Wine Knot - Kenosha, WI

Last night was the first time we ate here in a while. We had kind of written them off our list. I loved the idea of this restaurant when it first opened. For anyone who does not know, they have a menu that has what they call "Small Plates" and "Big Plates". When they first opened, the small plates were actually small. But based on most people I know from Kenosha, they want to feel like they get their money's worth, so their plate has to be overflowing with food. So, after a few months of being open, it seemed like their small plates got really big! Sometimes their dishes didn't quite match the description. One of our favorite appetizers used to be the "Fried Shrimp and Grilled Scallops". The fried shrimp is supposed to be tempura battered and they used to be. The last time we ordered this appetizer, the shrimp was not tempura battered, but they were just like the fried shrimp you can buy at the store. That's when we decided we were done.

But yesterday I looked at their menu online and there seemed to be some new items, such as lamb, so we decided to go.

We ordered a bottle of wine, which was very reasonably priced (their pours are small, so we always order a bottle here). We started with something we've never had before - the Portobello, Carmelized Onion and Roasted Red Pepper Bruschetta. My husband is not big on bruschetta, but I convinced him to try it because nothing else really interested us. It was pretty darn good, he was pleasantly surprised. There were 4 pieces, so it really was a small plate! Just enough to share.

My husband ordered the lamb and I ordered the Macadamia Nut Crusted Halibut. I am leary of fish that is a constant on the menu, but nothing else really sounded good, so I thought I'd take the chance. Let me restate that, many things are good on the menu, I was just looking for something more on the heathy side. Otherwise I would have ordered the Lobster ravioli - that sounded really good.

Several minutes after we ordered, the server came out and said they were out of lamb and she apologized for not telling us from the beginning. He settled for the halibut, but was disappointed. Just goes to show, phone first. The lamb was the main reason we decided to give it another chance. We both enjoyed the halibut, not fishy at all. The sauce was really good. My only complaint is that it was served next to a HUGE pile of mashed potatoes. I'm not a big fan of mashed, I'd rather have something a little more creative, but they did taste good.

This restaurant is always worth trying at least once or twice.

http://www.wine-knot.com/