Posts
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.
Friday, April 23, 2010
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Hinterland Erie Street Gastropub - Milwaukee, WI - 2ND VISIT
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/
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/
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Hinterland Erie Street Gastropub - Milwaukee, WI
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/
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/
Monday, October 5, 2009
Spike's Bar & Grill - Eagle Ridge Resort - Galena, IL
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
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
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.
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.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Molly Cool's Seafood Tavern - Milwaukee, WI
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
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
Friday, September 25, 2009
Wine Knot - Kenosha, WI
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
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
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)