Texas Road House: Kenosha, WI

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

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

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)

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

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

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

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.