Tag: Madison

Rare Steakhouse

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My friends and I decided we were going to dress up and have a fancy dinner at Rare Steakhouse. There was no real occasion for it but we said it was a celebration of our friendship since it marked around the season when we first all met each other. It was a rainy day and luckily I found close parking around the square.

A few of us had already grab drinks from the bar prior to being seated. We sat in the back dining area and we were definitely dressed appropriately. First things first, I ordered a bottle of red wine for the table. They have great selection of wine so you cannot go wrong. Our waiter was kind enough to get someone who could help us select a great wine to compliment our steaks.

I decided to start with the Lobster Bisque. I loved the presentation with the lobster in the bowl then the bisque was poured over it. Unfortunately, I found it to be warm and not hot like how I typically enjoy my soups. It was a decent Lobster Bisque that could have been better if it was hot.

For my entree, I decided to get surf and turf special, filet mignon with crab legs. We also ordered a side of asparagus. I was very disappointed by the steak being that it is a steakhouse. My friends felt the same way. The steaks were charred and lacking in flavor. The steaks definitely needed some sauce in order for it to have any type of taste. My crab legs were better than my steak and that says a lot.

What I did enjoy the most about Rare was the dessert. We ordered the Foster Bananas. It is what saved the whole meal and also, great company. The dessert was made table side and OMG so good. The bananas and caramel was cooked on the frying pan then poured on top of vanilla ice cream. We were all impressed.

I definitely think that it is worth trying the restaurant out for the ambiance, but you can get better steaks elsewhere. For the price of the steaks, I’d expect to be impressed and not by the dessert.

https://www.raresteaks.com

Green Owl Cafe

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Last year, I had my first encounter with this vegetarian/vegan restaurant for my friend’s birthday. Let me just tell you that the food was amazing. I recently had to opportunity to take my sister to the Green Owl Cafe and as usual I went way overboard ordering food. In my mind I was like this stuff is healthy so I can order whatever I want haha.

I had to order to the nachos. Yes, you heard me, NACHOS. Completely vegan and oh so delicious. If you didn’t know it was vegan, you would just say the cheese was a little runny but it tastes so good. The vegan sour cream and chorizo just makes you think you’re not eating vegan. I highly recommend this as an appetizer to share.

We couldn’t decide on the pastas so we got Mac and Cheese and Pesto Alfredo. I ordered the Mac and Cheese for my friend’s birthday last October so I wanted my sister to try it, but I also wanted to try the Pesto Alfredo because it sounded so good and I hadn’t had it. I’m so glad we got both because the Pesto Alfredo came with four pieces of yummy garlic bread.

The last thing we ordered was the Cajun Blackened Tofu sandwich. The blackened spices on the tofu was a perfect balance with the chipotle rémoulade. My tastebuds were satisfied with all the flavors. The tomato added the right balance to the citrusy tofu. We decided to pair it with roasted potatoes.

We ended up having to take leftovers home and it was great reheated. I would definitely recommend this restaurants to anyone who has dietary restrictions and really wants to eat food that tastes great.

http://www.greenowlcafe.com

Strings Ramen

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I was super excited when I heard a new ramen restaurant was opening up in Madison. I walked past it several times in anticipation for it to open. It finally did and I was not disappointed. Strings Ramen has locations in Chicago, and I heard how good it was from friends. When it opened, I had to go. I was on a mission to try all ramen restaurants in Madison and am working on a Vuepinion piece, so stay tuned.

The restaurant has limited seating so it can be a challenge during peak hours, but thankfully, turnover is quick. It was opening week, so we were seated immediately since few knew it had opened. As you walk in you are greeted by the entire kitchen, which makes you feel welcomed and that they actually care you are there. They had a few specials that day so we ordered a spicy pork belly don (I don’t remember the name of it). I’ve been hoping that they would have this as special again because it was so good. The pork belly was served on top of rice garnished with spicy mayo, pickled ginger, roasted garlic, and scallions, which is different to the one on their menu. I enjoyed the boldness of the pork belly spiced up with the spicy mayo and scallions but subdued by the acidity of the ginger and buttery textured garlic. I almost wanted to order another one just for myself since it was shared among the table.

I typically order tonkotsu when I go to a ramen restaurant but saw Hell Ramen on the menu. I love crispy pork skin so I was sold. I had to decide on the spice level and settled on level three, Shugou. It was spicy but not over the top. I love spicy so I would not recommend getting this level if you hardly eat spicy food. My tongue did go numb but its due to the spices not how spicy it tasted to me. The broth was full bodied and the ramen noodles were perfection. I often find other ramen broth from local restaurants underwhelming and broth is key to any noodle soup dish.

I am so happy this restaurant opened up as another option for ramen on a cold day or even hot summer day (see photos). My friends were not disappointed with their ramen either so I definitely would recommend trying this restaurant if you’re looking for good ramen.

https://www.ramenchicago.com

Café Hollander

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One of the great things about blogging about restaurants is that I get the opportunity to meet up with friends while enjoying a meal. Holly and I hadn’t seen each other in a while and I had introduced her to Café Hollander a year ago when we went there to celebrate me receiving my M.B.A. This restaurant is located at Hilldale Mall and originated from Milwaukee. I was so happy it opened in Madison because I loved having brunch there when visiting friend. I hope they bring back the jalapeno biscuits my friends had raved about because I never got to try it.

It was cold the morning we met up so I ordered the White Chocolate Raspberry Mocha. I love the fact that they serve it with a piece of Ghirardelli dark chocolate squares. You cannot go wrong with this coffee, which has a shot of espresso and liqueurs, Bols Crème de Cacao and Van Gogh Vanilla vodka, mixed with white chocolate, raspberry maple syrup, and steamed milk. Let’s just say it was a good way to warm up and start my day. My waiter had forgotten the Ghirardelli, so of course, I asked for it.

It was a sweet kind of breakfast day for me. I ordered the Cinnamon Streusel French Toast. I wished it came with some type of protein because honestly, who wants to eat just sweets for breakfast. Not me. I ordered eggs over medium, breakfast potatoes, and bacon on the side. Now that’s a meal. I love French toast and it was delicious. I loved how thick the slices were and the whipped butter. I love maple syrup and it paired perfectly with the cinnamon streusel.

I don’t recall what Holly ordered but it was either the Traditional Eggs Benedict or Brewcity Benedict. She loves Eggs Benedict just like me. It was great catching up with her while enjoying a delicious breakfast. This is a must try place if you are into brunch as much as my friends and I are.

https://cafehollander.com/

Miko Poke

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I went to Miko Poke for the first time last fall. I enjoyed it so much I decided to meet my friend, Yang, out for dinner to catch up. The setup was different from the last time I was in. You now place your order with the cashier and wait until your name is called instead of having someone build your poke bowl and then paying at the end. I preferred the original setup but that is more due to the flow since the cash register is at the far end of the counter. However, this can be easily changed.

This time I ordered the Hawaii Style House Creation with Spicy Tuna and Brown Rice. I really enjoyed all the flavors of this bowl. The avocado paired well with the spicy aioli, cucumbers, and edamame. The scallions gave it the right amount of kick. The only thing I didn’t like was when I got to the bottom of the bowl the rice was drenched in poke sauce. I couldn’t eat the rest because it was just too much sauce. Don’t get me wrong, I love sauces but in this case it overpowered the rest of the flavors. Good thing it was at the bottom of the bowl and not throughout because I had thoroughly enjoyed it up to that point.

This was the second time I went and my tummy was still very pleased. I will definitely be coming back when I want something refreshing and healthy to eat. I may consider asking them to holding the poke sauce in the future since there are bottles of the different sauces available by the silverware and napkins in case you want to add more. This place is a definite must if you want to try something similar to sushi as the tuna is raw.

https://mikopoke.com/

Everly

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I am so blessed to have awesome friends that I spent Valentine’s Day with and got to try out a new restaurant. After Bluephies closed down, two restaurants opened in its place. I had heard good things about Everly, so I was looking forward to this night.

Surprisingly this evening wasn’t overly busy with our 8 pm reservation. I was seated promptly as Andrew had already been shown our table. Nhi and Angie showed up shortly after. Everly was still offering the three-course menu from Restaurant Week, which Nhi and Angie obliged. Andrew and I decided to order off the dinner menu.

As a group, we decided to start with a bottle of Tempernillo. I had mentioned that it was considered a cheap wine according to my best friend’s French father-in-law who loved this particular type of wine. Angie was won over with the fact that it is considered cheap. I love red wine and this one definitely went well with dinner.

I ordered the Curry Samosas for my appetizer. The other appetizer ordered was fried gnocchi cheese. The Curry Samosas were delicious with the mint chutney-like dipping sauce that accompanied it. The fried gnocchi tasted like cheese curds. You could not go wrong with this appetizer. I was very impressed with the appetizers and looked forward to my entrée.

I decided on the Spicy Rigatoni for my main course. The spicy got me of course. It was topped with raw tuna and once mixed, perfectly cooked the tuna. Overall, it was good choice. However, the noodles were not evenly cooked. I had some rigatoni that were hard and trust me, not al dente. I also had to ask for Parmesan. Common its pasta, I shouldn’t have to wait for 5 minutes for my server to return so I could ask for it and she looked taken back when I did. The tomato-based sauce could have used more red pepper flakes because when I see spicy, I expect spicy. I guess this is what I get for ordering pasta from a non-Italian restaurant.

I really wanted a chocolate dessert that night but there wasn’t anything but a Chocolate Gelato, so I settled for that. I enjoyed the gelato and serving size was generous. Nhi had ordered a whipped crumble dessert, I don’t remember what it was called exactly, but it was delicious. The whipped heavy cream was light and airy which balanced out the berry sweetness of the dessert. I really regretted my decision once I had a bit of her dessert.

At the end of the evening, Andrew was kind enough to use a gift card he had received on us ladies. What a sweetheart! I was in great company and the food overall was good with some misses but I can let those go. The ambiance was great and would definitely be a place I would go to again.

https://everlymadison.com

Tavernakaya

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My last visit to Tavernakaya definitely changed my mind about this restaurant. The first experience I had eating there was shortly after it had opened. All I remember was that the noodles in the ramen and wings were good. I ate there a few times since and was never really impressed with the food. I figured I would give it another go since Nhi had never been.

It was a cold evening and I was happy to be seated away from the door. Many new restaurants that have popped up in Madison are tapas style. Tavernakaya is similar, in which you can order small or large plates to share with the table. This is what we decided to do that night.

We started off with ordering the Kurosawa Nigori Sake bottle, ‘O.G.’ Pork Buns, and Kakuni skewers. When the bottle of sake arrived, we quickly realized that we both have had it before. The ‘O.G.” Pork Buns and Kakuni skewers came out and were a perfect serving for two. The steamed bun was filled pork belly, pickled sliced cucumber, and green onions. The pickled cucumber wasn’t overwhelming and helped offset the taste of the pork belly since it can be rich in flavor to some. The Kakuni (pork belly) skewers were plated over hot mustard. I love pork belly so these two dishes hit the spot.

We decided to get more food because, hey, we like food. We ordered the Spicy Miso Ramen and Sake (salmon) nigiri. In order to avoid the upcharge for splitting the ramen, our waitress brought out another bowl for us. The broth for the ramen tasted good but wasn’t as spicy as I would like. The pork, egg, and noodles were excellent. Nhi was shocked when I told her that the noodles were made from Umami. A place I haven’t been to but have heard that the noodles in the ramen aren’t the best. The salmon nigiri looked a little suspect, but taste all right.

By now, our waitress probably thought we were full, but no, we placed an order for Tako (octopus) nigiri and Fried Chicken Buns. The Tako nigiri was excellent. I was pleasantly surprised because octopus can sometimes be overdone and chewy. The Fried Chicken Buns blew me away. The pickled veggies with spicy mayo really hit the spot. The fried chicken wasn’t overly heavy and had a good crunch to it. Mmmm, I want one now.

At the end of the night, they started clearing off the area where we sat and increased the background music volume. When they started setting up the DJ station, we knew it was our cue to get out of there. I had a great time catching up with Nhi and left happy and full. It was a successful girls night and definitely a restaurant worth suggesting to others to check out.

https://www.tavernakaya.com

Marigold Kitchen

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I had a Friday off since I was traveling for work on Sunday. That morning I woke up hungry as usual and decided to take Jeremiah and Francesca to brunch at Marigold Kitchen. It’s one of my favorite places for brunch in Madison. I wanted my siblings have great experience like I have in the past. Luckily, it wasn’t busy. We were able to place our order and find an empty table. My brother got the Granola Pancakes special and my sister the Pumpkin Buckwheat Pancakes. I ordered the Chili Poached Eggs and Hazelnut Mocha Latte.

Of course, I had to try each of their pancakes. I had one bite of the Granola Pancakes and OMG it was heaven. It had the perfect amount of sweetness, cinnamon, and butter – light and fluffy. I wished I had ordered it and I am not a huge pancake person. The Pumpkin Buckwheat Pancakes were good but it could not compete with the Granola Pancakes. The pumpkin flavor was very prominent but it lack the sweetness. Then again, my sister doesn’t appreciate syrup as much as I do.

I took a bite out of my dish and was disappointed by the poached eggs. They were poached in a dish and not freely in water, which you could tell by the shape, and were overdone. The prosciutto that the eggs were on top of was delicious but since it was on the bottom, didn’t do much to add flavor to the dish nor did the manchego cheese. The chili pepper flakes were sparse. In all, it was not horrible but not great either.

I did enjoy my Hazelnut Mocha Latte, which was served in a nice big mug with the leave design on top. The experience wasn’t what I wanted for my siblings. I don’t think Francesca was too impressed after my rave of how great it was. If it wasn’t for my brother’s pancake choice it would have been a bust going to Marigold Kitchen. However, I will still maintain that it is one of my favorite places for brunch because of the atmosphere and past meals I’ve had.

http://marigoldkitchen.com

Monty’s Blue Plate Diner

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I’ve always loved this place. I think it’s because of their boozy shakes haha. Anyway, I ended up taking my mentee here for dinner. We had originally planned to go ice skating at Tenney Park but it was dark and freezing outside. I think dinner was a better idea. I asked her if there was any place that she would like to go. She couldn’t remember the name of the restaurant but after asking a few questions, I knew exactly which restaurant she was talking about: Monty’s.

I love the old school feel of the diner and how the first thing you see when you walk in is the desserts. It was busy for a Thursday night so we had to wait until they could clear off a table. All I could talk about was what dessert I was going to get. I was eyeing the Reese’s Cheesecake while waiting. When we were seated, we both examined the drink menu thoroughly before placing our order. She got an Oreo Shake and I got the Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Shake.

We spent most of the time catching up since we hadn’t seen each other since November. Luckily, we both were able to decide on what to order even though we had been chatting the whole time. I ordered the Ultimate Mac & Cheese and she ordered the Corned Beef Hash. For some reason, I really wanted a hefty meal even though I had Chinese buffet for lunch that day. Mac and cheese sounded like it was going to hit the spot, especially since it was made out of sharp cheddar cheese and was topped with Parmesan and Asiago – yum!

We received our shakes and the stainless steel cup with the excess in it. It is literally another serving. The first sip was to die for so I took a big gulp. My shake had vanilla and strawberry ice cream from Sassy Cow and was topped with chocolate syrup. The wafer that is put on top of the whip cream was delicious – honestly, one of the reasons why I love their shakes. It was a great combination of chocolate and strawberry. I finished it all including what was in the cup and had no room for dessert.

Our meals actually made it to our table before our shakes did. I was disappointed with my first bite since I was expecting an explosion of flavors because of the cheeses that is used to make the mac and cheese. Overall, it was solid. The garlic bread served on the side was a bit burnt and was not as garlicy as I would like. It was also not cut evenly so one half was bulkier than the other which did not help the butter soak into the larger half. As for the Corned Beef Hash, it tasted good. I have never had it before but it seemed like you could do no wrong in ordering it. Moreover, my mentee finished it so it must have been good.

This diner is inviting and has awesome shakes. It is a great place to come for breakfast anytime of the day or for brunch. It is definitely a place worth checking out. And did I say they have awesome shakes? So if you like milkshakes or malts check it out. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed, even if your meal isn’t phenomenal, the shake will win you over.

https://montysblueplatediner.com

 

Heritage Tavern

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A couple weekends ago, I met friends for brunch at the Heritage Tavern before we went to see Rent at the Overture Center. I love brunch and was ecstatic when my friend, Nhi, suggested a new restaurant. I had walked by the restaurant several times before and never knew the name of it. Like most restaurants downtown, it was busy. However, it didn’t take long for us to get our table, but maybe that had more to do with the fact that I was late. I barely had a sip of my drink before we were escorted to our seats.

When going through the menu, I automatically knew what I would get. My rule of thumb for determining whether a restaurant has good brunch is how good its eggs Benedict is. If a restaurant cannot make decent eggs Benedict, it will probably be the last time I go there for brunch. Of course, that was what I ordered.

The Classic Eggs Benedict was plated beautifully when it came out. The eggs were poached and hollandaise consistency looked perfect. The rosti potato wasn’t what I expected it to be since the potato was not grated. What did I think when I took my first bite? It was good. Not great, unfortunately. I liked the “Old-Fashioned” ham and thought the hollandaise sauce was good. I prefer my hollandaise sauce with a bit more lemon than most people do. The eggs were poached exactly the way I like it – the yolk runny with a bit of pasty texture. The rosti potato was not crispy enough and needed more seasoning.

I also ordered the Donuts & Espresso-Coffee Ganache and yes, I did share them. They were delicious and absolutely divine as it was stated several times after brunch. The donuts had the perfect texture that was not too dense or light, and had the right amount of sugar. The espresso-coffee ganache sauce balanced the sweetness of the donut.

Nhi ordered the Lobster Scramble. I had a bite of it and OMG it was good. Honestly, I could have ate it for her. The croissant that came with it was huge. I will definitely order it the next time I go there for brunch. The House Cut Fries ordered for the table were delicious, especially with house ketchup and chili aioli. It was a great starter even for brunch. The feel of the restaurant was perfect for meeting friends for brunch and the donuts definitely increased the chance that I will be going back.

http://heritagetavern.com/