terre in Italy like Pizza Brutto does. The restaurant is run by an unassuming gentlemen who doesn't look very Italian, but definitly knows how to make Napolese-style pizza. I ventured in to take pictures on assignment not too long after they opened, and I was thoroughly impressed with the cosy, warm atmosphere of the Monroe Street restaurant. I think the guy's name is Jeff (or at least, we'll call him that). Jeff told me all about the oven, and how he went for a more rustic look over the mosaic-flourished ovens that dot the walls in classic, period photographs.
I was dually impressed.

So impressed in fact that I called up a friend of mine for dinner that night and said "hey, we have to go to this new place. You're gonna love it, and it's close to Engineering."

Off we went and the pizza was very very good. I had the Arugula Prochuitto pizza. My friend had one with sausage. We couldn't stop trading slices.
My verdict: definitely worth the 10 minute cook time for the pizza. Excellent beer and cheap wine choices. The pizza is filling, but not overly so. The have Coke products on fountain. (no Pepsi!)

Best for: A cozy, laid back, meal with authentic recipes and top-notch ingredients (take that Toppers!)

Worst for: Throwing Americans off-guard with their pizza topping options. (I had to deal with no sauce on my pizza during a repeat visit..but, oh well, that's how it's supposed to be. and it was very, very tasty.)

Lazy Jane's Cafe

2008-01-11T10:47:00.000-08:00

Jeff Hagen included Lazy Jane's Cafe in his recently published book Brewed Awakenings: An Illustrated Journey to Coffeehouses in Wisconsin (and Beyond) , and it's not hard to see why. Rustic, cozy, charming, eccentric and many other adjectives to boot, Lazy Jane's is a colorful, comforting cafe set amongst the vibrancy of Willy Street.

It excels at serving solid breakfast and lunch fare with creative ingredients and an eye for presentation. The tea selection is superb and the decor will keep you looking (in a good way).

Best for: A languid morning/afternoon bite of scones & eggs
Worst for: Only taking cash