Food Warriors

Inovasi, Lake Bluff, Illinois

2011-08-03T15:38:00.000-05:00

If you have noticed, we have not been posting much. The reason for this is the restaurants we have been going to have been mediocre at best. Almost all the restaurants we have been going to have cut back in some way to keep their heads above water during these tough economic times, and we don't want to kick someone when they are down. That being said, Inovasi is not one of these restaurants. We have known about the restaurant for some time, but it is not exactly easy for us to get to, so we have put off going. We are sorry we did.

We have gone to Inovasi twice in the last month, once on our own and the second time with a guest, who is a fantastic chef in his own right and basically just loves to eat. During both visits we order the tasting menu for the table.

The ingredients are fresh and seasonal, they even take flowers from their outside pots to put in the food as garnish.

The tasting menu consist of five courses and when we were two people, we received a total of ten dishes to share. Some of the portions are quite large, so don't eat everything or you will go home stuffed.

Some of our favorites are:

Pork loin carpaccio

Walleye carpaccio
Braised pork belly
Baby radish bake
Grilled cook’s ranch bison

Interestingly enough, after our first visit, the chef was planing to have a new menu the following week, which our server told us happens often. Between the two visits the area got hit by a storm and they lost all the food in the kitchen. When we returned the menu was not very different, but we enjoyed it all the same.

Chef John des Rosiers should be proud of what he has created here and we are looking forward to enjoy many of his meals in the future. We will wait till the seasons change, but rest assured, we will be returning!

http://inovasi.us/
Reservations
More on Open Table

Chez Jacques - Milwaukee, WI (Return Visit)

2011-01-10T15:10:00.002-06:00

It was just after the holidays and frankly we were tired of cooking, so we wanted to go somewhere with a nice warm atmosphere on a cold night. We have been here before http://foodwarriors.blogspot.com/2009/04/chez-jacques-milwaukee-wi.html, so we were pretty sure we could not go wrong.

We were right, and this time the service was perfect as was the food. I had the veal stew special and my wife had the Coquille Saint-Jacques, AKA scallops over saffron rice. My wife is not a big fan of saffron, since most chefs use way too much of it, but in this case she thought it was perfect and would recommend it to anyone that likes scallops.

My veal stew was extremely hearty and rich. It could have been easily served to two people. I took half of it home, but the cream sauce did not hold up well when reheated.

Overall, we still think this is a great place to go. Before you get in your car, make sure you go to their website and read about their history and take a look at the menu.

http://chezjacques.com/

Pier West - Twin Lakes, WI

2010-07-30T13:11:00.003-05:00

We stumbled across this restaurant because we just discovered www.restaurant.com. This is where you can purchase discount certificates for many retaurants for a reduced price. For example, we purchased a $25 certificate for $2. The only restriction is that we had to spend $50 total. That is never hard for us to do.

You can search by restaurants in your area and that's how we found Pier West. We were excited - something new to try and it's open on Monday. It's located on Lake Mary, which is small, but it was still a good view.

We were seated right away and offered drinks by the person who sat us. A great start! When she came back with our drinks, we were not quite ready to order, so she said she would return. We kept seeing her waiting on people who were seated outside on the deck, people who came after us. We got to the point where we finished our glass of wine and she still had not come back. Literally it was 20 minutes. Finally we grabbed another server and she apologized, said she didn't know that she was supposed to take care of us. She took our order right away.

We ordered an appetizer, salad and entrees. She brought our salads out first. I hate that! And it happens more and more often. I don't get it. There are supposed to be rules to follow. Appetizers should come first!

We ordered the Seafood Feta Bruschetta, which was shrimp, scallops, lobster (don't really remember seeing the lobster) sauteed with garlic, feta cheese, olive oil, tomatoes and white wine served with french bread. We expected it to come on the bread, like bruschetta normally does, but we had to make our own. No big deal. It tasted great and at least it was more creative than the norm.

For our main course, I ordered the grilled shrimp and my husband ordered the grilled scallops. I'm not sure you can do much to screw up grilled shrimp, so it was as I expected. However, my husbands scallops seemed very bizarre. They were the whitest looking scallops I'd ever seen. They looked boiled rather than grilled. Very unappealing.

We both had the roasted sweet potato which was ok.

I doubt we will ever return.

www.pierwest.net

Ashling on the Lough - Kenosha, WI

2010-07-30T10:21:00.002-05:00

If you look at our previous review, you can see that we liked this restaurant, but things have changed.

We don't know if it is the economy or just the lack of traffic in the Kenosha area, but this place is going downhill. I hope they can save it.

Our last three visits to Ashling have been miserable and we are taking it off our list. Two of the last times we went on a Monday since they are one of the few restaurants open on Monday and I seriously was looking for Gordon Ramsay. I figured he must be filming a version of Kitchen Nightmares!

Two visits ago we came in and were seated right away. There were only about five tables total with people at them. Our waiter took over 10 minutes to come and ask us about drinks, then we did not see him for another 10 minutes when he came back with our drinks and took our order. It took 15 minutes more to get our first course, which was a salad. The bad this was this was before our appetizer which showed up while we were eating our salad. During this time we ran out of drinks and we could not get the attention of our waiter and he never returned. Our main course arrived 20 minutes after we finished our appetizer and the bad thing was both meals were cold. We assume it had been sitting at the pass too long.

On our next and last visit we had fairly good service for a change except the food took a long time to come out, but at least it was hot so we know our server was doing her job well. The disappointing aspect was the food quality. My filet was over cooked and my wife;s risotto was not even risotto, it was plain white rice. We complained to our server and we were told that they ran out of risotto and the chef decided to replace it with white rice and he did not tell anyone.

In the first instance we were given a round of drinks at no charge because it took so long for the food and in the second instance we were not charged for the risotto. I can't imagine how they can stay in business if they have to keep comping items to make up for mistakes.

Basically from our observations management of the restaurant has dropped the ball. Serving staff is not trained and the kitchen is out of control.

I hope they get their act together, because this was a great restaurant and they could not ask for a better location. We wish them luck.

http://www.ashlingonthelough.com/home.html

Ten at the Eldridge - Lawrence, KS

2010-06-16T13:50:00.003-05:00

Ten is a contemporary American restaurant located in the historic Eldridge hotel in the downtown area of Lawrence Kansas.

We ate here several nights and each night was a little different. This was due to a major change in the menu and the fact we never had the same person waiting on us twice. The last night we went there I was fairly disappointed, the waiter was not very attentive and we had to keep chasing him down. The food that night was good, but not exceptional. I blame this one the waiter for letting our food sit and get cold.

Our other two experiences here were great and no complaints. We had a variety of things to eat, so I'll just list our favorites;

Crab Cake Appetizer was cooked perfectly

Pan Seared Walleye with crispy pasta & mozzarella cake and lemon pesto sauce was probably one of the best Walleyes I have ever had.

Garlic & Thyme Rubbed Bison Short Ribs were very tender and flavorful (told to me by my guest)

Vanilla Poached Sea Bas with Lemon Risotto and Saffron broth, to die for...

I was told by people that go here often to make sure I order the Filet Mignon, they said it was the best steak in town. I had it the night with the bad waiter and it was over cooked and cold. I should have returned it, but frankly I was tired of arguing with the guy.

Regardless of the last night, two out of three stellar performances are not bad. I will return here the next time I am in town.

http://www.eldridgehotel.com/restaurant_bar.htm

Twin Oaks Country Inn - Wilmot, WI

2010-05-27T16:30:00.003-05:00

We have dined here many times - I'm actually surprised we've never reviewed it before.

This place can be hit or miss, more hit than miss, but the misses are not bad enough to cross this restaurant off our list. Sometimes the service is slow to start, but once they get started, it's usually pretty good after that. This particular visit we had great service and they became quite busy while we were there.

We started with a crab cake appetizer, which was served with a red pepper sauce, yellow pepper sauce and a bernaise sauce. The crab was very good and the sauces went well.

For my main course I had the Pesto Chicken, which was a seared breast of chicken on top of a portobello mushroom. It was to be served with a red pepper sauce and a pesto sauce. I asked for the sauces on the side and they were both good individually, I'm just not sure how they would have been on the plate. It came with a Three Cheese Polenta Cake which was very good, I didn't really notice the cheese.

My husband had a special which was pork lightly breaded and sauteed stuffed with provolone cheese and smoked chicken served over fettucine. He loved it. I had a couple bites too and really liked the flavors together.

No complaints this visit.

The Billabong Australian Restaurant & Bar - Winnipeg, MB Canada

2010-05-17T15:51:00.032-05:00

The restaurant was recommended to us by a woman that worked at the hotel we were staying at. Always a bit skeptical, we did not know what to expect, but in the end we were very surprised by the quality and variety of the food.

We started our meal with:

Sydney Rocks Yum Cha (Dim Sum) - Served with ginger-chili dip.

2 Alligator and Manitoba Pickerel Pot stickers
2 Barramundi Shrimp, and Black bean Spring rolls
2 Pork, Scallop, and Shark Wontons

Wow - this was fantastic and the flavors just came together so well. I like to try different things when I go back to a restaurant, but I might have to have this again. If you were not sharing this could be a main course

.
For my main course I had Barbecued Kangaroo - Barbecued Kangaroo Loin medallions served with fried quail eggs, pumpkin and sweet potato pouches, pineapple and beetroot relish, then drizzled in a carrot and horseradish cream. Once again, fantastic. The meat was moist and cooked a perfect medium rare. I think if you cooked it more it might have gotten tough. The pumpkin sweet potato pouches are a great side.

My coworker had the Barramundi Wrap -

Australia

’s premier native fish, steamed in a banana leaf with shitake mushroom sticky rice and lime-coconut broth. Served with seasonal vegetables. This was not only delicious it was more or less healthy, at least it looked like it. I was able to steal a taste and it reminded me of being in Hawaii.

The restaurant was slow that night, but I have a feeling they get crowded on the weekends. It is not that large of a place, so you might want to call ahead. Prices are between $20 and $30 for the main entrée, but the price seems fair for the area.

If you get stuck in Winnipeg, it is worth stopping by.

They don't have their own website, which they should remedy, but you can find them at: http://maps.google.com/maps/place?um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=billabong+winnipeg&fb=1&gl=us&hq=billabong&hnear=winnipeg&cid=12511849320540702790 or http://www.menumanitoba.com/billabong.htm

Chop Steakhouse & Bar - Winnipeg, MB, Canada

2010-05-16T23:49:00.003-05:00

I happened to be up in Winnipeg on business and was tired of eating at the same old restaurant, so I was looking for a treat. Well, I found it at Chop!

This restaurant is by far the best place I have dined at in Winnipeg. The food was prepared perfectly and the service was exceptional. We were there on a night they were not so crowded, so maybe we got better attention.

They had a special Lobster menu when I was there so I got the lobster salad and it was fantastic. For my main course I wanted to try their lobster risotto, but they had run out, so I had the Halibut Chop which was on their regular menu. I thought it was very good, but it did have too much lemon for my liking. I do not think I would have it again.

My guest had the Beef Tenderloin Carpaccio appetizer and for his main course he had the Wasabi Crusted Ahi Tuna. He said both were exceptional. He ordered a side of Wasabi mashed potatoes and let me have a taste, make sure you order them.

Since we had been eating at less charming restaurants, it was nice to see a full wine menu. I was tired of only haveing the choice of white or red wine. The pours would good, but a little pricey, like everything else in Canada.

Winnipeg is generally very expensive when it comes to eating. The main course at Chop will run you around $30 US, so this is not really expensive. You will pay the same amount going to most chain resturants.

Next time we are in the area, we will be going back to this restaurant.

http://www.chop.ca/

Twisted Cuisine, Kenosha, WI- UPDATE

2010-04-23T10:44:00.003-05:00

I still like the idea of this restaurant, but they have some issues. First, I really don't like that there is no hostess station when you first walk in. It's not a problem when they are not busy, because someone usually sees you pretty quickly, but when they are busy, you could be standing there for too long. This particular time, they were very busy and they are not good at being busy. Mainly the service really suffers.

A pet peeve of mine is when it takes forever for your server to come to your table, then they want to take your drink and food order at the same time! If you give both at the same time, you are guaranteed a long wait for drinks. This happened on this visit. I had never seen this server before, so I don't know if she is new. We had a favorite server, I believe her name was Tanya, but she has not been there the last few times. Too bad.

Now to the food. Normally I order the scallops wrapped in bacon with a lemon buerre blanc sauce. The last couple times the scallops were so salty I didn't want to risk it again. I love salt, I normally salt everything, but this was too much even for me. So, I ordered the filet which was served with a jimaca salsa. I took my first bite of the steak and it tasted very weird. I asked my husband to taste it and he said it tasted like their grill was really dirty. I had to trim off all the edges, which as you can imagine, did not leave much meat. It tasted fine on the inside, so it was definitely what the grill left behind. I will never risk ordering beef there again. I will say that the jicama salsa was really good.

My husband had the stuffed halibut, which was actually very good. It is stuffed with an herbed cream cheese.

Right now I'm not sure that we will return for a while.

Hinterland Erie Street Gastropub - Milwaukee, WI - 2ND VISIT

2009-11-14T22:47:00.002-06:00

A week later we returned (see post of 11/7/09). Our nephew loves this type of food, so we decided to return with him.

They say you can never go back and it's true. This experience was quite different than last week's. First it was very crowded, so the noise level was high compared to last time. There are two sides to the restaurant, so maybe the accoustics vary from side to side.

We were seated for a while before our server came to offer drinks. That's not a good way to start. It really seemed that she had too many big tables, so throughout the evening we were always wanting for something or sitting their with our empty plates in front of us.

The food, however, was still good except for one thing, which I'll address later.

The menu does appear to change daily. There are some staples as far as proteins, just a different preparation.

I again started with the hamachi (I'm dieting so there aren't a whole lot of other choices). The preparation was basically the same, but the price this time was $15. Again I'm going to say it's not worth it.

My husband started with abalone. He was so excited to see abalone on the menu. It's one thing he really likes that you rarely see. I even tasted it (I was a little leary), but it had a great texture and a wonderful flavor. It was served with matsutake mushrooms, delicata squash and verjus.

My nephew had the Kentucky Fried Quail which was served on top of a waffle, topped with a fried quail egg and maple syrup. Now if I weren't dieting this is what I would have ordered. I did get a taste and it was very good. The quail was actually bigger than I would have expected.

For entrees I had Pan Seared Hawaiin Uhu served with pumpkin gnocchi, french beans, pine nuts, tomato and brown butter. First, let me say the pumpkin gnocchi was unbelievable. I was really wishing that there was more on the plate. Skip the fish, let's have more gnocchi! Actually the fish was very good too, perfectly cooked. The beans were a little crispy for my liking.

My husband had the Wood-fire Grilled Elk Tenderloin served with sweet potato and foie gras bread pudding, almonds, french beans and a foie gras emulsion. He loved it, but didn't really notice any foie gras flavor. I tasted it, also liked it and I didn't notice that flavor either and I really don't care for foie gras. I was pleasantly surprised that the elk did not have any gamey taste at all.

My nephew had the Lamb Rack served with garbanzo beans and many other things he doesn't eat. So basically all he ate was the lamb. Now I really do not like lamb, but tried it and it too had no gaminess to it all all. This is where the food went wrong. He had three racks. Two were sitting on top of the third. The first two were perfectly done, very pink in the center. The third one was well done. It almost seemed as if the chef was trying to hide the well done piece under the two perfect pieces because my nephew did not notice it until the very end. He was very disappointed.

Because my nephew was with us, dessert was considered. I did not order anything but tried both things that were ordered.

There was a peanut butter tart with grape sorbet and frozen whole milk. Peanut butter & jelly! And that's exactly what it tasted like.

The other dessert we ordered was flourless chocolate cake served with ice cream, a chocolate covered pretzel, peanut butter ball and condensed milk caramel. The cake was the best part.

Even though our experience was not as good as the first time, it doesn't mean we won't give it another shot. This restaurant falls into the category of "for the prices charged it better be good every time". If not, we're done.

http://hinterlandbeer.com/

Hinterland Erie Street Gastropub - Milwaukee, WI

2009-11-07T22:02:00.001-06:00

We were looking for something different and found this restaurant on Open Table. I believe we have probably overlooked it because of the name. To me the name gives a certain perception, which really turned out not to be true.

The atmosphere is so inviting. When you enter there is a really nice-sized bar on the left. The actual restaurant is up a couple steps. The tables are well-spaced, which is very important to me. I really don't like sitting along a bench where they always put couples. Usually tables are so close you end up listening to the conversation at the table next to you!

The server arrived promptly after we were seated and we had drinks right away. The wine by the glass is a little pricey, but the pours were decent.

Although our service was great, we overhead another server explaining the menu and he really went into great detail about the restaurant and how/why the menu changes every day. I was sorry we didn't get the full presentation.

The menu touts that they support local farms that practice sound agriculture and sustainable farming and that all fish is fresh and delivered daily from both coasts.

All the dishes are very creative and the entrees lean towards items you don't see routinely, like boar, bison and elk.

We started with appetizers. I ordered the Hamachi Sashimi which was served with chive and a mustard miso sauce. There was four pieces of sashimi presented very nicely. It was very good, but I would not say it was worth the $13 price.

My husband started with Elk Sausage Stuffed Calamari. Now that was worth every penny of the $12 price. It was served with a Roasted Poblano Cream Sauce. The flavors went very nicely together.

For entrees I had the Seared Diver Scallops served with morel mushrooms, quinoa, braised beef short ribs and a celery root emulsion. The portions are small, so you definitely need to order at least a salad or an appetizer in addition to the main course. Everything on my plate was excellent.

My husband had the Andouille Sausage Crusted Halibut service with fingerling potato, pancetta, sweet corn and bell pepper hash, chive aioli and a red hot butter sauce. This is similar to a dish he had at a related restaurant - Whistling Swan in Door County. We didn't even know they were related until tonight. This was just as good as the preparation in Door County. I tasted it and it
was very good, maybe a little too spicy for me.

We were very happy to have found this restaurant and look forward to coming back soon. It was a great surprise.

http://hinterlandbeer.com/

Spike's Bar & Grill - Eagle Ridge Resort - Galena, IL

2009-10-05T16:24:00.003-05:00

This restaurant was the first stop on my mother's 70th birthday celebration weekend for 11 people. We chose this restaurant for lunch because we were going to be checking in at the resort later in the day.

There were good things about the food, such as the Black and White Soup, which was a mix of black bean and potato leek soup. They put them side by side in the bowl and somehow they manage to stay separated.

The people that ordered burgers were pleased with them. A couple of us ordered the Chicken Cordon Gouda which was grilled checken breast, ham, smoked gouda, lettuce, tomato and a roasted garlic spread on marbled rye bread. I noticed how dry the whole thing as soon as I took my first bite. I immediately asked the server for more garlic spread, hoping that would help, but by the time she came with it, I was done!

All in all the food was okay, it's what happened with the tip that was not. We didn't realize until we got home that the tip was already included in the bill, so we had also tipped on top of that. We called the manager as soon as we realized and they said it was their company policy to highlight or circle the tip so it's obvious. This was not done, so they refunded the automatic tip and the tip we left. We are very happy about the way they handled this; they did what was right.

www.eagleridgeresortonline.com

Chancery - Kenosha, WI - ONE REQUEST

2009-10-05T16:17:00.002-05:00

Grilled Chicken Breast!

We enjoy eating here for a lower cost alternative, but it's really hard to find something healthy to order. I'd like to eat healthy and still be able to eat out. I know you have fish and it's usually very good, but please consider adding a grilled chicken breast! Sometimes I'm not so adventurous about ordering fish.

Molly Cool's Seafood Tavern - Milwaukee, WI

2009-10-01T14:53:00.004-05:00

We had to be in Milwaukee and wanted seafood, so we searched Open Table and came across this restaurant. I had never heard anything about it before, but the menu was just what we were looking for. Lately we seem to be choosing restaurants from Open Table; we are obsessed with earning points.

The first impression of the restaurant is very nice, except it was $5 to park right in front of the restaurant and for that $5 you have to park your own car!

The server first tried to seat us in the area with all the TV monitors, but we asked to be moved. The TV free section is very nice and a totally different atmosphere.

We first learned that it was "2 for 1" Happy Hour for rail and call cocktails, tap beer and house wine. We all ordered the wine. The waiter brought us each two glasses at the same time. At first I didn't like that idea (thought I would drink it too fast), but we were three people, so how else could it have worked? The house wine is very reasonably priced, so this was a great deal!

We each ordered an appetizer and shared. We had Fried Green Tomatoes with a remoulade sauce, PEI Mussels in a champagne cream sauce and Today's Razzle Dazzle Ceviche.

The tomatoes and mussels were excellent, but the ceviche was barely edible. First I should have asked what "Today's" meant and I probably would not have ordered it. I like ceviche made from lobster and shrimp plus lots of tomatoes and cilantro. This was basically fish pieces in a tomato based sauce (very watery) and that's basically it. No onions, tomatoes or cilantro. I believe what I like is Mexican ceviche; maybe this was some other version.

We were here on Thursday night which is Crab Lover's Thursday. You can get 1-1/2 lbs. of Red King Crab Legs for $19.95. What a deal! Especially when you see how much 1-1/2 lbs really is. We dine at Bob Chinn's a lot and their crab legs run between $35 and $50 for about the same amount. They started charging a premium for getting the crab legs without the knuckles, which just drives my husband crazy. It's not that he's totally against paying $50 for crab legs without the knuckles, but if you order the cheaper ones, all you get is knuckles. (Note to Bob: please bring back the price with the combination of both).

Our guest has also had crab legs at Bob Chinn's may times and he was very pleased with these crab legs and the quantity he got. He was actually surprised that they were as good as Bob Chinn's, maybe not as big, but tasted just as great.

My husband got the Florida Stuffed Grouper with shrimp, crawfish & brie cheese served with garlic mashed potatoes. He loved it. I had a taste too and it was unbelievably good.

I ordered the Parmesan Horseradish Crusted Halibut served with mashed potatoes, asparagus and stone ground mustard beurre blanc sauce. I was worried about the sauce, but the mustard was very mild and actually the sauce was very good. I loved my choice, but I think I would have to choose the grouper next time.

Besides the great service Ben gave us, the best part of this meal was the price. For 3 people (12 glasses of wine) the total before the tip was only $127. You can't beat that and it makes paying $5 for parking much more palatable.

Can't wait to return. There is so much more to try - Lobster Lovers Sunday (1-1/4 lb lobster for $19.95) and many more appetizers.

http://www.mollycools.com/milwaukee/index.html

Wine Knot - Kenosha, WI

2009-09-25T15:31:00.001-05:00

First, let me start by saying we really do like this restaurant, just for the fact that they try to stay a little creative, but they are just not consistent enough with the quality of their food. Not just that, but many times what you actually get doesn't necessarily match what's on the menu. I don't mind a change, but the server should let you know about the change when you order.

We ate here over the summer and sat outside. It was a very nice experience and we had no complaints that day, but this particular day was terrible.

I ordered the Half Portion Caesar Salad. I forgot that I've ordered this before and really do not like it. The dressing is very bland and doesn't remind me of any type of caesar I've ever tasted before.

My husband got the crab cake, which we have had many times before. It was a little over-cooked, but no where near as bad as the rest of the meal.

For entrees my husband got the Cajun Monkfish Oscar, which is served with crawfish tails and hollandaise sauce, dirty rice and asparagus. I got the Macadamia Nut Crusted Halibut served with roasted red potatoes, asparagus, lemon infused beurre blanc topped with crispy capers.

First we were quite surprised when our server put down the two plates in front of us. Mine was a good-sized portion of halibut and you could barely see the monkfish on my husband's plate. We both looked at each other in disbelief. In both entrees, the fish was ok. In other words, it was not fishy. That's always a first step for me, because I'm very choosy where I order fish from. There are some places I would never dream of ordering fish from. I've always trusted Wine Knot for fish and I've never been disappointed. The problem was not the fish, but all the sides. My roasted potatoes tasted as if they were days old and were reheated in the microwave. They were actually disgusting. The asparagus were basically raw. My husband's dirty rice also tasted as if it were reheated. It was so dry, it was barely edible. And this was a Friday night! You would expect the turnover would be such that fresh ingredients would be used - no need to reheat. Not that there is ever an excuse for reheating.

So, this tells me that the quality has really gone down. I think that's the beginning of the end.
Eventually people catch on. Will we give it another chance? Not sure. Too bad.

www.wine-knot.com

Wildfire - Lincolnshire, IL

2009-09-16T16:00:00.002-05:00

We have been to this Lettuce Entertain You restaurant many times over the year. 99% of our visits have been positive, so that's pretty good. This visit was no exception.

We made reservations through Open Table, which is just about the greatest way to make, modify and cancel reservations. I just wish every restaurant used this system.

We were three people and got seated in one of the u-shaped booths, which are my favorite. The restaurant is always so busy that I hate sitting out in the middle of the room in a regular table. It's better to be off in a corner.

We started by sharing their Spinach Salad, which I always have to have whether I'm here for dinner or lunch. It's a combination of spinach, bacon, mushrooms, radishes, eggs and a warm mustard dressing, which they toss right at the table.

I had the halibut special, which was served with a buerre blanc sauce. The fish was a good-sized portion and prepared perfectly. I chose wild rice for my side and it went well with the fish.

My husband had the Trio of Beef special, which I believe they have had everytime we've been there the last several years. I normally get this, but I was trying to make a healthier choice. This is three filets (3 oz each I believe) and you can get your choice of topping, such as a horseradish crust, mushroom, blue cheese, bernaise sauce and a few others.

One thing you can't pass up when you dine here is dessert. They all look so good when they bring you the platter and they are HUGE. My favorite is a big chocolate cookie pie served warm with ice cream on top. It's unbelievable.

Other than Lincolnshire, there are locations in Chicago, Oak Brook, Glenview, Schaumburg and one in Minnesota, Georgia and Virginia. When is Kenosha going to get a restaurant like this????

http://www.wildfirerestaurant.com/lincolnshire/menus

David's Bistro - Antioch, IL

2009-09-10T16:59:00.001-05:00

One day I was driving through downtown Antioch and noticed this restaurant, which I had never noticed before. Maybe it was the tables set up for outdoor dining that caught my eye. Either way, I was excited! A new restaurant to try. I immediately got on their website, which is very nice, and saw what they had for dinner. It seems that David owned this restaurant for a while, but I'm a little unclear as to what the name was.

The food looked very interesting, a little more creative than normal, so we decided to go there for dinner the following Sunday night.

There are two sides to the restaurant -one side is very bright and the other side has more subdued lighting and just has a more romantic atmosphere. We were disappointed that we were put on the "bright" side. Next time we will insist on the other side.

There are many choices for appetizers, which are very reasonably priced. For example a Crab Cake is $5.99 and a Ahi Tuna Martini is $6.99. We started with a Bacon Scallop Puff Martini, also only $6.99 and it was very good.

For my entree I had the Shrimp and Lobster Newburg (served over sticky rice with a madeira wine cream sauce). This was priced at $19.99, which I think is a reasonable price. The servings are not huge, but it was satisfying.

My husband had Lamb Chops (crusted with pine nuts and pecans with a tarragon cream sauce) also priced at $19.99. He's not a huge fan of nuts, but did enjoy this dish.

For a Sunday night, they were surprisingly busy. And because of this I thought the service suffered a little.

All in all it was a good experience and we will definitely be going back soon.

http://www.davidsbistro.com/

Whistling Swan - Door County - Fish Creek, WI

2009-09-04T13:25:00.005-05:00

This inn & restaurant is located in the heart of Fish Creek. We have dined here many times before, but we have never stayed at the inn. It's a charming building.

The menu is not huge, but is is very creative.

We started with Angus Beef Potstickers serviced with a sweet chili dipping sauce. They were pretty good, but did not really exhibit the creativity we've come to expect.

For entrees, we both chose fish. There are two fish items on the regular menu. My husband had the Andouille Encrusted Escolar and I had the Grilled Sturgeon.

You don't find sturgeon very often and the two or three times I have had it, I really liked the taste and texture of the fish. I just did not like it this time. Maybe it was the cut, but it seemed darker in color than I remember. It was served with a sweet potato blini, heirloom tomato, purple broccoli, dill creme fraiche and osetra caviar. The blini was the best part of the dish! The sauce was pretty good, there was not enough to help mask the taste of the fish.

I tasted the Escolar and it was outstanding. The andouille crust was not spicy at all. It was served with a corn, pepper and yukon potato succotash, chive aioli and a red hot butter sauce. My husband really liked a lot.

When we visit Door County I always say that I'm going to have dessert at least one time during our week-long trip. Bread pudding is my favorite dessert and as it always happens, it's not on the menu at many places, so I end up choosing a dessert at the last restaurant we visit before we go home.

So, here we are again, at dinner the last evening and what do you know? They have bread pudding! Unfortunately, it was Huckleberry Bread Pudding with peaches, nectarines and ice wine sabayon. The bread pudding itself was okay, but the peaches and nectarines were too big and not soft enough for my taste. Oh well, there is always next year.

www.whistlingswan.com

Carlos - Highland Park, IL

2009-07-17T22:30:00.008-05:00

It's our first time back since fall of 2008. You can read our post dated 11/4/08 where I was somewhat unsure of the changes and once again there are changes.

First, let me say that the service is still excellent. The same servers have been there for years and that must say something about the restaurant.

We had reservations early in the evening and for a long time we were the only ones in the restaurant. I was worried that maybe they were not doing well during this economy, but by 7:00 the place was full.

Last time we dined here there were two degustations to choose from: meat and seafood. This time there were two to choose from - the regular degustation and a mini-degustation. The regular one is one more course than the mini. I chose the mini-degustation only because I thought the choices were much better . The price of the mini was $75, $115 with wine. The regular degustation was $100, $155 with wine.

I still miss the fact that you cannot substitute items from the other side of the menu, but everything was still very good. I do think, though, that when you used to be able to pick from the regular side of the menu, you had one entree that was really the size of an entree. This time I noticed that all the courses were small and nothing stood out as an entree.

I started with the Pan-Seared "Mano de Leon" Scallop served with Caramelized Carrot Puree (wow!) and a Coffee-Red Wine Reduction.

My next course was a Maine Lobster Saffron Tortellii with a Leek Gratin and Lobster Saffron Sauce. This sounds heavy, but it was not. I'm not big into saffron, but the flavors were great.

After the sorbet my next course was Sliced Beef Tenderloin with Roasted Cauliflower, Brussel Sprouts, Fingerling Potatoes and a Rosemary Emulsion. Since I don't like cauliflower or brussel sprouts, not matter how hard I try, I gave them away leaving me with not much on my plate. Regardless, the beef was cooked perfectly and the sauce very good.

The dessert course was very good. There was something chocolate (don't remember what) and something made from figs, which was out of this world. I didn't know I could like figs so much.

I did get the wine pairing with each course and the servers were on their toes. We never had to wait for the wine.

My husband and his mother both got the regular degustation.

They started with a Smoked Trout with Goat Cheese Gnocchi, Parmesan Cream and a Basil Pesto. I didn't try it, but they both raved about it.

They had three choices for their next course, but they both chose the Pan-Seared Hudson Valley Foie Gras with Roasted Baby Red Beets, Beet Espuma (foam) and a Balsamic Raspberry Glaze.

Next they had the same lobster dish that I had and for their final course they had the Miso Marinated Halibut with Wild mushrooms, Artichoke hearts, Caramelized Pearl Onions and a Lemon Grass Emulsion. This I tasted and it was excellent.

This is still one of our favorites, not just for the food, but for their well-trained staff.

http://www.carlos-restaurant.com/

Prairie Grass Cafe - Northbrook, IL

2009-05-29T14:49:00.002-05:00

We first heard about this restaurant during an interview with Bill Kurtis about his Tallgrass Beef Company. We were going to be in the area, so we decided to give it a try.

We checked out their website before going so we knew that it wasn't anything fancy inside and the dress was casual. I worried, though, before we got there because I thought we were going to be underdressed. There were many people just as casual as we were, but also many who were in suits. It was a weeknight, so possibly people came straight from work.

The place was a little different than expected. First, it was in a weird location. It seemed like it was part of an office building. They had a back corner and the front corner was empty, so when you first drive up you are not really sure if they are open or not.

There was a bar area separate from the dining area. It looked like you could eat in the bar. The main dining area had a mixture of tables, booths and tables against a banquette. We were there early in the evening so we had our choice of tables. One thing we noticed is that the wood tables were really beat-up. I would suggest covering them with tableclothes; it looks really tacky.

I have read other reviews of this restaurant and the biggest complaint is the service. We thought the service was great. As soon as we were seated our servicer came and took our drink order. To our surprise the wine list was very reasonably priced.

This restaurant uses products from local farms, which makes the menu very interesting. They make their own sausages, salad dressings and ice cream.

I chose for my appetizer the Maine "Peeky Toe" Crab Cake over Grapefruit and Avocado Salad with a Citrus Butter Sauce. I was hesitant because I really don't like grapefruit, but I decided to chance it. It was well worth it. The flavors worked really well together and I really could not taste the bitterness of the grapefruit. The crab cake on its own was one of the best I've ever had.

My husband odered the Homemade Pate in a Crock with Apples and Port Wine-Balsamic Reduction. He spread the pate on the apples and drizzed the reduction on top and he loved it!

For entrees I had the halibut which had a brioche crust and what I think was a lemon butter sauce. We were told this dish used to be a special and people liked it so much, it was permanently put on the menu. The menu online is not updated with this dish so I can't confirm what the sauce was. The fish, which was perfectly cooked, was served over a warm green bean salad in a pesto sauce. Wow, was that good. I've never had anything like it.

My husband had the Tallgrass Beef filet special. It was served with sauteed mushrooms and roasted potatoes. However, he opted to substitute the Twice Baked Potato with Caramelized Onions and Gruyere Cheese for the roasted potatoes. In fact, it was so big that we split it.

Unfortunately we had no room for dessert.

I would definitely dine here again.

http://www.prairiegrasscafe.com/

Rip Tide - Milwaukee, WI

2009-05-16T15:29:00.002-05:00

This particular Saturday we were looking for a seafood restaurant in Milwaukee. Many times in the past the name Rip Tide came up, but when we've read the reviews we've always decided against it. Most talk about how bad the service is.

We made reservations through Open Table. We wanted 6:30, but they only had 6:00 or 7:00 available. We chose 6:00. We were meeting another couple there and they always like to have a drink at the bar first. They arrived a few minutes before 6:00, so my husband went and checked in with the hostess, told her we were here and asked if we could have a drink at the bar first, then be seated. She said no, that they were busy and we needed to be seated right away. That was fine; we realize how important keeping to your reservation is if the restaurant is busy. In the few seconds it took all 4 of us to walk back up to the hostess station, a different hostess was there and she said we had a wait of about 20 minutes. Ahhhhh. We had just given up our bar stools!

The service was pretty bad at the bar. They had plenty of bartenders, that was not the problem. It was that they were not paying attention to the customers at the bar. We would have to try to get their attention away from their personal conversations to get any service.

I would like to point out that the bar area was extremely loud, and it was very difficult to talk. We hoped that the dining area would not be as loud, but it was. If you expect to carry on a conversation, this is not the place to go.

Once we were seated our server did come right away and take care of drinks.

We ordered appetizers first. We all shared Lobster Lettuce Wraps, Fried Grouper Bites and the "Damn Good Crab Cake". The appetizers were very good. I feel that the Lobster Lettuce Wraps needed a better description because it was actually a lobster salad (with mayo, etc.) wrapped in lettuce leaves. It was really good, but not at all what we were expecting. The crab cake was big and very good also. One of our friends didn't like it because it was made with cilantro. I guess she didn't think that was normal. The grouper bites were my least favorite, but still good.

Salad is included. It's basically a garden salad, mostly iceberg, but nothing special. The server only brought three of our salads, she forgot the dressing for one and actually it took her about 10 minutes to come back.

At this point we'd ordered another round of drinks and that took about 15 minutes. It seemed that there were not enough servers to handle the amount of people.

By the time she brought the 4th salad, the entrees were only a couple minutes after that, not giving my husband enough time to eat his salad.

I ordered Crab Stuffed Shrimp for my entree. It was served with a beurre blanc sauce and rice. It was good, but I wished I would have realized the "crab" was the same crab cake we had as an appetizer.

My husband ordered the King Crab Legs. Anytime we go to Bob Chinn's in Wheeling, Illinois, he gets the King Crab Legs. He said that Rip Tide's do not even come close and they are just as expensive. In addition, he had no accompaniments, no starch or vegetables like all the other entrees came with.

The couple ordered the Crab Stuffed Shrimp also and she really liked it. Her husband ordered the Seared Ahi Tuna, which he liked too.

Overall, though, the experience was not good at all. The food does not make up for the bad service. Because they do have a great view (Lake Michigan), it could be a really nice place to eat outside, but it's just too expensive to suffer through the bad service.

http://www.getriptide.com/

B. J. Wentkers - Burlington, WI

2009-04-29T10:53:00.003-05:00

We have been here many times, usually on Mondays when they offer 1/2 price bottles of wine.

Tonight we were very happy to see some new items on the menu; however, I feel they are a little expensive. Not to say that the food isn't good, because it really is, but in this economy when everyone else is lowering prices or running specials, their prices seem high.

We started with the appetizer special, which were two lobster crepes covered in a cream sauce. The price was $13, but crepes were pretty big. In fact, it could be an entree. I would like to see it permanently on the menu.

I skipped the soup/salad, but my husband had the soup, which was a tomato soup with pastrami. He thought it was just okay.

For my entree I had the Shrimp, which was prosciutto and sage wrapped shrimp on mushroom ravioli, with balsamic beurre noisette for $24. We were told that this used to be on the menu (I had never seen it before) and the chef brought it back. It was very good. The ravioli was al dente, which I am just coming to appreciate. I really could not taste the mushrooms inside, though. The sauce was also excellent. I was not familar with the term noisette, but have looked it up. I think there are a couple meanings, but I'm going to assume the definition of hazelnut is correct. I did not notice a hazelnut flavor though. I am not a big prosciutto fan, so after eating a few shrimps it became too much, so I started removing it. It was just a good without it. I would definitely order this again.

My husband had the Drunken Ribeye, which is marinated in beer and brown sugar, grilled, with caramelized onions, on a beer mustard sauce and served with Rofumo mashed potatoes, also for $24. The meat was very chewy. This is unusual, because I have ordered this before and it was never chewy. Very disappointing.

Nevertheless, we have had many good meals here and will definitely come back.

http://www.foodspot.com/bjwentkers/menu.html

Chez Jacques - Milwaukee, WI

2009-04-17T16:09:00.002-05:00

This restaurant came recommended to us by a friend who knows we like French style cooking, so we decided to give it a try.

I'm only familar with certain areas of downtown Milwaukee and assumed that's where this place was. When we pulled up to the front, it just didn't seem like it was where a restaurant should be, but I got over it once we walked in. They are located on South First St., one block north of teh Allen-Bradley clock)

It's a cute little place, nothing fancy on the inside, but you feel comfortable right away, which is important. They have all the typical items you would expect to find - Steak frites, Boeuf Bourguignon, Bouillabaisse and even Croque-Monsieur.

We started with Bouchee a la reine (puffed pastry filled w/Crepes, veal and cream sauce). Very good.

I had Coquille Saint-Jacques, which is sea scallops in a vermouth sauce. This is actually the first time I had Coquille Saint-Jacques, so I don't know how to compare it, but it was good.

My husband had the rabbit special, which was also very good. Plus, it was a treat for him, because not a lot of places serve rabbit.

This place is very reasonably priced. My only complaint is that it went too fast. I know it's a fine line between too fast and too slow, but some places just know how to get it right.

http://chezjacques.com/

Pierrot Gourmet - Peninsula Hotel, Chicago, Illinois

2009-04-17T10:43:00.003-05:00

We have been to this restaurant many times, but only for breakfast. It is located at the Peninsula Hotel and we discovered it when we stayed there because the price is very reasonable compared to the main restaurant. You actually do have to go outside the hotel and walk a few steps to get there.

This is a cafe style restaurant, similar to what you would find in Paris. If you are a social person you might want to share one of the large family style tables with strangers. Not us, we always get a table for two.

Today we both ordered the Breakfast Bread Pudding. They have two kinds and we both got the one with ham, leeks and gruyere cheese. It is really good! The other bread pudding is made with bacon, potato and cheddar cheese. That one is good too (we've had it in the past), but we are both fans of gruyere cheese. It is similar to a regular bread pudding, but it's savory rather than sweet. It is served with a light salad on the side.

My wife is a tea drinker and whenever she has ordered milk on the side for her tea, they bring it heated. She loved that small touch, however, this time they did not do that. They were too busy to ask for it to be heated. That bring up the subject of service. It's not the greatest; it too reminds you of a Paris cafe. No one is in any big hurry.

Anyway, this is a great place to get a creative, inexpensive breakfast.

Pierrot Gourmet

Umami Moto - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

2009-04-13T16:46:00.008-05:00

This was our first visit to this restaurant and we were very satisfied with our choice of the evening.

We'll start off talking about the decor; someone went to a lot of trouble. It reminded us of many restaurants we have eaten at in Japan. Our only issue we have is with how they seat tables of two. They are all right next to each other. We have complained about this in other posts. We know they are trying to put as many people into the space, but if we got stuck at a table like that, we would walk out. Fortunately this night we were given a booth. If you make reservations here, request a booth or a table near the window.

Okay, the important part, the food. We have absolutely nothing to say but good things; this place is terrific. We started with their Strauss Veal Wonton, which comes with wild plum gastrique and parsnips. The flavors were perfect and complemented each other. My wife is not a big fan of veal and she loved it.

For the main course my wife had Sea Bass prepared with a tangy miso and served on top of bamboo rice and yuzu. The bamboo rice was very much like a risotto. This really was a wonderful dish.

I had the Diver Scallops which came with a cauliflower puree and a lobster salad. If we go back I would hate to not have this again; that is how much I liked it.

There are many more dishes to try, so we will be for sure going back.

There is one strange thing, though. Along the back wall, where our booth was, is a huge screen. At the time we were there, they were playing the movie, Enter the Dragon with Bruce Lee. Well, this movie has a few breast shots. So I don't know how you would feel about bringing kids. Otherwise the experience was great!

http://www.umamimoto.com/milwaukee/

Avenues at the Peninsula Hotel - Chicago, IL

2009-04-11T15:39:00.002-05:00

This restaurant is located in the Peninsula Hotel in Chicago and has had a new chef for about a year, Curtis Duffy. He replaced Graham Elliot Bowles and comes to Avenues from Alinea. Previous to Alinea he worked at Trio and Charlie Trotter's.

We dined at this restaurant a couple years ago when Graham Elliot Bowles was the chef and to be quite honest, I did not see what the big deal was. Not impressed at all.

This was a totally different experience. Before the atmosphere did not seem fitting to a restaurant of its caliber, but now it does. The atmosphere was great and the service was unbelievable. I think I've only experienced service this excellent once before. We never wanted for anything.

There were three different choices on the menu based on the number of courses. We chose the largest degustation, which was 17 courses and $140 per person. Most of the courses were just a taste, but there were a couple courses that were a little larger than just a taste. Each course was very creative and absolutely delicious. A little of the Alinea style came through in a couple courses, but I would not say they are similar. This is a very different experience.

I won't go into all the courses (especially since I can't remember what they all were), but some favorites:

Dover Sole with caper berry seeds, apple milk, whipped chlorophyll (this was unbelievable)

Iberico Pork Belly made with cocoa, smoked bread, miner's lettuce (very creative, excellent flavors)

Wagyu Beef Cheek with black sesame, sudachi, shiso and blooms. (Sudachi is is a small, round, green citrus fruit that is relatively unknown outside Japan)

I wasn't overly impressed with the dessert courses, but they were very interesting. There were 5 dessert courses and it was the 4th one before we saw any chocolate!

During the meal they bring you different types of breads, which were really good (even though we really didn't need the bread, I can never pass it up. The bread was served with three types of butter - one was basil, regular butter and goat's milk butter. Warning to those who don't like goat cheese (me); the butter tastes exactly like goat cheese.

The dinner took about 2-1/2 hours and it flew by. What a great experience!

You can't see the menu online, but here's some info:
http://www.peninsula.com/Chicago/en/Dining/default.aspx#/Chicago/en/Dining/Avenues/

Ashling on the Lough - Kenosha, WI

2009-04-09T18:00:00.001-05:00

This is the newest restaurant in Kenosha. It's a great location near the waterfront downtown. Apparently the bar opened in January and the restaurant a couple months later, so very recently. Service was only fair; which is expected of a new restaurant. I don't agree, but it's expected.

We started with Molly Malone Mussels, which were mussels steamed with tomoatoes, garlic, fennel, white wine and cream. I'm not a big mussel fan, like my husband is, but they tasted pretty good for mussels. He thought they were very good and the sauce was very good.

We then had a house salad, which was nothing special, but typical.

They have many traditional Irish choices for entrees, such as Corned Beef and Cabbage, Shepherd's Pie, Irish Stew and the list goes on and on.

I had the Gaelic Steak, which is a pan seared beef tenderloin with a honey mustard, mushroom cream sauce. The sauce was excellent! I only wish there were more mushrooms. The beef was very tender and for the price of $20, it was well worth it.

My husband had the Pot Roast which was served with fresh vegetables and mashed potatoes covered with Guinness gravy. He loved it and the price of $12.

My only complaint is the bar is very loud and the noise spills over into the restaurant as it's really not totally closed off. But the view is great and it was a great meal.

http://www.ashlingonthelough.com/

Country Squire - Grayslake, IL

2009-04-04T16:05:00.002-05:00

We went to this restaurant on a Saturday night and it was the first time we had been there in a long time, maybe 10 years.

We had been there a few times for Mother's Day brunch over the years and a couple times for dinner. This particular day we happened to be done in the area around dinner time, so thought we would try it again (we had not been that impressed the last time).

They were very busy, but we managed to get a table right away, with a nice view of the garden.

We started with the Shrimp De Jonghe, which was very good. All entrees come with a choice of a spinach salad, specialty salad or caesar salad. We both had the spinach salad, which was also very good.

For entrees I had the special, which was scallops and shrimp served in a baking dish with carmelized onions. The taste was outstanding and really like nothing I'd ever had before. I love when there's something different to try!

My husband had the Maryland Crab Cake made with lump crab meat served with an orange marmalade horseradish sauce. You wouldn't think that sounds good, but it really was.

We were a little worried when we noticed that they had a wedding in their banquet room. We thought maybe service would suffer, but the service was exceptional. Apparently they can take care of both the dining room and the banquet room.

I'm glad we gave this place another try. We will definitely go back. It was a great value for what we paid, which was very reasonable.

http://www.csquire.com/

Eddie's Steakhouse & Bistro - Kenosha, WI

2009-04-01T11:12:00.002-05:00

This restaurant is in the former Dakota Steakhouse location. This was our third trip to this restaurant since they opened. The first time we ate here was shortly after it opened. We liked it; they seemed more creative than the ususal. Then several months later we tried it again and were very disappointed and vowed never to return. At that time, the food did not seem fresh and the service was not great. Plus no one was there and you never feel good about eating at an empty restaurant.

So this week we had a coupon and like everyone else, we are looking for a good value in this economy. We don't want to give up eating out; we just have to carefully choose where we are going.

First, the bread was great, perfectly heated too. We did not have an appetizer as the selection is not the greatest. We both chose the house salad rather than the soup. As salads go, it was not great. I'm not a fan of the mix that comes in a bag and that's what this seemed like. Too much iceberg lettuce and shredded carrots.

I ordered the sauteed chicken with mushrooms in a wine sauce and chose risotto as my side. The chicken was lightly floured and satueed and tasted great. My only complaint is not enough mushrooms!

My husband ordered the ribeye, which was cooked to medium rare as requested, but the outside was very charred. He is not a sauce person, but asked for horseradish sauce to kill the taste of the charring.

They have a good size pour as far as wine goes, but I wish, as always, that there was more than one choice for Chardonnay. With all the people that drink wine these days, you would think there would be a couple choices.

So, with the coupon, this turned out to be a good value for the money paid.

http://www.eddiessteakhouse.com/

Savanna House Restaurant & Bar - Wadsworth, IL

2009-03-25T16:03:00.010-05:00

We were out for a weekend drive and we saw this restaurant. The only reason we even saw it was because we were trying to avoid construction on the Illinois tollway.

The place is relatively new, they have been open for less than a year. It is clean and very comfortable.

The bar area where they have live music on occasion takes up most of the building, the restaurant is mainly on what they call a sun room. Don't let the bar atmosphere deter you from visiting, it is not the main attraction.

What impressed us was the excellent service and the fantastic home-cooked food. Unless they were fooling us, it did appear that everything coming from the kitchen seemed extremely fresh and well prepared. Home cooking really would describe the food the best.

We have now been there twice, once for lunch and once for dinner. For lunch I had their Chunky Chili and their Build a Burger. For my burger I chose the small 1/4 lb size, which was more than enough. The burger reminded me of ones I use to get at a grill when I was a kid. It was fantastic. My wife had the French Onion Crock and a Turkey Burger, which she gave me a taste of. I am not a big fan of turkey burgers, they are usually dry and flavorless. This one was really good and I might even pick it over beef next time.

For dinner we shared their crab cake appetizer, which is not a what I would call a normal crab cake, but it was really good. I then had the ribs and my wife had the barbecue chicken. The barbecue Chicken was really good, but to tell you the truth, I would pas s on the ribs. They were a little cold and the meat was very dry and hard to get off the bone. Maybe I just hit them on a bad night.

We are very happy 94 is under construction, it gave us a chance to go to a new restaurant that we really did enjoy.

http://www.savannahouserestaurant.com/location.html

The HobNob - Kenosha, Wisconsin

2009-03-13T23:57:00.002-05:00

The HobNob has been around for a very long time. It opened on August 11, 1954 and it has been running as a Supper Club ever since. The decor is what you would expect of a 50's style steak house, but what really is amazing is the view of Lake Michigan.

The food is well prepared and the service is excellent. All dinners served with your choice of a tossed salad or spinach salad, and soup,

choice of potatoes, and bread basket.

This evening my wife ordered the Crab Gratin Mushrooms appetizer. The taste was really good, but the mushrooms were small and you only got 4. I wish we had ordered the crab cakes, though. Next time we will.

For a main course I had the Prime Rib "Regular Cut". I ordered a side of horseradish sauce and Bearnaise. I also had a backed potato, it was excellent.

My wife had shrimp de jonghe which she really enjoyed.

We thought the prices were a little high for the way the economy is, but we had a nice evening and the restaurant had a decent crowd. Also, the wine pours were small, we would recomend you buy a bottle.

If you are in the mood for a good steak and a trip into the past, plan a few hours to enjoy a good meal and have a few drinks.

http://www.thehobnob.com/

Cafe Pyrenees - Libertyville, IL

2009-03-11T13:31:00.000-05:00

We have been going to this restaurant since they first opened in 1990 in Vernon Hills, IL. They have sinced moved to Libertyville into a larger space. Af first I didn't like the new place - I thought they had expanded too fast. It seemed more casual than before and I thought the service really suffered.

Now I really feel that they have their act together and I really like the feel of the restaurant now. You can go in jeans and really feel comfortable.

Mainly their food is French influenced. My favorite thing about this restaurant is their creativeness. They have theme nights, like Tapas on Thursday or a night for crepes. They also have Wild Wine Wednesday where a specific brand of wine will be $3 per glass or $8 per bottle. How can you beat that!

Today we went because it was Wednesday and we were happy to discover it was March Madness. Everything on the regular menu was 50% off. So, not only can you have wine for $3, your meal is 50% off! We were so excited because this economy has forced us to eat at home more and this made it very affordable.

You can always count on a great fish special each night. It's a little pricey, but very good.

This is definitely a restaurant you should try.

http://www.cafepyrenees.com/

Fratellos Waterfront Restaurant - Milwaukee, WI

2009-03-03T16:29:00.003-06:00

I had a craving for a cassoulet and my wife scoured the internet and found one at a restaurant called Fratellos in Milwaukee. It was late in the day, so we used OpenTable.com to get a quick reservation and we were off.

There is valet parking, so make it easy on yourself and use it. Parking can be a pain in the Third Ward.

Anyway, we started our dinner with their Savory Cupcakes, a BLT and a Club cupcake. Just so you know, they are really cupcakes and they are quite good. I don't think we would get them again, but you really should try them. I think they could have used a little more bacon.

I had the Braised Short Ribs that came on a bed of white bean and fingerling potato cassoulet. I loved it and will get it again. My wife had the grilled bruschetta chicken. She also really enjoyed her meal.

Both our meals were under $20 so for a good dinner it was pretty reasonable. We will be returning.

http://www.supplerestaurantgroup.com/fratellos-mke/default.asp

Forge Club - Vernon Hills, IL

2009-03-01T08:49:00.004-06:00

If you live in the area and you are not a member, you are really missing out. We received a membership at the club for as a wedding gift and we have been going ever since.

The club has been around since 1969 and is known for elegant dining in a very rustic atmosphere. You are greeted at the door where you check in, then you are not presented with a bill till the end of the evening. The big thing about this restaurant is the fantastic food, but what we like most is the atmosphere. The service is never rushed, we have been the only people in the restaurant and we could have stayed all night. Nobody is ever trying to turn tables.

We usually start the evening with a drink (or two) in the bar. Once we make it to the dining area you can relax as long as you wish, or you can jump right in. When the menus come, only the host is given prices. This is nice when you are entertaining, your guests will not freak out about the prices and ordered the grilled cheese.

The menu changes frequently, but some of our favorite staples are Steak Diane, Dover Sole, Veal Chop and the Rack of Lamb. Last night the specials were Sea Bass, which one of our guests had and she loved it. Another, which a second guest had, was a 22oz Kansas City Bone-in Rib eye. I was lucky enough to get a taste of each and I have to tell you it was impressive. I was surprised when my guest ate all 22oz.

The meal is somewhat expensive, but if you really want to have a special night out this is the place to go.

Just so you know, not all the meals are expensive. Lunch is a great bargain and very creative, Sunday dinner, which they are now calling "Dinner with Grandma" is quite reasonable and there is something for everyone's taste.

If you want to go somewhere where you feel like family and are treated with the respect you so deserve, then join the club and start enjoying something very special.

http://www.forgeclub.com/

Miramar - Highwood, Illinois

2009-02-18T20:00:00.005-06:00

We first tried this restaurant for lunch during the summer. We ate outside on the sidewalk and had a leisurely lunch. We decided when the opportunity arose, we would make sure to try dinner.

Well it took us awhile, but when we did make it for dinner we really enjoyed it. The new chef, Roland Liccioni, has worked at fine restaurants such as Carlos, Les Nomades and the late Le Francais.

We started with the Escargot with Garlic & Pernod Butter and both of us had the special Sea Bass with lobster sauce. As Escargot goes, this was very good, but the sea bass was exceptional.

We can't wait to go back and try many of the other fine dishes.

http://www.miramarbistro.com/

Mangia Trattoria - Kenosha, WI

2009-01-20T15:43:00.001-06:00

Mangia is an Italian resturant, but more northern Italian type food. We have been going to this restaurant for many years, but only for dinner. It is one of the nicer restaurants in the Kenosha area and it is not overly expensive. We had a business associate come in from Finland and we wanted to have a good lunch so we decided to give Mangia a try.

We had the PANINO DI POLLO ~ $13.95 Diced chicken breast with mozzarella, sun dried tomatoes, caramelized onions and basil on grilled Tuscan bread and the PANINO DI BISTECCA ~ $14.95 Grilled ribeye with herb mayo, spinach and caramelized onions on grilled Tuscan bread. Both were excellent, though the ribeye meat was cut too large and you could not bite through it and keep it on the bread. The flavor was great, but it was very messy. I doubt we will have this again.

Next time I go I am getting the ORECCHIETTE CON SALSICCIA ~ $15.95 Ear shaped pasta with Pinn-Oak ground lamb sausage, broccoli rabe, garlic, goat cheese and chili flakes. I hope it taste as good as it sounds.

http://www.kenoshamangia.com/

Le Bistro - Norwegian Perl (Western Caribbean)

2009-01-17T10:44:00.000-06:00

We have been on two Norwegian ships, the Pearl and two years before on the sister ship the Jewel. We liked the Jewel better, the service seemed to be of a higher caliber. Maybe due to the world financial situation Norwegian is cutting corners.

Anyway, we are not here to talk about the ship, we are here to talk about Le Bistro, which is the French restaurant on board.

On a cruise you expect to eat buffet food more or less. Most meals all come from the same kitchen, so in the end things start to seem the same. Most food is poorly seasoned and it is rushed to be put in front of you. This is not true of Le Bistro.

The service is what you would expect from a 5 start restaurant in any major city. The food was exceptional and well-seasoned.

I can't find the copy of the menu, and we had a large group, so I'll just go over the highlights.

For appetizers, get the escargot, it was unique in its preparation and very rich. For the main course, I would have to recommend the lamb, it was cooked perfectly. Others had the fish special which everyone cleaned their plate, so it must have been good. Two of us shared their version of Chateaubriand and it was excellent

We had the creme brulee for desert; it was not the best we have every had, but it ranked right up there.

Off all the restaurants on the ship this was the best. The second best would be the Italian restaurant.

If you happen to be on either of these ships, pay the extra $15 to go to Le Bistro, we hope your experience is as enjoyable as ours.

www.ncl.com

Oasis Food Court - Northwest Comunity Hospital, Arlington Heights, IL

2008-12-06T19:42:00.005-06:00

Recently we have had the opportunity to dine (more than once) at this fine establishment.

Okay, don't go out of your way, but if you like cafeteria food, this is pretty good. I would recommend not going to the grill, this is where they make the hamburgers. They are very overcooked and not worth the wait, but I have to admit the guys behind the counter always seem friendly.

The area where the pizza is usually has some special of the day. I enjoyed the Fajitas, very tasty and it was warm when the cook gave it to me. Unfortunately by the time I waited in line to pay for my meal it was cold.

The sandwiches are good and made to order. They are more expensive than other foods available, but the quality is pretty good.

If you are unfortunate enough to be stuck here, give it a try. It is fast and you don't have to leave the building.

Twisted Cuisine - Kenosha, WI

2008-12-04T16:28:00.004-06:00

We ate here a couple times after they first opened. We enjoyed our first visit, but the second visit was not good and we decided to cross Twisted Cuisine off our list.

Then last week I read an article about their new chef and we decided to give it another try. There are more entress then there were previously, so we were off to a good start.

We were offered a drink as soon as we were seated. Another good sign! They have very generous wine pours and some quality brands of wine.

We started with the Crab Stuffed Mushrooms. The mushroom caps were huge and stuffed with crab, garlic, cheese and breadcrumbs. They were very good.

Each entree comes with a choice of soup or salad. I had the salad, which was your typical garden salad. My husband had the soup, which was a squash soup. He asked before ordering if it had cream. He was told no, but I suspect that was not right. It was very good though.

I ordered the Wild Mushroom Risotto for my main course, which was good. My husband ordered the "Catch of the Day", which was flounder. The menu stated that it could be prepared grilled, sauteed or blackened. He ordered it sauteed. The server then came back and said it could not be prepared that way, it was stuffed with rice. Then she came back and said they were very confused, now he could have it sauteed. It made us think that it was not fresh, but frozen and they really didn't know what they had in their freezer. Not that we really believed the catch of the day would be fresh, but one could hope. Despite the fishy smell, it actually tasted pretty good.

Overall, we were very pleased with the food and experience, especially for the price. We will definitely go back. I think they have their act together.

http://twistedcuisine.com/

Matsukaze Japanese Restaurant - Hilton Hotel, Narita, Japan

2008-11-08T20:00:00.002-06:00

I have been to this restaurant on numerous occasions. It is a traditional Japanese restaurant, but being at a hotel you have many choices of food. You can have Sushi, Shabu-Shabu, Sukiyaki or just a very nice steak.

The service has always been great; the only thing I don’t like is the ambiance. It is too much like a cheap Japanese restaurant you’d find in the United States. I could live with this because the food is fantastic.

I arrived in Japan after a disappointing trip to Taiwan and I was looking forward to eating here. I have never had reservations in the past, so I was surprised when I showed up and they were booked. I was asked to come back in 20 minutes and they would have a seat ready. I showed up 25 minutes later and still had to wait 10 minutes before I was seated. Then it took forever for someone to take my order and then I waited a long time for my first course to arrive. I ordered a seven course tasting menu.

As I sat there waiting the restaurant became more and more empty. I then figured out what happened. They were offering very inexpensive dinner meals and the locals were taking advantage of the fact. There is nothing wrong with this, but when your service suffers because you think an Early Bird special is going to bring in some extra cash you have, as they say on TV, “Jumped the Shark”.

Just so you know the meal was fantastic; as usual the food is worth the trip.

My recommendation is that you show up after 7:00 PM for better service.

http://www1.hilton.com/en_US/hi/hotel/NRTHIHI-Hilton-Tokyo-Narita-Airport-hotel/dining.do;jsessionid=8154A3CDA603B62CB6919384661BE150.etc84#2

Sebastians - Racine, WI - UPDATE

2008-11-04T12:50:00.004-06:00

We have been to Sebastians many times and I must say, the new menu is unbelievable. I think the service is best in the bar area, but lately we have had good service in the restaurant.

Tonight we started with the Lump Crab Cakes with apricot and mustard sauces. I wasn't sure about the apricot, but the flavor worked well with the crab. The crab tasted very fresh.

For my entree I had the Lobster Dumplings that were pan-fried and topped with a shitake-mirin butter sauce. Oh my! It was unbelievable.

My husband had the scallops that were served wtih potato croquettes, spinach and a smoked tomato butter sauce. He really liked it, but I think mine was much better. Although I tasted his croquettes and they were really good.

This restaurant never ceases to amaze even if it seems in the middle of nowhere (at least for us). It's worth the drive.

http://www.sebastiansfinefood.com/

Carlos' - Highland Park, IL

2008-11-04T12:46:00.002-06:00

This marks about our 15th visit to Carlos. It is our favorite restaurant and not only because of the food. The service is excellent and many of the staff has a great sense of humor. The atmosphere is romantic, the lighting and décor are perfect. There is no stuffiness here. You feel comfortable the minute you walk in.

We have dined here for business and pleasure. Even though it has a romantic atmosphere, it is perfect for business dining also. We’ve been here with family and friends, and everyone comes away agreeing with us: this is the best restaurant in the Chicago area.

For this particular visit, we were with our nephew. It was his gift to me for my birthday. Now keep in mind that he’s only 23 years old and for him, it’s a huge gift monetarily.

I made up my mind beforehand to try to be frugal when ordering. I had not intended on getting the degustation, but my husband and my nephew were both getting it, so I decided to also. I decided to just order wine by the glass instead of getting the wine pairing. Oops! I did not realize how much the wine was by the glass!

Both my husband and nephew got the Meat and Game Degustation and I ordered the Shell Fish and Fish Degustation. Let me backtrack a little. In all previous visits there was always a degustation menu that you could order, but substitute some items from the regular side of the menu if there was something you didn’t like. Some of these items had an upcharge, which was fine. Now, the first thing they tell you if there are no substitutions. I understand the reasoning behind it, but previously you could always ensure that every course was perfect and exactly what you wanted. I understand that change is sometimes necessary, but I wish we could return to the way it was.

In spite of all that, both degustations were out of this world! Both were 6 courses plus Petits Four. Some of the game courses were:

Grilled California Squab Breast with Tart of Spinach and Mushrooms with a natural jus.
Pan Seared Duck and Duck Confit with Hudson Valley Foie Gras
Cocoa Crusted New Zealand Venison with Caramelized Fennel

The seafood one included:

Smoke Trout and Butter Poached Fingerling Potato Terrine
Maine Lobster Ravioli with Julienne Vegetables
Norwegian Salmon Pinwheel with Fava Bean-Wild Mushroom Fricassee (I don’t like salmon, but this was really good)

I forgot to mention that they sat us in a little cubby-hole, which has more privacy than any other place in the restaurant. I always wondered how you got to sit there. Now I realize it’s the perfect place for 3 and that’s probably why we ended up there.

I won’t let these changes affect our #1 rating. We look forward to returning soon.

http://www.carlos-restaurant.com/

Medusa - Lake Geneva, WI - UPDATE

2008-10-24T15:10:00.004-05:00

We have been back to Medusa's several times over the past year and have never been disappointed. Our most recent trip introduced us to a brand new menu. There are some new items and some familar items.

We started with a special appetizer, which was a bruchetta with grilled calamari on top. Excellent!

I had the special fish, which was Mahi-Mahi with their lobster butter on top. We travel to Hawaii a lot and I've never had Mahi-Mahi that tasted this good. It had a smokey flavor to it, which made the dish.

My husband had scallops with a basil pesto sauce on top. The flavor was really good.

Both dishes were accompanied with sticky rice with a squash puree on top. The puree was sweet. You would not think that those two items would be good together, but it was unbelievable!

Their wine pours continue to be generous for the price.

Canoe Bay - Chetek, WI

2008-09-10T20:34:00.003-05:00

If you are looking for the most romantic and relaxing evening or weekend of your life you must go to Canoe Bay. It is truly a remarkable place, so remarkable, in fact, that it is part of the Relais & Chateaux collection!

The rooms are fabulous. We recommend that you stay at the Rattenbury or the Edgewood. Both are very expensive, but if you want to really have a special occasion, take the hit and fork over the cash.

As we said the rooms are beyond incredible, but they don't compare to the food at their restaurant. I'd like to give you details of the meal, but it changes from day to day. All I can say is that if we were to give this restaurant stars, there would not be enough.

We have one complaint, you can only get the prefix menu, which is okay in itself, we like when the food is picked for us. The problem is, we felt a little slighted. We like having a appetizer, salad, main course and desert. To be truthful we both could do without the desert, but this is the order we like. If they throw in an amuse bouche that adds to the evening, but when you only get three courses it does not seem right. Also, every night we were there we had the same bread.

Overall though, the food was fantastic. We are just a little picky.

By the way, the service is fantastic and the view priceless. If you have an opportunity to go here, don't skip it!

http://www.canoebay.com/foodwine/dinner.htm

Charcoal Grill and Rotisserie - Kenosha, WI

2008-09-05T12:47:00.003-05:00

We have been dining at this restaurant for years, mainly for lunch. They have the best chicken dumpling soup in the area.

Last night we decided to go there for a quick, inexpensive dinner. We enjoy rotisserie chicken and they are not many places in Kenosha that serve chicken cooked this way.

My first question is: why has the Kendall Jackson salesman not been in there? I think a restaurant should have more than one brand of wine, especially if half the restaurant is a bar. I hate having cheap wine as my only choice. Not that KJ is my favorite, it's one step up from what they serve.

We started with the chicken dumpling soup and it was not as good as the hundred other times we've had it. Something was totally different about it.

Our server brought out our entrees while we were still eating our soup, which is a hugh pet peeve of ours. She apologized as she arrived at the table, but our feeling is that she just should have waited.

Now we realized that not only was the soup different, but the quality of our entrees was not up to the standards we've come to expect from this restaurant. Plus they have removed all the sauces that they used to have on the tables, so I had to ask for BBQ sauce for my chicken and she brought it in a small bowl. I don't believe it was Sweet Baby Rays, which is what used to be on the table. You may think this is minor, but I've been putting that sauce on most sandwiches I've ever ordered there.

The vegetables were a green been and carrot saute and it was horrible. I can't even begin to tell you why. The taste was nothing I've ever had before. It didn't look like there was a sauce, but the carrot didn't even taste like a carrot and I wasn't even going to try a green bean.

I hope this change isn't permanent. I'd hate to write this restaurant off.

www.charcoalgrill.com

Bank Lane Bistro - Lake Forest, IL

2008-08-19T09:20:00.002-05:00

One word, "Wonderful"...

This restaurant sits on the second floor of another good restaurant called South Gate Cafe and you overlook the quaint town square of Lake Forest.

We almost always get the tasting menu where they create the meal for you, we love surprises. Regardless, everything is fresh and exciting. From first courses like Black Truffle Infused Cauliflower Soup to the Sweet green pea dusted Australian Barramundi as a main course, you will not go wrong enjoying an evening here.

The service is exceptional and the prices reasonable for a restaurant of this caliber. Executive Chef Michael Gottlieb has a talent everyone should enjoy.

http://www.banklanebistro.com/

Sailor Dan's - Kansasville, WI

2008-08-16T08:52:00.005-05:00

This used to be Auctioneer's Inn which failed for many reasons. My opinion is that it probably failed because of poor service and a change in management. The nice thing about Auctioneer's Inn was that it had character and some of the dishes were quite good.

Sailor Dan's has none of this. The restaurant now looks like a bar in a bowling alley. The food is over priced and poor quality.

Our meal started out with warm bread that had been heated up in a microwave. It was rubbery and uneatable. It is hard to believe that in this day and age everyone knows you cannot heat bread in a microwave.

We also had salads, which were good, not great.

My wife had Sherry's Dijon Chicken, which should have been called Sherry's De Jonge Chicken. She ordered it thinking it would be in a dijon sauce, but was surprised that is was actually a de Jonge prepration with garlic, butter and breadcrumbs. The chicken had a rubbery texture and a very strange taste. It could have been freezer burn, not sure, but she could never eat more of the chicken and only ate the pasta with the sauce. The de jonge sauce was actually quite good, just not what was expected.

I had the Porterhouse Steak, not bad actually, not very tender, but very flavorful.

This cost us almost $100.00

Overall the place is a bar, it really is not a place to go out and have a meal that is anything remotely of good quality. I can see this place hopping on the weekend with a bunch of bikers livening up the place. Go for the drinks, don't go for the food or atmosphere.

We'd give you the website, but from we can tell, they don't have one.

South Gate Cafe - Lake Forest, IL

2008-07-25T20:00:00.006-05:00

This is certainly one of our favorite places to stop by for lunch in Lake Forest. Great soup and sandwiches and you can dine outside on the patio. Lunch aside, their dinners are fantastic also.

Tonight I was by myself and I had a spicy squid appetizer and the wild game plate, which consisted of: Duck, Boar and Kangaroo. It was fantastic! The squid was tender and the game had so much flavor I would have liked seconds. I ate out on their patio and the service was excellent.

I just happened to be in the area the next night and thought I would try the restaurant again. This night I ate in the bar and once again I was very happy with the food. On the other hand, the service was terrible. I received my salad before my appetizer which came out just before my main course. The waitress was rarely seen and obviously had little training. I'd recommend you stay out of the bar area and stick with the main dinning room or patio where they keep the good wait staff.

Even with this bad service, I highly recommend South Gate Cafe; this was the only time I have been disappointed.

http://www.southgatecafe.com/

Sanford - Milwaukee, WI

2008-07-12T20:37:00.002-05:00

Located in an old family grocery store, Sanford has been serving the Milwaukee area for 19 years.

The food is a mix, but I would say the menu we hadwas more French or Mediterranean.

The décor is modern with white table clothes, but don't let this fool you. It is a very relaxed atmosphere. Two of us showed up in jeans (they were nice jeans, but jeans just the same), and we did not feel uncomfortable at all. Most were dressed business casual, only a few men had jackets.

Most likely the food will be different when you go since they try to use fresh local ingredients. We had two appetizers, one was a roasted morel mushrooms with ramps. It could have been a meal it was so large. The other appetizer was Lobster Benedict. The description on the menu said it was: Seared Serrano Wrapped Lobster and Poached Quail Egg, Lemon Herb Salad. I wish they had said the sauce was a dill sauce, I hate dill. Even with the dill, though, it was good.

For our second course we had a soup which was a Parmesan Broth with Prosciutto and Grilled Scallions, Parmesan Flan. It was light and rich at the same time, very creative.

For our main course we had the: Chargrilled Strauss Veal Loin and 17 Hour Veal Breast , Crispy Onion Potatoes, Tart Apple and Endive. The veal loin was good, but the veal breast was out of this world. The apparently marinated it is some sort of pressure unit for 17 hours. All I can say is FANTASTIC.

We also had the Elk, which was a little gamey, but if you like game we think you will like it.

This was our first trip to this restaurant. For years now we wanted to go, but just kept forgetting to stop by. After this experience we will certainly be back.

http://www.sanfordrestaurant.com/

Geneva Chophouse - Grand Geneva Resort, Lake Geneva, WI

2008-07-11T22:14:00.007-05:00

The food is good, the service is great (if a little stuffy) and the atmosphere is perfect. Eating outside is a great choice if it is available and if the bugs are too bad.

For an appetizer pick the tuna tartare. If you venture off the steak menu, choose the Sea Bass, very nice. As a side, get the lobster Mac and Cheese.

Ahhh, not sure if we would recommend this. If you really like steak houses this might fit the bill, but in a word, over priced. There are many places it he area where you can get a good steak at a much lower price.

One word of advice to the managers put a wall up between the kitchen doors and the dining room. All night there was a constant commotion going on there and it is very distracting. A nice panel or something could block it from your guest trying to enjoy a relaxing evening.

http://www.grandgeneva.com/dining/dining_geneva_chophouse.asp

SOPRA Trattoria - Lake Geneva, WI

2008-07-03T22:00:00.009-05:00

We saw this restaurant when we were driving through town. It has been in operation since March. We have been to Lake Geneva several times over the last several months, but we had not heard a word about the restaurant.

Sopra is an Italian restaurant with a modern flair. The atmosphere is comfortable and inviting. The only thing that was strange was the spot lights on each table, they should be dimmed a little, they were a bit blinding. This is our first experience at the restaurant, so we can't give you a detailed description of the menu, but we can tell you what we had.

We started our meal with the steak tartare, if you like tartare, this is a great one. Just enough spice.

I had the roasted beet salad and my wife had the Sopra salad. This is the only part of the meal we did not care for. The beets were great on my salad and the goat cheese went well with it, but the frissee was nasty. I honestly don't know what the attraction is with bitter greens.
Regarding the Sopra salad, my wife just says, "Yuck!" Next time maybe we will get two appetizers.

For a main entree, my wife had: Scallops - Pan-seared scallops layered with brie cheese and fried potato rounds, served with a fennel cream sauce. This was a hell of a meal, the fennel cream sauce was very unusual. We will have this again.

I had : Veal Chop - Pan roasted veal chop basted in thyme and garlic, served with caramelized garlic porchinis, shaved parmesan and roasted radicchio. I will have to say this was the best veal chop I have ever had. It was prepared perfectly and the flavor was out of this world. I could have done without the radicchio, once again what's with the bitter greens?

Over all I guess it comes down to will we go again, and the answer is yes. Next time, though, I hope the chef will allow us to have salt and pepper at the table. Even if we did not need the extra salt and pepper, I hate when a chef thinks he or she knows better how something should be seasoned.

By the way, the service was exceptional and the wine pours were generous, always a good sign.

http://www.sopratrattoria.com/

The Inn at Kristofer's - Sister Bay, WI

2008-06-13T20:03:00.003-05:00

The restaurant sits across the street from the harbor of Sister Bay and it has an unobstructed view of Green Bay. The location makes if probably one of the best places in Door County to enjoy a really fabulous gourmet meal while watching the sunset.

The Inn at Kristofer's is open year round and to be honest, it has never disappointed us. We have even gone there in the dead of winter when it was below zero. Oddly enough the restaurant had a small crowed of customers even in such miserable weather.

They always have something creative and this time was no exception. Depending on what time of year you go, the local restaurant suppliers are pushing one item or anther, so the restaurants in the area all have the same ingredients. It is how the chef prepares them that makes the difference.

This night, my wife started with: Escargot Kristofer -Six snails are sautéed in shallots, green onions, garlic butter and shitake mushrooms. Topped with garlic flavored Japanese breadcrumbs and broiled. If you are going to this restaurant only one time, get this! Just be aware that it is very rich so you should probably share.

I started with: Shiitake Mushroom and Asparagus Crepe -A thin crepe is filled with sautéed shiitake mushrooms, asparagus and brie cheese. Finished with a mint infused hollandaise sauce. This is a treat and I personally would not have thought of the combination, EVER. Once again, this is very rich, but worth the extra calories.

For the main course my wife had the special which was whitefish on top of risotto with a beurre blanc sauce, drizzled with a balsamic reduction. This was so good Chef Terri Milligan should get some award. We have never had whitefish taste so good.

I’m a game fan, so I had: Kristofer's Game Sampler - A grilled semi-boneless quail is finished with an apple brandy reduction and coupled with a chicken and pine nut sausage that rests on top of a polenta and applewood smoked bacon cake. Duck confit sits on top of the sausage which is then finished with a white wine, cream and rosemary reduction. As usual, I was not disappointed.

Just to let you know how much we like this restaurant, we have driven the 4 hours it takes us to get there, had dinner, spent the night at whatever place that would have us and drove back the next day. So, an 8 hour drive for dinner should tell you how much we like this restaurant.

One tip, call ahead and go on a night they have live music, it makes the experience even better.

http://www.innatkristofers.com/

T. Ashwell's - Ellison Bay, WI

2008-06-11T11:52:00.004-05:00

There is a place called Door County Wisconsin, it is the little peninsula thing sticking off the east side of the state. This area is the Midwest's answer to Martha's Vineyard. It actually has a few vineyards and the best part there are many fine dining establishments.

One of our favorite restaurants is T. Ashwell's. We found this restaurant when we first started coming to the Door County area for vacation. We try to come up once a year and this is one of the first places we go.

The restaurant was a lodge, properly named The Ellison Bay Lodge. It had many guest rooms and served their summer long guests every meal. As you walked up past gardens of the entrance you can tell that you are entering a place that has a long history.

Now the important part, the food. I had the special appetizer, which was sauteed morel mushrooms. You only get these in season, so it is a very special treat. My main course was a bone-in ribeye which was cooked to perfection. I normally would be a little more adventurous and not get a steak, but for some reason I was craving meat.

We shared the appetizer and salad, but what was most remarkable was what my wife got, which was: VEGETARIAN TASTING - Italian fire roasted tomato & mozzarella bread pudding, with a sun dried tomato, caper-cream sauce paired with roasted vegetable raviolis, tossed with fresh mint pesto & caramelized apples finished with an aged Parmesan cheese custard timbale with a roasted tomato coulis. Neither one of us are vegetarians, but I'll tell you what, if all vegetarian meals were like this I might not want meat as much.

A few days later we saw in a real-estate magazine that the restaurant is up for sale. We are really going to miss T. Ashwell's if Chef Smith sells, especially since we have been going there since they opened. Maybe if you take our advice and go to his restaurant he will reconsider his decision to sell. It is a tough market with only 3 good months or so to be busy and T. Ashwell's stays open all year, we really don't know how any restaurants make it.

https://www.tashwells.com/

Gabriel's Restaurant - Highwood, IL

2008-05-28T23:37:00.004-05:00

What a surprise, that's all I can say.

We have gone to Froggy's which is next door to Gabriel's many times and for one reason or another we just never tried going in. From now on we'll give them both equal opportunity to our dining dollars.

On this night we were greeted at the door by Gabriel Viti, who is the chef and owner. We were seated at a very comfortable and inviting booth and offered drinks immediately. The menu is a mix of French and Italian cuisine. We are not a big Italian fans, but if you feel the same way, you will not be disappointed in your dining experience.

We chose the degustation menu where Chef Viti come to your table and explains what each course will be. If you have any food allergies or just don't like something, the chef will accommodate you anyway he can. Also, if you choose, you can have a wine pairing. If you're not driving I highly recommend this.

Either way, don't miss out on a wonderful experience.

http://www.egabriels.com/

Ukai Toriyama - outskirts of Tokyo near Mount Takao

2008-04-17T16:40:00.001-05:00

Ukai Toriyama is called a traditional Japanese restaurant. It is quite a long haul from Tokyo, but it really is worth the trip. If you are in the Tokyo area and you have money to burn, get your butt to this restaurant.

The food and service are spectacular, but the scenery is out of this world. The restaurant is made up of small private cottages where you cook over hot coals. The cottages are hidden away in a beautiful garden that sits in a ravine and there is a stream running right down the middle.

We started our trek from Tokyo just after lunch and after a few site seeing events (and wrong turns) we arrived for dinner at 5 pm. It is good to get to the restaurant just before sunset. This way you can see the garden in sunlight and then at night with all the artificial lighting and the warm glow coming from the cottages.

Can't find a website for them, but here is some information: Ukai Toriyama

Hyatt - Hakone, Japan

2008-04-15T11:50:00.005-05:00

We spent a few days enjoying the spa area of Japan and we stayed at the Hyatt in Hakone. The hotel is a year old and it was just marvelous. In the lobby there is the aroma of wood smoke that comes from the chalet style fire place. It keeps you warm in the cold mountain air. This is a hot springs hotel, so you can enjoy a hot bath and let the volcanic minerals invigorate your body.

There are two restaurants, a French one and a Japanese one. We tried both.

The French restaurant is also where you have breakfast, but at night they dim the lights and it becomes quite intimate.

The Japanese restaurant is very authentic, except its decor. We had a private room with one large table made out of a polished tree. Our niece and nephew were with us and they had never had raw fish, but they were even impressed.
http://hakone.regency.hyatt.com/hyatt/hotels/entertainment/restaurants/index.jsp

Mere Bulles - Brentwood, TN

2008-04-12T21:11:00.002-05:00

This restaurant is in an old mansion. The original owners apparently owned everything around it at one time, but now it is surrounded by office buildings and hotels. Don't let this dissuade you, this is a fine restaurant and well worth going to.

If you just look at the menu, it seems pretty plain. Simple meals like Veal Chops, New York Strip, Prime rib and others like Phyllo Wrapped Sea Bass are going to wow you with their taste and presentation.

This time I had the Phyllo Wrapped Sea Bass, which is stuffed with shellfish, brie and spinach. It is then wrapped in buttered phyllo and served with an artichoke tomato beurre blanc. I do not know if the Sea Bass is good every night, but the this night it was remarkable. No fishy taste at all and not oily at all.

On a previous visit I had the Rib Eye, I highly recommend this also.

The staff makes your meal even more pleasurable with prompt accurate service and they really do put on that southern hospitality.

If you are in the Nashville area, take a little trip south of the city and enjoy an evening at Mere Bulles.

http://www.merebulles.com/

Little Europe at Timber Ridge, Kenosha, WI

2008-03-07T09:43:00.004-06:00

This is billed as a Bohemian restaurant, but the dishes come from all over such as Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Austria, and Poland.

The food is good, if you can put up with the bad service. Don't be in a rush and don't expect to be pampered.

The food has a home cooked feel and it really is good if you like this type of food. If you are a health nut this is probably not the place for you.

From the signs outside you can see this place is having an identity crises. It seems that the owners are trying everything they can to bring people in, but nothing seems to work. They even built a second restaurant next door and it has been filled by at least three endeavors. I believe it is empty at the moment.

For now, unless something changes, we are taking this one off our list.

Lighthouse Bistro - Kenosha, WI

2008-02-28T09:01:00.001-06:00

Last night we did something we never do - go to a restaurant on its first night, but we couldn't resist.

This is a new restaurant by the owners of Froggy's in Highwood, which is an excellent French restaurant. We've never had a bad meal there.

When we heard they were taking over the Kenosha Yacht Club, we were so excited. An article in the February 27 issue of the Kenosha News informed us that the restaurant was now open. The article mentioned that the food would be American fare, so we were somewhat disappointed, but really wanted to try it anyway.

We arrived around 6:00 and it was not too crowded, but by the time we were done, they had filled up. Since this is their first night, I'm not going to be critical about the service. I will say though that everyone else's server seemed to be right on top of things.

The manager, Scott, was out in the dining room quite a lot, making sure everything was being taken care of. He came to our table a couple times, which we did appreciate.

We started with the crab cake appetizer, which was good, but needed more of the sauce. I had the Coq au Vin, which was excellent - it was so tender. My husband had a steak, which he really enjoyed too. Both entrees were served with mashed potatoes, or I should say pureed potatoes.
They were very good too. We did not have a salad; we thought they were ala carte, but we heard other customers being offered soup or salad, so I think that our server's fault.

The wine pours here seem to be generous and the selection was pretty good. Also, they did a really nice job remodeling. It doesn't look or smell like that old smoky place!

House of Gerhard - Kenosha, WI

2008-02-27T16:47:00.002-06:00

We have been going to this restaurant quite a lot lately. We tried it several years ago, and for some reason, did not return until about a year ago. Not sure why, but I suspect it's because it's difficult to eat healthy, but we really enjoy the food. Now we probably go once every two months or so.

Specializing in German food, every entree comes with some house appetizers, and soup or salad. The house appetizers usually consist of liverwurst with bread to spread it on, hard rolls and butter plus some sort of muffin. Last time we also had a bean salad. Very good.

Their soups are usually very creative and I almost always opt for the soup over the salad, which is nothing special. They used to offer a spinach salad (dinner size), but they don't any longer. Now that was a really good spinach salad.

They have many German entrees to pick from including many different types of schnitzel. They offer several specials each night, which is usually where my husband goes. I have had the petite filet the last two times we ate there and the meat was very tender and full of taste. At the price, it's a bargain. We sometimes get the "fish in a bag" which is usually pretty good.

Last time one of our companions ordered the beef rouladen, which he thought was very good. I thought the portion was rather small though.

Regarding wine selection - the Kendall Jackson salesperson is doing a great job once again. I wish retaurants around here would get a little creative with their wine list. If you don't like KJ, you are pretty much out of luck.

Their pours are small, but their price is small too.

http://www.foodspot.com/gerhards/

Carlos' - Highwood, IL

2008-02-23T16:14:00.002-06:00

This is undoubtedly our favorite restaurant ever, we go here at least two times a year, sometimes more. It has a contemporary French menu and the atmosphere is relaxing, regardless if there is two or six people in your group and the staff are friendly and not stuffy at all. They really treat you like family.

We almost always get the degustation menu. If you do this you have the option of swapping things from the regular menu, just in case you do not like something in the degustation. If you like wine, get the wine pairing, they do an excellent job choosing for you.

One time we went we brought my mother, who is not a heavy eater, so she just wanted an appetizer and a main course. Against my recommendation she had the Filet Mignon. Once she tasted it she said I had to try a piece because it was the best steak she had ever had. Once I took a bite, I had to agree.

The last time we took my brother and his wife. They had never been there before and they usually do not go to French restaurants. Carlos greeted us and showed us to our seats, which was the beginning of one of the most entertaining evenings we have had in a long time. My brother agrees now and Carlos has become if favorite restaurant.

Don’t take our word for it, give this restaurant a try. Just take a look at the menu and I am sure they will win you over.

http://www.carlos-restaurant.com/

Waves Grill & Pub, Racine, WI

2008-01-09T19:00:00.005-06:00

Don't let the outside fool you, we almost did. We saw an blip about this restaurant on the Internet and decided to drive over there one night. From the outside it looks like a local bar. We almost did not go in. Once inside it looks more like a small seaside inn. With a nautical atmosphere and some cozy booths it is warm and inviting.

The food was exceptional and the service staff was friendly and knowledgeable. The spicy crab salad and the filet medallions with gorganzola sauce are high on our list of things to get.

We have been to this restaurant at least ten times now and we have run into a few kinks now and then. One time we sat for 15 minutes waiting for someone to serve us. We actually had to get up to get our server. She thought we were waiting for a third person, but either way, shouldn't we be offered something to drink while we wait? Once we got that taken care of the service was fantastic.

Another time someone kept opening the back door of the restaurant behind the kitchen and the entire restaurant smelled like rotting garbage. I think something was said and the smell cleared up.

If you drink wine, I would recommend getting a bottle. Their pours are small.

Even with these little complaints we love this place. We do recommend you get a reservations, they fill up fast.

107 4th St.
Racine,WI
53403
(262) 634-7668

http://www.wavespub.com/

The Immigrant Restaurant, The American Club, Kohler, WI

2007-12-15T18:00:00.003-06:00

We ate two nights in a row here. Friday we had a cozy dinner for three and on Saturday we had a company Christmas party with 18 people in attendance. Each night was fabulous.

The American Club is not only a wonderful place to stay and enjoy any holiday, but it is a great place to enjoy fantastic food at any of their restaurants.

The Immigrant Room is the top end restaurant at the hotel and we have been here many times and have never been disappointed.

On Friday everyone in my party enjoyed the Chef's Prix Fixe menu with wine. I don't remember when I had a more enjoyable meal or evening. The service was exceptional, and the wine and food were perfectly matched. The price is high if you don't have the budget, but for a once in a year meal it is well worth it.

On the second evening they wanted to give us a limited menu because our party was so large. We were disappointed, so the Chef accommodated us and let us choose off the regular menu. It was a night to remember. If you go up to Kohler, don't miss this restaurant.

If you are staying for the night, we recommend you pay the extra money to get in and go to The River Wildlife. This is a private club, and you can't eat there unless you pay the daily fee. They have a great rustic restaurant. We've gone there for breakfast and lunch, we recommend both.

Wine Knot - Kenosha, WI

2007-11-27T16:07:00.001-06:00

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/

Tramonto's Steak & Seafood - Wheeling, IL

2007-11-27T15:48:00.000-06:00

This is Rick Tramonto's restaurant in the Westin Hotel in Wheeling. For anyone who does not know, he is better known as the chef of Tru http://www.trurestaurant.com/ in Chicago. Great restaurant! One of our favorites.

It used to be very difficult to get reservations here at the last minute, but this past Friday, we had no trouble. Maybe it's because it was the day after Thanksgiving.

Our nephew accompanied us. This was our third visit here and his first. We were anxious to see what he thought of it, because we had taken him to Tru a couple years ago and he loved it.

For appetizers - he had the Beef Tartare, which we all tasted. It was unbelievable and the presentation was really nice. I had the Tempura Rock Shrimp, which I've had every time. It's a little spicy, but so good. The portion size is huge and I always consider getting it as an entree, but everything else looks so good, I have to do both. My husband got the Crab Cake, which was good, but nothing spectacular.

We skipped salads this time, but I have had the Chopped Salad before, which again, the portion size is big.

This being a steak house, it works pretty much the same way as others. You have choices of meats, toppers for your steak and sauces. My nephew had the Bone-in Ribeye with Sliced Bone Marrow on top. It was his first experience with bone marrow, but he really liked it. I got the Filet with a Horseradish crust and the red wine sauce. The crust was excellent. My husband also got the bone-in ribeye, but with a truffled egg on top. He really enjoyed that preparation. For sides, we shared the truffled mac & cheese and the sauteed mushrooms. Both were unbelievably good. The mushrooms included some croutons, which just soaked up the butter that the mushrooms were sauteed in. They were so good and the portion was huge, that I was still eating them today for lunch!

My only complaint is the wine selection by the glass, there was only one chardonnay. They have a good bottle selection, but not many medium priced. They do have a good-size pour, though.

http://www.cenitare.com/

Grandview Restaurant at the Geneva Inn - Lake Geneva, WI

2007-11-23T12:31:00.000-06:00

This is another restaurant we go to regularly. The view of the lake and the sunset during the summer is just breathtaking. We've had good service here and sometimes very bad service. In fact, there is a waiter who wants to argue your choices with you. Very annoying.

This outing was because of a birthday, so we were 8 people. We were with most of the same people we went to Gilberts with (see 2006), so we were worried we would disappoint them again. The time my husband and I ate here last, we had a great server - female - I don't know here name, but she was unbelievably good. Well, we got this server again and she even topped herself. It's very hard to take care of a large group, but she did a great job. We never wanted for anything.

The table shared some appetizers, all were very good. There is one appetizer that's been on their menu for a while now, the Hong Kong Style Salt and Pepper Fried Calamari and I understand why they don't remove it. I typically don't like calamari, so initially I was skeptical, but it's really one of the best. It doesn't really seem deep-fried, if it is, the batter if very light. It is served with sauteed onions in a sweet chili sauce. I think it's the sauce that really makes the dish. We also shared the Hot Crab and Artichoke Fondue. It was good, but nothing special.

Moving to the entrees - I got the Yuppie Hill Farms Chicken "Coq au Vin". I was not impressed at all. In fact, I could not even finish it. First, it wasn't a traditional Coq au Vin, but it could have been good nonetheless. The problem was with the chicken breast. It was stringy, almost impossible to cut. It's a problem I notice with organic chicken sometimes. I'm just not a fan and will probably avoid anything made with organic chicken again. The root vegetables were excellent though. Don't let this deter you from the restaurant - it's rare to be dissatisfied.

Most everyone else got the fish special and everyone was extremely happy. One got the beef tenderloin and he was very happy too.

This place is worth checking out, if only just for the view.

http://genevainn.com/Pages/Dining.html

"8" Hyatt Regency, Incheon, Korea

2007-11-22T19:19:00.001-06:00

This is where I spent my Thanksgiving.

I have been to this hotel several times and I always really liked this restaurant, that is until this trip.

The restaurant is unique because it is what they are calling a "Theater Experience" with multiple open kitchens where you can observe the chefs cooking while you eat.

It is a fun place to eat, but to be truthful the huge menu, which covers Italian, Korean, Japanese a cafe and the list goes on, is very confusing. I ordered a caesar salad from the Italian restaurant, expensive Korean steak from the Korean restaurant and vegetables from the grill. I was disappointed in most of it. The caesar salad was bland and the bacon that was put on it seemed fake. My special steak was very tough, I think I got the end of a tenderloin.

If you go here, sit and watch the chefs for awhile and see what looks good. I was in front of the Italian kitchen and the Gnocchi looked really good. I was sorry I bought the steak.

http://incheon.regency.hyatt.com/hyatt/hotels/entertainment/restaurants/index.jsp

Japan Airlines, somewhere over Canada

2007-11-19T19:05:00.000-06:00

Using the miles we collect with all our dining out I was able to fly first class on JAL on my way to Korea.

I have got to tell you, if you get the opportunity to do this it is quite the experience. The service is impeccable.

What I am most impressed about was the food. First you are served with real silverware and glass plates that are custom designed for JAL. The fist course was a Chawanmushi with a black truffle. The flavors were remarkable and if there had been a chef on board I would have sent him my compliments.

The second course was a crab stuffed tomato which was served with a lemon olive oil. I am not a big fan of lemon, but I figured it was what the chef wanted me to do, so I tried it. Just so you know, I am going to run out and buy some just as soon as I get back home.

Next I was served a watercress soup which was very light and flavorful. I do not think there was any cream, but it was hard to tell and I didn't feel like asking.

My main course was a Fillet of Beef Forestiere. This was a disappointment, I should have ordered the Guinea hen. The meat was very tough, even though it was perfectly cooked.

Overall, it was worth all the miles I used up.

Jack's Cafe at Andrea's - Kenosha, WI

2007-11-17T12:45:00.000-06:00

If you want a great, simple lunch, this is a good place to try. They usually have a few choices of soups (my prerequisite) and they are always really good. Their sandwiches are good - in fact, with the soup and sandwich, it's like eating at home. Even their hamburgers remind me of the ones I used to eat when I was a kid.

The cafe is in Andrea's, which is an interesting gift shop. Lunch is usually very crowded, and you often have to wait for a table, so it's a good time to browse through the store. We always find something interesting in the store. They used to have a big Dept. 56 section, but we didn't see much and it's November. Disappointing. Still, there is a lot there for Christmas now, so it's worth a visit.

http://www.andreasgifts.com/

Sebastian's, Caledonia, WI

2007-11-15T18:43:00.000-06:00

We come to this restaurant probably once every two months. It is a little out of the way for us, but the atmosphere and food is worth the trip. Today was no exception.

We started with the Tataki combination appetizer. Basically it is raw tuna and beef. The tuna is so so, but the beef is phenomenal. We would highly recommend just getting the beef, it has a smokey taste that is out of this world.

We skipped the salads this time, but if you do get one, get the Walnut, Pear, Gorgonzola salad, it is excellent.

I had the Grouper, which has a champagne beurre blanc sauce and is covered in shredded potatoes with a roasted red pepper coulis. Very good...

My wife had the Amish Chicken -Airline Breast, which is grilled with a wild mushrooms ala crème and cheddar mashed potatoes. It is one of my wife's favorites.

Regardless, if you are in the area give this great restaurant a try.

http://www.sebastiansfinefood.com/

Applie Holler - Sturtevant, WI

2007-11-12T16:58:00.001-06:00

We've had some really good lunches here, but they are now officially off our list. My partner keeps saying if we keep boycotting restaurants, we'll have no where left to go!

I love some of their lunch items, such as the rueben that's made with turkey and cole slaw, rather than corned beef and cabbage. It's so good.

Unfortunately, we are done! One time we went for lunch over the weekend and we're told before we get seated that they are still serving breakfast, lunch will be a 10-15 minutes wait. I think they said they don't start serving lunch until noon. So months later we go for lunch again keeping this in mind. We're told that lunch won't start until 12:15. We ask why not 12:00 as we've been told before and we're told that it's up to the kitchen and they really don't have a specific time. That time we waiting over a half hour for our lunch order to be taken. I say you have to be consistant if you want customers to come back.

Dinner is the worth though. One time we went with friends. I ordered a salad, which was about $2.50 extra. Our main course got served before my salad, so I mentioned to the server that he forgot my salad and I no longer wanted it. He said he'd bring it anyway because it was already made. I said I really didn't want it! He brought it anyway and guess what?! I got charged for it! I did not want to make a scene in front of our friends, so I let it go, but I could not believe it!

It's too bad the service is soooooooooo bad. They have some interesting and different things to try.

The Cactus Club Lake Geneva, WI

2007-11-12T08:35:00.000-06:00

Yuck!

Seriously, lunch here was terrible. We went there on Saturday, choosing it because it was not packed like all the other restaurants in town. That should have been our first clue.

Medusa Grill & Bistro - Lake Geneva, WI

2007-11-08T10:22:00.000-06:00

One benefit to starting this blog is hearing from other people with restaurant recommendations. So, last night we went to one of those recommendations - Medusa Grill and Bistro. We thought we knew every restaurant in the area, but apparently not! We regularly get the Lake Geneva area newspapers and magazines and we've never seen this restaurant mentioned! It's so nice to try a new restaurant and be very pleasantly surprised.

The first thing we noticed when we walked in was the ambience. The low level lighting really set a nice tone. There was one thing that made me uncomforable, though. There was no obvious host station, so we were not sure what we were supposed to do. For a minute I thought maybe we were supposed to seat ourselves. But then someone grabbed menus from a station near the bar and we were seated.

We arrived there around 6 or so and there were a few people sitting at the bar and a few tables were occupied. Half way through our meal, the place was packed. Every table and every seat at the bar was occupied. It looks like most people at the bar were eating.

Based on the menu, it looks like most of the food is Greek inspired. If you look at their website, it says they servce Greek, French, Spanish, Moroccan, Lebanese, Turkish, Italian, Croatian and Armenian! I'm not sure I would recognize the last few, but whatever it was, it was excellent!

We started with the Saganaki, which was really good. I then had a tomato & mozzarella salad that included artichokes, hearts of palm, bell peppers. It was supposed to be drizzeled with a balsamic vinegar and white truffle oil. I really didn't taste the truffle oil, though. The salad was very good and very unusual. You can get the salads in full or half portions, but I think the prices are kind of high for the half portion.

My husband had the special soup which was a butternut squash bisque. It was made with coconut milk, rather than heavy cream. It was topped with carmelized onions and had a curry taste to it. I tasted it - wow! So creative.

We both had for our main course the wood grilled grouper topped with shrimp butter. I'm always leary ordering fish from a place I've never been before, but I thought I'd take the chance. This was one of the best pieces of fish I've ever had at somewhere that's not Bob Chinn's! Not one bite was fishy and it had a grilled flavor to it that was outstanding. With the fish came way too many other things. I can't even remember them all. There was some mashed potatoes (white) topped with what I thought was mashed sweet potato. That was very interesting - the two flavors together. There was also a beet and some other vegetables. The taste of everything by themselves was good, it was just too many different things together.

I've decided to start talking about the size of wine pours, because after a while you realize that sometimes it makes sense to order a bottle and sometimes the pours are big, it makes more sense to order by the glass. I'm talking strictly from a financial standpoint.

The pours here are generous. I believe the price was $6.50 for a glass of chardonnay. It was well worth the price.

There is a selection on their menu called "Chef's Choice", which is where you let the chef prepare what he wants for you. It says you have to be adventurous, so this is what we will try next time. Can't wait.

http://www.medusagrillandbistro.com/

Red Geranium Update - Lake Geneva, WI

2007-11-06T10:59:00.000-06:00

Visited the Red Geranium again last night and I want to add that they have a new server, Shane, and that was the best service we've ever had. So, if you go, ask for Shane.

Link to our last review: http://foodwarriors.blogspot.com/2007/10/red-geranium-lake-geneva-wi.html

Bob Chinn's Crabhouse: Wheeling, IL

2007-11-04T14:24:00.000-06:00

Bob Chinn's has been around a long time and is well-known throughout the Chicago area. Bob's buying power has allowed him to buy the most fresh fish available and it is flown in everyday.

We started to frequent Bob Chinn's around 1987. We have been there so many times it would be impossible to count.

Bob Chinn's is noisy and large, capable of feeding over 600 people at one time, so I guess you should expect that. If you are looking for an intimate dining experience, this is not the place to go. If you are looking for the freshest seafood around, then your search has ended.

We have taken people from Japan, England, Korea, Taiwan, Seattle, Los Angeles and Baltimore. They have all said they have never had fish as fresh. We actually have several friends that insist on going to Bob's every time that are in town (last night we took one of these people) and of course, we never refuse.

Here are some of our favorite menu items:

Appetizer-

Florida Stone Crab Claws
Blue Crabe Claws (garlic)
Ex-Crab-Aganza
Oysters Rockefeller - You've never had one like this
Sashimi Combo
Peppercorn Seared Ahi Tuna

Main Course-

20 oz Alaskan "Red" King Crab Legs (Steamed with melted butter)
Bob wants you to use his special sauce, but just use the melted butter. Bob does not always know what is best. Also we recommend their parsley buttered potatoes and coleslaw.
Onaga - Cook it anyway you want, Bob's version is good, but we prefer chargrilled.
Ahi Tuna - Get it chargrilled with grilled onions on a sizzling platter
Scallops Au Gratin- Very heavy meal, but delicious
Steak- Neither of us have had a steak here, but a few of our friends have and they say it's the best steak they've ever had. Then again, they are eating steak at a seafood resturant, so who knows. One of our guests highly recommends the strip steak.

There are so many choices that are good it is hard to just pick a few, but we can only write so much.

Bob's is to open their first franchise in Kenosha, WI. The restaurant has been under construction for over a year and it looks pretty dead there. I hope it opens and is a great success, but I guess we will have to just wait and see.

If you go just be prepared to wait if they are busy. If you go enough, you can get a VIP card that gets you in much more quickly.

www.bobchinns.com

Elliot Hunt @ Frank's Diner: Kenosha, WI

2007-11-02T23:00:00.000-05:00

This was our second visit and wow is the best we can say about Elliot Hunt and his fine menu. This is by far the best dining experience in Kenosha and possibly in all of Southeast Wisconsin.

Elliot has been taking over Frank's Diner on Fridays and we're told hopes to add Saturdays by the end of year.

The menu is usually a six-course prix fixe, so you don't need to make any decisions except what wine you would like and they will even help you out with that. The menu changes every week. Last night we had:

“Deconstructed Escargot” with Braised Escargots, Roasted Garlic Beurre Fondue and Parsley Oil (This maybe the best version of Escargot we have ever had, very unique)

Hawaiian Ono with Ragout of Edamame, Citrus Sauce and “Bleeding Heart” Radish Salad

Filet Mignon of New Zealand Lamb with Flagolets, Lamb Reduction Sauce and Thyme-Infused Olive Oil

A Dessert Flight that included Creme Brule followed by Milk and Cookies - a glass of ICE COLD milk with a chocolate chip cookie. But the little glass the milk came in didn't allow for dunking!

As we said, the menu changes every week, so if you are in the area, or even if you're not, take advantage of this great meal at a great price. Dinner was $50 each, not including wine. Our only criticism is the wine section is small.

You should have a reservation, so don't just show up!

We are planing on going here as often as we can, so we'll update this blog soon.

http://www.franksdinerkenosha.com/index.html
http://www.elliothunt.com/index2.html

Honada Sushi - Kenosha, WI

2007-11-01T22:14:00.000-05:00

We've been regular diners here ever since this Japanese restaurant opened in Kenosha. After we moved up here from Illinois, we were dying for a Japanese restaurant to open. Before Honada opened, there was Soon's Sushi. We went there a couple times, but the ambience was not good at all. Although the food was good, the eating area was very uncomfortable. So, we were very happy when Honada opened. The place is beautiful inside. You can either sit at a table, a booth, or teppenyaki, or Hibachi style. This is when they cook your meal on a grill right at your table. You have to sit with other diners, so we don't choose that option very often.

You can still have the Hibachi menu at a regular table, you just don't get the show.

Our favorite roll is the King Lobster Roll, ingredients are Lobster tempura, avocado, lettuce & mayonnaise inside w. scallion & tobiko outside. The spider roll is also very good too, which is made with soft-shell crab. Their lunch menu is very reasonably priced, with many good selections.

We've never had a bad meal there. The service is usually pretty good.

You can see the menu at http://www.kenoshacity.com/menulist.asp?rm=62

B. J. Wentker's: Burlington, WI

2007-10-31T12:43:00.000-05:00

B. J. Wentker's has been around sine 1908. It is now run by Chef Eric Peterson and his wife Tanya. The main bar is made of mahogany and it takes up one side of the main dining room. Two smaller rooms offer more private dining.

This restaurant is not your typical Wisconsin type supper club, but some of your favorites are there with a twist, such as the Drunken Ribeye, which is marinated in beer and brown sugar, grilled, with caramelized onions, on a beer mustard sauce served with Rofumo mashed potatoes and vegetables. The veal piccata is excellent and their duck Napoleon and Mushroom Encroute appetizers are fabulous.

This time we split the Crabby Cakes appetizer, we both had the home made beef barley soup. My wife had the Haxelnut Chicken as her main course, which is Hazelnut encrusted chicken breast on a Frangelico cream sauce with Rofumo mashed potatoes and a vegetable. For my main course I had the special, which was a Pretzel dusted pork rouladen with crimini and portobello mushroom ravioli with a horseradish bechamel sauce. It was too much to eat, but I did my best.

As an added treat you get a small bowl of roasted garlic and butter to spread on your warm bread. As we always say, it is the little things that make the differance.

We have been here more than once and the service and quality of food has always been good. The only time we felt a little slighted was an evening when they were having a big Christmas party going on. They servers seemed a little overwhelmed.

If you are looking for somewhere a little different and don't want to spend a lot of money, jump in your car and drive to Burlington and enjoy your evening. Also, if you like to have wine with your dinner, take advantage of Mondays when bottles are half price!

Texas Road House: Kenosha, WI

2007-10-29T12:12:00.000-05:00

Okay, why are we reviewing Texas Road House? Because it is good food at great prices. This is one of the local restaurants we go to when we are coming home from work. The service is fast, friendly and professional. You can't say that about many chains.

The menu varies from what part of the country you are from. Some of our favorite meals are:

Oven Roasted Chicken
Grilled BBQ Chicken
Portobello Mushroom Chicken.

Their steaks are okay, maybe not the best cut, but not bad. As long as you know your not going to a restaurant like Ruth's Chris Steak House then you'll be fine. The flavor of Ft. Worth Rib-eye is great, but we have found that the smaller cuts tend to be a little fatty.

We are always amazed how they get the wait staff so well trained. The management must really have a good system in place.

Our only complaint is their wine selection, they are constantly running out of the brand we like. Sometimes we think they have to run out to the grocery store next door to get wine.

Either way, if you see one off the highway, don't hesitate to go in. We don't think you will be disappointed.

Nick's Fishmarket: Wailea, Maui, HI

2007-10-23T16:07:00.000-05:00

We can't say enough about this restaurant. The food is fresh and creatively prepared, the staff is friendly and always knows your name. Nick's has the best service on the island. Oh, and did I mention the great view of the sunset?

The only drawback was the annoying photographer that walks around and takes pictures, then charges you $20 for the photo. It is bad enough you get this on cruise ships, it should not happen at a fine dining establishment. We had just been seated and she came to our table. As much as we'll treasure the photo (yes, we paid the $20), the timing was inappropriate.

We dined here two nights during our trip, our first night and our last night in Wailea. It was a great way to end the trip! The fish is fresh and the sauces are creative. I had the potato scaled mahi-mahi with a buerre rouge cabernet sauce both nights. It was so good the first night, I had to have it again! The first night we both had the Nick's Classic Salad, which I don't think was as good as the one in Chicago (not sure they are owned by the same company any longer). The second night we had the Maui Wowie Salad, which was excellent! We also shared the Bananas Foster for dessert. It wasn't exactly traditional, but it was very, very good.

http://www.fairmont.com/kealani/GuestServices/Restaurants/NicksFishmarketMaui.htm

Ka'uiki: Hana, HI

2007-10-21T16:14:00.000-05:00

Ka'uiki is the main restaurant located in the Hotel Hana-Maui, which we spend time at every few years. This year we had dinner here four times. Every night the food was different and fresh. This is important since they are really the only game in town for fine dining.

All the fish and vegetables are purchased from local suppliers and the freshness shows in the creative dishes created by the chef.

Service is a little slow, but that is expected at a laid back resort such as the Hotel Hana-Maui. Once things get rolling the staff step up and bring the food in a professional, timely fashion.

Our one disappointment is the slow, inconsistent service at breakfast. There is lots of confusion and it looks like no one is directing the show. On the other hand, the creative breakfast choices almost make up for the bad service.

Regardless, if you have the time, come try out the fantastic menu. It is well worth the long drive up the Hana Highway, but we do recommend you spend a few nights and try out one of the sea ranch cottages. If you get a chance, you can drive down the road and visit Oprah at her ranch.

http://www.hotelhanamaui.com/main_dining_room.shtml#

Frank's Diner: Kenosha, WI (Breakfast)

2007-10-14T15:46:00.000-05:00

Since we had just had dinner at Frank's just a couple nights before, we felt compelled to have their famous breakfast.

We arrived just before 9:00 AM and I was astounded how different the restaurant looks in the light of day. It really looks like an old dining car.

The restaurant was full. All the tables in the back and most of the counter had customers at them. We had three people in our party, so we wanted to wait for a table. If you sit at the counter, you have all of the people waiting to get seated standing behind you, which I would find annoying.

The entire restaurant is very crowded and you are constantly moving around to let someone through. Don't let this deter you from going, the wait staff keep you so entertained you could care less about the crowded environment.

Two of us had simple eggs over easy with bacon and toast and the third member of our party had cinnamon swirl french toast. He said it was like eating Banana's Foster for breakfast.

Our recomendation is: you've got to try this restaurant, it is worth the drive and the wait.

http://www.franksdinerkenosha.com/index.html

Red Geranium - Lake Geneva, WI

2007-10-01T14:41:00.000-05:00

We have been to this restaurant several times over the years. The food is always consistent, which is what I like. The service is never excellent, in fact, it can be slow at times.

Our favorite appetizers are the She Crab Soup and the Shrimp Rockefeller. It's a very creative spin on traditional Rockefeller. For the main course, the Parmesan Tilapia is excellent. It is topped with parmesan cheese and scallions, then baked to a golden brown. Another favorite is the Chicken Angelina. The chicken is marinated in herbs and topped with bruschetta style tomatoes and Asiago cheese. I always gravitate toward fish or chicken, so I'm always happy to find many fish and chicken choices. I am always disappointed if there is only one chicken choice and if it's breaded and deep fried I won't eat it. The Red Geranium has several fish, shrimp and chicken selections. The also have a good wine selection.

My only complaint would be that many of the entrees are served with a "potato of the day", so the starch choice is limited.

http://www.redgeraniumrestaurant.com/

Gordon Ramsay at Conrad Tokyo , Tokyo, Japan

2007-09-04T15:25:00.000-05:00

Well, as you can imagine, the restaurant is expensive, but well worth it!

If you have ever been to Japan, you will be aware that service is not the best. Serving staff are always pleasant, but there is no sense of urgency. Gordon Ramsay has been able to get away from this and offer one of the best dining experiences we have ever had.

We both had tasting or as they say in Japan a "Set Menu".

We had pork belly, beef fillet and several kinds of fish. All were fantastic.

The only complaints we had were:

The cheese course was pathetic. The portions were so small, they could have just let me smell the cheese and it would had the same effect.

Also, once we were finished and wanted nothing more, we became invisible to the wait staff. We actually had to grab someone to get our check.

Overall, it is well worth the cost and we highly recommend it.

Sorry this is not as detailed as we would have liked, but we were too busy enjoying our meal to take notes.

http://conradhotels1.hilton.com/en/ch/hotels/dining.do?ctyhocn=TYOCICI&id=DIN2

Bayport Cookery: Bayport, MN

2007-06-29T12:48:00.000-05:00

Several years ago, we were in the Minneapolis area for business and we just happen to find this restaurant. It was a great surprise.

We just happen to be in the area during morel season and the fixed menu was centered around them. The meal was out of this world.

At the time they only had two seatings and everyone eats at the same time. The restaurant is cozy and warm and we had a very comfortable table for two.

We have been trying for years to get back, but our travels just don't take us up that way often. If you are going to the Minneapolis / St. Paul area, it is the worth the drive to go out to Bayport. Don't miss this incredible dining experience.

The Bayport Cookery is truley an experience you will not soon forget.

Gilbert's, Lake Geneva, WI

2006-06-30T23:00:00.000-05:00

Let me preface this review by saying we have been to this restaurant many times, probably 10 - 15 times, and for the most part liked it. One complaint during a previous visit is that there was only one chardonnay by the glass and it was $12! My feeling is you should have at least 2-3 choices of each type of wine, in different price ranges.

This is very wordy, because it is the text from the letter I wrote to the Chef complaining. The meal cost over $600, which is what prompted my letter. I never even got the courtesy of a letter back. (One time I wrote a letter to Bob Chinn's about a bad experience and believe it or not, Bob himself called me to discuss my letter! There's an owner who actually cares about his customers and it shows!).

This particular time we were getting together with two other couples, one from St. Charles, Illinois and the other from Milwaukee.

The evening started in the bar for four of us. This is where the only good thing of the evening happened. The couple from St. Charles were running a few minutes late. His wife was not feeling well, so she called and asked that we have some bread waiting for her. We asked the bartender and he provided a small appetizer and some bread, which we really appreciated.

When they arrived we moved to our table. The server promptly arrived and explained the menu. The St. Charles couple ordered drinks at that point. About 10 minutes passed and our server came back and asked if we were ready to order. We asked what happened to the drinks; she left to get them. When she returned, we asked if the entire table had to have the tasting menu, she explained "no" as long as everyone understood some of us might be eating while others had no course. That was fine, everyone understood. Two of us ordered the 4 course tasting menu and the other four ordered off the menu. Here's how the rest of the evening unfolded:

When the St. Charles husband received his Brandy Old Fashioned, he noticed it was much smaller than the one another of us was served at the bar. He asked the server and she went to check. She came back and said that even though the glasses were different sizes, the amount in them was the same. So, he did a test, he poured his into the Milwaukee wife's empty glass and it was about half. We mentioned it to the server later and she had no comment.

When giving our order, we ordered another round of drinks for a few of us.

Appetizers delivered to everyone. One onion tart looked like it slid across the plate; all the sauce was smeared. Granted that's a small thing, but the presentation was not good. At this point, asked where our drinks were as 10-15 minutes had passed since we gave our order.

For the two tasting menus, the hot fish course was delivered.

Next, main course was delivered for the two tasting menus by one server and one main course was served to another by someone else. It took several minutes for the other 3 to get their main course. At this point the St. Charles couple realized they did not get the salads they ordered and mentioned this to the server. She offered to take back the main courses and bring the salad, they said forget it. When my main course was delivered, I ordered another glass of wine, told to the young man who delivered my food.

One of the lobster dishes was cold and if our server had checked in with us right away, we would have mentioned it to her, but we never saw her and our friend decided to eat it anyway.

10 minutes later, our server came to apologize for the salads not showing. At that time, I mentioned to her that I had ordered a glass of wine. She said she would check into it.

We're all done eating, a bus person is clearing our plates, so I mentioned that I still did not have my wine. She said she would find out. She came back and said that they can't figure out who I ordered it from. We told her to forget it.

Dessert for the tasting menu is brought out for the two of us. Others at our table wondered why we were not offered coffee first or why any of the other four were not offered dessert.

As we are finishing our dessert a bus person comes by and asks if we want coffee. We say no, we just want to leave, so we ask for our check.

The other bus person shows up with the wine we told her to forget. We told her we didn't want the wine, we just want our check.

Our original server comes over and asks if anyone wants dessert! We could not believe it! This was a good 15-20 minutes from the time the tasting menu desserts were served to us.

So, we were presented with a dilemma. To tip or not to tip? We decided to tip 10% because we did not want the bus people (anyone other than our main server) to be penalized.

As we were leaving, the hostess asked how everything was. We said terrible and her only comment was "sorry to hear that". She didn't ask for details or anything.

We eat out about 4 times a week and I have to say this was one of the worst experiences in a fine-dining restaurant we've ever had. Prices are as high as some of the finest restaurants in the Milwaukee and Chicago area and I have to say what we got for the price we paid was terrible. It was as if the server never communicated with the kitchen and the tasting menu was not coordinated with the other diners at the table. I felt like we ordered from two different kitchens and no one talked to the bar at all! And there would be no sighting of our server for a half hour at a time.

This is actually the first time in my life where I feel like asking for a refund from a restaurant. It was an embarrassment that we'd been bragging about Gilbert's and finally got our friends to make the drive, and it turned out to be a disastrous evening. It makes me so uncomfortable that our friends had to pay so much for such an experience. It was a rare opportunity for them to be out for an evening away from their combined 8 kids and to spend so much for a meal.

I should mention that other than one of the lobsters being cold, the food was very good, but in the end that doesn't matter when the service was so poor. The entire experience is what we're willing to pay for, not just good food.

Again, the worst part of the experience is the fact we contacted the management of the restaurant twice and never received a response. From other reviews we have found on the net, we see this is a pattern. The chef is good, but he has very poor management running his front of house.

http://www.gilbertsrestaurant.com/

Gordon Ramsay's Boxwood Cafe - London

2006-06-14T22:05:00.000-05:00

Being a big fan of Hell's Kitchen, it was imperative we dine at one of Gordon Ramsay's restaurants while we were in London. We chose Boxwood because the dress was more casual and we could actually get in at the last minute (we were 7 people, so it was difficult).

The food was great and the service was very good, very professional. We all had an appetizer, main course and dessert. A couple people we were with thought the food to be a little strange - a little too creative, but the Food Warriors loved it! The leek tart was very good and halibut was fresh. The restaurant was very busy and therefore a little loud, but overall, it was well worth it.

http://www.gordonramsay.com/boxwoodcafe/

L'Ane Rouge Nice, France

2006-06-08T14:26:00.000-05:00

L'Ane Rouge means the Red Donkey in french. This restaurant is located on the harbor in Nice, which is just beautiful. This restaurant was a recommendation from our hotel and it couldn't have been a better pick. It was walking distance from the hotel, which is what we love about Nice, there are so many places to eat that you can walk to. We were seated outside with a beautiful view of the water.

There are many different tasting menus to choose from. There were seven of us, 6 of us got the Riviera menu at 48 Euros and one person got the Filet de bouef. Everything was excellent.

If you visit Nice, this is a place you should definitely go.

http://www.anerougenice.com/

ICHO: Tokyo, Japan

2005-08-17T13:13:00.000-05:00

The ICHO Teppan Grill is located in the Hotel Nikko Tokyo ,and in our opinion it is the best teppan grill style restaurant in Tokyo. Teppan style is like a Benihana but without the big show. The chefs still prepare your food right in front of you, but they do it very professionally. So, I guess you would say it is not as fun. On the other had, the food is much better than Benihana.

We had the most expensive fixed course you can get which includes seared abalone, beef filet and fried rice with small tiny fish. There were lots of other courses, but these were the best. The fried rice with the little fish in it was strange, but very tasty.

We have tried several of these restaurants throughout Tokyo and this is by far the best. Also, the view of the Rainbow Bridge from this hotel is better than any other hotel in the city.