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

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

Saturday breakfast - something new!

Well this last weekend Linda had a craving for pancakes, pancakes? This is a rare occurrence because when she craves pancakes they are usually her light and fluffy ones she has made for me on occasion. Being Saturday meant we have a list of epic proportions of things we wanted to get done, so cooking breakfast was not an option.

So we headed out to Bradbury's coffee house a small place on Hamilton and Dayton that serves coffee and crepes - sweet and savory. What a tiny place with only about 4 tables and 12 window counter seats. The space is a wedge in the bottom of the condo building - the decor is post modern industrial - they really have done a great job with a unique space. Right off the bat the chalkboard identifies the source of the products they use by calling out the 12 to 15 local suppliers or farmers. The group running the place are a nice looking bunch of folks that really seem passionate about the food they are producing. The menu is on a chalk board on the other wall and it highlighted 4 sweet and a couple of savory crepe offering all in the $6 to $8 range including grits as a side. We opted for two of the savory offerings - roast pork with apples and the scrambled egg and bacon with cheddar this way we can share. Both the crepes were hot, fresh and substantial in size - the taste was great - just a little under seasoned. The meats in both crepes were from Fountain Prairie Farms which is known for flavorful grass feed beef and pork. The roasted pork was tender and flavorful against the sweetness of the sauteed apples from Ella Orchards each bite was wonderful. The scrambled egg crepe was stuffed with local cheddar and maple cured bacon that was a nice sweet contrast to the richness of the eggy crepe. The side of grits really lacked a lot of flavor - simple salt and pepper would have helped highlight the side that was doused with Tabasco as a flavoring agent. We enjoyed this wonderful breakfast with a couple of nice skim lattes. It was a great start to the day - expect for the fact that getting a seat here is the tough part of the visit.

We hovered until a few folks left a counter seat and then made our way to the opening. Lesson learned here that if you are over 35 you are not part of the in crowd. We will be back but now know that you need to get your seats as soon as you hit the door to ensure you can have seated breakfast.

You can tell how much love is something you are eating simply by the taste and care with which it is made, here there is some love coming through, stop in for a bite.

He saw his shadow - now it is recipe time!

That is it - I have had it with winter already and now that meaty little groundhog rodent has the nerve to confirm we have 6 more weeks of this, ugh! I have always thought that the perfect recipe for groundhog would be fajitas. Marinate the meat and eliminate that grassy taste, since they are herbivores. Serve it with all the wonderful salsas and condiments to make tasty tacos!!!!! Add a side of wonderful tart margaritas, and you have the perfect...... OK- JUST KIDDING, FOLKS!!!!

After a beautiful and warmer weekend we can feel Spring is peaking over the horizon. We are so excited about the coming months we just want to hold the vision and feeling of the warm sunshine on our face.

So happy Ground Hog Day to everyone - and hey lets hope he got it wrong this time - his average is better than our local weather guy!

Happy Monday - it is still too cold

What a nice weekend - lots of sunshine but oh my, cold, cold, cold! So how about another soup recipe to warm your cockles and keep you on track with your better for you eating program you started in the new year. Great taste can be less filling as you will see if you whip up this tasty winter soup.

Apple and Butternut Squash Bisque servings 6

4 cups Butternut Squash, peeled and diced
3 Apples, peeled and diced
1 cup Onion, diced
3 cloves Garlic, minced
5 sprigs Sage
2 sprigs Thyme
¼ tsp Nutmeg
1 tbsp Olive oil
2 qts. Fat Free Chicken Stock
1 cup 2% Milk
To taste Salt & Pepper
2 Tbsp Wildflower honey


In a heavy stock pot over medium high heat place the olive oil, butternut squash, apples, onion , garlic and sauté until a light golden color is achieved

Now add the sage, nutmeg , salt and pepper and cook while stirring and cook for an additional 5 to 8 minutes

Add the chicken stock and bring up to a boil, cover then reduce to a simmer and cook until the squash is tender

Remove from the heat and use a blender to puree the soup smooth return to the pan

Place on medium heat and add the milk – bring up to a boil then turn off

Place in a soup bowl and garnish with a drizzle of honey, serve with your favorite crusty bread

© Doak & Krantz 2009

Per serving
Calories 162
Fat 4.0
Fiber 4.0
WW pts 3

Out and About on a Thursday

Well we had a one day temperature break, it hit the low 30's that is a heat wave for this winter. Linda and I decided to head out and check out the fare at our "not so usual places". So we started on the east side and stopped at the Alchemy Cafe.

A nice neighborhood joint that is run by a group of young up and comers. The place has refurbished wood interior with wood floors - it has a worn feel like a pair of comfortable jeans. We elected to have a cocktail a nice scotch on the rocks - we sipped on some Oban, one of our favorites. We looked at the menu for a little nosh and decide on some hand-battered onion rings because the sauces sounded good. We had a large plate of thick cut onion rings with a wonderfully crunchy batter not too greasy. The dipping sauces where a chili arbol sauce that was kethcup like with a little heat on the back end the other was a buttermilk herb aka Ranch. Both of these were made in house with love and you could taste the freshness that went well with the rings. We relaxed had great conversation and then decide to forge west to our next stop.

Magnus the next stop on places less traveled. We remember why we had not been to Magnus in 2 years. The menu is just not that appealing we have never been impressed with the combination of tapas items. Tonight we settled on a glass of wine - one we had not had before. The service was stellar - we asked to taste a couple of wines before selecting and the bartender cheerfully accomidated us. We really wanted a Zinfandel but they only had these by the bottle. Our bartender guided us to a Spanish blend - 2006 Montsant, Acustic, Spain. This wine had a wonderful quality similar to a Ripassa with notes of raisin and prune with an under tones of port. We really enjoyed our glass of wine and listened to a pianist start his first set. Since we did not find anything we loved to munch on, we decided to head further west.

We needed to find some protein to round out the evening - how about sushi - we head to Murimoto Sushi at Hilldale. We love to come here when we can, the fish is fresh and the sushi chefs do a very nice job. Tonight it was a light crowd at 8:30 also for the first time we noted a bit of fishiness in the air. Typically this place just has a wonderful combo of fresh food and sea air but tonight something was suspect. We still ordered a couple of rolls - the Ecuador roll and traditional California roll. Both were tasty - the Ecuador is an inside out special roll with yellow tail, tuna, fresh jalapeno, nori and crusted with tempura crumbs. It is served atop a masago sauce with siracha - a taste explosion that was topped off with the spiciest pickled ginger. The California was classic rock crab, avocado and cucumber both rolls just fit the bill. It was just a great way to fill that void or so we thought. We packed up and head out of Murimoto and walked by David Bacco's chocolates - they were still open.

We had to duck in and look at the beautiful hand-made chocolates - some of the best and most creative in the world. The unassuming master himself was behind the case filling orders. We elected to put together a four piece box of some of his best flavors. In order of our favorite - we selected some of his seasonal flavors - first the Fromage Blue - with hooks blue, balasamic syrup, fig and pear notes wrapped in chocolate - a stunning and complex flavor that was simply the best. Second favorite was the Pomegrante with malbec ganache wrapped in chocolate it was complex and you could really taste the wine. Our third favorite was the Thai Peanut Butter one of his classics from the Air selection it had subtle hints of curry with peanut and a little heat on the back what a wonderful combination. The final sample was good but did not live up to my preconceived thought - the Chardonnay Smoked Bacon was nice - smoky with notes of chardonnay and oak - it was good but I expected more flavor complexity and notes.

What a nice way to spend a Thursday evening - good food, good drink, good conversation with the one you love. So take a trip out and about and see what is shaking in the real world less traveled!

Leftovers can be so yummy!

Well we finally cleared the last of the holiday leftovers - yummy shrimp and some sausage put to good use in making a paella inspired couscous dish. I love making one pot wonders they are quick, easy and tasty. So here is the recipe if you dare


1/2 cup Smoked Sausage, diced
1/4 cup Red onion, diced
2 cloves Garlic, crushed
2 tbsp Olive oil
1 cup Broccoli florets
1/2 cup Carrots, diced
1/4 cup Green olives, crushed
8 Large Shrimp, pre-cooked, diced 1/2"
1/2 cup Couscous
1 tbsp Smoked Spanish Paprika
1 tsp Coriander
2 tsp Turmeric
3/4 cup Water
To taste Salt & Pepper

1. Place the olive oil in a large saute pan over medium high heat
2. Add the sausage, onion, garlic and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, then add the paprika, coriander, turmeric continue to cook
3. Add a little water if the pan becomes sticky, now add the broccoli, carrot , olives and shrimp
4. Stir to coat everything add the couscous and stir to coat each grain
5. Add the water, bring to a boil and then cover
6. Remove from heat and allow to stand for 5 minutes
7. To serve taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

© Doak & Krantz 2008, all rights reserved

As with any of my recipes they are a good blueprint so add or change ingredients to create more new and exciting flavors.

Here are some options:

• Add orange slices
• Use lobster or scallops instead of shrimp or just add them for a multi-seafood taste
• Add leftover roast chicken
• Add fresh peas or asparagus in season
• Use chicken stock or shrimp stock instead of water
• Add capers

See you can create a lot of variations by simply adjusting to what you have on hand in the pantry or refrigerator.

Happy Cooking !

Pizza Night!!!!

When we want the best pizza in Madison we head to the basement of the Italian Labors Hall to Greenbush Bar. They serve the best super thin crust with just the right amount of toppings and have a stellar wine list too. Last night was Monday night an evening that is usually a slow one but with the Lady Badgers playing and everyone out because the temps were warmer it was a zoo!!! We chose not to wait for a table but bellied up to the bar and had a glass of wine while we waited for our delicious pizza - a large with sausage, mushroom and banana peppers - yum! The pizza here is not super filling so you can share a whoel pie and not feel stuffed but really satisfied with the flavors and texture. It was so busy that they had run out of Cabernet, Tempranillo and Zinfandel - wow we settled for a Shiraz that was very nice just right with dinner. One of the best things about the Greenbush is that they serve until late - 11 PM they are part of our late night dining club ..more on that in another post. Service is usually friendly and prompt -even on a busy night the bartender did a very good job of keeping everyone happy! So if you wan to try the best thin crust in Madison - head over to the Greenbush Bar - open after 4 PM - except on Sundays they are closed.

In a special side note - Greenbush Bar has one of the best and most affordable selections of Scotch & Irish Whiskys and Bourbons in Madison. If you can't find it here it is not in the city of Madison. And the prices - pretty unbelievable too.....go have a drink and relax!

Christmas Dinner 2008 - one for the books

Well I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas meal with family and friends, we sure did. It was a holidaypalooza, we had Linda's traditional Holiday fare - pirogi, polish sausage, horseradish, oysters on the half-shell, and shrimp all very tasty (I love these traditions) and then combined it with some more fare - Roasted prime rib, broccoli with cheese sauce, au jus. It was a feast that everyone enjoyed as we celebrated the joys of being together and giving thanks for a wonderful holiday. After dinner some yummy baked goods that Linda has being making for a number of years hit the table - Chocolate scotcharoos, her almond toffee, bear paw cookies and the classic chocolate chip all added a sweet finish to the evening. Lets just say we had enough for 15 people but only five of us to tackle the feasting table.


As we wind down 2008 I want to thank some off the folks that make our life special as it relates to food and drink.

• Jim Goggin who's $10 wine exchange has been great fun all year - we sent some good one s and he returned the favor. If you can't find something for $10 or less you are just not tasting enough wine.
• The gang at Seafood Center - we could not live without our fish mongers - Bob, Bob and Tom you guys always have the freshest fish in town. Thank you for your wonderful service.
• Nate and Gabe at Sardine - thank you for always making us feel special every time we come in for either a drink or meal.
• Micheal and Patrick at Lombardino's - you always deliver an outstanding and thoughtful dinning experience - innovative too!
• Joesf and his gang at Monroe St Bistro - you guys rock and your attention to personal service with great food and drink is simply the best.

We so appreciate everyone that touches our lives when it comes to service, food and beverages. The common denominator is the love and passion that is shared around something as simple as a meal or drink. Thank you so much!

Looking to eat lighter during the Holidays - try the Chopped Chicken Salad

We love to eat salads for dinner we find them to be full of flavor while lower in calories. This is one of the ways I have managed to reduce my weight this year by about 20 pounds. That and a lot of fun exercise which is harder to do now - but I am thinking Linda will teach me how to cross-country ski - maybe this weekend. Goodness knows we have enough snow on the ground. Last night we pulled together one of our favorites - Chinese Chopped Chicken Salad - lots of crunchy vegetables with convenience roasted chicken in a zippy peanut sauce dressing. Here is the recipe - give it a try - total prep time is only about 20 minutes and like all of my recipes you can easily add other ingredients to this one - like pineapple or oranges, or substitute shrimp for the chicken - lots of possibilities. Give it a spin

Chinese Chopped Chicken Salad 4 servings

½ Rotisserie roasted chicken, meat pulled and shredded
1 Cucumber, peeled, seeded and sliced
¼ cup Red pepper strips – fresh or jarred
1 Mango, diced
¼ cup Red onion, shaved
1 Carrot, shredded
½ cup Cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1 pkg Ramen noodles, coarsely crushed
2 cup Napa cabbage, shredded
2 cup Salad greens

Dressing
1/4 cup Thai peanut dressing (bottled)
¼ cup Rice vinegar
2 tbsp Orange juice
S&P To taste


1. Pull the meat from the chicken and shred with fingers into ½ inch wide strips; place in a large bowl.

2. Place the rest of the salad ingredients into the same bowl and toss together to evenly mix all the items.

3. Add the desired amount of dressing and toss to coat all ingredients.

4. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.

5. Pile in a mound on 4 plates and top with a little remaining dressing.

Salad is best served with chilled chicken.
Dressing is good for up to 7 days in the refrigerator.


© Doak & Krantz 2007


Per serving
Calories 283.47
Fat 7.04 g
Fiber 1.6 g
WW pts 6

Recipe of the week - Ruby Red Scallop Ceviche

It is time for a little taste treat, we enjoy this dish and feel like we have traveled to a warmer place. You can substitute shrimp or lobster for the scallops for an added recipe twist. I love to use Texas Rio Star Ruby Red grapefruits this time of year they are so wonderfully juicy and sweet. Linda and I will be teaching at Orange Tree again in January. Check out their cooking school website for more information on classes. Happy Saturday and good cooking.
**NOTE: ALL RECIPES ARE ORIGINAL

Scallop Ceviche servings 4

8 Diver scallops, sliced in half
1 Ruby Red grapefruit, peeled and sectioned
¼ cup Lime Juice
¼ cup Rice Wine Vinegar
2 Tbs. Mirin
½ cup Red onion, shaved
¼ cup Peppadew pepper, sliced
2 Tbs. Cilantro Leaves
As needed Salt & Pepper


Place the scallops on a cutting board and remove the abductor muscle from the side. Slice in half through the equator of the scallop to form two disks. Repeat until you have cut all eight scallops.

In a mixing bowl place the sections of the grapefruit, lime juice, rice wine vinegar, Mirin, red onion, Peppadew and cilantro leaves. Toss to mix.

Add the scallops and season with salt and pepper.

Place in the refrigerator and allow to “cook” for about 2 hours.

Remove and stir mixture before plating.

Divide the ceviche between four plates with 4 pieces of scallop on each plate, adding a little of the grapefruit-onion mixture.

Garnish with a small drizzle of the marinade juice and serve.

© Doak & Krantz 2008

Recommended beverages:

Lighter lager beers
Chablis
Champagne
Chenin Blanc
Riesling, esp. Alsatian or German
Sake

Why? Ceviche has a lot of acid, and so the wrong wine can finish sweet against the acid. Choosing a wine that has acid tastes (lime, lemon, etc.) will compliment the ceviche.

Party all night long at the Brink

Well sort of - it was time for some fun music and Midlife Crisis was playing at the Brink lounge in the "nightclub". If you have not seen Midlife Crisis - I suggest you do since they are non-stop til you drop music that is for dancing. This was one of the first times the dance floor was never empty and these guys don't stop between songs and chit-chat, they came to rock and they did. We really had a great time sipping some Irish Whisky, dancing and listening to the band. You know these guys played hour and 10 minute sets full out.

It was a great evening - they only rant I have is the lack of cocktail service the Brink provides. Having been in the bar business for years it pains me to see a lounge full of thirsty guests to only have one or two service folks on, it is like selling drinks is an after thought. I am talking about a room with an easy 50 to 75 people who could not get a drink. I sure hope that someday Curt Brink and his team figure out how to provide service to match the quality of entertainment at the Brink. It would seem to me that making money on drink sales is more attractive than the $5 cover at the door. We will keep coming to listen to the great line up of bands they book we just might not drink here - maybe before hand at the Malt House....that is another story.

Saturday and a lunch in Gotham

It was a busy Saturday day running errands we must have hit 8 places up and down State St. before 1:30 when we stopped to take in some lunch. We were in the downtown area and decided to go to Gotham Bagels, what a great call. Linda had been for lunch a couple of weeks ago and raved about the sandwich she had so we came back together. What a nice treat we each had a cup of Matzo ball soup and then split the Spanish Harlem sandwich and for dessert they had bagel dogs so I grabbed one to go. Gotham is owned by a New York chef that came to Madison to teach at MATC, it is clear that he knows his food and has a staff that is well versed in it as well as great service.

The Food:
The Matzo ball soup was ok - the broth was rich but needed a little more depth and the matzo ball tasted a little old - the soup was garnished with perfectly cut brunoise of carrot, celery and onion -nice knife skills.

On the sandwich - the Spanish Harlem is roasted pork shoulder with capocollo ham, baby Swiss, pickles and Dijon on your choice of bagels - we chose the onion. The bagels are no ordinary bagel - the are hand rolled and baked on a rotary hearth oven. The sandwich is served hot and what a sandwich - by far some of the best roast pork I have had in a couple of years - moist, tender and full of flavor. The Spanish Harlem is Gotham's spin on a Cuban sandwich and I have to say it delivers beyond expectation. This is one of the top 5 sandwiches in Madison, you have got to try it!!!!

For dessert - I had split the sandwich with my love but was still a little hungry so I grabbed a Saturday special a bagel dog for $2 - what a deal. This was a wonderfully roasted dog wrapped in thin layer of bagel dough and then baked golden - it was crunchy outside with wonderful tender and juicy hot dog in the middle. It was a taste treat and a deal!

Get to Gotham and enjoy a true culinary trip to Manhattan without the hassle of airport security...oh yeah "if they holler at you is because they care" and you know what they really do. It shows in the food, service and hospitality we will be back often and even for breakfast - remember these bagels are not just for breakfast

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.

Happy Hour at Broccah

If you love Scotch and Irish whisky like we do then do not want to miss happy hour at Broccah. When we get the chance we love to get there to enjoy half price, yes half price premium whisky and half price pints of Guiness. They have this daily M-F 4-6pm and it is just a great place especially when the temps have dropped outside and you are looking for a treat to warm your cockles. The service is always friendly and professional at the bar where as you know by now we prefer to be in most establishments. Looking at the spirits list here gives you a chance to try many wonderful whiskys at reasonable prices - even Middleton rare is only $11 for a 2 ounce pour during the happy hour. We tend to stick to favorites on the scotch side, Oban 14 yr and on the Irish whisky side it is Tellamoredew or Knapouge Castle both yummy. We hope you get a chance to get by for a pint and a sip of some tasty whisky. We will be there this winter on occasion to enjoy the warm atmosphere and good music.

Friday night dinner at Lombardino's 11/21

We love having dinner at Lombardino's the chef/ owner Patrick is by far one of the most consistent and innovative chefs in Madison. He really creates a wonderful menu and specials sheet using local and seasonal ingredients that really tempt the taste buds.

As with most trips to Lombardino's we like to sit at the bar - the service is always excellent with personal attention from Micheal Banos the GM of the restaurant. This evening we had to sit at one of the high top tables at the end of the bar. - A great spot to watch people and enjoy the energy of the dining room near by. As usual we ordered off the specials sheet - not that the main menu items are not great - we just love the items that are featured - this evening we shared three of the antipasti items - the Beet Salad, the Duo of Scallops, Sausage & Peppers - all three really fun and delicious. While dining we each had a glass of the Zenato Ripassa - one of our favorites - rich fruit, with a little raisin and dried currants and Amarone at half the price.

The beet salad was a classic with roasted beets, greens, Gorgonzola, nuts and lightly dressed greens. It was great way to start the evening it really was nice since we had happy hour downtown at Broccah but that is another story. The nice thing about splitting items at Lombardino's is that they split them in the kitchen when the dish allows, we love this extra little special attention. Next up the duo of scallops which combined a chilled slice of salmon and scallop mousse over baby arugula on one end of the plate with a hot offering of a seared scallop with truffle and brown butter crumbs pasta. The cold half of the duo the mousse was not very pleasing a slight miss in our opinion. The salmon in the mousse was to over powering for the scallop and made the entire item taste really fishy. On the other end of the plate the hot half of the duo really delivered a nice punch. The scallop was perfectly cooked the black truffle with the brown butter crumb was just rich and luxurious on the palate. We quickly noshed on the scallop and sopped up every last crumb with their wonderful bread. The flavors of the earthy truffle with the scallop's freshness of the sea taste all tied together with the light caramel notes of the brown butter make this dish a must repeat, yum!

We rounded out the meal with the final course, a classic sausage and peppers. Patrick puts a nice spin on this favorite by first using a wonderful piece of Frabonis coiled Italian sausage. The sausage it self had been grilled which added a nice smoky note to the dish, He then combined peppers and onions that are almost caramelized, but he used poblano peppers instead of just bell peppers. The poblano provided a wonderful glow of heat to the dish that separated it from being ordinary.

We enjoyed the rest of our wine and then headed back to the eastside since we could not find any music we were interested in this evening. We always look forward to the great food from Patrick and the awesome service from Micheal and his team. Thanks for making our Friday night a tasty one!