Benny’s Seafood Review

When I first saw Benny’s Seafood, located in a strip mall in Delafield, WI, I thought it was a seafood store. I was excited as western Waukesha County doesn’t have a great source for fish. I later read in the Journal that it was actually a restaurant. Dennis Getto seemed to have a pretty big boner for this place, which isn’t saying a whole lot. Nonetheless we gave it a try a few weeks ago.

The décor is definitely that of a seafood place, with netting and strong nautical theme. We waited at the bar for about 20 minutes for our table. The beer selection is awesome with a whole lot of microbrews. We were asked if we could be seated at a 6-top rectangular table with another couple at the opposite end, which was fine with us. They touted their freshly shucked oysters, which I had a craving for so I ordered a ½ dozen as an appetizer. The arrived with some lemon and some cocktail sauce. I prefer mine unadulterated, but these may have been a couple of days old. They were still fresh, but the lemon added an extra bit of freshness. They were very good.

Dinners are served with soup or salad and my wife and I opted for the clam chowder, which quite honestly was some of the best I have ever had in Wisconsin and I would hold it up to some of the great chowders I have tasted on the East Coast. Filled with a significant amount of chopped clams, the soup was the perfect consistency.

The menu is broken down into preparation types, grilling, oven, pan fried, and house specials. I opted for the house special Soft Shelled Crabs with a rosemary, garlic, caper sauce. My wife tried the Mahi Mahi Almondine from the oven. The soft shell crabs themselves were fried to perfection and were very fresh and flavorful. As for the sauce, I could barely detect it. I definitely couldn’t taste any rosemary. I opted for the rice as my side, hoping that the sauce would add some flavor to it. The lack of sauce resulted in me having a nice pile of bland rice. The sautéed veggies were very good, but that is pretty hard to screw up. Benny’s can now get added to the endless list of places that serve boring bland rice. I think if this dish was covered with a more substantial sauce, like a Remoulade, and some decent rice it would have been good.

My wife’s Mahi Mahi was very bland and a wee bit overcooked, but not to the point of being tough. She opted for the garlic mashed potatoes, which were actually quite impressive. The pineapple glaze, much like my sauce, was undetectable and when I ate a piece that had some glaze on it, my wife was shocked as she was convinced they had forgot it. We are both sauce freaks and were therefore very disappointed in these meals because, while cooked ok, the taste was really boring.

I think with some fine tuning this place could really kick out some great meals but for now, take your seafood desires elsewhere. The service was ok, but the waitress passed by our empty beers about 5 times before asking if we wanted another drink. She also didn't appear to know that much about the menu. I am guessing she really doesn't care too much for seafood. I believe it was the owner who seated us and he was extremely gracious and definitely appreciative of the people in his restaurant.

Roux Brothers Review

Last night I had a chance to check out Roux Brothers, a tiny counter service (there is no seating) Cajun restaurant at the corner of Oakland and Capitol Drive in Shorewood. As I waited for my friend outside I could smell the wonderful aromas wafting out into the sidewalk encouraging passers-by to stop in. I was encouraged as a steady stream of customers entered the restaurant as I waited. I ran into a guy I new through a mutual friend and he told me that the food was outstanding.

A few years ago Cajun food was all the rage in Milwaukee. There were Cajun restaurants popping up all over and many non-Cajun restaurants added gumbo and jambalaya to their menus with varying degrees of success.. Many of these places flat out sucked with mediocre flavors in what equated to watered down Cajun food to please the palates of Milwaukeeans. All but a few remain and those that do have a much wider offering than Cajun specialties and are popular because they have incredible food. Luckily, Roux Brothers delivers some excellent food at great prices.

Inside the place isn’t much bigger than a walk-in closet. The walls on one side are lined with a dizzying array of hot sauce, bloody mary mix, and some Cajun/Creole food products like Café du Monde coffee with Chicory, Beignet mixes, Hurricane mixes, and pre-made roux, which I was intrigued by, but decided to pass. I think that buying pre-made roux is cheating. It seems like something that Semi-Homemade chick on the Food Network would do. I opted for the Shrimp Po-Boy for which the cashier handed me a spoon. My friend tried the ½ muffeletta sandwich which was giant, even for a ½ sandwich. He had enough for dinner and another meal. I think a full sandwich would feed a family of four.

I soon realized why he gave me the spoon, there was about a half a pound of shrimp covered with a great Remoulade sauce and some fried green tomatoes. It was very big and very messy. I appreciated the spoon as I used it to eat some of the contents to make the sandwich more manageable. The bread was nice and soft, but strong enough to hold up to all of the food crammed into it. The taste was incredible. The shrimp were perfectly cooked (they were either boiled or steamed) and the fried tomatoes added that obligatory po-boy crunch. I think they have an oyster po-boy but they were sold out last night. That is definitely next on my list. My friend said his muffeletta was also very good.

There are several other sandwiches to choose from including a Cajun BBQ pork, an alligator sausage, and a Cajun chicken sandwich. They have some chicken wings, which the guy I ran into earlier said were very hot but extremely flavorful and very addictive. There is also gumbo, which I could smell while waiting, some entrees like crawfish etouffe and red beans and rice.

I would highly recommend this place as it is inexpensive (my sandwich was 7.50 and well worth it) and it has a bit of something for everyone. I can’t wait to come back and try some other menu items. The only thing that sucks is that there is no seating inside or out. There is a little plaza surrounding a nearby bus stop and it would be great if they could convince Shorewood to let them put some tables out there.

Red Robin is coming to the Milwaukee area.

Milwaukeeans have a huge inferiority complex. Many residents often look to other places, mostly Chicago and the suburbs and wonder why we don’t have certain chain restaurants as if the quality of a City should be measured by how many PF Changs we have per capita. When a new chain announces its intentions of coming to Milwaukee it often makes the front page in the Milwaukee Journal. In recent years we have seen the openings of Krispy Crème, The Cheesecake Factory, Maggiano’s, Carrabas, Pedro’s Mexican, and the aforementioned PF Changs. Every single one of these places are packed most nights of the week. Wait times at Maggiano’s and Cheesecake Factory are up to 2 hours on a Friday or Saturday. People like to eat at these places as if it is some kind of a status symbol, a measuring stick to compare us to more upscale places like Chicago. (Disclosure, I love PF Changs, it is easily better than 90 percent of the Chinese places in town but don’t tell anyone).

Red Robin is the latest chain to push its way into Milwaukee (Greenfield, actually) and I think the restaurant is slated to open later this year. This Midwestern chain describes itself as a gourmet burger place. While on a motorcycle trip in Oshkosh this weekend, my dad and I decided to check thie restaurant out. When you walk in its just like every other chain sit-down, an enthusiastic staff and a bunch of wacky posters on the wall. Real original. Nonetheless, the place was packed and people seemed to be having a good time. They had a pathetic beer selection (think Miller and Bud products) but I will give them credit for having New Glarus Spotted Cow and some Leinenkugel’s selections. Burgers were served either medium well or “with a little pink” which was greatly appreciated by my dad and I. I ordered a Bleu Ribbon. Which was basted with a tangy steak sauce and topped with crumbled Bleu cheese with onion straws, lettuce, tomatoes and zesty Chipotle mayo on an onion bun. My dad went with the traditional cheeseburger. They are served with steak cut fries that while quite tasty with some ketchup would be even better with a splash of malt vinegar. Anyhow, while the burger was decent tasting, I was not terribly impressed. I couldn’t taste a hint of chipotle in the mayo and it definitely wasn’t “zesty,” as the menu described. I don’t want to get off topic, but when is the Chipotle craze going to die down? I remember a few years back when the only place to get Chipotle flavor was in the little cans of Chipotle in Adobo sauce and even those were hard to find around here. Nowadays you can’t escape it. Even the fast food chains are jumping on the Choptle craze.

Getting back on topic, the burgers were served, as my dad called it “McDonalds hot,” which was to say that it was served at a temperature of a Big Mac, which are usually served warm. I suspect that they just have one guy making a bunch of patties and then the add toppings as orders come in, so the burger may have been sitting for a few minutes. The meat kind of had that fast-food consistency. I guess if you are looking for a good place to take the kids, Red Robin would be okay but if you wanted a true gourmet burger there are a ton of bar & grills in the area that make way better burgers with “gourmet” toppings. Given Milwaukeeans tolerance, and even preference for the mediocre food masquerading as fine cuisine I have no doubt in my mind that this restaurant will be packed most nights of the week.

Undelicious Cheese Sampler #2: Don Bernardo Manchego

This is one of my all time favorite cheeses. It is readily available at many fine cheese stores and almost everyone I know who gives it a try really enjoys the rich nutty flavor profile. It is a sheeps milk cheese, which gives it a very distinctive flavor and full body richness that lingers in your mouth after you eat it. The rind has an interesting pattern as a result of the presses used in the cheese making. I find that the rind has a very good, yet different taste than the cheese and it is entirely edible at least with this brand (Others I believe have a thick rind that wouldn’t be pleasant to eat).

I have made burgers and sandwiches with Manchego, but I really prefer to enjoy it as part of a cheese tray. It would pair well with a lighter red wine and some olives, and Spanish tapas bar almonds (recipe follows)

Tapas Bar Almonds

To make these get about 1-2 cups depending on how much you want) of blanched almonds (they will not have the brown skin on them). Coat the bottom of a sauté pan with some quality olive oil. Add the almonds and heat, tossing occasionally until lightly browned. Drain the nuts on a paper towel, but do not completely pat them dry. Put in a bag or plastic container with a cover and add some smoked paprika and fine sea salt. Shake to coat and serve immediately. If the spice is not sticking to the almonds add a little olive oil and shake again. Taste them and adjust by adding more salt or smoked paprika.

Undelicious Grilling Tips

This is the time of year where every publication from Gourmet to Hustler publishes a grilling issue and every newspaper publishes the same grilling tips year after year aimed at the people who only cook burgers, brats, and dogs on the grill. In order to provide you, the proud and few Undelicious readers with the skills for a lifetime of grilling, here is my list of tips:

1. Under no circumstances should you ever use a spatula or other instrument to press down on a hamburger patty to release the juices in a half-assed attempt at lowering your fat intake. If you want a low fat burger, you can make some kick ass “burgers” with ground turkey and some decent spices. If you want a burger, eat a burger in all of its juicy glory. I cringe when I see self proclaimed weekend warrior grill masters doing this. If someone ever attempted this at my house, I would inform them for every second that they press down on a burger, I get to place their hand on the grate and press down for the same amount of time. Leave the burgers alone. The only time I feel it is appropriate to mess with them is if you use an instant read thermometer to check the internal temperature and after a few times you should be able to determine doneness by touch. Use the damn spatula for flipping and slapping your buddies and/or spouse or significant other on the ass when they least expect it.

2. For goodness sake, please season that meat or veggie. I have seen so many people just lay a burger or a chicken breast on the grill unseasoned. Sure you can add salt and pepper later, but the taste won't be the same. If you are grilling an un-marinated chicken breast and don't plan on slathering it with some kind of sauce at the end of grilling, use some kind of spice mixture. McCormick's makes a Montreal Chicken seasoning which adds a great deal of flavor to bland boring chicken breasts. Cajun rubs and Italian spice blends can also add a lot of flavor. Have fun with chicken breasts. They are inexpensive and are like a bland canvas waiting for you to paint them with flavor. No matter what kind of herbs, rubs, or spices you add, I guarantee it will be 100 times better than a plain breast. Penzey’s spices has a huge array of spices, herbs, and blends from curries to Cajun. I seriously must have over 100 different canisters of their stuff in my pantry and almost every one would be great on chicken.

3. Know when to apply sauces or glazes and marinades. Marinades are always done before hand. I recommend that you make your own because those store bought marinades are often filled with corn syrup and sugar. While the marinade may have decent flavor, chances are it will burn on your grill because of all that sugar. You probably have all of the ingredients for a great marinade in your cupboard or fridge. Things like soy sauce, orange juice, balsamic, sherry, rice wine, and red/white wine vinegars, garlic, lemons, limes, cilantro, ginger, bourbon, and beer make excellent marinades.

For a great quick marinade mix up some soy sauce,5 spice powder, rice wine vinegar(or white wine vinegar), grated or powdered ginger, crushed garlic, lime juice, and cilantro and marinade salmon tuna, scallops, or chicken (fish, shrimp and scallops should only be marinated for about a half hour, chicken can marinade overnight). Don’t fret if you don’t have all of the items, play around with what you do have. Add some honey, crushed red pepper or shallots. Do make sure you taste your marinade before you add the protein. If it seems to salty, add sugar or honey, too sweet add some salt or something with acidity like lime juice or vinegar. After marinating grill the protein and if you really want to get fancy, reserve some marinade before you add the meat and reduce it so it coats the back of a spoon. Then add the sauce to the protein when plating or baste it at the end of grilling for a nice glaze. Sprinkle with finely chopped chives and cilantro and serve with a good basmati or jasmine rice and some sautéed bok choy or some grilled vegetables.

4. Seafood and grilling are an excellent combination. Many people are afraid to cook seafood in any manner and even more are afraid to attempt to grill it. Seafood can get pretty expensive and the thought of burning it on the grill scares many people off. If you do things correctly grilled seafood is about as good as it gets. There is nothing better than a great grilled salmon filet or an ahi tuna steak served rare and topped with sauce or homemade salsa. I love grilling salmon, placing it atop some homemade guacamole or just chopped avocado and black beans (seasoned with cumin, salt, pepper, and cilantro), then creating a salsa/sauce out of grilled leeks & tomatoes mixed with lime juice, cilantro, salt and cumin. Another easy recipe is to take inexpensive farm raised catfish filets, season with salt, pepper, and Cajun spice and grill, top with a homemade corn salsa. Scallops and shrimp are also excellent on the grill. Try starting with the inexpensive fish such as cod, haddock, catfish, or whitefish and work your way up to things like salmon, scallops and tuna.

5. Most cookbooks lie. Never under any circumstances trust a “doneness chart” provided with your thermometer or in 99 percent of home cookbooks. Also, do not count on grilling times provided in all cookbooks. Every single grill is different and every piece of food is different. The only way to determine doneness is by sight, by touch (which requires some practice) or by temperature. If you use the FDA recommended temperatures you will ultimately end up with overcooked food. This is one of the reasons so many home cooks get frustrated when cooking. These charts do not count for the residual heat that continues to cook meat for anywhere from 5-15 minutes after you have removed it from the oven. The FDA says a steak is medium rare when at 145 degrees. Well if you yank it off the grill when it hits that temperature, it could add as many as 5-10 degrees and your steak is now into medium range. I always pull my steaks off the grill around 130-133 degrees (depending on thickness), set them on a plate, top with a small pat of butter, and cover with tin foil. Wait 5 minutes (use this time to set up your plates, add starch and veggies and get another beverage). When the 5 minutes is up, place the steak on the plate, pour some of the juice and butter mixture from the steak plate on top of the meat and enjoy one of the best tasting steaks you have ever cooked for yourself. Even worse than trusting most temperature charts is basing your grilling on set times. A recipe may say cook for 5 to 7 minutes on one side, flip, cook additional 5 minutes. What if it is windy? What if your grill isn’t as powerful as others? What about the thickness of the meat? Have you brined your pork, chicken, or turkey? All of these factors will have an impact on cooking times but most cookbooks don’t account for them. Trust your eyes, touch, and instant read thermometer.

Here is what I would recommend for temperatures (I believe I learned this from Cooks Illustrated) Meat (veal, lamb, beef): Rare-125, Med.Rare-130, Medium- 140, Burnt and inedible-155-160.
Pork: Medium-145 (always pull tenderloin or pork loin at this temp) or 160 for well done. Pork shoulder is a different story, which I will cover in a different post.
Chicken: 160-165
Fish: Until it is just about ready to flake (if you wait until it flakes the residual heat may overcook it). Ahi Tuna is best served rare and almost still cold in the middle.

6. There is no such thing as grilling season. Many people put the grill away sometime in September or early October and bring it out Memorial Day weekend. With the proliferation of gas grills, there is no reason to not grill out 12 months a year. I honestly cannot think of a two-week period that went by where I didn’t grill at least something, even in the dead of winter. I simply move my grill closer to the house, shovel a path, and I am set to grill year round.

7. Don't limit your dinner to the grill. Many people figure if they are grilling, there is no need to use other cooking methods for their dinner preparation. Don’t be afraid to turn on your stove or grill side burner to cook up some rice, couscous, or to create a sauce for your grilled veggies or protein. Often times I will make up vinaigrette or sauce in the food processor and simply drizzle it over the food when plating. Mashed potatoes, steamed broccoli or beans, or roasted cauliflower also make great side dishes for grilled food.

8. Try to determine cooking times for each item (proitein veggie, starch) and put them on the grill in the correct order. Many home cooks throw everything on at the same time and what they end up with is overcooked proteins and undercooked veggies or undercooked protein and burnt veggies. Determine what will take the longest (usually proteins or potatoes) and start that first, add the other items at the correct times to ensure that everything is done at once. If you are resting your meat (and you should be) you have a few extra minutes to finish cooking your veggies if your timing was off.

9. Quit being such a chickenshit, get adventurous. Wow, you grilled up another killer platter of brats and burgers. A trained chimp could do that if given the chance. A good rule of thumb is that if it tastes good sautéed or roasted, chances are it tastes better grilled. I cook on the grill about 50 percent of the time in the winter and about 75 percent of the time in the warmer months. Pork tenderloins, oysters, roasts, fish, vegetables, polenta, fruit, burgers, turkey, duck, you name it and someone somewhere has grilled it. Many people fear making Duck a la Orange in the oven because it is a very involved process. Steven Raichlen, author of several excellent grilling books has a grilled version that will amaze you with its simplicity and incredible taste. It involves a great basting sauce and shoving a can of orange soda up the duck’s ass…er…I mean cavity.

10. Always have backup propane or charcoal. Nothing sucks more then returning to the grill only to discover the flame has extinguished or the coals are down to ashes and realizing that you have no more charcoal or propane. I always have a full LP tank on standby and as soon as one is empty, it gets exchanged the next day. It will save you the hassle and embarrassment of having to finish your food in the oven, on the stove or even worse, the microwave.

A Long Winded Review of Zin

Note: This post is unusually long but dinner here was so good that it deserves the extra words.

As I have stated in previous posts (here and here) Fishbones in Delafield, Wisconsin is one of the best restaurants in the Milwaukee metropolitan area. It would easily make my top 10 list. After eating at Fishbones several times, we finally found a weekend when we could try out Zin, the newest restaurant venture by the team of restaurateur Dennis Sobczak and chef Jesse Sousa. There were four of us, so I was excited at the prospect of trying four different entrees and a couple of appetizers.

When we arrived a happy customer was smoking out on the sidewalk in front of the restaurant (smoking is thankfully not allowed in the bar or restaurant, a decision that the owners recently made). The guy says hi and demands that we try the Osso Bucco, claiming that it was amazing. We walk in and were told it would only be a short wait for a table. The bar is very cool looking with an old fieldstone wall. The entire restaurant is stunning with lots of touches that make you feel like you are on the East Side or even New York. It definitely doesn't feel like Delafield. The tap selection is ok but could be improved upon. I ordered Sierra Nevada pale ale, though I think a local microbrew like a Tyranena Headless Woman IPA or a Lakefront Cream City Pale Ale would have been a better choice, but what do I know about stocking a bar. The beer was cold and fresh and that is good enough for me. My dining companions had wine or mixed drinks, which they all seemed pleased with.

After a short 15 minute wait (not bad for a Saturday at 7pm) we were seated upstairs. It was very hot, almost uncomfortably so. However within a few minutes it quickly cooled down to a comfortable level. Someone else must have said something. As we perused the menu my eyes wandered around the room at other diners and what was on their plates. My wife saw some incredible looking seafood dish with lobsters and shrimp and asked the stranger what it was. She informed her it was the baby lobster and shrimp with mushroom risotto. She added that it was delicious. While we were trying to decide on our entrees, we opted for two appetizers. The fried calamari and the crab stuffed shrimp were the two that we could all agree on. We also ordered a large Caesar Salad.

The waitress brought back a large platter of calamari rings and a marinara sauce. The calamari had been battered in a Seirra Nevada pale ale. A dash of salt was all that was needed to make the calamari’s taste come to life. They were excellent and really didn't need any sauce as they were great by themselves. The crab stuffed shrimp were medium sized and there was a fair amount of crab inside. They were cooled perfectly and the crab was extremely sweet. We devoured both appetizers.

The Caesar Salad was pretty good, nothing out of the ordinary. One touch that I apperceived was the anchovy filets spread across the top of the salad. Nobody at the table wanted them so I took them all. With the anchovy, the salad was above average. I think I would have preferred the one of the other salads, which include an Avocado Chop, Goat Cheese, or Roasted Pistachio and Apple.

We all opted for different main courses. I wanted the Halibut and Saffron Risotto, which Dennis Getto called some of the best he has ever had, but the waitress convinced me to try the special of the night, which was a filet of Corvina, a white sea bass from California that I had never heard of. The fish was covered with a shrimp and tomato concasse and set atop a mound of the best tasting cannellini beans I have ever head There was a distinct flavor of pork in them, so I assume they were cooked with a pork hock or some other flavorful chunk of pig. The fish was perfectly cooked with a delicate mild flavor, which kind of reminded me of snapper. The shrimp and tomato concasse added just the right touch to the fish. The waitress indicated that they may be adding this to their regular menu as it is always a hit as a special.

My wife had the tortelloni stuffed with lump crab, roasted garlic and Ricotta and Asiago cheese with a Gorgonzola cream sauce. The oversized tortelloni were packed full of tender succulent crab, not the small cheap stringy bits you find in many stuffed pastas. The Gorgonzola sauce was restrained enough not to overpower the delicate crabmeat. My sister-in-law opted for the baby lobster and shrimp with a herbed mushroom risotto. The seafood was cooked perfectly and the baby lobster, about the size of a large shrimp, was delicious. The shitake mushrooms added an earthy element to the creamy herbed risotto.

Taking a cue from the satisfied patron outside, my father-in-law ordered the Osso Bucco Milanese. The huge portion arrived with Fontina country mashed potatoes and braised vegetables. They even supplied a small spoon so diners can scoop out the delicious marrow from the bone. The meat was fork tender and the diced vegetables were soft without being mushy. In his review, Dennis Getto, who in one paragraph praises the mashed potatoes by stating "The taste of the cheese and potatoes delivered a welcome detour from the garlic-mashed potatoes served at so many other places," goes on to say about the exact same potatoes that he wasn't as excited about them when paired with the Osso Bucco. He wanted risotto, which is traditionally served with Osso Bucco. I think that Zin should be commended here. There were so many veggies in the sauce that they would have mixed with the risotto and the taste of the saffron would have been lost. But Getto, true to form, had to impart his know-it-all commentary into the review. Diners don't be swayed; the potatoes were a perfect match to this rendition of Osso Bucco. We managed to save enough room for dessert, a chocolate fudge cake, which was dense and delicious.

The wine selection was unpretentious and offers a wide array of wines, which are listed by their flavor profile, which helps diners select the most appropriate wine for their dinner. Given the name of the restaurant, and impressive list of five Zinfandels (most places around here have one token Zin on the list), it was hard for me to pass up a glass of my favorite type of wine but I figured the bold spicy taste would interfere with my delicate fish entree. I opted for a lighter Echelon Pinot Noir, which was flavorful but mild enough to go very well with the Corvina and shrimp and tomato concasse.

All I have to say is that Zin really is as the owners describe it "Zincredible." Classy enough for a romantic night out but casual enough to grab a bunch of friends for a fun evening of dinner and drinks, Zin is sure to be pleasing the palates of Waukesha County residents for years to come.

Related Links:
A Foodspot Page
Official Website
Fishbones

Undelicious Cheese Sampler #1: Whiskey Blue

People are always trying to cram different flavors into cheese. For years cheesemakers have managed to add beer, mushrooms, leeks, peppers, herbs, wine, sausage, bacon, and just about anything tasty into a wide variety of cheeses. It should have came as no surprise to me when I saw Whiskey Blue cheese at Sendik’s (Capitol Drive in Brookfield). I would have probably have passed this cheese by as I tend to like unadulterated cheeses (though a good chunk of brie with mushrooms finds its way into my fridge once in a while) but they had samples and it was on sale. This unique cheese is a blend of unpasteurized Wisconsin blue and Kentucky Bourbon. One taste and I was hooked. The initial taste is that of a creamy blue, similar to Maytag. As the cheese melts away your mouth is awash in the distinct taste of Bourbon, though subtle hints of the cheese lingers. It is unlike any cheese I have ever tried and I definitely would recommend it to anyone who likes a strong creamy blue or gorgonzola. I could imagine this tasting incredible melted onto a grilled filet mignon or in a steak salad. Given pork’s affinity for bourbon flavors, I think topping a bourbon brined pork chop with a Whiskey Blue walnut butter would yield great results.

Another Milwaukee Food Blogger?

While reading Ann Christenson's weekly "Dish On Dining" I saw that there was a new food blog in Milwaukee called Taste of the Town. Edited by Audra Shalles, who was relocated from Dallas Texas. While a little Google investigating did reveal that she is actually doing the blog for Visit Milwaukee, much like the Play In The City blog, so I would guess you are not going to find the ranting and harsh criticism that I dish out, which is fine. I am guessing that Visit Milwaukee issued some kind of a press release and that is how Milwaukee Magazine "discovered" her blog. Maybe I need more publicity. Perhaps I should take a cue from Steve Wasser of Gastrologica and print up some business cards and leave them where the foodies lurk...Milwaukee Public Market, Metro Market, West Allis Farmer's Market and Outpost.

There is plenty of space for all kinds of different food blogs. I do miss Adventures of A Foodie, who retired at the end of 2005. Looking back at his posts, with all of the sweets that guy ate, I would guess maintaining the blog wasn't too great for the waistline. Anyhow his archives are still available and he has reviewed a ton of restaurants. I guess I kind of thought of Jason as Wisconsin's version of the Amateur Gourmet.

I am a little bitter that she actually won the MKE Blog of the Week. I was nominated one week, but lost. Bastards!

Leinenkugels - Selling The Northwoods Image

Breweries are always trying to sell an image. Pabst still has the image of a working class beer, but it has recently become the beverage du jour of the hipster crowd in the Midwest. Bud Light in my opinion has the image of people who like to get drunk but hate the taste of beer. Coors Light and Budweiser have managed, whether intentional or not, to project the image of drunken wannabe jocks (anyone who has sat in the bleachers at Wrigley can attest to that). Microbreweries still like to project an image, but not as much as the big breweries. That is probably because they can stand on the great taste of their beers. There was a great article in today’s Journal about the Leinenkigel’s Brewery in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin today. It kind of touched on this northwoods image that they have successfully created. When I am up in Minocqua, Wisconsin it almost seems like I have to buy Leinie’s (as the locals call it) to get the full Northwoods experience, though a nice 12 pack of Point Special works as well. It is rare that you enter a northwoods restaurant, bar, or supper club without seeing Leinenkugel’s on tap. and

The thing with Leinie’s is that they are actually producing really excellent brews that kind of fill the space between the microbreweries and the major brewers. I would put them in a category with the Boston Beer Company (brewers of Sam Adams). I think that Leinie’s, who has been owned by Miller since the 80s, has actually helped the microbrewery industry in Wisconsin. These beers act as a gateway beer. My parents, whose idea of a good beer in the past was Coors or Michelob, now like all kinds of microbrews because they got hooked on Leinie’s Red, Northwoods Lager, and Creamy Dark (my personal favorite). They have also managed to get Miller Lite-type drinkers to try their Honey Weiss, which despite tasting nothing like a Weiss beer, is pretty good and refreshing on a hot summer day. What gets lost in all of their beers is the fact that their flagship beer, Leinenkugel’s is actually really good as well. I would it up against Budweiser, MGD, High Life, or Coors any day.

Foie Gras Ramblings

Over at the Culinary Podcast network there was a Culinary Roundtable discussion on Foie Gras, which inspired this post. Not since Dirk Diggler unfurled his junk at the end of Boogie Nights has an organ been so controversial. In general all of those participating in the discussion were very much aware of the controversy and none of them took a completely barbaric tone. What I think is lost in any discussion about veal, Foie Gras, or any animal for human consumption is the fact that in the end the animal is going to be killed and eaten.

Let me start by saying that I have only had Foie Gras twice in my life. Once it was mixed into a pate, which I though was just so-so and the second was served as part of a duck entrée that I ordered at Brasserie at 53 & Lexington in Manhattan. I actually never thought about ordering foie and when I saw it as part of a dish that featured duck confit and a seared duck breast, I figured it was a good time to finally try this controversial treat.

Those on the pro-Foie Gras side like to argue that overeating is what the ducks do naturally before migration. I heard an interview on the Restaurant Guys with Michael Ginor of Hudson Valley Foie Gras where he kept on saying over and over that the ducks voluntarily come up to the feeding tubes at feeding time. Those on the other side argue that the ducks are trapped in a cage and the tube is shoved down their throughts. They claim that the ducks tear out their own feathers and cannibalize each other as a result of severe stress. Many of them die well before slaughter (side note: I have heard that a higher percentage chickens die before slaughter than Foie Gras Ducks) Whether or not any of this is true is kind of irrelevant as I think that you can only look at your own personal beliefs and make a decision. Which brings me to the only logical solution, let people decide. Slowly people are letting our personal freedoms being taken away from us. It may be Foie Gras today but what will it be tomorrow? Veal? Eggs? Milk? Milk you say? Well anyone who has a clue about female anatomy or dairy farming knows that in order for a cow to produce milk, it needs to be kept pregnant. Should we really be allowed to enjoy something that is supplied as the result of forced pregnancy on cows? Anyone ever see the conditions that chickens raised for food or meat live in? Chickens crammed into cages so small they can’t turn around doesn’t sound that humane to me. Sounds silly, I know but this is how groups like PETA force their agenda on us.

Foie Gras is an easy target because only gourmands and rich people eat it. Sally Soccer Mom could care less if they ban Foie Gras but if they banned chicken or eggs she would freak out. The only people who care about the current war on Foie Gras are people who produce, cook, or consume it. I would say that in a poll of 100 Americans, only 50 percent would have even heard of Foie Gras and maybe 25 could actually tell you what it is. Ask the same 100 people who won the last season of American Idol and 90 percent could tell you it was Carrie Underwood (I actually had to google this as I honestly didn’t know). It has always been really easy to enact social change when you pick a so-called luxury item that the general populace doesn’t care about. I remember in the 80s when veal came under attack. That has seemed to die down, but you know as soon as they have really made a dent in the Foie Gras industry, veal is probably the next thing in their crosshairs. After all it is something that most of the population doesn’t eat and those who do don’t eat it very often. Maybe they have some veal parmesan at their favorite Italian restaurant or some veal mixed into their meatloaf or meatballs, but not enough to really get up in arms about it. That is how PETA works. Start with a luxury item (foie), move on to something that only a small segment of society eats with any regularity (veal) and then go after the bigger items like chicken and beef.

My opinion on foie is that like with other controversial food products such as veal is to let the consumer decide. If the practice becomes so horrible and unpopular, let the market will take care of the so-called Foie Gras problem.

Getting back to my first taste of Foie, I imagine this is what smoking crack is like. You have one taste and then you want more. Indeed, I ate my slice of seared Foie Gras as slowly as possible because it was like nothing I had ever eaten before. It was melt-in-your-mouth delicious. The duck breast was described on the menu as a Long Island Duck Breast and Confit with foie gras, Berry compote, and orange-coriander sauce. The entire meal was outstanding. The breast was served medium rare and the berry compote provided the perfect sweet and tart balance to the rich meat. The confit was wrapped in what seemed to be a spring roll wrapper forming a duck stuffed straw. The orange coriander sauce was an awesome dipping sauce for these straws, which also had cilantro (aka coriander) inside. But back to the Foie Gras. There are not a whole lot of meals that I have eaten so slow as to savor every bite (a NY Strip steak served at Aureole in Vegas was another). Since that night in Manhattan I have had an urge to eat Foie Gras. Living in Milwaukee it has been very easy to resist this urge as there are so few restaurants that serve it (maybe 5) that I haven't even had an opportunity to order it. I have looked at a few stores but the price combined with the fear of cooking something that could completely melt and be lost forever is holding me back.

The Search for Oysters in A Beer and Brat Town

I would like to make the following declaration:
If you are going to buy oysters in the shell in the Milwaukee area there are two and only 2 stores that you should even consider purchasing them. Milwaukee is not an oyster town. There are some restaurants that have great fresh oysters (Benny’s Seafood in Delafield is a new addition to that list) but the number of stores that have fresh, quality oysters is 2. You will see oysters, typically Bluepoint, at many local grocery stores, including some newer Pick n’ Save stores (a rant about those bastards will be posted soon) and even at every upscale grocer. I don’t care how nice they look sitting on that shaved ice next to all of that other fish, do not even think about buying them unless you are at these two stores:

Empire Fish – By far the best source for oysters and the price is nothing short of amazing when compared with anywhere else. They run around 6-7 bucks a dozen and it is a rare occasion that you get a bad oyster. Most stores charge 80 cents to 1.00 each and 2 out of 3 are inedible. If you are getting oysters I don’t care where you are in the metro area, take the drive to Empire. They also have some great fresh fish (though sometimes the selection is not as interesting as it is at Sendik’s or Grasch Foods).

Sendik’s Fish Market in Whitefish Bay – Do not take this to mean that you can go to any Sendik’s and get great oysters. Only the fish market has quality oysters and they are usually reasonably priced. I haven’t been there in a year but they usually have 2-3 varieties.

If you chose to go elsewhere, do so at your own risk. Believe me. I have tried oysters from almost every “upscale” market and from a few Pick n’ Save stores (including Metro Market) and they are nothing short of terrible. Even lemon or hot sauce cannot rescue them. If you buy and eat oysters from anywhere but Sendik’s Fish Market and Empire Fish, do not post here when you spend the evening sleeping on the cold, hard bathroom floor clinging to the toilet. (Side note: The reason I wrote this post was because I had terrible some oysters last night (1 of 6 was edible) from a upscale store that shall remain nameless because they are a great place for just about everything else. I have e-mailed them to let them know about the problem I encountered.)

When buying oysters, your fishmonger should gently tap any oysters to make sure they are still alive. If you go to somewhere like Pick n’ Save the “fishmonger” is usually just some employee who couldn’t tell a catfish from an Ahi tuna steak. They are usually somewhat clueless and they will just grab the first twelve oysters they see. This is a bad thing, trust me. When you get home, double check the oysters and make sure they are closed or close with a gentle tap on the top of the shell. If the oyster sounds hollow and doesn’t close, throw it away. It is dead and has probably lost all of its liquor.

Serving and Eating
If you shuck oysters, use an oyster knife. If you don’t have one, use an old crappy knife and a flathead screwdriver. Use the screwdriver to pry open the oyster at the hinge, then insert the knife and wiggle it around to fully open the oyster and loosen the bivalve from the shell. A good oyster knife will serve both of these functions. Serve oysters on the half shell over crushed ice with some dishes of horseradish, lemon and cocktail sauce. Have a bottle or two of your favorite hot sauce. To be honest, I prefer oysters with nothing but the liquor in the shell. I think that the clean taste of a freshly shucked oyster can’t be beat, If your oysters are somewhere between that stage of fresh and not-so-fresh (but still edible) I recommend a small squeeze of lemon or a dash of hot sauce to improve the flavor. I recommend that you have those accompaniments for your guests. If you want some great sauces, try Man's Best Friend. They are made in Wisconsin with great ingredients and some interesting flavor combinations.

Other Ideas
Another good thing is to open the oysters and top them with some goodies and place under the broiler for a few minutes. I usually use combinations of whatever I have left in the fridge including tomatoes, shallots, green onions, bacon, pancetta, prosciutto, spinach, parmesan cheese, roasted peppers and garlic. Make sure your ingredients are very finely chopped. Top with breadcrumbs and broil until lightly browned. Grilling is also an option and Steven Raichlen has a great grilled oyster recipe in “How To Grill”

Links and Contacts
Empire Fish is located at 11200 Watertown Plank Road in Wauwatosa. They can be reached at 1-800-236-4900 ext. 301.

Sendik’s Fish Market is a stand alone store next to their grocery store at 500 East Silver Spring Drive in Whitefish Bay. They can be reached at 414-962-9525, by e-mail at sendiks@sendiksmarket.com.

A Few Good Oyster Resources on the Web
http://www.theperfectoyster.com/
http://www.globalgourmet.com/food/egg/egg0298/oyfacts.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oyster
http://www.epicurious.com/features/illustrated_guides/oysters/index

Updates soon

I have been so busy with work and household projects that I have been neglecting this blog. For the 2 of you who read it, I am truly sorry. I don't know how all of these bloggers find time for updates, let alone podcats. Anyhow I have notes and rough drafts for the following topics:

1. Restaurant Reviews
- Yokoso Sushi
- Benny's Seafood in Delafield
- Fish Fry ramblings and rantings

2. Recipes
- Grilled chicken tacos with grilled tomato and leek salsa
- Mussels with beer, jalapenos, and chorizo (or, what happens when Anthony Bourdain and Rachel Ray mate.....I'll explain in detail)
- Salmon with Guacamole, and grilled tomato sauce

3. General Comments and rantings
- Is the Milwaukee Public Market doomed?
- Why Pick N Save sucks ass
- Why Graash Foods kicks ass.

4. Quest for best wings and bar food - I attempted to start this last year but was too busy moving and getting married. This summer I will tool around Wisconsin on my motorcycle sampling bar fare whenever possible. My goal is to get a guide of all the great chicken wing recipes and spectacular bar food.