The Old Fashioned is Old News

Why does everyone seem to love this place?  When people come to town they always seem to have heard of The Old Fashioned and suggest going there.  I have personally experienced this with friends and family, and I know others who have as well.  This boggles my mind.  The food is mediocre, and I say that only because I do enjoy their breakfast.  Their menu is scant in my opinion and the service is terrible.  I have just never been impressed by the place.

Exhibit A: The first time I ever visited the Old Fashioned I was not impressed by the menu.  There are not many healthy options on the menu and when I found what I thought sounded amazing and healthy (No. 35 grilled eggplant and portabella sandwich) turned out to have a highly unpleasant texture and zero flavor.

Exhibit B: I arrived at The Old Fashioned for lunch when my sister and mom were in town and we were meeting a friend.  The server got us water and took our drink order which seemed to take a while even though the restaurant was quiet at the time.  After getting our beers my sister asked for some lemons for our beers.  They never came, and we had to ask for them a second time, but by then we had almost finished our first beers.

I ordered their summer sausage sandwich which sounded delicious, and it was okay.  Very greasy, but okay.  However, I left the restaurant feeling sick and crampy - not how I want to end a meal.

Exhibit C:  Now, my husband and I always forget that the Sunprint Cafe is closed on Sundays (which is incredibly silly and feels like a bad business decision to me, but anyways) and we end up walking up to the cafe and realizing this after we arrive.  Therefore, we always end up having to choose another brunch option.  Automatically we think Bradbury's, but then we usually get there and the line is out the door, which means waiting probably another hour before eating.  At this point we probably have considered going to Gotham or heading somewhere down State St., but a couple of times we have made the decision to go to The Old Fashioned.  The first time we made this decision I was very hesitant, but thought I would give them another chance on breakfast.  It went well, the food was good, but again, not very healthy as half of our plate was covered in potatoes.

So, after trying to go to Sunprint again on a Sunday morning we ended up at The Old Fashioned for brunch a second time.  We ordered coffee when we first sat down and our coffee did not arrive before our waiter came to take our food order.  We reminded him and again, our coffee did not arrive until just before our food came out.  We waited probably 15-20 minutes for our coffee....

Exhibit D:  After having an okay experience for breakfast I decided to go to The Old Fashioned with my mom the next time she was in town.  Again we were meeting up with a friend and thought it would be convenient since it was the same place we met the last time we got together.  So, we get our coffee, etc. and are waiting for our food and when it comes out my mom's is cold.  They take the plate from her and apologize, but bring it back a minute later.  She's pretty sure they just threw it in the microwave or something.   NOT IMPRESSED.

I'm done with this place.   I applaud them for using fresh and local products, but their representation of Wisconsin eating is sad.  Some people say, "But what about the cheese curds?" and to that I say, "I prefer the curds at Graze."

Unless I'm going because someone else really wants to or am just going for a drink, forget it.  I'd rather spend my money at Bradbury, Lazy Jane's, or Sunprint Cafe (if they ever decide to  open for Sunday morning brunch)

Horrible service, mediocre food, have left feeling sick more than once.

What’s With all the Sushi??

Madison seems to be turning into quite the sushi hotspot.  Off the top of my head I can name four sushi restaurants within a mile of my house and more are coming!! 
I have not tried them all, I have to admit, but can you blame me?  Restaurant Muramoto has stolen my sushi heart!  And I thought Takara was good…

Here’s the scoop:
The two times we have been here we have gotten the maki combo.  It’s a great deal, and you get a good variety.  It’s especially nice when you go with a lot of people because you can all share.  The thing about the maki combo…you don’t get to pick your rolls, the chef does!  I think that’s awesome, but others might be pickier so keep that in mind.
The maki combo gives you three sushi rolls, one regular, one inside out, and one special for $20.

This was my plate. 
Regular: Tekka Roll (tuna)
Inside out: Spicy Shrimp Roll (shrimp, masago mayo, scallion, seven spice, chili oil)  -  Umm…delicious.
Special: Rainbow Roll (tuna, hamachi, salmon, crab, avocado, cuke)  -  A lot of fish, very filling, but good.  I would try to eat/share most of this first so it doesn’t get too warm.

This was AJ’s plate.
Regular: Salmon Roll
Inside out: Spicy Tuna Roll
Special: Dante Roll (hamachi, cuke, greens, habanero tobikko)  -This one is VERY spicy…just a warning.  I love spicy, but this was ridiculously spicy because of the black roe.  But nonetheless, it was fun to eat.

Everything was great and the atmosphere is awesome too.  We usually sit at the bar so that we can watch the chefs cook.  Sometimes it gets a little intense, but you can thank them directly when its great!
On this trip we splurged and got dessert : ).  We were not sure what to pick since everything sounded great, but here is what our waitress suggested…

The top plate is the black sesame ice cream and below are the chocolate satsuma beignets with miso caramel. 
All of this was amazing.  The beignets were great both with the caramel and with the ice cream. 
The ice cream itself was surprisingly tasty, and the miso caramel I seriously could have eaten by itself it was that good.
A little pricey, but worth it once in a while for a great date night!

Insider tip: Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday nights its $25 for all you can eat sushi.  Just FYI. : ).
Read what others have to say here.

V-Day Dinner

I love to use our Japanese dinnerware on occasions like this.  Valentine’s Day was great, and since my husband and I have been together for quite a while we just decided to cook a great dinner together and spend some quality time.  Here’s what resulted:
Baked salmon in a basil and lemon marinade, israeli style cous cous, and roasted asparagus.  It was perfect!

I marinated the salmon in the following:
~3 T olive oil
1 t dried basil
1 t dill
1/2 t salt
1/4-1/2 t pepper
pinch of dried parsley
lemon juice (about 2 wedges)
I marinated two fillets for about 45 minutes and then wrapped them in foil and baked it in the oven at 375 degrees for about 35 minutes.  Turned out great!

The couscous was actually the star of this meal and even though it looks a little boring on the plate, it was packed with flavor.  Here’s how I did it:
You need 3-4 T butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup onion, chopped
2 cups Israeli style cous cous
2 bay leaves
1 t Balti seasoning (wow, so good!)
pinch or two of cinnamon (maybe about 1/4 t, it depends how you like it)
salt and pepper to taste
2 1/4 cups vegetable stock (or chicken, or whatever you prefer)
Add the butter to a pot on the stove set at about medium heat.  Let that melt, then add the garlic, and the onion (peppers are good too if you have them).  Let the onion cook a couple of minutes and then add the couscous and stir.  Allow the couscous to toast, stirring occasionally for a few minutes.  Add spices.  Add vegetable stock and bring to a boil.  Once boiling reduce heat and let it simmer until liquid is absorbed, about 10 minutes.
This was so good, and the Balti seasoning was genius.  Once I added it, the two of us could not stop smelling the dish and we couldn’t wait to eat it!
For dessert:
Vanilla pound cake with homemade strawberry sauce and vanilla ice cream.
To make the strawberry sauce you need:
1 pint fresh strawberries rinsed and sliced
1/3 cup sugar
1 t vanilla
Put 2/3 of the strawberries, the sugar and the vanilla into a pot on medium heat.  Stir with a whisk crushing the strawberries as they soften to form a saucy texture.  Then add the rest of the strawberries and serve!  MMM….I will definitely be making this for waffles and pancakes.
I want to know what you did for Valentine’s Day!! Did you go out to dinner? Where? or What did you make at home?  Let me know

Go-To Recipe—Cajun Catfish…or any fish

This Cajun catfish recipe is great and I have used it several times since I came across it.  It is very versatile as well.  I’ve used it with a couple different kinds of fish and it always tastes delicious.  The first time I made this dish I followed the recipe closely, but I doubled it because I wanted a lot of flavor. 
The Cajun coating for the fish consists of…
2T canola oil
1-2 cloves minced garlic
2t thyme
2t paprika
1/2t cayenne
1/2t hot sauce (add more or less to taste)
1/4t black pepper

Spread this on whatever kind of fish you like and bake it in the oven for its normal baking time.  So much flavor!! You will love it! I used this recipe for 2 catfish fillets.

The couscous is Israeli couscous, and one of the reasons this is a go-to dish for me is because I usually have some fish fillets in the the freezer and almost always have couscous in the pantry.  You could use regular couscous as well, but I enjoy the texture of the Israeli type. 

To make the couscous add some butter to a medium sized pot and add whatever vegetables you think you would like.  I really like peppers and garlic in this, but onions or zucchini would also be good.  You can also add any spices or herbs you’d like at this point.

Let the veggies cook a little and then add the couscous.  Let it brown for a minute or two in the pan and soak up the butter.  Then add stock of your choice.  I chose veggie stock and the ratio should be about 2:1 stock:couscous.  Allow it to simmer until the stock has been absorbed and the couscous is soft. 
Voila!  Delicious dinner!

Now, I have used this recipe to make breaded fillets as well.  Make the Cajun sauce as above, but add an egg.  Dip the fish into that mixture and then into some panko bread crumbs.  Then put in the oven and bake.  You may want to season your bread crumbs though, I used a little salt, paprika, and cayenne in mine and it was great!  Give it a try and let me know how you liked it!

A Sconnie Eats San Diego Style

This summer my husband and I took our first major vacation together to San Diego and we had a blast.  We spent a lot of time relaxing on the beach and we also checked out the Zoo, Old Town, and the downtown Gas Lamp District.

The hotel we stayed at was in the Mission Bay Area and it was right on the Marina.  We were right on the ocean and just about a mile from Mission Beach.  The scenery, weather, and sunsets were all beautiful and we could not have asked for a better time.

Now, I may have mentioned before that I have added fish back into my previously vegetarian diet.  So, now I guess I’m more of a pescatarian, but I only eat fish every so often.  While we were in San Diego, I was so excited for some seafood.  In Wisconsin there really isn’t much a fresh fish scene, and when I am in coastal areas I just love the abundance of fresh seafood.

So, there are two places we ate at that we enjoyed. The first was actually a restaurant in our hotel called Firefly.  They have some great outdoor seating with a good view of the bay.  It was a little chilly though and the outdoor heater where we were sitting was broken.  Luckily another table left shortly after we arrived and we moved to their spot and started to warm up.  The service was a little slow.  We needed refills on our drinks halfway through our meal and didn’t get them until we were done eating.  That said, the food was still great.

For an appetizer we had their Bruschetta.  It was delicious.  There were six pieces with three different toppings:  Goat cheese, Mozzarella, and Carmelized Fennel.  It was really fun trying the three different kinds and it worked out perfectly that we each got one of each kind.  I definitely recommend this appetizer for those that go here.  It really impressed me. 





For our entrees, I had the Seasonal Catch which was a rockfish.  It came with Israeli cous cous and seasonal veggies.  The fish was cooked perfectly and seasoned well.  I have had an unpleasant experience with Israeli cous cous in the past and was a little nervous about getting it, but it was actually fantastic.  Everything on the plate just really went together well and the flavors were well balanced. 

AJ had the 1/2 Fried Chicken that came with garlic mashed potatoes and a tomato chutney.  It did seem a little small for being 1/2 of a chicken but AJ said it was pretty good and the potatoes were delicious. 
All in all we had a great time here.  The atmosphere I think could have been improved if the restaurant wasn’t right next to the hotel pool that plays music of its liking from the time they open until the time they close (past 10 pm).  I did however enjoy watching the fireworks from our table that Seaworld put on every night. 


The other place we ate at that we enjoyed while we were in San Diego was called Saska’s.  This restaurant has been around for sixty years and you can tell when you walk in.  The place looks like a sixties supper club and really could use some updating.  We got seated however, in a really awesome booth.  It was like a sweet circle booth with a small table; perfect for two.  We also had a great view of the TVs which made us happy since we had been following the women’s world cup all week.
 
Our service here was a little slow, but didn’t feel so bad because they warned us ahead of time that our server was dealing with a large party and was a little behind.  Here, AJ had a steak stuffed with crab meat that he really really enjoyed.  He kept trying to get me to try it, but I believed him.  I enjoyed an amazing salmon filet.  I just love fresh fish and this was a great way to end our vacation.  I savored every bite of that fish and by the end of our dinner we were so stuffed.  We thought that after dinner we would take a walk and then come back for their late night sushi deals, but we could barely walk when we left we were so full.

I don’t have any pictures of the food from Saska’s but I will just say that it was delicious and we had a great time.  I will however, leave you with a picture of the sunset that night.

MmmmmmmMaharaja!

Though I can't claim that Maharaja has the best Indian food in Madison (since it's the only Indian restaurant I've been to in Madison) I will say that it is AMAZING and it is the best Indian food I've ever had.


I have been here twice now, and the last time I was there I got a vegetarian dish and was recommended to have the Navarattan Korma which was mixed vegetables cooked with cream, herbs, and cashews.  

It. Was. Amazing.

I don't even know how else to say it or describe it, but the flavor was so good and I couldn't stop eating it.

Here it is in this picture (it's the closest one).

I went this time with my sister Tanya, my Aunt Dotty, my cousin Clare, and my husband AJ.  We all got something different and then put them in the middle so everyone could share.  Luckily my sister and aunt also got vegetarian dishes.  Everything was awesome and the waiter was so funny.

My cousin is the pickiest eater and she even loved her dish.

The setup of the restaurant is the only thing that I think could be improved, but I think they do ok with the space they have.  I felt however, that there wasn't a lot of privacy.  There are a lot of tables in a small space and there is no separation, booths or much for decor.  They try their best to set the mood, and the space is clean, so it really wasn't that bad.  Plus the waiter really made up for it.  We had a great time here.

And the best part???   Hot towels after dinner!!  Ahhhhh..... Bliss.

I recommend this to anyone who likes, or wants to try Indian Food.  They also have a lunch buffet that I haven't tried yet.

Update: Lunch Buffet = awesome

Sausage Cassoulet

I made this for dinner on Tuesday night.  I've been trying to use more recipes when I cook, but its really hard when I don't have a lot of time for cooking or shopping.  Since I've been back in school I've really stuck to basic dinners that don't require a lot of ingredients, but are still tasty.  I've made this dish once before, but haven't had it in a while so I thought I would try it again.
Growing up we ate Kielbasa on many occasions.  Usually it was a quick dinner for us as a family and being a Sconnie girl, I loved it.  Simple sausage dinner; yummy with just the basic ketchup and mustard.  This recipe called Cassoulet in a Flash (which is actually a take on franks and beans, but I hate saying franks and beans) from the Family Circle Cookbook I own, gave me a way to use the kielbasa I love in a new way that's a little more "grown up."  The recipe is simple and it cooks fast -- good for me since I don't have a lot of time to cook.
Here are my ingredients

1lb kielbasa cut into 1/2 inch pieces ( I would actually cut them into smaller more bite-size pieces)
1 medium red onion cut into thin wedges
1 can white kidney/canelli beans (drained and rinsed)
1 can pork and beans in tomato sauce
1 clove garlic - chopped (I used 2)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon of dried thyme (Yum!)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
 
Cook the kielbasa on medium heat for about 4 minutes

Add the onions and garlic and cook for about 3 more minutes

Add the beans and the rest of the seasonings.
 
Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer 5-7 minutes until heated through.
Great German dish that reminds me of my childhood, but pleases my grown up palate. Yum!