Katie Eats Out: January 2010

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Final Approach Steak House

Final Approach Steak House
Sheboygan County Airport 12/29/2009

Classy yet casual, with polite, efficient service. I was looking forward to steak, but it wasn't on the lunch menu. Got a pretty good burger and stole some yummy sweet potato fries. The dessert tray looked impressive but I managed to resist.

Whispering Orchards

Whispering Orchards
Cleveland 11/28/2009

The kids had a lot of fun looking at the livestock, especially the flock of chickens that was roaming around. I enjoyed watching the escaped baby goats. There was also a fort made out of hay that they spent a lot of time playing in, though the playground equipment was broken. The store had a nice variety of orchard-type items for sale, even though apple season was long over.

The restaurant ... the restaurant had oodles of charm and many entertaining taxidermied decorations, but the food ... the food ... well, the coffee tasted like fungus, and the pancakes were dry and rancid. We will be going back anyhow, because it's just so gosh darn fun.

A & A Chinese Restaurant

A & A Chinese Restaurant
Sheboygan Falls 11/21/2009

This take-out restaurant must be under new management, because it's really turned itself around in the last few months. The moo shu pork is no longer a greasy pile of mush, and the saifun is extra tasty.

Osteria Nonna Maria

Osteria Nonna Maria
Sheboygan 11/12/2009

Really great Sicilian food. Except for mine. I didn't like the white pizza, especially after I tried another pizza with the amazing tomato sauce. But maybe that's just me.

The atmosphere was homey, maybe a little too homey. We went there on a slow night and there were crotchety old owner-types sitting around a kitchen table in the dining area, sampling wines from a vendor. They didn't seem too happy to see us, but the [younger] waiter was very friendly and attentive.

Texas Roadhouse

Texas Roadhouse
Sheboygan 9/27/2009

Just like every other Texas Roadhouse. Very loud, so it's a great place to take a bunch of noisy kids. Just don't put the ED one next to the blinds.

Sheboygan County Fair

Sheboygan County Fair
Plymouth 9/7/2009

Pretty well run as far as fairs go; clean, non-offensive, good food, and a great agricultural section. We did get caught up in scary toothless carny politics a few years ago.

Chester's

Chester's Drive-In
Plymouth 8/30/2009

Chester's is a Sheboygan County institution that everyone should experience. It involves lots of butter, although not as much as at the Charcoal Inn. Only open in the warmer months; get there early if you want a spot (only room for maybe 20) and make sure you get a chocolate malted.

Big Apple Bagels

Big Apple Bagels
Sheboygan 8/26/2009

I was on the way to Taco Bell, just happened to glance over at the bombed-out shopping center that was destroyed by the whimsical departure of Walmart, and thought I saw an Einstein Bros. I didn't. It's too bad it's in such a cruddy location, because the food was very good, the service was friendly, and the menu was extensive. There was actually quite a crowd once we'd sat down; I'm guessing that they're kept in business by nursing home employees and students from the college down the road.

[edit: It's followed Waldemart up to the north end of town, so hopefully people will flock to it]

Odyssey Fun Center

Odyssey Fun Center
Sheboygan Falls 8/20/2009

That was an odyssey, all right. I don't know about the fun part.

45 MINUTES for a substandard hot dog and appetizers???!!!??? No attempt to apologize or even explain, either. And there was hardly anybody else there.

Unfortunately, they brought out the enormous drinks first, so by the time the food got there Katie's mostly-potty-trained sister had soaked through her diaper and had peppered the place with dampness. Serves them right.

Al & Al's

Al & Al's
Sheboygan 8/19/2009

I had Sauerbraten, German potato salad, and red cabbage that had been baked in a puff pastry shell. It was OK, and had probably been very good several days earlier. The kids liked their non-German stuff, and Katie's brother is still raving about the tomato soup. The only other customer sat at the table right next to our booth, ordered a coffee, and smoked while he read his paper. Urgh.

We'll have to try the Sunday buffet featuring German food, preferably in 2010 after the smoking ban goes into effect.

Charcoal Inn

Charcoal Inn South
Sheboygan 8/4/2009

Words fail me, but I'll try.

There wasn't an abundance of meat in my hamburger, but it didn't matter.
They don't take credit cards, but that didn't matter.

It was the butter, OMG, the butter. It kept dripping out of my burger and congealing in thick drops on the wrapping paper that the burger was served on. It had ketchup and onions, and also a little relish, which I don't usually get. That didn't matter either. It was like some kind of miracle burger. The best I've ever had. It looks like Katie enjoyed her grilled cheese, too, and her siblings liked the chili and the BLTs.

I didn't even get to try a malted, or any of the enticing desserts that were looking over my shoulder from a convenience-store-style refrigerator. That also didn't matter.

Try reading some other reviews of this place. It's not just me.

Funky Bean Coffeehouse

Funky Bean Coffehouse
Sheboygan 8/3/2009

We went here to see Judy Stock, who isn't in town very often. The coffee was good, bagel OK. They had a nice variety of items on their menu. I just hope they can beef up their web site soon.

Noodles & Company

Noodles & Company
Grafton 7/27/2009

Wow. The Thai curry soup was out of this world. And the macaroni has been given two thumbs up. I think the cashier was stoned, though.

Fratello's

Fratello's
Fox River Mall, Appleton 7/24/2009

Really fancy for a food court; kind of stuffy, actually. My ahi tuna lollipops were a little well done for my tastes, but I hear that the macaroni was really good. Wish I could have checked out the huge beer vats up near the ceiling.

All Seasons Family Restaurant

All Seasons Family Restaurant
Elkhart Lake 4/10/2009

Restaurant was hard to find, buried behind a convenience store, but had good standard greasy-spoon fare. The Easter decorations were a nice touch.

Ale House

Ale House
Grafton 3/7/2009

We used to enjoy the steaks and burgers at the Ale House in Boynton Beach, Florida. Perhaps I should have stuck to that part of the menu, because the beef in the stroganoff that I ordered seemed to have been seared in oil and reminded me of the time my mother tried to make me eat liver. The sauce was too thin, weak and meager to save the dish. The piece of the pot roast sandwich that I tasted was very good, though, and the Asian cole slaw was impressive. The gumbo was good and tasted like okra, unlike the cheap imitations one finds elsewhere. Of course one goes to the Ale House for its ale, but I couldn't go sampling all the wares when I had to drive 30 miles back to my house. I did badger my husband into getting one variety, which was very hoppy.

There were quite a few families with small children, so we fit right in. A line was forming as we left around 12:30, not what one would expect on a Saturday afternoon in east central Wisconsin on a cold, rainy day.

Good atmosphere, mostly good food, and a nice location overlooking the Milwaukee River. Too many places up here don't appreciate their rivers.

Randall's Frozen Custard

Randall's Frozen Custard
Sheboygan 9/20//2008

Not just for frozen custard. This place has an extensive fast-food selection and it's all good.

Sweet Basil

Sweet Basil
Plymouth 8/6/2008

No kids' menu, not much of a selection and very high prices, but the food was OK. Tons of atmosphere.

Lakehouse Bar & Restaurant

Lakehouse Bar & Restaurant
Crystal Lake 6/28/2008

Not a good place to take the kiddies. Note the Jägermeister poster in the back with the two ladies getting it on. And the placemats:

The room in the back where we ate was much darker than it appears in the picture, and the lights were not turned on for us. But we didn't really mind. The help was very friendly and the food was great. Katie couldn't get enough of the fried mushrooms and I was impressed with my Black Forest sandwich.

Schwarz's Supper Club

Schwarz's Supper Club
St. Anna 6/22/2008

We had to order our food while sitting in the bar. Katie really got an eyeful. We didn't have to wait long despite the crowd, but we felt just a tiny bit rushed as we ate dinner. The food was all good. We especially enjoyed the tempura shrimp appetizer with sesame ginger dressing, although I don't think the beer batter on the shrimp was very authentic. Katie's daddy complained that his gin and tonic was too strong (!); however, Katie's daddy is a lightweight, and the typical Wisconsin diner would probably not mind.

BD's Mongolian Grill

BD's Mongolian Grill
Glendale 5/2008

Katie liked the kids' chopsticks, as you can see in this squashy cell phone picture. I didn't like the setup of this place at all, as one has to belly up to several buffets and then stand around while the food is cooked. Not good when there are several small kids, even though attendants are standing by to help. I was also bummed about all my sauce being cooked away, especially when I discovered how dry the meat was.

Milwaukee Public Museum

Milwaukee Public Museum
Milwaukee 4/2008

Herding three kids (I left one at home) through the cafeteria was a bit of a challenge, but they approved of the selections. The free wifi that was heavily advertised did not work, even after I hunted down a confused security guard who gave me the network key.

Tangelo's Grille

Tangelo's Grille
St. Petersburg, Florida 1/31/2008

(review by Katie's grandma)

Tangelo’s Grille is one of my favorite all-time restaurants. I must be a rare bird, though, because the rest of my family doesn’t seem to care for it. My husband will accompany me at times just to be polite. I chose it when my office took me to a birthday lunch, and my boss said, “You chose a CASH BAR?” To sum it up in one word, Tangelo’s is funky. With a Cuban theme, Tangelo’s is completely unassuming (brown paper napkins and silverware fill buckets) and terminal colorful. Wild colors decorate the walls and furniture, and wild pictures and artifacts enliven the walls. An Elvis clock gyrates its pendulum endlessly; commanding most of a wall is a neon-lit adaptation of Hopper’s “Nighthawks” painting with Marilyn Monroe, James Dean, Bogey, and, as bartender, Elvis. The service is friendly, and the food is spot-on. (Well, I think it is, anyhow.) The Cuban sandwiches get the most accolades, but I always order black beans over rice (cooked with genuine ham that tastes like my granny’s smokehouse specials) and the steel drum salad, a divine concoction of big chunks of lettuce, tomato, onions, green pepper, shredded cheese, and a dressing that features Worcestershire, fresh ginger, and something sweet like pomegranate juice. This is washed down by a tall cup of cinnamon ice tea (I’m not really a wild person). Bottles of killer hot sauce await the masochist. The bathroom (at least the ladies’ one) is tiny but colorful and graced with a Cuba-themed poster, like peppers and their heatness index. At lunch I never have to wait for seating, though finding a parking space within decent walking distance can be a challenge.

Century Buffet

Century Buffet
Kohler 12/24/2007

This is your typical Chinese buffet with lots of non-Chinese extras such as meat loaf, gyros, jello, sushi, pizza, etc. The food is all good quality and the place is roomy and pleasant. Big hit with the kids.

Ó

Ó (a biró restaurant) (defunct)
Sheboygan 8/28/2007

When we came in we were told we could sit anywhere we wanted . . . except for the table we sat down at. The only other available tables were crammed against other tables, some of them sharing bench seats. This was on a Tuesday evening. Our waitress did suggest that we move to a roomier location once the party next to us left, but not until after I had been whacked in the back by a large Sheboygan butt.

The food started out fantastic (the salad was great) and got progressively worse.

Sushi was not available on the one "sushi night" this month because the chef was out. My second choice, the filet mignon, had allegedly just sold out minutes earlier. The Atkins diet did not leave me many other options, so I settled on the pork, steak and salmon satay. My order for the mixed greens salad had already gone in, and my entree came with yet another salad. The entree did not come with mushrooms as advertised, and one would have to assume that the mushrooms carried all the flavor of the dish. All of the meat was dry and tough, and I think I was given two portions of pork instead of the steak. It was hard to tell. Although I had ordered a mixed greens salad as an appetizer, I ate the one that came with my entree afterward just to get some flavor back in my mouth. I was still hungry after my entree, but the samples of my husband's (pretty good) ahi tuna helped to tide me over.

Then there was the dessert. My husband ordered the green tea creme brulee. It took about 20 minutes for it to appear. The top was not crunchy, he reported that it did not taste like anything, and it was CURDLED.

It would have been a great place to take a well-behaved kid but for the nice big TV that was showing The Return of the King. I had to distract Katie during the gorier parts by letting her mug for the camera.