New East side Mexican Food - YUM!

We are so excited that on the far east side we continue to attract new places to eat. The newest addition is Cucos a little joint on Buckeye that took over the Papacornopulis location. What an improvement - the place is really bright, clean and comfortable place to grab dinner any night of the week.  The menu is huge with a huge number of choices - all the usual Tex Mex items I grew up with, enchiladas, nachos, fajitas and a huge combo section. The beer is cold and the margaritas look tasty - we have not had one yet. The service is spectacular - always friendly , attentive and present when needed.  We have found a couple of things that are the best kept secert at this new favorite go to spot. First - ask for the hotter salsa - it is smoky, deep with rich chili notes and nice punch of heat! And second - order the Pork Carnitas dinner - holy cow - a plate full of the most tender, slow cooked pork with crispy exterior. This is by far one of the best plates of carnitas I have ever had in my life - and I have eaten a lot of Mexican food.  The platter is accompanined with nice refried beans, rice, lettuce, pico de gallo , fresh guacamole and crisp pickled jalapenos. You get to choose either corn or flour tortillas which are served fresh and hot. It is a build your own taco bonanza - we usually have leftovers for the next day - what value for about $10 it is a must seek out spot when the craving for Mexican food hits! While the west side has Taqueria Guadalajara and we have a few others spots around town - this is our new favorite place in the neighborhood!  We can't wait to explore the menu even more - if we can get away from ordering these succulent carnitas.

Happy Eating!

Jim

Pig In a Fur Coat!

Yes - it sounds like  the beginning of a joke - "A pig in a fur coat walked into a bar...." Well we did feel like a pig in a fur coat the other night when we visited the newly opened restaurant on Willy Street. It seemed the air conditioning was not working on what was a very hot evening. Despite the environment the evening had some high points. The space formerly Roccos Pizza has been transformed into a smart space with two large communal tables and a section of banquets. The vibe was very much West village in NYC, smart looking people - mostly from the neighborhood. Gray walls with raised mirrors and Edison bulb fixtures gave the feel of an established joint. There was a small stand up  bar in the back next to the open kitchen.  The menu is pretty tight - focused and "Pig centric" as the name implies.  Mostly starters, small plates and a limited selection of large plates. We decided to stick our favorite thing when trying out a new spot - sharing many items.

The wine list had a nice selection of old world wines that will have you doing some tasting to find a selection for your meal. The only down side for our Leyda Pinot Noir from Chile was that is was served at the same temperature as the room - a nice 80-85 degrees not really appealing. After our wine arrived we ordered our round of small plates which arrive in no particular order which is fine as long as the spacing of courses matches up with the tiny two top table we were seated at tonight. First up - the Charcuterie platter - not really a platter but a nice offering of house curred sausages and salumi  including a  blood sausage and chicken liver mouse with cherries. The platter had nice toasted thin cut baguette and the serving portion was ample for the price. Overall while taste of the platter fell flat on being very one dimensional - our favorite in the city these days is the Charcuterie board at Nostrano - with its little extras of house pickled vegetables, mustard, and other accompaniments. It seems the kitchen is still working on the presentation of the platter here and I think they will continue to fine tune it over the next few weeks. We will try it again if they update the selections with additional variety. Next to arrive the Ravioli with duck egg, overall a nice dish expect it lacked basic seasoning which would have helped balance the dish out since it was so rich with the duck egg, ricotta and a little too much brown butter - it was swimming a bit - this dish had great bones but need a little finessing. Moving on to the Pork belly - what a great combination with little pickled carrots - they gave a nice hit of acid and left us wanting a little more to balance out the dish. Overall this dish delivered a great combination of flavors and textures in a dish that was not too heavy as pork belly can be on occasion. Still wanting a little more we opted for the Dates with chorizo and piquillo peppers - the best for last, this was the most well constructed dish of the evening -- a wonderful balance of the sweet dates, the smoky chorizo and the wonderful fresh flavor of the piquillos - well seasoned and really tasty. Despite the uncomfortable environment the service was friendly, even paced and attentive which is hard to find in a newly opened restaurant. Time will tell as the kitchen team find their rhythm but I think that Pig in Fur Coat will only get better as a new hot spot on the East side.

Cheers

Jim

Nostrano its whats for Dinner!

We ventured out on a snowy evening about a week ago on a Friday evening in search of a restaurant that was not participating in restaurant week. Before we made it to our dinner spot we stopped by our favorite distillery - Old Sugar Distillery to have a Queen Jennie Old Fashion. If you have not been to OSD it is one of the hottest micro distilleries in the Midwest. Check it out here http://www.madisondistillery.com/

We finally landed at Nostrano - despite not participating in restaurant week the dining room was full with a smart looking crowd of Madisonians. We decided to dive right into one of the best meals we have had in the last few months. Since the first week they opened over a year ago they have continued to deliver some of the most professional service and top notch food in Madison. We often say a trip to Nostrano is like going to a restaurant in Chicago - simply a complete experience! We had a wonderful bottle of a French Cabernet that got better with food. Here is what we had from the menu - we tend to share a lot so we can taste a lot.

Dinner
Marinated Olives
Sourdough Focaccia 5 - these are always fresh and tasty and the Focaccia is a great foil for the marinating oil of the olives. It really gives your palette a nice jumpstart.

Celery Salad
Heirloom Apple Chickories Parmesan Pistachio Vinaigrette 10 - fresh and vibrant the flavors took a quote "Waldorf salad" idea and spun it into something new and exciting. The crunch and crisp greens were a great lead into the next course.

Charcuterie Board
Pâté Salsiccia Salame Grain Mustard Pickles 17 - sounds simple but the combination of flavors and textures are a symphony for the mouth! If you don't order this board here you are missing out on some of the finest Charcuterie anywhere. And they will pickle anything and it is delicous

Orecchiette
Fennel Sausage Brussels sprouts Parsnips Fiore Sardo 21 - wow another amazing combination of flavors, the pasta was perfectly cooked and tender combined with the caramelized parsnips, slight bitterness of the greens and the house made sausage delivered a flavor explosion that had so many layers. Each layer of flavor was easily identified as we enjoyed every savory bite of this dish.


Dessert

Tortino
Chestnut Crumble Cake Bourbon Gelato Moonglow Pears Fior di Latte 10 - you have to order dessert here it is a must - both the chef owners have very deep pastry backgrounds. The flavors of the crumble cake with the Bourbon gelato were simply sublime.

Linda and I look forward to more frequent dining at Nostrano this year - it is one of our new "go to" places to share with fellow chefs when they are in town. And the gang at Nostrano also deliver the most underrated and overlooked lunch in town. Same quality and care at about 40% the price of the dinner menu which is a steal and would be a lot pricier if the restaurant was located 122 miles further south.

Cheers!
Jim

Madison Hot Spots

Where do we think is the best place to eat and drink in Madison right now! In no particular order here it goes

Nostrano- if you have not been here you are missing some of the best food and cocktails in the city. Just had lunch today and the meal was amazing. The head cheese and country pate with the assorted pickled goodies was a great way to start the meal for the four of us. Then I moved onto the smoked pork shank sandwich…an open face beauty! It was served with some delightful greens. The pork is succulent and moist with crisp pops of a spice gardinera. We have had cocktails here on several occasions – one of the best sazaracs any place as well as the cognac old fashion both incredibly well crafted cocktails. And since Nostrano is owned by two pastry chefs, dessert is not to be missed. Trouble is deciding which of the 5 mind blowing ones to try – give the Afogado a whirl – tender pillowy donuts with caramel gelato melting in rich warm espresso. So if you only want dessert this is the place, but it is great anytime for any meal and the service is crisp and professional unlike some of the other spots around town.

Coppers Tavern – looking for the best Rueben in town – it is here – house made corn beef, dark marbled rye topped with in-house braised sauerkraut (cabbage slow cooked in Lake Louie Scotch Ale) it is off the hook. Great selection of beers on tap as well as a stellar selection of Whiskies and a fine bloody mary

Green Bush Bar– like thin crust pizza – here is the best in Madison. The wine selections are updated on a regular basis with the "by the glass" program always yielding something new and different. Ask for a taste before you buy it – they are always happy to provide that special service. Looking for the most comprehensive selections of scotch, bourbon and assorted whiskies, Green Bush delivers without breaking the bank. And recently they added flights of whiskies for a reasonable price with 3 – half shots to compare and enjoy

Lombardinos – what can I say winter is a great season for enjoying all things porky that Patrick has on the menu and specials list. There are too many great things to mention. If you are not eating here on a weekly basis you do not know what you are missing. Get in and say hi to Matt, Patrick and the whole gang.

Umami – looking for a great food experience this is it. There are some really unique dishes off a tightly focused menu that is executed well. The pork bun, the tuna poke and the arugula salad are all stars from the starter menu. They are known for their dumplings (very good ) and ramen something we have not had yet. Only issue is the inconsistent service we have had on all occasions

Hopefully that tempts you to get out and check out what is happening in the local scene in Madison, one of the best food towns around with some of the most talented people dishing up tasty treats!

Cheers

We are BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Just a quick thank you to those who have mentioned to us recently how much they had enjoyed our blog. Well we are back and in a big way. Linda and I promise at least one update a week. We also will be including even more recipes, restaurant reviews, travel tips and new for 2012 - video demos and cooking techniques. We love to share what we have learned and discovered when out and about around the globe. We are so grateful for those folks that have taken time out of their busy day to visit our blog. We honor you by providing more of what we love to share Cooking with love and wild abandon! Happy Holidays

Jim & Linda

Back from the West Coast

Happy New Year! May your 2010 be an amazing year of food, wine, love and joy!

What a wet trip to wine country this January, we had a nice time expect we grew webbed feet. Seriously I attended the 6th Annual World of Healthy Flavors at the CIA at Greystone while Linda worked on some of her own projects. This event is attend by luminaries in Public Health from Harvard, John Hopkins and other prestigious schools all in the name of helping the American public eat better and be healthier. Additionally several well known chefs and industry peers are in attendance to work on applying what we learn to our business segments. It was an action packed three and half days of some great insights and information as we work on cooking and feed people in the future. I really enjoyed learning more about nutrition and flavors to make everyday eating better. The benefit for you is that you will see our new health and wellness recipes reflect these influences as we move forward into 2010. And of course we had some wine and great food while in the valley. We will talk more about Go Fish, Martini House, Rutherford Grill, Staglin Winery, Quivara Winery, White Oak and of course our dinner at the French Laundry. We have some much to share so stay tuned over the next several weeks as we highlight the best of a soggy trip to wine country.

Jim & Linda

New in the city - The Bayou

Linda took me to this exciting new little place in downtown right near her office. We had dinner on Friday night. The Bayou has a wonderful New Orleans feel and a menu to back it up. The service was good but you can tell they are still working through the opening weeks with a new staff. The menu is extensive with the usual selection of seafood items : appetizers- crawfish tacos, oysters on the 1/2 shell, seafood and artichoke dip, stuffed portobello, shrimp and andouille nachos. The sandwich selection was a total Po-boy bonanza - great choices and even a Muffaletta and then the entree selection looked wonderful with etouffees and jambalaya's. We can't wait to try more of the menu since what we had was so darn tasty. Make sure you sit downstairs to get the full feeling of the place - upstairs did not have the warmth and atmosphere!

What we ate

Blue point oysters - with bloody mary sauce and Champagne mignonette
- yum but the sauces need a little work to deliver on the expectation

Blackened Crawfish tacos - yum - the two of these were tasty - add one more for a meal

Bourbon St Po-boy - a dressed po-boy with shrimp and crawfish (could of used a little more seafood) with remoulade sauce

Sweet Potato Fries - amazing fresh cut and lightly dusted with seasoned flour - these are great!

Check it out we can't wait to go back!

We are back with tons to share

Where have we been? – It is April and we have not been on the blog for awhile – it was just a darn busy March. Lots of thing work related, lots of house renovating and improvement projects waiting for spring to break. Well we are back and have some pretty cool things to share over the next several entries as we catch you back up. He is a short list of what to look forward to:

· Lots of dining out: Sala Thai, Jolly Bobs, Sardine, Lombardinos
· Events: A few: Madison Malt Society whiskey tasting – more to come - still recovering
· Travel: Chicago, Milwaukee more trips to come!
· New finds: Templeton Rye Whisky – my (Jim) new favorite
· Best Late night eats in Madison Wisconsin
· Top 10 wines under $10 - why spend $15 to 40 when you can enjoy amzing taste at a value
· Spring recipes for the bounty of the Farmer’s Market – opens 4/18 Woo Woo!

Happy Spring

Jim & Linda

More elsewhere - Milwaukee - Bacchus

Time to chow down with long time friend and fellow chef Kerry Chace. The Chaceman travels a ton, so it was great to catch up with him over a nice meal. Linda and I had a grand time working through a huge and some what over-priced wine list to start. Bacchus is part of the Bartollota restaurant group based in Milwaukee, a collection of high-end, chef-driven venues serving on-trend food with spot on service. The service was fine - a little haughty since the server tried to sell two chefs a $88 porterhouse for two when asked what was a "not miss" on the menu. Come on, I know Tuesday evening is slow, but really read the guest better. We did find him to continue to be a bit competitive as it related to talking about food, wine and beverages through the whole meal (I'm getting this for my house, etc.). The menu was a smart list of starters, salads and entrees that echoed the seasonal goods available.

Linda and I shared the Tuna tartar with Wasabi tobikko as appy. Cucumbers and won ton chips rounded out the dish. The tuna was well seasoned and ice cold perched atop diced cucumbers that really gave the dish a bitter note instead of enhancing the sweetness. The won ton chips were super crispy platform for enjoying the tuna and the wonderful bursts of the wasabi tobikko really made your taste buds stand up and notice, all in all a solid 'B'. Kerry worked over the Seared Sea Scallops “Bartolotta” with sauteed mushrooms, truffle vinaigrette and Parmigiano: two beautiful day boat scallops that were perfectly seared. He must have enjoyed them because they were gone in a matter of minutes. The first course was in the books and all of us enjoyed the beginning of the evening. As far as wine, we selected a bottle of 2004 Paraduxx from Duckhorn - a meritage blend that was damn fine and tasty even though a bit over marked up.

Next up a walk through the garden - salads arrived - Linda and Kerry had Roasted Beets & Hidden Springs Cheese with grapes, Marcona almonds, arugula and “Blis” sherry vinegar salad. I had the Baby Spinach Salad with a grainy mustard dressing, house cured bacon lardons and a soft poached egg . Well, the beets on the beet salad were very one-dimensional and lacked any real seasoning or flavoring - I know beets. Linda is the one who introduced me to the joys of a well roasted beet, and this salad lacked any of the pizazz of hers. I think they both said their salad seemed deconstructed and did not deliver on the description. My salad also fell short of delivering the experience I was expecting. The house-cured lardons ended up being maple-cured, delivering a shock of sweetness I had not planned on. And the poached egg was actually soft boiled, which made the yolk firm and did not allow it to deliver the creaminess to the rest of the salad greens. Give this course a 'C' for showing up. I was hoping that this did not tip the hand for the entrees!

Here comes dinner - and none too soon... we all were very hungry! Kerry had the yummy Red Wine Braised Shortribs with sweet potato puree, parsnips and pearl onions a nice winter braise! Linda and I had the same thing, American Red Snapper with sweet potato puree, caramelized fennel and red wine-honey sauce. Both dishes were plated in an almost old-school style: an over worked and sauced plate that was a step back in time. Lots of demi glace and contrived use of orange, red, brown and white on both plates. Even though we 'eat with our eyes', these dishes tasted far better than they appeared. We enjoyed our entrees and finished the evening with an after dinner cocktail: Oban scotch for us and a Woodford Reserve for Chef Chace. We suggested he try it with a twist of orange to bring out the caramel and orange notes of the single batch bourbon, I think he found a new drink! We wrapped the evening and scooted out the door to our next stop, having a wonderful full tummy, and ready to rock out the rest of the evening.

Would I go back to Bacchus? Yes - I think it is a place worth visiting and getting to know when you go to Milwaukee!

Time for some elsewhere - Milwaukee - Steaks

We just got back from a few days of business in Milwaukee and had a chance to dine out a couple of times with good friends. On this sojourn we had a meal at Capital Grille , yes a chain restaurant but a high end one. Capital Grille is part of the Rare Hospitality group that was bought by Darden last year. The atmosphere is high end clubby steakhouse with warm lighting, the dinning room was about 1/3 full - what you would expect on Monday night in this economy for a $60 per person average ticket. As always we are looking for interesting wines to try so we went by the glass - A Fisher Unity Cabernet - it was wonderful -nice depth, good fruit really all round red. We decided to share a couple of appetizers since the only oysters they had were East coast - not that we are snobs we just prefer the sweetness of West coast bi-valves over the briny East coast clan. We opted for a Waygu Beef Carpaccio and the Lobster/ shrimp cakes both enough to share. The carpaccio was good and classic in appearance - dressed baby arugula, shaved Reggiano, drizzle of olive oil, cracked pepper - then when we tasted it surprise - CUMIN. They had dusted the beef before slicing it paper thin - I like cumin but do not expect it on a high end beef carpaccio. It was ok - I have to say we would not order this again. The Lobster/ Shrimp cake was fine - a little fishy but very meaty - served with roasted corn salsa (out of season) and a fairly bland tarter sauce. So far about a B minus for the first courses the wine really opened nicely but then it hit.

The cigar smoke from the bar area became so over whelming I felt I was smoking a cigar the rest of the evening. In this day and age in a restaurant that cost 3 million dollars to build they should be able to separate the air handling. I love cigars but this was out of place and a real detractor from the evening. So after feeling like a smoked ham our dinner arrived

I had the dry aged sirloin cooked medium rare, Linda had the special a marinated filet that was seared and topped with roasted tomatoes and peppers served on two croutons - it was was very tasty. My steak was nice but lacked any dry aged flavor - none of that nuttiness you expect. All in all the steaks seemed to be under whelming I have cooked better ones on the grill in the back yard and at these prices .... I don't know how long the steak segment can have so many players. The best part of the evening was getting to know friends better and focus on life out side of work it was truly great to get to connect with our friend on a new level.

Lombardino's and Patrick never fail

We had a great dinner at the bar at Lombardino's last week. The food and menu they featured were left from New Year's Eve, so it was a bit more upscale than usual. The main entree selection was so tempting it was hard to select. We settled on sharing the PAPPARDELLE with DUCK RAGU, a slow simmered sauce of duck, pancetta, chianti, tomato garlic, rosemary & cinnamon tossed with wide ribbon pasta, garnished with Parmigiano-Reggiano. It is a stunning dish. The sauce was light but full bodied in flavor with moist pieces of duck confit, crispy pieces of duck skin and pancetta, and orange zest making the flavors simply amazing. I think this is one of the best pasta dishes I have ever had anywhere, it is that darn good! We so love what Patrick does with traditional flavors by adding a twist - he is, in our humble opinions, the best chef in Madison right now. Consistent, confident but always playful in his menu ideas. There is a new menu coming soon so we have to get back in to try the speck wrapped scallops before they are gone. Give Lombardino's a whirl you will not be disappointed!

To see the current menu click on the link http://www.lombardinos.com/

Monroe St Bistro for Saturday Lunch

Another blustery Saturday of running around town left us hungry to get out of the cold and something warm in our tummy's. Like I said we had made the complete circuit around Madison, east side to the west and then downtown. We both craved something delicious with a bit of holiday cheer on the side. We headed to Monroe St Bistro for a burger and a Bloody Mary two of our favorite Saturday lunch items. Why MSB, because the chef uses local beef from Fountain Prairie Farms, cheese from Hook's and they make amazing frites the old fashion way. So we dropped in and sat at the bar - the real treat is having the owner Joesph wait on us. We love that he always remembers us and ask a question that signals he truly cares about getting to know his customers. We order a couple of bloody Marys and to our surprise the mix is made in house - it is fresh, lively with multiple layers of flavor that tickle our taste buds. A salad in a glass basically to go with our burgers. We ordered the MSB Burger - cooked to order with think sliced fried onions that are caramelized to bring out the sweetness, thin sliced ripe Roma tomatoes and Hook's white cheddar cheese all served on a toasted ciabatta roll with house-made aoli. What an awesome burger warm and tasty to take away the chill of the now falling snow. You know I know burgers - I do them for a living but Linda is a burger lover from way back and she has had a lot of good and bad burgers in her travels. This one she says is so good because the meat and the flavor of the meat is just amazing. The flavor is steaky and beefy with lots of juiciness - not greasy but juice running down her hand. I think they have built a wonderful signature burger that for $12 delivers a great dining experience served with a stack of salted frites that amek the meal complete. This was our first lunch visit to MSB the other two times have been for late night dinner - and the menu delivers on those occasions. So if you have not had the pleasure of dining at the Monroe St Bistro by all means stop by and have a drink or a nosh with Joesph, Rebbecca and the rest of the crew. Once you stop in you will go back again and again to a place you can call your own.

Monroe St Bistro
Hours
MONDAY-SATURDAY - 11am-bar time
SUNDAY - closed
LUNCH 11am-4pm
SMALL PLATES 4pm-5pm
DINNER 5pm-11pm
LATE NIGHT MENU until 1:30am

Location
MAP 2611 MONROE ST., MADISON, WI 53711

A beer dinner that could have been great!

Well we are fans of the guys at Sardine so when the chance to attend their first beer harvest dinner was presented we jumped at the chance. We love to sit at the bar and have dinner often because the gang at the bar deliver some of the best service in Madison. When Nate suggested that we sign up for what was going to be an evening of great Belgian Beer and hearty fare we thought what a great way to spend a Monday evening.

So we rolled in on Monday October 27th to enjoy some hors d'oeuvre and ale, sadly the snacks were some cheese and crackers not very exciting for a bar area full of folks really quaffing the brew. So we chalked it up to just a small miss. They promptly seated everyone at 7:15 to serve a family style meal. We sat with a lovely couple who enjoyed dining and travel and seemed quite pleased with the evenings fare. We started out with a bang - some wonderful roasted mussels on the half shell with a herb crumb mixture with butter - quite tasty with a hint of tarragon that paired the dish well with the Leffe Blonde. The beer was a Belgian ale with just a hint of anise on the finish this was a great pairing with the mussels. The other first course was a salad of frisee with shaved fennel, apple, blue cheese and walnuts lightly dressed - it was light, crispy and tart which also went nicely with the Leffe Blonde. It was at this point in the meal that we had expected either John or Phillip to greet the crowd and share their insights for the evening meal, however they remained in the kitchen. It was a huge miss that no one discussed the beer or the food as we have experienced at wine dinners around town.

Instead the next two beers were served in preparation for the entree courses being served, these were the Spaten Oktoberfest and the Kasteel Brune. Both heavier beers designed to go with the braised chicken, roasted fall vegetables, and a platter of various sausages. The food was ok - tepid - the sausage platter with fresh sauerkraut was just that - not interesting again no really explanation or guidance from our hosts. The beers were great with these items so a lot of thought was put into the pairing but no one shared the thinking or insights - a huge miss for a number of foodies in attendance. The Spaten had nice caramel notes with a light hoppy finish - pleasing to drink, the Kasteel Brune was rich, dark and coffee, like it held up to the boldness of the roasted squash and brussel sprouts with out over powering their flavors. All in all the second course was disappointing on many levels. So we hoped that the dessert course would pull the evening out of the sub par experience but it failed to do so.

What arrived for dessert was an apple strudel that was ok but tended to have a gummy crust and it did not pair well with the Floris Framboise. Which was a light and bubbly lambic with a lovely raspberry nose it would have been better with something chocolate that would have provided a contrast to the beer. Ok now is someone going to come out and talk to the crowd, maybe say a few words and thank everyone (all very regular guests) for coming tonight. Nope the next thing that shows up is the check. So we cash out say goodbye to the couple we sat with and the gang behind the bar. What we hoped to be a stellar evening turns our to be a B- at best.

Part of what makes Sardine and Marigold Kitchen special is the hospitality and the people who have passion to serve. We go to Sardine as I said for the excellent service at the bar from Gabe, Nate and Bobbi it is too bad that hospitality was lacking on what could have been a great evening. I think maybe John and Phillip should attend a wine dinner at Harvest to see how gracious Tammi and her team execute what is a lovely evening of food, wine and knowledge with their guests. We will give the gang at Sardine another try on a paired dinner - we hope this first outing provided some good feedback for the team and will help them raise the bar. We know that a number of folks dinning at the harvest dinner were interested in more than just chowing down, they came thirsty for knowledge with a willingness to learn and grow.