One of the many changes I noticed when in Appleton in December was that the Old Country Buffer on the north side of the Fox River Mall was becoming The Great Buffet, or more specifically, The Great Grill & Sushi Buffet. Just a few days ago it officially opened, as reported by Maureen Wallenfang in her popular column, "The Buzz" in the Post-Crescent.  Haven't tried it yet, but my expectations are high. 

Labels: restaurants, sushi

Pizza places come and go, but my favorites seem to stick. Glass Nickel is one of those. I took family there recently for a pizza feast, where we ordered 4 pizzas: The Cardiac Arrest, the vegetarian, Sacre Bleu, and a Mediterranean. Cardia Arrest was my favorite, in spite of its unhealthy name. The meat level wasn't abnormally high but the flavor was terrific. Remarkably good crust and sauce, too. Sacre Bleu with the unusual zip of blue cheese was also a favorite with my group. Delightful. I was also pleased to see that Glass Nickel still uses my photos for decoration along its walls. Check them out!

Labels: pizza, restaurants

I have long been curious about a relatively recent addition to Appleton, the Osaka Japanese Grill and Steakhouse, so I took my wife there for lunch recently. We tried a mix of sushi and sashimi. Flavors and preentation were good, though the texture of the tuna was a bit off, making me fear it had been frozen. I am not sure. Service was good and prices were reasonable. The employees there at the time were speaking Mandarin Chinese. I chatted with the manager and learned she was from Hong Kong. Very friendly, like the others I met there. I am not yet sure how the steak side of things are at Osaka. 

Labels: restaurants, sushi

The latest addition to my page on dining and food in the Fox Valley area (especially Appleton, WI) is El Jaripeo.

Fox Valley Mexican food fans are buzzing with gusto about this inexpensive and fun new addition to the Valley. El Jaripeo offers what seems like relatively authentic Latino cuisine in a fun setting at low prices. Check out their menu and see for yourself. The owner is from Guanajuato, Mexico, where the cooking is delicious based on what I've tasted from my own friends from that part of Mexico, deep in the heart of the country. Reviews on Yelp.com are very positive. Said to be fast and delicious.

It's where a Hardees used to be in Little Chute, and one reader calls it the "Mexican Hardees," but I think that's too complimentary of Hardees. On Main Ave in Little Chute in front of Hardware Hank/Piggly Wiggly. 1821 E. Main St., Little Chute, WI 54140. Phone: (920) 759-9480. Open 11:00 A.M. to 10:00 P.M. seven days a week. Let me know what you think!

Labels: dining, food, Fox Valley cuisine, Mexican, restaurants, reviews

I recently had a chance to take some great friends and my grandkids to dinner in the Fox Valley. Wanted someplace memorable, family friendly, and picturesque. I wisely chose Pullmans in the Oneida Flats area along the Fox River in Appleton. This is one of the prettiest settings of any restaurant in the Valley and has delicious food. I'll share some of the photos I took shortly.

Had my favorite lobster bisque and also a crab cake sandwich. Others enjoyed salads, fish, pizza (my granddaughter), and, of course, the view of the river. Thanks for a lovely evening, Pullmans!

Labels: food, restaurants

After driving by it many times, I finally tried the Mexican restaurant in downtown Menasha, Mi Casa on 14 Tayco Street, near the intersection with Main Street. Wow! The pleasant decor and friendly service raised my expectations right away, and they were met and exceeded with the food. My first time there I had their famous fish tacos, one of my favorite Mexican meals. It's easy to make fish tacos bland or to overcook the fish, but at Mi Casa the fish was perfect and the tacos were flavorful and delicious. The corn tortillas were prepared just right, at least for my tastes. I was also delighted to have horchata, the Mexican rice drink that I love. Most Mexican restaurants in the Valley don't offer horchata, and some that do just use a mass-produced powder mix instead of making it themselves. Mi Casa's horchata is homemade and delicious.

My second time there I made a stunning discovery: they offer Oaxaca-style tamales, an unusual tamale steamed inside banana leaves with a completely different texture and intriguing flavor. I've been searching for that kind of tamale since I encountered them in southern Mexico in 2009 during an innovation-related business trip in Veracruz State. The search is over! I'll be back for sure. These were absolutely delicious.

The chef is actually from Veracruz State in Mexico, a southern area on the Atlantic coast that is famed for its great seafood and flavorful dishes. It's close to Oaxaca, which may explain the Oaxacan influence. I love both Veracruz- and Oaxaca-style food.

The chips and salsa are OK, but they don't include the bean dip that is popular in many local Mexican restaurants. I miss the bean dip, but their homemade tortilla chips are among the best in the Valley.

Give Mi Casa a try and tell them that a tall crazy gringo sent you. They'll know who you mean.

Mi Casa: 14 Tayco Street, Menasha, WI 54952. Phone: (920) 720-3600.

Labels: Mexican, restaurants, tamales

Parted ways with the Black and Tan Grille tonight on a slightly disappointing note. Took my wife there for what I hoped would be a special night out, the first time there in several years. The signature Black and Tan steak was tender, yes, but with little flavor. Ditto for my rack of lamb--there ought to be some kind of seasoning on it, in my view. Neither had the basic flavor I get when grilling meat even on a simple gas grill, not to mention what ought to be added with a little seasoning. Probably due to my lack of sophistication when it comes to red meat, of course.

Both dishes were rather cold. Mine was cold enough that I sent it back--it really wasn't very palatable at just slightly above room temperature. OK, it was medium rare, so it can't be flaming hot throughout--but it can be warm. I had just taken a little bite from two or three of the pieces of meat on my plate and expected to see all of my meal brought back after a few seconds of reheating. But after a surprisingly long wait, I received only a fraction of my meal back in a small bowl. The sections of lamb that I had sampled were apparently discarded. My three or four pieces of lamb were now replaced with one small, pristine piece.

The small bowl of hot au gratin potatoes was gone--I hadn't finished it (the tastiest part of the meal, frankly, and the only thing that was actually hot). The person who brought the food to my table said he had "refired" the vegetables also, but everything was still on the cold side. The veggies seemed cold, and the meat only marginally warmer. Instead of the large slightly warm plate my food had been on, it was now piled into a small, cold bowl. This was really surprising. I just stared at it in surprise for a while and tried to figure out what they were thinking. What happened to my food?

It was hard to cut the remaining food in the highly curved little bowl it was in, so I had to put it on the bread plate, but the whole thing made me frustrated that I had chosen to go there. The manager came by, astutely noticing I hadn't eaten much of the scraps they returned. I didn't want to complain but he probed. I finally asked what happened to the rest of the meal, though I wasn't really interested in having more uninteresting food at that point. I didn't want to say much about it--simply a misunderstanding, a little mistake, no big deal, but when you visit a place for the first time or the first time in years, that one experience is pretty much the only deal. Too bad.

Fortunately, they deducted the price of my lamb from the bill. I had about 3 bites of it. Didn't take it out on the waiter, who was fairly good, but I'm still just really surprised at how a classy place can fall so flat. at least this time.

While there, I learned that this will be the last week of the Black and Tan Grille. They are changing to an Italian restaurant, something "Vita," keeping the current chef. I hope they do well--and keep the food warm, please. They could also improve the decor. It's nice, but too dark, and the fully exposed 50W bulb right over the table is a poor illumination choice. Like the meat, it lacked appeal. I hope it's better when the lights come up on the new place. Italian? Sounds good to me. Let's give them a chance.

By the way, I got a nastygram recently decrying my taste in steak, arguing that I'm hopeless if I like a low-class place like Texas Roadhouse. So, to redeem myself, I tried some red meat at one of Appleton's classier establishments tonight. Sorry, but I would have been much better fed and happier at Texas Roadhouse. Yes, I know it's not the top end of steak, but it's always palatable, warm, and has a touch of flavor. I also like Lombardi's for steak, when someone else is paying. Sometimes less expensive places offer pretty darn good food without a lot of pretense. Bennigan's is another place like that. Yes, I like their food and have enjoyed my couple of visits there.

Labels: restaurants, review, steak

While the Fox Valley has some great Asian restaurants, the rest of Wisconsin has numerous fun places to choose from. Madison, with one of the most diverse culinary settings, has unusual and exciting offerings such as two Nepalese restaurants near each other on State Street. Himal Chuli Restaurant at 318 State Street is a cramped but delicious little place for what I think is authentic Nepalese food. The son of the owner, if I understand correctly, owns the nearby Chautara Restaurant at 324 State Street. We tried the Himal Chuli and really enjoyed it. My wife's parents lives in Nepal on a service mission for their Church and loved the country, making the food all the more interesting to me. Related to some of my favorite Indian flavors.

In 2010 I also tried Saigon Noodle at 6754 Odana Road Madison, WI 53719. Awesome place--some of the best and least expensive Vietnamese food you'll find. I love pho and many other Vietnamese dishes. I was also pleased to see that many of the guests were Asian. That's not a sure sign of good Asian food, but it's a hint that I don't take lightly. Delicious! Phone: (608) 827-9120.

For Thai food, the King and I in Milwaukee is a perennial favorite (but it's been a while since I was there), though the lunch buffet may not always appeal. But for dinner, it's highly rated and delicious.

The best Chinese in the state, though, may be Confucius in Appleton, especially if you arrange for their authentic banquet. This is the place to take a special visitor, such as the official from the Chinese Embassy in Washington, D.C. that I had the privilege of entertaining a while back. Home run!

What are your favorite Asian restaurants in Wisconsin?

Labels: Asian, Chinese, food, Madison, restaurants, Thai

Quick update on my experiences as a consumer.

We needed to get a decent used car. We went to Bergstrom's Nissan/Hyundai area out on Victory Lane (terrific street name). We were wowed by the service and expertise (thank you Peter Holt and Jeff Buckner), by the prices, and by the company in general. I soon drove away with a wonderful car that cost less than I had expected. I have no hesitation in recommending Bergstrom, especially their Nissan and Hyundai team. Very pleased.

The next day we went back to pick up a floor mat and get some tips on the sound system (I love being able to plug my MP3 player into my car's stereo system now). Afterwards we drove by Jonathan's Italian Bistro and decided to give it a try for dessert only. It re-opened in May under new management and I've had people tell me it's great. Yes, wow, it really is. We tried two desserts and they were both home runs - artistic, beautiful, delicious. My wife had the Lemon Cialde, which was an amazing creation of lemon wafers and blackberries with chamomile-infused cream. The chamomile cream floored me. Brilliant. I had the strawberry and raspberry bread pudding, and it was also brilliant. The presentation for both was delightful. Real home runs. The rest of the menu looked great, too. Talked with the executive chef (Shawn Covill, I think was the name) and liked how he answered my questions - nice artistic flare to his work. Solid, well executed cooking. Mmmm.

I've also learned that one of my favorite home builders and realtors, Bradd Syring, is the go-to-guy for many people when they have repair needs. For electrical work, plumbing, flooring, painting, or whatever, Bradd knows some of the best people for the job and can send them out. You won't get the cheapest in the Valley, but you'll get the work done right. You can learn more about his home building business at Syring Homes. Tell him Jeff sent you! (I have no financial interest here, but know and greatly respect Bradd as one of the most honest and competent professionals I know.)

So there's my consumer update for the date. Happy shopping!

Labels: Appleton homes, builders, car dealers, cars, restaurants