Diamond Jim's Stoneridge Inn

Good afternoon Fish Fry enthusiasts, and thanks for taking the time to read the blog. I decided to go a little outside the "comfort zone" this week and try a restaurant east of 124th Street, a recommended little place in Hales Corners called Diamond Jim's Stoneridge Inn, 11811 W Janesville Rd.

After a much needed seasonal facial, we walked in the door close to 7:30pm, again, the perfect time as far as I'm concerned.  I will give you Alyssa's take on the experience and I will follow-up and conclude. 

Alyssa: I’ve had Diamond Jim’s fish fry before and because I thought it was quite possibly the best I’d  ever had, I suggested the restaurant to Beth. The food was even better this time than it was a few weeks ago.  We arrived late (7:30 is late for the Hales Corners crowd) and we had to wait about 15 minutes for a table. This represents, to me, the perfect balance between tumbleweeds blowing through the dining room and “I’m not waiting that long for a fish fry let’s leave.” It’s popular but not off-putting. The almost-elderly hostesses and waitresses were busy and tired and not afraid to show it. While the service was civil, it wasn’t exactly friendly. However, the food more than made up for the personalities. My three huge pieces of fresh beer-battered cod arrived light and crispy, and the homemade potato pancakes with chunky applesauce were well-seasoned and hearty. Coupled with the cup of clam chowder I added as an appetizer, the flavorful tartar sauce and the creamy coleslaw, I couldn’t even finish all my food – and I’m usually a proud member of the Clean Plate Club. I give it a 9/10, one-point demotion for the staff treating us like impositions rather than guests.

I will exact Alyssa's sentiments on the service, it was a borderline rude.  I got the distinct impression the restaurant was incredibly busy prior to our arrival, but being tired and running your ass off on a Friday night should be nothing strange to a waitress in Wisconsin, unless you’re 16 and clearly she was not. 

We started the meal off with a cup of homemade clam chowder, and it was fabulous.  It was chunky, flavorful and very filling.  Shortly after the waitress cleared away our soup cups, our entrees were in front of us.  (side note: even though the waitress herself wasn’t so happy, the  overall quickness of getting our food was top-notch).  I went with the broiled cod ($12.95) and Alyssa had the fried cod ($10.95).  I pulled off a "trade" with Alyssa, one piece of fried cod from her plate for an equally sized square of broiled off mine, a very fair and equal maneuver. 

I recommend both entrees. The beer-batter was crispy and not over-cooked, seasoned well and fried to perfection, and inside the fish was moist, flaky and delicious.  I thoroughly enjoyed that piece of cod.  My broiled fish was no different.  The light paprika seasoned filet was cooked well, but a little overdone, however, it was a little later and some places tend to “pre-broil” their fish in order to get it out timely.  This wasn’t that bad and the flavors were in tact, but it did need a partner in drawn butter to make that happen.  I usually like to critique on whether or not the fish NEEDS extra condiments or if it can stand on it’s own. 

Additionally, the coleslaw was amazing, probably the best I've had thus far.  It’s heavier cream base is normally something I don’t enjoy, but this time it was divine, incredibly balanced with just the right crunchiness from the cabbage/carrots and the creaminess of the mayo/cream combo.  As an afterthought, there was a small piece of store-bought, buttered rye bread and average potato pancakes.

While Alyssa is a bit more generous in her rating, I’ll give Diamond Jim’s a solid 7 out of 10. 

As always, I hope you all enjoyed this blog and you have an even better week.  I’m hoping to hit up Silver Spring Country Club this Friday, as they were nice enough to send a free Fish Fry coupon in the mail.  





Don't forget to check out the blog's facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/pages/Lake-Country-Wisconsin-Fish-Frys/153633424672319 

Also, please check out LakeCountryNightOut.com for more fun things to do in Waukesha County!

And most importantly, I know it might get a little sickening, but seriously, give someone a hug!  

A funny thing happened at the Phoenix...

Good afternoon everyone, thanks for taking some more time to read my little opinionated piece about my favorite Wisconsin tradition.  The fish fry.

This week I'm "re-blogging" -- which means, I wasn't creative enough to find a new place because I was absolutely CRAVING the haddock at the Phoenix, 129 Cottonwood Ave., Hartland, WI 53029-2014, (262) 367-9020.  We decided to go with the original "four" members of the fish fry group, Ann, Dave, Mike (Z) and myself.

I'm going to copy a paragraph from my December 2009 blog, because nothing has changed.   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, 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.

Well, our experience in 2010 was very similar to that of 2009, with one exception...I finally met a blog follower.  And I feel absolutely horrible for not asking a name, but I was so full of excitement that someone actually reads this thing!  The couple I met brought along their two children and were nestled in the back corner of the dining room.  They must have overheard me talking about the blog with the waitress, and politely asked if I was the author of the blog, I replied yes, we shared some words (they ordered the baked cod) and I was giddy after a rotten day at work.  Again, I'm so sorry I don't have your names, but please know you really touched me that day, and completely turned around what was an incredibly crappy day.  Oh yeah and I also called my mom and dad about that little "run-in" -- my dad is now a loyal blog reader.  :-)

This dining experience, Mike once again had the seafood buffet, Dave the fish/chicken buffet and Ann & I went with the baked haddock.  I will tell you one slightly negative thing, if you choose to eat an item off the menu and not the buffet, you will wait at least a good 20 minutes for your entree.  There are positives to this, like you get the best cooked baked fish in all of Waukesha County, which is broiled to perfection and served right out of the oven.  But, don't be in a hurry.  I did get a chance to sample some items from the buffet, and they were good, but I always prefer off the menu - as fried food has a very quick shelf life in a buffet line.  With that said, the staff at Phoenix is constantly making sure the buffet is "fresh" of fried goodness.

I also want to give out props to our waitress, who was such a positive and fun woman.  She remembered us (from almost a year ago) and her service made a great meal, nearly perfect.  And when she overheard about the blog and the couple who was out to eat there because of this blog, she comped the table a round of drinks.  Which, I thought was unnecessarily nice.

I can't do any better than a 10 out of 10 stars for the Phoenix, but I wish I could -- I realize there is probably something comparable out there, but I have yet to run into it and I will definitely recommend the Phoenix first it to ANYONE who asks, and even if you don't.

Have a great week everyone and I look forward to meeting or hearing from you some Friday night down the road.

Don't forget to follow the blog posts on facebook :

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lake-Country-Wisconsin-Fish-Frys/153633424672319
Who knows, I may start with twitter, but that one still confuses me. 

I know it sounds sappy, but again, please...tell someone you care about you DO care about them, and what better way to do it than with a big fat hug!

Peace!

Fish Fry ... to go

Greetings everyone, and thanks for checking out the weekly dose of fish fry banter.

This week I decided to "lay low," which means, I didn't feel like going out, knowing I had a big Saturday ahead of me.  So this week, I thought I'd give you my "take" on "take-out" fish frys.  

There is a newer establishment in Hartland called  J.C. Bogars, located at 352 Cottonwood Ave., I had heard some mixed things about the restaurant, but figured now was as good as anytime to make my own assessment of the fare at this quaint dining establishment.

I called from my cell phone about 15 minutes outside of Hartland, and the courteous server who answered the phone assured me the food would be done in 10 minutes. While my food wasn't exactly waiting for me, I still was able to get in and out very quickly.  Twice while I was waiting, I was greeted warmly by the two different servers, making sure I was taken care of and within five minutes of my arrival, I had my food in my hand and was ready to head home.

Because I was dining alone, I thought it only fair (again, this is for you Cabby) to order the traditional fish fry of deep-fried cod, with homemade potato chips.  The meal also came with a slice of rye bread and cole slaw, all for $9.95.

I had my ups and downs with this meal.  I'll start with the "down" as I always like to end on a positive.  There were huge problems with the cole slaw and I was so disappointed in that.  For once, I was excited to dive into an oil-based slaw, but it was so bitter in taste, I literally had to spit it out and throw it away immediately.  It had me very cautious as I moved into the main entree, but to my surprise, I did not experience any more "spit-out" moments with my meal.

The fish was a little heavy in its breading, but it was a delicious blend of bread crumbs and spices featuring dill.  I've never had dill in my fish breading until I moved into this area, but I'm becoming quite fond of this ingredient.  The fish itself was a little overdone, but I'll chalk that up to being "to-go." The rye bread was average (store-bought) and not worth putting a lot of comment into.

Also, because I was dining alone, I decided to actually try the tartar sauce (yes, Jodi).  I have to admit, this was the absolute BOMB of sauces.  I bet you have no idea of the secret ingredient making this sauce edible -- yep, you guessed it -- DILL!  Who would have thought that a dill-based tartar sauce would entice me to try it.  I mostly used it as a dip for my homemade potato chips, but I did put on some bites of fish, and it enhanced the flavors quite nicely.

All in all I would recommend a visit to J.C. Bogars -- I'm going to give this particular dining experience a 6 out of 10, but I'm looking forward to actually sitting in their dining room and enjoying a full dining experience.  Anyone who really knows food, realizes that getting take-out just can't measure up to actually going out to eat, but I had 35 miles to ride the next morning and I couldn't be tempted by the nice-looking bar!

Have a great weekend everyone, I'm not sure where the next fry is going to take me, but that's the beauty of this year, you just never know.

In the meantime, I suggest you give a really big hug and let someone important to you KNOW how important they are! '

My big shout out goes to my fabulous mom, who will turn the big 6-0 on Monday, October 4.  I can't wait to give her a big hug on Sunday right before she takes me to the Packers game.  Nice present, huh?

Forget the Fish Fry

Hello all, and welcome back. 

This week's report is going to be very short and sweet.  Why?  Because my dates for the fish fry had a little too much fun while I went on my bike ride after work.  We were going to meet at the Water Street Brewery to try their fish, but instead we ordered pizza and sat by a fire in their neighbor's yard.  I picked up a 12 pack and decided to join the fun!  Unfortunately there was no possible way I was going to catch up, but it was still a lot of fun. 

So, my suggestion is if you ever order Peppino's pizza, get the grilled chicken, cheese and alfredo pizza.  It was nothing short of delicious and while I've been trying to stay healthy, I figured after 20-some miles, I earned it. 

The crust was perfect, I'm not sure if the butter was in the sauce or mixed in the baking of the crust, but nonetheless, it was awesome.  I think everything is better with bacon and butter, this time was no different.  Speaking of bacon, I bet that would be a great addition to this pizza!  :-)

So, I'm heading to MJ Stevens today to meet friends for dinner, they have  Wednesday fish fry, so you never know, maybe I'll set you up with a useful blog this week afterall. 

I do know I'll be heading to the Falls on Friday to dine at The Schwab, so stay tuned!

In the meantime enjoy the rest of your week and HUGS to all!

I'm baaaaackkkkk

So, have you missed me?

Well, you're in luck, I'm back, so is the blog and hopefully you'll enjoy following my adventures as I try and seek out the greatest fish fry available.  This fall/winter I'm hoping to have a bigger and better variety of restaurants for you to choose from in greater Southeast Wisconsin.  It's only fair to all of us that I spread my wings and see what this great state has to offer in the realm of Fish Fry.

During the summer I took a break, blogged about some other restaurants, but in my heart I was missing out on the traditional Friday Wisconsin Fare.  I don't think I could possibly abandon a blog that seems to have touched a few people outside my immediate circle of friends. I've received a few e-mails from strangers asking my opinion on where to go and my blog reviewing the Cornerstone Pub and Grill happens to be ON their website.  How cool is that?  I think it is, and really, that's all that matters!

Let's review shall we?

This past weekend I had the opportunity to hang out with my great friend, and former bandmate Scott, (who happens to live in Tennessee).  After countless times of trying to get together, we finally were able to make plans and stick to them.  I met up with him, his friends Rachelle, Mike and their son Michael. We headed to (of all places) the local bowling center, Prairie Lanes, 430 Clarmar Drive, Sun Prairie, WI, (608) 837-2586, www.prairielanes.com. 

Imagine my skepticism when I heard we were headed the bowl, while I've had some of the best fish frys at bowling centers (Ledgeview Lanes, Fond du Lac, WI) I've also had some really crappy food in those establishments.

I left Prairie Lanes anything but disappointed, bottom line, the fish fry was pretty good and the company was extraordinaire. The bowl features an all-you-can eat fish fry for $9.95, with that you get all the deep fried cod your heart desires, along with an unlimited amount of trips to a soup and salad bar.  Mike ordered this, while Scott, Rachelle and I decided to go a little lighter.  We had the baked cod ($10.95) which also included the S/S bar.  Yes, Cabby, I ate baked cod and I will continue to try and mix in healthier dinners into this fish fry blog, after all I am training for a sprint tri, but I will always give a taste to the fried crap, I owe it to you! :-)

The soup and salad bar is average, while it's a nice option in a meal, it was certainly limited in its presentation and amenities, you had your typical iceberg lettuce, traditional salad dressings and limited options for toppings.  They featured three soup flavors, I opted for a 1/2 cup of the california vegetable medly, it was good, hot and left me thinking they could have done a little better, I had a bit of the creamy cole slaw, which also was, well, average.

However, the tune changed when the main entrees arrived.  My baked cod was very light, flaky and well-prepared, the seasonings were lacking a bit, but that's nothing a little drawn butter can't take care of, and I did just that!  I believe Scott and Rachelle echoed my sentiments as between the three of us, I think we may nearly finished our plates.  My meal was accompanied by a fair sized portion of butter-infested red potatoes and a sour dough roll.

I was offered a tasting portion of Mike's fried cod, and much to my delight it was battered perfectly (beer batter) a nice light crust on the outside and scrumptiously cooked fish on the inside, it was a nice entree and for $9.95 and all you can eat, it's a huge bargain.  Mike did try the potato pancakes (as they were described on the menu) but they reminded me of the Burger King hash browns you get for breakfast, they're better off consumed while either really drunk, or really hungover, not at dinner.

Last, I will have to admit, as much as I liked our server, she was a little slow, however, it was closer to the end of the night when we sat down, so who only knows where her tables were scattered throughout that place.  I didn't go hungry, OR thirsty, so I'm not going to complain much on this front.

All in all I would rate Prairie Lanes a 7 out of 10, parts of this meal were excellent while a few others fell short of my expectations as a diner.  I'd totally recommend this place to anyone in the Sun Prairie/Madison area and I'd go back there again, especially if it was the same table of five!  It was so great meeting Rachelle & Mike, and words cannot express how wonderful it was to catch up with my dear friend Scott.

Oh yeah, Rachelle is from Rachelle and the Red Hot Rattlers, I was able to check out the gang on Saturday at their show in Sun Praire the next evening.  If you like country music (or even if you don't) and you like to be entertained by fabulous musicians and amazing vocals, I highly suggest you check them out, either on facebook or their website www.redhotrattlers.com.  I was impressed, and it was even better to see two people I used to jam with on stage.  I miss you guys (Dave & Scott) and I'm so glad you found a new "home."

I hope you all enjoyed this entry into the 2010-11 "fish fry season" -- I can't wait to rattle off another one of these...


In the meantime, don't forget to hug the ones you love!


Peace.

Summer 2010 -- What a SHORT strange trip it's been

First of all I'd like to apologize for being neglectful of this blog, but if you're anything like me, during the summertime, all bets are off.  Structure does not exist, it is simply dictated by the ways of the sun and the mood of mother nature. 

Fortunately, this year, both the sun and Mother Nature have been relatively cooperative to all the fun summer has to offer (so, minus the flooding, but all together, it's been pretty good), so I have been busy going on weekly bike rides, walking, working out, yoga and of course Pink Houses and the random visits each weekend to a summer festival, fair or picnic. 

Being in a band is hard work people, no matter how little or often you travel.  I have been fortunate enough to be in a band with other "professionals" who have careers outside the band, so we gig once a weekend (sometimes more) and have a weekend off each month.  It caters well to my lifestyle, but lately I feel it's been putting a little more of a crimp into it, so once this summer is over, I'll take some time to decide what I really want to do with my free summers in the future. 

Onto the food:  Ok, I'm going to lump a few restaurants into this little blog and it's going to be like a game of pinball, ALL OVER THE PLACE.  Unfortunately there are no fish frys to mention.  I've been staying away, and after a 15 pound drop in weight, am rethinking my blog topics for the future

First of all, stop everything you're doing and get to the Horny Goat Hideaway (2011 S. 1st St., Milwaukee).  I had a stone fire pizza, which was entirely too much to eat at one sitting (unless you split it up) and it was absolutely delicious.  The appetizer of chips/guac and nachos was average, but you're not there for the appetizers! The beer selection is amazing (my sister would love it) and I even snuck in a mojito during this short trip.  

Second, I will always have a spot in my heart for Cubanitas in downtown Milwaukee.  This has been the meeting spot for me on a few occasions and I simply do not get sick of it, nothing is better than getting your girlfriends together, ordering a mojito (which are TO DIE FOR here) and dipping your plantains in some homemade guacamole.  The world's problems can be solved this way, I'm sure of it.  I'm sure my friends Deanna, Julie, Heidi and Theresa would agree! 

Ok, if you're still reading this, I urge you to stay away from the Rum Bar in Pewaukee.  This is the old Pier 347, located right on Pewaukee lake.  I was excited to bring my friends from Fond du Lac to this place and unfortunately it did not live up to the expectation.  The menu was slightly over priced (moreso than usual for Lake Country), the service was awful, my crabcake was swimming in grease and the mojito sucked.  Bottom line, when you leave scenery like that to go to Hartland, you know it's bad.  We managed to make the evening a success, but it wasn't because we started at the Rum Bar, even with an 18 hole buzz, this food was bad.  Sorry...

Who doesn't like Palmers Steakhouse?  It's the cornerstone of Hartland and I love it.  It reminds me of Blanck's and maybe that's why I enjoy going there.  Again, I have to get used to Lake Country prices, because a steak there and an equally as good steak at Blanck's compare very differently when you're paying the bill.  The service is excellent and food is always good. I just wish the prices weren't as steep, but fortunately for me, I take people there that are usually buying!  Thanks Dad!

To Seesters on Pewaukee Lake, thank you for having such great Mexican food...but I'd really like it if you were like most Mexican places and gave me free chips and salsa.  It's highway robbery you don't offer that...seriously. It's the reason I find myself going to Jose's Blue Sombrero instead.  By the way, the best homemade guacamole is served at Jose's -- HAND'S DOWN, however, the margarita is painfully average along with the menu, you really are just going there for chips/guac!  However, if you ever make it out to Hartland, Senor Tomas is great, the menu is unique (salsa isn't the greatest), and it's a great change of pace for different Mexican entrees, plus the margaritas are fantastic.

Pacific Bistro in Delafield is all right, it's not great, it's not terrible.  After a horrible Sex and the City 2 movie, my friend Amy and I retreated to the newer establishment and well, that might not have been as disappointing as the movie, but it was close.  However, I do recommend Asiana in Pewaukee (Capitol Drive), that place is such a treat and features different asian cuisines.  I had some Pad Thai noodles, but was also able to get some sushi as well, the spicy tuna was excellent.

So, there you have it in a nutshell, my last four months or so of dining.  It's been very latin, but I think that's a great way to go when the weather is warm.  Nothing soothes the pallete better than a nice cold fruity rum or tequila drink and simple flavors.  I personally love Latin cuisine and have discovered different pockets of it this summer.  Who knows what I'll discover in the next few months, but until then, enjoy the rest of your summer, they seem to get shorter and shorter, but I appreciate the season more and more.

Check out pinkhouses.net to see if you can't make a show or two in the next month and stay tuned as we iron out where this blog is headed in the fall.

Don't forget to hug someone you love!

Waterfront, Pewaukee, WI

So, lent is finally over.  I can eat meat on Friday's...Whew!!!!

For this final fish fry of the season, I have to admit, I was excited to visit the Five O'Clock Club in Pewaukee.  I have never participated in their Friday cuisine, but have heard great things about it -- and I've eaten there before and their menu is fantastic.  The owner also generously sponsors our bowling team, so it was only fitting the last fry would be there.  However, there was one small problem.  The wait was over 2 hours and this was at 8pm.  The hostess was frazzled, fried, confused, sweaty and above all a little rude when she told us about this unfortunate predicament.  I realize it was Good Friday, but at 8pm, I was hoping we'd be shown a table before 9.  Not the case, so...because our bellies could not handle the 2 hour wait (and I'm sure our livers would have been a little bruised too), we decided to saunter down the road to the Waterfront, which is located just off Hwy SS on beautiful Pewaukee lake.

Ann and I had been to Waterfront before for fish, it was well before the blog started, but it was one of our first outings since I had moved to Lake Country. 

The most refreshing thing about walking into the Waterfront last Friday was the beautiful sight of open tables -- after leaving the Five O we had wondered if every place was going to be a madhouse, and to our delight that was not the case. 

The friendly waitress immediately greeted Alyssa and I as we sat down and asked what we would like to drink, as we waited for Ann and Dave to arrive.  As we sipped on our beers and looked over the menu, it was clear that the choices were few and mostly deep fried.  The bright spot is they did offer baked cod, but the other sides were either deep friend or nothing. 

Once the Grevenkamps arrived, we swiftly put our orders in.  Hungry cannot even begin to describe the feeling -- it was close to 8:45pm and after a workout and a stint at a busy restaurant, the food could not have been put in front of me soon enough.  Thankfully, we did not wait long.

I opted to go with the baked cod, I realize I should have ended this lenten season with a traditional fried cod choice, but since joining weight watchers, I thought I would try and cut a few corners with my points and the baked option helped me do that.  I did top this order off with some haystack onion rings, which were delicious and worth every point I had available!   The baked cod however, was a different story. 

The cod itself was overcooked and under seasoned.  I will never understand why people offer to bake fish, if they are not prepared to do anything but throw a little paprika over the top and pop it in the microwave.  I'm not sure if this was the method of operation at the Waterfront, but that's what it tasted like.  Their "normal" baked cod is apparently doused in butter and then plated, but they said they could make me a tasty version without having it be sitting in the dairy product all night.  A part of me wishes I would have opted for the butter-laiden fish.  The dinners were served with some average store-bought rye bread and a cream-based average cole slaw, as a result this fish fry will get an average rating of 5 out of 10 stars.

I'm afraid this last fish blog does not have the climactic ending I had hoped for...but at least I can steer you in a few directions if you are thinking of summer fish fry dining.  We will definitely be back after labor day to review more and more fish frys -- and even a few times this summer we will blog about the timeless Wisconsin tradition, but we need a tiny little break.

In the meantime, please don't stop checking out this site.  We are still going to blog, but we have been inspired to switch gears. You see, the Waterfront has prompted me to find suitable healthy options at restaurants.  As much as my baked cod was better for me, it tasted like cardboard with salt -- and I want to find restaurants which offer healthy goodies, but still taste good at the same time.  We should never have to sacrifice taste or quality when trying to be conscious of what we put in our mouths/bellies.  So stay tuned as we gear up for our summer restaurant search.

I will keep the blog under the same name, but we will be adding a sweet little twist that I hope you all enjoy.

Have a beautiful week and as always, never forget to give those you love a hug and to let them know how important they are in your lives.  Without good health, friends and family there is truly nothing.