Dining Out- Week of July 11th, 2005

The first of every month indicates the need to check Kopp's web site to scout out the daily flavors. July 11th featuring Banana Cream Pie rocketed to the top of my hit list with its description of banana custard, flaky pie crust pieces, toasted coconut and swirls of banana cream. Sadly, it reads better than it was. 2 out of 3 stars. Two days later Chocolate Truffel was much better with its spice and fragile chocolate flakes. 3 out of 3 stars.



Fong’s Garden
Oconomowoc


Lunch Buffet

My take on buffets:
+: variety, no leftovers
-: risk of food quality, I have a small appetite

I was relieved to find this one had food at the right temp, taste was average or above and saw a waitress frequently jotting down low items and someone from the kitchen repeatedly making trips to stock it up. Items included: Shrimp Egg Roll (hightlight), Chicken Sticks (unique texture), Cantonese Fried Chicken, Chicken Fried Rice, Pork with Mixed Vegetables, Sesame Chicken (highlight), Chicken with Cashew Nuts, Pepper Steak, Saueeted Mushrooms, Shrimp Chow Mai Fun, Sweet & Sour Chicken, Sweet Biscuits, Espresso Cake (highlight), and Almond Cookies.


Décor: See above picture.
Service: Plates cleared quickly.

3 ½ out of 5 stars.



Old Town Serbian Gourmet House
Milwaukee- 5th & Lincoln


Sarma
Homestyle curried cabbage stuffed with ground meat mixture slowly cooked with smoked bacon

The cabbage (fermented for 3 months in wooden barrels) and well seasoned meat were both tender and had a resounding fragrance of taste with a hint of smokiness. Of additional note for uniqueness is the feta butter served with the bread and noodle cabbage as a well matched side (bottom right of plate).


Décor: Old school. Like the food.
Service: Restrained with a positive attitude.

4 out of 5 stars



While it didn’t have the rich denseness of usual custard Riverside’s more sorbet like Peach Melba Custard did have ample big chunks of peaches and raspberry swirls.



Bosley on Brady
Milwaukee- Brady St.


Tahini Couscous on Cucumber

The amuse-bouche of the night featured the contrast of crispness and a Moroccan flair.



Grouper Sandwich
Filet of grouper, crusted with corn flakes and deep fried

This was a fun choice. The mild tasting fish remained ever so moist and flaky and the crust, despite deep frying, was dry adding just the right texture and crunch. I'll disclose I chose this $10 sandwich over the $24 grouper entree to save fourteen bucks. Good move.


Décor: Vibrant walls and art work contrast the black ceiling and dark brown floor. Great look.
Service: Very nice and she told me they are going to be in Friday’s Journal Sentinel review .

4 out of 5 stars



One more custard treat for the week for an intense chocolate coffee Arabian Mocha at The Flavour House.



Nite Cap Inn
Palmyra


Friday Fish Fry (children’s portion)
Battered fried cod, potato pancakes, coleslaw, apple sauce and rye bread

The steaming moist cod was surrounded by non-greasy crusty coating. The pancakes were the focus of this visit and I was rewarded with golden crispy cakes with a dense creamy center. Yep, this is a children’s portion for six bucks; I’ll get three meals out of it.


Décor: How a rural Wisconsin ‘inn’ should look.
Service: Nice grandmotherly lady, who since they don’t have menus has to recite the offerings.

4 out of 5 stars