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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.
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Twisted Cuisine - Kenosha, WI
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/
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/
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Matsukaze Japanese Restaurant - Hilton Hotel, Narita, Japan
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
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
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Sebastians - Racine, WI - UPDATE
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/
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
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/
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/
Friday, October 24, 2008
Medusa - Lake Geneva, WI - UPDATE
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.
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.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Canoe Bay - Chetek, WI
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
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
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