I have a love/hate relationship with this time of the year. As much as I love the holiday season, I could do without the heart-attack like stress that comes with it. Day to day living is difficult enough, but add on crabby people at stores, people with no Christmas list, my overall lack of creativity at this time and a diminishing bank account to this and you'll find life tends to be a little overwhelming. I was able to finish my tasks on time and under budget this year, but not without a few bumps in the road.
Squeezing in the weekly fish fry also proved to be a tough task this week, with all the hustle and bustle of the season, but, thankfully we were able to sit down for a nice dinner on Friday evening at the Phoenix Restaurant/Bar in Hartland, WI. Upon walking into this restaurant I became increasingly hesitant about how this dinner would turn out. The bar smelled like a dirty ashtray and the very dim coloring with a splash of Christmas lights had me skeptical.
Thankfully we were able to get into the tiny dining room which was non-smoking (and did not have that stale smoke smell) and was a little more cheerful in decoration. Like many weeks prior, we sat down and perused the menu while enjoying a drink, which was brought to us by our top-notch server. Although that dining room was small, there were still about 12 tables (all of one was filled with diners) to be taken care of and this lovely young woman did it all with a smile firmly planted on her face. She did not show her stress and maneuvered through all the maze-like openings in this room with grace and poise. I should have known just then, this would be a phenomenal meal. Ann was equally impressed...
This past Friday we played “hookie” from our normal routine of working out and then going to Fish Fry. Instead we decided to retreat to the our “hole in the wall” right here in Hartland: The Phoenix. Now, I have known for some time that the food served at the Phoenix is top notch, surprisingly enough, as you wouldn’t expect such food to be served at this establishment. It has been years since I have had a fish fry at the Phoenix and I was very anxious to return for this one!!!!! When we arrived we put our name in and grabbed a beer at the bar. Beth and Z came minutes later and we were all seated in the joining room to the bar portion. Beth and I both ordered the Baked Haddock while Dave ordered the chicken and fish buffet and Z ordered the seafood buffet. As we watched Dave and Z eat their food…..(we did nibble off of their plates!!!) we waited, and I would say patiently, ESPECIALLY for us!!! The waitress comped our entire table a round of drinks it took so long………but, when it finally arrived, it was INCREDIBLE! By far this was the BEST fish fry we have had during our adventure of trying to find the best fish fry in southeastern Wisconsin. The Haddock just melted in your mouth and the home-made potato pancakes made you crave them more and more with every bite. This fish fry was SUPERB!!! Hats off to the chefs Carl and Robert! I give The Phoenix’s Friday night fish fry a 10 out of 10!!!!!
The Phoenix offers two different Friday buffets, one is a Fish/Chicken buffet (11.95) and a Seafood buffet ($15.95), the boys opted for that dinner choice, while Ann and I, as indicated above, decided to go with the baked Haddock ($15.95). I was delighted when I saw Haddock on the menu and jumped at the chance to have it, I really didn't care who had what at that point, as my mind was made up the minute I saw the choices. This haddock was outstanding. To give you an idea of how impressed I was, I called my father on the phone after eating this dish to let him know that it was better than the haddock recipe at Blanck's. Yes folks, it was THAT good.
The fish was baked to perfection and the subtle lemon pepper and dill seasonings were pure pleasure. The drawn butter, in my opinion was there for show, you didn't need it. Each fork full gave me a different taste of the flavors and just melted in my mouth, and that is a sign of an impeccability which is difficult to achieve. I asked the waitress if the cook would give up some more of the seasoning ingredients, much to my chegrin he did not...but, I really didn't expect him to either. We had a good laugh over it and continued to enjoy the rest of our dinner.
If there is any complaint it was the wait. There was a considerable amount of time (probably 45 minutes) between the time we ordered and when the food came to the table, but any concern we had was quickly abolished when the cool/calm waitress offered us a free drink for our troubles! It's a tradition in small Wisconsin restaurants which I LOVE. Buy the people a drink to keep them happy, and in most cases it does!
The wait will keep the Phoenix from getting that last star of perfection, but 9 out of 10 isn't bad either. I will definitely be back there as I heard the burgers are even better than the fish fry. I'd like to take this time to say Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all of my friends and family. This has been another great year and I'm thankful for all the wonderful gifts in my life, including the ability to test out the best fish fry restaurants in Waukesha county! We will be back to you after the first of the year. Until then, be safe, be Merry and give someone you love a hug!
Monday, December 21, 2009
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Cornerstone Sports Pub & Eatery, Oconomowoc, WI
Happy Tuesday to all the fish fry followers...I think I overloaded on some of the holiday festivities over the weekend and paid for it dearly yesterday. This could potentially be a good sign, that my body is rejecting certain junk food, however, it could also make for a boring holidays if I can't overindulge once in a while! I'll take it as a good thing though, it'll make the healthier eating in 2010 an easier feat to accomplish.
Onto the "fry" -- this week we decided to go to the Cornerstone Sports Pub & Eatery, rather than Spinnakers. It was highly recommended by a blog follower, so we decided to have a girls dinner at the Cornerstone (24 S. Main St., Oconomowoc) after a thoroughly relaxing session of yoga at the Soleil Yoga Center. I have to admit, I was slightly apprehensive about this place, which is off the beaten path in Oconomowoc. We walked in to this bar and what I felt might be a good "burger" joint, didn't look the part of Fish Fry Haven. Well, I was wrong (which, is hard to admit if you really know me).
Ann and I sought out a high-top table and enjoyed a pre-meal cocktail while we looked over the menu. The waitress stopped by promptly to take our order, Ann decided to again, go the traditional route (battered cod, 9.95) while I, on the other hand, was painfully indecisive about what to get. When I asked the waitress for her recommendation she had pointed out the "Spanish Fish Fry" (9.95) -- and I went with her advice. The following is Ann's take on our dining experience.
First of let me express my amazement at the fish fry on Friday night. After driving around the block in O-town about 3 times we found the entrance to the Cornerstone. The setting is well, very bar like (because it is a bar!!!). We settled into a table along the wall and ordered a drink. The waitstaff was very nice and attentive. As we ordered I decided to stick with my usual, the beer battered cod. Our meals came out in a very reasonable amount of time. The first item I noticed on my plate was two little fritters sitting in a tub of what appeared to be butter sauce. I grabbed one up and ate it and OH MY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YUMMMMMMMMMMMM. I sacrificed my second bite of heaven to allow Beth to have the other fritter. That really paved the way for what I knew was going to be a fantastic fish fry. Everything on my plate tasted wonderful. The breading on the fish was a little crunchy, but just right. What a fantastic meal. 9.5/10!!! CAN’T WAIT TO GO BACK!!!!!
To add to Ann's comments, the fritter was DELISH! It was a pineapple fritter with maple syrup butter, a nice crunchy exterior and then the cake-like insides, mixed with the butter was a huge explosion of breakfast in one bite! A little disconnect from the "fish fry" flavor-wise, but a pleasant one! I'm going to take you back a little to the beginning of the meal, with my own rendition of the evening. We each ordered a cup of the New England Clam Chowder, which, was average. I highly doubt this soup was homemade, it probably came from a food distributor in a large plastic bag which is to be reheated. It's OK soup, but we're not searching for just "OK." here and when you have a fish fry, I expect all the pieces to the puzzle to be homemade. To Cornerstone's credit, though, the chowder was the only average component of the meal.
My Spanish Fish Fry was a fun interpretation of the traditional Wisconsin meal. It was a generous serving of cod which was lightly breaded and pan fried on both sides, then topped with salsa, white cheddar cheese and sour cream. The combination of the breading along with the superbly flaky cod and salsa/cheese/sour cream was a glorious balance of texture and flavor. I never would have imagined salsa with a breaded cod would be as successful as it was. On a sour note, I would have preferred a pepper jack cheese to add a little more heat to this dish, but I cannot complain about that one minute detail. I may just try to perfect this recipe at my own home!
The plate was complimented with a side of Spanish rice and playful triangles of cheese quesadillas. This creative dish had me very satisfied with my dinner choice, although it was way too much food, but leftovers are great and this dish reheated in the oven well. I would probably give the Cornerstone an 7.5 out of 10 total points. My main entree was superb, but I think there was a lot of room for improvement, mainly to the complimenting components to the dish itself. I think anyone finding this sports pub & eatery on a Friday night will be extremely happy with their choice! They key is finding it!!
We will be visiting the Phoenix in Hartland this Friday. It Ann's birthday weekend and it might be even more interesting than normal, with a potential guest appearance from my friend Alyssa, who will be making the unusual trip west of 124th Street. Have a good week all!
Onto the "fry" -- this week we decided to go to the Cornerstone Sports Pub & Eatery, rather than Spinnakers. It was highly recommended by a blog follower, so we decided to have a girls dinner at the Cornerstone (24 S. Main St., Oconomowoc) after a thoroughly relaxing session of yoga at the Soleil Yoga Center. I have to admit, I was slightly apprehensive about this place, which is off the beaten path in Oconomowoc. We walked in to this bar and what I felt might be a good "burger" joint, didn't look the part of Fish Fry Haven. Well, I was wrong (which, is hard to admit if you really know me).
Ann and I sought out a high-top table and enjoyed a pre-meal cocktail while we looked over the menu. The waitress stopped by promptly to take our order, Ann decided to again, go the traditional route (battered cod, 9.95) while I, on the other hand, was painfully indecisive about what to get. When I asked the waitress for her recommendation she had pointed out the "Spanish Fish Fry" (9.95) -- and I went with her advice. The following is Ann's take on our dining experience.
First of let me express my amazement at the fish fry on Friday night. After driving around the block in O-town about 3 times we found the entrance to the Cornerstone. The setting is well, very bar like (because it is a bar!!!). We settled into a table along the wall and ordered a drink. The waitstaff was very nice and attentive. As we ordered I decided to stick with my usual, the beer battered cod. Our meals came out in a very reasonable amount of time. The first item I noticed on my plate was two little fritters sitting in a tub of what appeared to be butter sauce. I grabbed one up and ate it and OH MY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YUMMMMMMMMMMMM. I sacrificed my second bite of heaven to allow Beth to have the other fritter. That really paved the way for what I knew was going to be a fantastic fish fry. Everything on my plate tasted wonderful. The breading on the fish was a little crunchy, but just right. What a fantastic meal. 9.5/10!!! CAN’T WAIT TO GO BACK!!!!!
To add to Ann's comments, the fritter was DELISH! It was a pineapple fritter with maple syrup butter, a nice crunchy exterior and then the cake-like insides, mixed with the butter was a huge explosion of breakfast in one bite! A little disconnect from the "fish fry" flavor-wise, but a pleasant one! I'm going to take you back a little to the beginning of the meal, with my own rendition of the evening. We each ordered a cup of the New England Clam Chowder, which, was average. I highly doubt this soup was homemade, it probably came from a food distributor in a large plastic bag which is to be reheated. It's OK soup, but we're not searching for just "OK." here and when you have a fish fry, I expect all the pieces to the puzzle to be homemade. To Cornerstone's credit, though, the chowder was the only average component of the meal.
My Spanish Fish Fry was a fun interpretation of the traditional Wisconsin meal. It was a generous serving of cod which was lightly breaded and pan fried on both sides, then topped with salsa, white cheddar cheese and sour cream. The combination of the breading along with the superbly flaky cod and salsa/cheese/sour cream was a glorious balance of texture and flavor. I never would have imagined salsa with a breaded cod would be as successful as it was. On a sour note, I would have preferred a pepper jack cheese to add a little more heat to this dish, but I cannot complain about that one minute detail. I may just try to perfect this recipe at my own home!
The plate was complimented with a side of Spanish rice and playful triangles of cheese quesadillas. This creative dish had me very satisfied with my dinner choice, although it was way too much food, but leftovers are great and this dish reheated in the oven well. I would probably give the Cornerstone an 7.5 out of 10 total points. My main entree was superb, but I think there was a lot of room for improvement, mainly to the complimenting components to the dish itself. I think anyone finding this sports pub & eatery on a Friday night will be extremely happy with their choice! They key is finding it!!
We will be visiting the Phoenix in Hartland this Friday. It Ann's birthday weekend and it might be even more interesting than normal, with a potential guest appearance from my friend Alyssa, who will be making the unusual trip west of 124th Street. Have a good week all!
Monday, December 7, 2009
Max Meier's Hartland Inn, Hartland, WI
First of all I'd like to take this time to remember Pearl Harbor Day...it happened way before I was born, but just like any other monumental historic event, I believe it is a day like President Roosevelt said "that will live in infamy" and we can never forget it. Too often we take for granted (and sometimes forget) that in order for us to live the happy free life we have, many others had to lose theirs in order to ensure it. Onto fish, I know nice transition, but I'm in a hurry today! I will let you read Ann's entry first as I have a few things to say in rebuttal.
This week brought me to my witching grounds, hometown Hartland and the Max Meier’s Inn. Max Meier’s has been the home to so many important events from my eighth grade graduation dinner to my Dad’s celebration of life luncheon. The atmosphere is cozy and the people are great ... living up to our promise we ordered the Fish Fry!! Our family style fish fry came with cole slaw, potato salad, and bread. We also ordered potato pancake. The potato pancakes were THICK and very tasty...I will admit, I have had the Max Meier Fish Fry before and thought it was just as tasty as it always is. The slaw was not a creamy slaw, a little different then what we have had in previous weeks, but still tasted GREAT!!! I give Max Meier’s a 9 out of 10, what can I say, I am rooting for the HOME TEAM!
This week we skipped the workout and headed to the Hartland Inn early, as we (Ann, Dave and myself) were all hungry! The Hartland Inn was quaint, warm and very friendly, the holiday decor was classy and old fashioned (just the way I love it) and you felt like you were at a friend's home while dining there. It was also like an Ann Grevenkamp homecoming as she literally knew about 60% of the clientele (Ok, maybe exaggerating, but you get the point) and I later found out her and her family spent the better part of the 1990s in the Max Meier dining room, which would probably explain her fondness for the restaurant.
We were greeted by the hostess, who kindly took our name and seated us within 15 minutes, it was great. Not too busy, but enough people in the place so you weren't scared to eat the cuisine! We started off this week with some yummy appetizers, bacon wrapped water chestnuts (6.00) and chicken ginger wontons (10.00), followed by our soup course. My shrimp/lobster bisque ($5.00) was unbelievably impressive. It was a different mixing of the ingredients than I was used to, with a frothy nutmeg cappuccino making the broth a little darker brown in color, but that was the only thing that was dark about this soup. Let me give one huge pat on the back to the chef who came up with that recipe, the flavors were robust and clean, it was rich, but still bright enough to not be overpowering. I loved it.
Ann opted for the beer cheese soup, which I tasted and liked, but moved over it very quickly to get back to my own bowl of heaven! All of this great food to start made me very excited for the main course, and I'm afraid I was a little disappointed with what followed.
I ordered the breaded cod (11.95), which was served family style, like Ann had mentioned, with creamy potato salad, oil-based cole slaw and rye bread. We also had french fries and a potato pancake. While the fish was not bad tasting, it did not compare to the meal we had last week at the Butler Inn. The cod was not flaky and the breading wasn't very flavorful. I felt myself adding a fair amount of salt and pepper, which we know is the kiss of death for a meal. I will give props to the very best potato pancake I've had yet so far...but that was the only highlight.
Dave had the Seared Sea Scallop Salad (15.00) which is Seared Sea Scallops on a Bed of Hearts of Romain, Belgium Endive, Spring Mix, Grape Tomatoes & Red Onion, then Drizzled with Mixed Berry Balsamic Dressing and Garnished with Goat Cheese Croutons, he wanted to be sure we included how much he enjoyed his non-traditional Friday meal routine I realize the Hartland Inn has a lot of sentimental history for Ann and her family, but I simply cannot put this restaurant in the same category (fish fry only) as the Butler Inn and I have no alliances in this game. As much as I was rooting for the home team, I think it fell short of delivering a game-winner (sorry for the sports pun).
I would rate this fish fry probably 7 out of a possible 10. I had an enjoyable experience and will probably go back someday, but not for a while, as we're going to be very, very busy in the next few months helping you find the BEST fish fry in Lake Country. Next week we will be visiting Spinnakers in Oconomowoc. Have a wonderful week.
This week brought me to my witching grounds, hometown Hartland and the Max Meier’s Inn. Max Meier’s has been the home to so many important events from my eighth grade graduation dinner to my Dad’s celebration of life luncheon. The atmosphere is cozy and the people are great ... living up to our promise we ordered the Fish Fry!! Our family style fish fry came with cole slaw, potato salad, and bread. We also ordered potato pancake. The potato pancakes were THICK and very tasty...I will admit, I have had the Max Meier Fish Fry before and thought it was just as tasty as it always is. The slaw was not a creamy slaw, a little different then what we have had in previous weeks, but still tasted GREAT!!! I give Max Meier’s a 9 out of 10, what can I say, I am rooting for the HOME TEAM!
This week we skipped the workout and headed to the Hartland Inn early, as we (Ann, Dave and myself) were all hungry! The Hartland Inn was quaint, warm and very friendly, the holiday decor was classy and old fashioned (just the way I love it) and you felt like you were at a friend's home while dining there. It was also like an Ann Grevenkamp homecoming as she literally knew about 60% of the clientele (Ok, maybe exaggerating, but you get the point) and I later found out her and her family spent the better part of the 1990s in the Max Meier dining room, which would probably explain her fondness for the restaurant.
We were greeted by the hostess, who kindly took our name and seated us within 15 minutes, it was great. Not too busy, but enough people in the place so you weren't scared to eat the cuisine! We started off this week with some yummy appetizers, bacon wrapped water chestnuts (6.00) and chicken ginger wontons (10.00), followed by our soup course. My shrimp/lobster bisque ($5.00) was unbelievably impressive. It was a different mixing of the ingredients than I was used to, with a frothy nutmeg cappuccino making the broth a little darker brown in color, but that was the only thing that was dark about this soup. Let me give one huge pat on the back to the chef who came up with that recipe, the flavors were robust and clean, it was rich, but still bright enough to not be overpowering. I loved it.
Ann opted for the beer cheese soup, which I tasted and liked, but moved over it very quickly to get back to my own bowl of heaven! All of this great food to start made me very excited for the main course, and I'm afraid I was a little disappointed with what followed.
I ordered the breaded cod (11.95), which was served family style, like Ann had mentioned, with creamy potato salad, oil-based cole slaw and rye bread. We also had french fries and a potato pancake. While the fish was not bad tasting, it did not compare to the meal we had last week at the Butler Inn. The cod was not flaky and the breading wasn't very flavorful. I felt myself adding a fair amount of salt and pepper, which we know is the kiss of death for a meal. I will give props to the very best potato pancake I've had yet so far...but that was the only highlight.
Dave had the Seared Sea Scallop Salad (15.00) which is Seared Sea Scallops on a Bed of Hearts of Romain, Belgium Endive, Spring Mix, Grape Tomatoes & Red Onion, then Drizzled with Mixed Berry Balsamic Dressing and Garnished with Goat Cheese Croutons, he wanted to be sure we included how much he enjoyed his non-traditional Friday meal routine I realize the Hartland Inn has a lot of sentimental history for Ann and her family, but I simply cannot put this restaurant in the same category (fish fry only) as the Butler Inn and I have no alliances in this game. As much as I was rooting for the home team, I think it fell short of delivering a game-winner (sorry for the sports pun).
I would rate this fish fry probably 7 out of a possible 10. I had an enjoyable experience and will probably go back someday, but not for a while, as we're going to be very, very busy in the next few months helping you find the BEST fish fry in Lake Country. Next week we will be visiting Spinnakers in Oconomowoc. Have a wonderful week.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Butler Inn
Happy Monday to all of my Fish Fry friends. If any of you are like me, getting into the swing of the work week has been a slow one, after an extra long weekend of gluttony, family and friends it was hard for me to wake up to "reality" this morning after all Thanksgiving madness. With that said, I hope all of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Mine was incredible, full of amazing family, great friends and scrumptious food! Which brings us to Friday -- and instead of shopping with the crazies, I decided to bring the fish fry blog back to life after a week-long hiatus.
My Thanksgiving holiday continued with a Friday afternoon trip to downtown Milwaukee to see the matinee showing of "Rent" -- what a fabulous musical, the singing was impeccable, music was moving and the entire production was incredible. Following the show, we decided to head out to Pewaukee to continue this fish fry madness we blog about each week. Destination: Butler Inn and so far (I know, we're only three weeks in) this was the best fry we've had, hands down. I know our goal was to find the "hole in the wall" fish dinner, but we decided to "Supper Club" it, mostly because my mom was with us, it seemed appropriate and we were all dressed up! Below you will see the thoughts from fellow Blogger, Ann Grevenkamp.
Black Friday was our third attempt at finding the best Fish Fry in Southeastern, WI. After going to see Rent we could not have picked a nicer establishment to conclude our evening. We started out our meal at Butler Inn with a nice bottle of wine shared between Beth, Dave and myself. I decided to venture out of the box and try the Greek Style baked Cod………..I am typically a Beer Battered Cod girl. I ordered the homemade potato pancakes to go with my meal. When the meal arrived my Greek style fish was served with a charitable size of green peas. Since this was new for me I took a breath and dove in and WOW was it incredible. The baking of the fish really gave it a different feel and taste for me. And, I felt that the green peas were a pleasantly appropriate side dish to be served with it. The potato pancakes had incredible flavor. I also had a chance to nibble off of Beth and Dave’s plates and can tell you that breading on the fish they had was to die for!!! I would give Butler Inn’s Friday night fish fry a 9 out of 10!!!!!!
I have to wholeheartedly agree with Ann, this was a phenomenal meal for all of us. I had the special beer battered walleye ($15.95) along with a loaded baked potato and chicken dumpling soup. I have to admit, and this is pretty difficult, that the walleye I had is equal to or better than some of the best fish frys I've ever had. The breading was light and flavorful and the fish itself was fresh and flaky. A big thumbs up to the kitchen on this plate!
My mother decided to go a more healthy route with a broiled salmon (15.95) and she was equally as impressed with her dinner. The Greek-style baked cod (12.95) was very a very unique choice of menu items, nothing that I would expect at your "typical" Wisconsin fish fry, but I was delighted by the change of pace. I tasted a part of Ann's dinner and the fish along with the sauce and side of peas was just an overall superb balance of flavor and variety. An original dish, which you rarely run into at places like this and it was a welcome surprise.
Dave ordered the traditional beer-battered cod (11.95) and from the looks of his plate, he was just as happy with his meal as the rest of us! Nobody went home hungry on Friday, November 27! Mom and I both commented that the Butler Inn would hold up against some of the best supper clubs in Fond du Lac/Calumet counties (yes, even Blanck's). A true down-home atmosphere, great food/flavors and wonderful service. We all know how hard that is to find in one place... I am going to be a bit more generous with my scoring for the Butler Inn than Ann, as I believe that place deserves a 10 out of 10. From beginning to end our dining experience at this very quaint, beautiful restaurant was lovely and enjoyable! Next week we will be trying the Hartland Inn, the bar has been set in my opinion, so let's hope they can meet it!
My Thanksgiving holiday continued with a Friday afternoon trip to downtown Milwaukee to see the matinee showing of "Rent" -- what a fabulous musical, the singing was impeccable, music was moving and the entire production was incredible. Following the show, we decided to head out to Pewaukee to continue this fish fry madness we blog about each week. Destination: Butler Inn and so far (I know, we're only three weeks in) this was the best fry we've had, hands down. I know our goal was to find the "hole in the wall" fish dinner, but we decided to "Supper Club" it, mostly because my mom was with us, it seemed appropriate and we were all dressed up! Below you will see the thoughts from fellow Blogger, Ann Grevenkamp.
Black Friday was our third attempt at finding the best Fish Fry in Southeastern, WI. After going to see Rent we could not have picked a nicer establishment to conclude our evening. We started out our meal at Butler Inn with a nice bottle of wine shared between Beth, Dave and myself. I decided to venture out of the box and try the Greek Style baked Cod………..I am typically a Beer Battered Cod girl. I ordered the homemade potato pancakes to go with my meal. When the meal arrived my Greek style fish was served with a charitable size of green peas. Since this was new for me I took a breath and dove in and WOW was it incredible. The baking of the fish really gave it a different feel and taste for me. And, I felt that the green peas were a pleasantly appropriate side dish to be served with it. The potato pancakes had incredible flavor. I also had a chance to nibble off of Beth and Dave’s plates and can tell you that breading on the fish they had was to die for!!! I would give Butler Inn’s Friday night fish fry a 9 out of 10!!!!!!
I have to wholeheartedly agree with Ann, this was a phenomenal meal for all of us. I had the special beer battered walleye ($15.95) along with a loaded baked potato and chicken dumpling soup. I have to admit, and this is pretty difficult, that the walleye I had is equal to or better than some of the best fish frys I've ever had. The breading was light and flavorful and the fish itself was fresh and flaky. A big thumbs up to the kitchen on this plate!
My mother decided to go a more healthy route with a broiled salmon (15.95) and she was equally as impressed with her dinner. The Greek-style baked cod (12.95) was very a very unique choice of menu items, nothing that I would expect at your "typical" Wisconsin fish fry, but I was delighted by the change of pace. I tasted a part of Ann's dinner and the fish along with the sauce and side of peas was just an overall superb balance of flavor and variety. An original dish, which you rarely run into at places like this and it was a welcome surprise.
Dave ordered the traditional beer-battered cod (11.95) and from the looks of his plate, he was just as happy with his meal as the rest of us! Nobody went home hungry on Friday, November 27! Mom and I both commented that the Butler Inn would hold up against some of the best supper clubs in Fond du Lac/Calumet counties (yes, even Blanck's). A true down-home atmosphere, great food/flavors and wonderful service. We all know how hard that is to find in one place... I am going to be a bit more generous with my scoring for the Butler Inn than Ann, as I believe that place deserves a 10 out of 10. From beginning to end our dining experience at this very quaint, beautiful restaurant was lovely and enjoyable! Next week we will be trying the Hartland Inn, the bar has been set in my opinion, so let's hope they can meet it!
Monday, November 16, 2009
Fish Fry Week 2 -- Andrea's Red Rooster, Waukesha, WI
Hello everyone. I hope this little blog finds each and every one of you very, very happy after a much-needed Packers victory. I was fortunate enough to go to the game and I have to say, after a few yawns (well, maybe more than a few) in the first half, things picked up in the 2nd half and we pulled it out. My mom, Paula, Amy and I had a great time. Now, onto Fish... Week 2 found us going to Andrea's Red Rooster in Waukesha. There are pretty mixed feelings about the fry this week and I will be posting Ann's thoughts first.
ANN -- We sat in the bar (kind of) where we set off on our 2nd fish fry, to be followed up by many, many more. As we ordered our meal I thought I would try a baked cod. Last week I had the Beer Battered Cod, as I usually do, and thought this week I would venture into something a bit healthier. Well, much to my dismay they were OUT of baked cod. It was about 8:15 at the time of ordering, which as we all discussed after placing the order means 1 of 2 things…..1) the baked cod is UNBELIEVALBE or 2) they just didn’t make enough baked cod?????? Everyone at the table ordered something different to spice up our blog……we hope they all add their input!!! So, needless to say, I had Beer Battered Cod. Next fish fry I will not be eating cod (note to all!!) My beer battered cod tasted very similar to the beer battered cod I am used to. The breading was good (I thought) and I was full after two of the three pieces. I chose to get my meal with “potato pancakes”. The potato pancakes were not really potato pancakes but were potato coins. Although not being real potato pancakes they were pretty tasty. They had a little bit of pepper on them that gave them a mild kick. I ate them with apple sauce which added some flavor to them. I will say that I did enjoy the fish fry, but I LOVE FOOD, so it hard for me not to enjoy it. But, since we are in the pursuit of the BEST fish fry I must rate my meal. I would give Andrea’s Red Rooster a 6.5 out of 10 for their fish fry.
I'd like to thank Ann for her great comments: I'm going to wager that Andrea's probably didn't expect too many for baked cod and they ran out early in the evening, because unlike Ann, my experience food-wise kinda sucked. I feel like the Red Rooster fish fry fell short of pleasing the palette.
First things first, we walked in and the place was fairly busy, we sought out a high-top table and were immediately greeted by a friendly face who quickly brought us back the mandatory first-round. Conversation was flowing and we (JZ, Dave, Ann and myself) were all having a great time mulling over the myriad of choices Andrea had on her menu. The Deep Fried Cod was $8.95 for two pieces & $9.95 for three. Blue Gill was $12.95 as was the perch and pike. I was so excited to try the Blue Gill, but that excitement waned pretty quickly.
My meal was a bust. Bottom line. My first bite into the fish was a tough one, literally, and while I was willing to give the restaurant the benefit of the doubt by moving over to another fillet, I was disappointed to have the same result. The blue gill was not fresh and I'm pretty positive this was a frozen filet thrown in a deep fryer for way too long. The highlight of my meal were the haystack onion rings, the whiskey old-fashioned and the few bites that JZ gave me of his walleye. THAT was freshly battered and deep-fried perfectly and regrettably I did not order that entree. Thanks JZ for sharing!
In conclusion, I probably would not go to Andrea's Red Rooster for a fish fry anytime soon. Mostly, because I'm going to be traveling all over Waukesha County for the next few months to find more Friday goodies! However, if you're going to Andrea's, order the Cod or the Walleye, heck, even order an old fashioned, but DO NOT get the Blue Gill, unless you want fish taffy... I will give probably 5 stars out of 10. It's average, but we're not looking for average, so onto the next establishment! Next week we will be taking a break, but coming up in for the end of November, is the Butler Inn in Pewaukee. I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving. Thanks for reading!
ANN -- We sat in the bar (kind of) where we set off on our 2nd fish fry, to be followed up by many, many more. As we ordered our meal I thought I would try a baked cod. Last week I had the Beer Battered Cod, as I usually do, and thought this week I would venture into something a bit healthier. Well, much to my dismay they were OUT of baked cod. It was about 8:15 at the time of ordering, which as we all discussed after placing the order means 1 of 2 things…..1) the baked cod is UNBELIEVALBE or 2) they just didn’t make enough baked cod?????? Everyone at the table ordered something different to spice up our blog……we hope they all add their input!!! So, needless to say, I had Beer Battered Cod. Next fish fry I will not be eating cod (note to all!!) My beer battered cod tasted very similar to the beer battered cod I am used to. The breading was good (I thought) and I was full after two of the three pieces. I chose to get my meal with “potato pancakes”. The potato pancakes were not really potato pancakes but were potato coins. Although not being real potato pancakes they were pretty tasty. They had a little bit of pepper on them that gave them a mild kick. I ate them with apple sauce which added some flavor to them. I will say that I did enjoy the fish fry, but I LOVE FOOD, so it hard for me not to enjoy it. But, since we are in the pursuit of the BEST fish fry I must rate my meal. I would give Andrea’s Red Rooster a 6.5 out of 10 for their fish fry.
I'd like to thank Ann for her great comments: I'm going to wager that Andrea's probably didn't expect too many for baked cod and they ran out early in the evening, because unlike Ann, my experience food-wise kinda sucked. I feel like the Red Rooster fish fry fell short of pleasing the palette.
First things first, we walked in and the place was fairly busy, we sought out a high-top table and were immediately greeted by a friendly face who quickly brought us back the mandatory first-round. Conversation was flowing and we (JZ, Dave, Ann and myself) were all having a great time mulling over the myriad of choices Andrea had on her menu. The Deep Fried Cod was $8.95 for two pieces & $9.95 for three. Blue Gill was $12.95 as was the perch and pike. I was so excited to try the Blue Gill, but that excitement waned pretty quickly.
My meal was a bust. Bottom line. My first bite into the fish was a tough one, literally, and while I was willing to give the restaurant the benefit of the doubt by moving over to another fillet, I was disappointed to have the same result. The blue gill was not fresh and I'm pretty positive this was a frozen filet thrown in a deep fryer for way too long. The highlight of my meal were the haystack onion rings, the whiskey old-fashioned and the few bites that JZ gave me of his walleye. THAT was freshly battered and deep-fried perfectly and regrettably I did not order that entree. Thanks JZ for sharing!
In conclusion, I probably would not go to Andrea's Red Rooster for a fish fry anytime soon. Mostly, because I'm going to be traveling all over Waukesha County for the next few months to find more Friday goodies! However, if you're going to Andrea's, order the Cod or the Walleye, heck, even order an old fashioned, but DO NOT get the Blue Gill, unless you want fish taffy... I will give probably 5 stars out of 10. It's average, but we're not looking for average, so onto the next establishment! Next week we will be taking a break, but coming up in for the end of November, is the Butler Inn in Pewaukee. I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving. Thanks for reading!
Monday, November 9, 2009
Lake Country Fish Fry -- Week 1 -- Woody's, North Lake, WI
Ok, ok, so on a recent trip to the gym, my friend Ann and I decided that instead of taking people's advice, or reading reviews, we were going to find the best Fish Fry in Lake Country by ourselves. Blog about it and see where it goes from there. A little background on our first week. I'm not originally from the Lake Country area,
I'm from Fond du Lac, WI and in my mind, there is not a better area in the world for a fish fry than the greater Fondy Metroplex (LOL). I grew up with a family business down the street and was fortunate enough to have the best food about 10 steps-away. If you haven't been to Blanck's Supper Club in Johnsburg, WI, I suggest you try it. Not only is it home to some of the best steaks in the county, they also have a great fish fry and I'm still convinced nobody, can duplicate the German Potato Salad recipe my great-grandmother perfected nearly 60 years ago. My cousin Mike and his wife Kris (along with cousins Vicki and Ashley) have become the faces of that restaurant now and I am still proud to have had some part of it! Love to you all (my shameless plug and shout-out).
I was fortunate to "grow-up" dining on Friday evenings at places like Jim & Linda's, Schwartz's, Wendt's on the Lake, Ledgeview, Cedar Lodge, Roepke's, Trepaniers, Sunset Supper Club, etc. You get the gist. I was spoiled, we were a restaurant family and the closest I came to fast food in my youth was the weekly trip to Schreiner's on Monday nights when the restaurant (& my parents tavern) was closed. We didn't go out to eat for burgers and fries, we got steak, my parents threatened us with burgers/fries if we didn't behave! LOL.
While looking back, I realize how GREAT that was! I feel as though with nearly 38 years of food and beverage experience, it was time for me to actually make something of it -- no matter how ridiculous or insignificant! So, each and every Friday, Ann and I will meet at the gym (yes, the gym) -- workout for an hour and then indulge in the great Wisconsin Friday Night Tradition! We are going to eat the fish fry and still manage to lose weight! HA! OK, now, for the good stuff.
Friday, November 6, 2009 - Woody's in North Lake, WI. For those of you not familiar with the area, it's just outside Hartland to the North on Hwy 83. It's a small bar/restaurant, just a handful of tables grace the tiny dining area located in the front of the establishment. Our waitress, greeted us warmly right away and within a matter of minutes we had our first drink in hand and were glancing over the menu.
I decided to go the non-traditional route (as I will be doing for each week) and ordered a baked cod topped with mock crab meat, mushrooms and cheese. The entree came with a side of cole slaw, baby red potatoes and rye bread. The sides were typical, and to be honest, I am not a fan of cream cole-slaw, so I only ate a few bites. The cod, however, was delicious. It was recommended by the waitress (I cannot remember this nice person's name) and she was spot-on about how yummy this little number was. And...for ONLY $9.95
This week I will be posting for my good friend Ann -- but in later weeks, she will be chiming in on her rendition of the Friday events. She went with the deep fried Cod and french fry options. While, she said her dinner was very good -- it was not anything spectacular. Her meal was a very reasonable $7.95. We did have an option for Blue Gill, which was recommended by a customer, but we opted for the other entrees instead. There was no perch or pike option. I've realized from going to a few restaurants in this area, they consider a "traditional" fish fry deep fried cod. So, as our meals did not disappoint our taste buds, we were not overwhelmed by the Fish Fry at Woody's in North Lake.
I will, however, give a shout to the outstanding customer service we got -- and also, incredible burgers they serve 7 days a week. First week is in the books, Woody's was a pleasure and we enjoyed our dinners immensely and the company was superior! Have a great week!
I'm from Fond du Lac, WI and in my mind, there is not a better area in the world for a fish fry than the greater Fondy Metroplex (LOL). I grew up with a family business down the street and was fortunate enough to have the best food about 10 steps-away. If you haven't been to Blanck's Supper Club in Johnsburg, WI, I suggest you try it. Not only is it home to some of the best steaks in the county, they also have a great fish fry and I'm still convinced nobody, can duplicate the German Potato Salad recipe my great-grandmother perfected nearly 60 years ago. My cousin Mike and his wife Kris (along with cousins Vicki and Ashley) have become the faces of that restaurant now and I am still proud to have had some part of it! Love to you all (my shameless plug and shout-out).
I was fortunate to "grow-up" dining on Friday evenings at places like Jim & Linda's, Schwartz's, Wendt's on the Lake, Ledgeview, Cedar Lodge, Roepke's, Trepaniers, Sunset Supper Club, etc. You get the gist. I was spoiled, we were a restaurant family and the closest I came to fast food in my youth was the weekly trip to Schreiner's on Monday nights when the restaurant (& my parents tavern) was closed. We didn't go out to eat for burgers and fries, we got steak, my parents threatened us with burgers/fries if we didn't behave! LOL.
While looking back, I realize how GREAT that was! I feel as though with nearly 38 years of food and beverage experience, it was time for me to actually make something of it -- no matter how ridiculous or insignificant! So, each and every Friday, Ann and I will meet at the gym (yes, the gym) -- workout for an hour and then indulge in the great Wisconsin Friday Night Tradition! We are going to eat the fish fry and still manage to lose weight! HA! OK, now, for the good stuff.
Friday, November 6, 2009 - Woody's in North Lake, WI. For those of you not familiar with the area, it's just outside Hartland to the North on Hwy 83. It's a small bar/restaurant, just a handful of tables grace the tiny dining area located in the front of the establishment. Our waitress, greeted us warmly right away and within a matter of minutes we had our first drink in hand and were glancing over the menu.
I decided to go the non-traditional route (as I will be doing for each week) and ordered a baked cod topped with mock crab meat, mushrooms and cheese. The entree came with a side of cole slaw, baby red potatoes and rye bread. The sides were typical, and to be honest, I am not a fan of cream cole-slaw, so I only ate a few bites. The cod, however, was delicious. It was recommended by the waitress (I cannot remember this nice person's name) and she was spot-on about how yummy this little number was. And...for ONLY $9.95
This week I will be posting for my good friend Ann -- but in later weeks, she will be chiming in on her rendition of the Friday events. She went with the deep fried Cod and french fry options. While, she said her dinner was very good -- it was not anything spectacular. Her meal was a very reasonable $7.95. We did have an option for Blue Gill, which was recommended by a customer, but we opted for the other entrees instead. There was no perch or pike option. I've realized from going to a few restaurants in this area, they consider a "traditional" fish fry deep fried cod. So, as our meals did not disappoint our taste buds, we were not overwhelmed by the Fish Fry at Woody's in North Lake.
I will, however, give a shout to the outstanding customer service we got -- and also, incredible burgers they serve 7 days a week. First week is in the books, Woody's was a pleasure and we enjoyed our dinners immensely and the company was superior! Have a great week!
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