A Day In Milwaukee

Posted on April 16, 2013 by admin

This past February Whisk and I flew out to Chicago for a week to visit with family and to catch up with some friends. On this trip we also wanted to have a little alone time together and take a quick overnight trip out of Chicago. We decided that we would spend a day in Milwaukee since it is only about a 90 minute drive from Chicago.

Whisk had been to Milwaukee before and thought it was a city that I would enjoy. She also has a cousin that lives near the Milwaukee area and thought it would be nice to visit with him and his wife. Whisk called her cousin and he suggested that we meet them at a coffee shop called Alterra.

Alterra at the Lake
1701 N. Lincoln Memorial Dr.
Milwaukee, Wi 53202
414-223-4551
www.alterracoffee.com

Alterra coffee was started by 3 friends back in 1994, they now have coffee shop cafe’s throughout the metro-Milwaukee area. We met up with Whisk’s cousin and wife at Alterra at the Lake. This was a cool place, the building was built in 1888 and was originally home to the historic Milwaukee River Flushing Station.

Inside the cafe there is a lot of history from when it was the Milwaukee river flushing station and even some pieces of equipment that they decided to keep in the building to preserve some of its history.

Alterra serves much more than coffee; soups, salads, sandwiches, fresh baked goods made from scratch, espresso, and tea can be enjoyed in the cafe with its ample seating or for you to take with you if you don’t have the time to sit down.

Alterra carries a wide variety of coffee, you are sure to find one just right for you.

Alterra at the Lake had a lot of seating.

Plenty of seating to enjoy a quick meal or to enjoy a cup of coffee with some friends.

Whisk’s cousin made a very generous gesture and let us pick out a bag of coffee of our choice to take back home with us. On the back of each bag of Alterra coffee they have a flavor profile scale that helps you pick out the coffee best suited for you. Whisk picked out the Colombia Paso Fino blend, on the scale it was a medium-light roast, medium bodied with a bright acidity. It was delicious, we just finished off the bag last week. Lucky for us and for everyone who lives outside of Milwaukee you can order any of the delicious Alterra coffee blends off of their website at www.alterracoffee.com.

Whisk’s Cousin and wife bought us a pound of coffee as a gift, we picked the Colombia blend. Definitely going to be ordering more for home.

After coffee and goodbye’s had been said, Whisk and I headed over to our next stop, Lakefront Brewery. Whisk found out about Lakefront Brewery online while researching our trip. It seems like we would be missing out on an important part of Milwaukee if we didn’t stop by at least one brewery.

Lakefront Brewery
1872 N. Commerce St.
Milwaukee, WI 53212
(414) 372-8800
www.lakefrontbrewery.com

Lakefront Brewery was started in 1987 by Jim and Russ Klisch and today the brewery is located right on the Milwaukee river. From its modest beginnings of producing under a 100 barrels the brewery now produces over 33,000 barrels per year

A tasty line-up of some of their craft beers.

Lakefront Brewery offers a wide variety of beers including seasonal beers, organic and gluten free beers, limited release beers, and beers that they carry all throughout the year. Whisk and I both picked the Fixed Gear American Red Ale as our favorite beer from the lineup we tasted.

We also decided to take a tour of the brewery which they offer several times throughout the day. If you are going to visit Lakefront Brewery then a tour is a must, what a good deal. For $7.00 you get a great tour full of history of the brewery and family, four 6 ounce pours of beer, and a souvenir pint glass. You also get a coupon for a free beer at a participating local bar to use before 6pm that same day.

We had a great time at Lakefront Brewery, now time for a little rest at the hotel before we head into the town for the night.

Downtown Milwaukee at dusk.

While Whisk was getting ready for dinner back at the hotel I decided to take a little walk around town. Downtown Milwaukee is a beautiful city, beautiful buildings, and the river going right through town.

For dinner we headed over to a restaurant called Honeypie. Whisk discovered them online and really like their menu and approach to food.

Honeypie Cafe
2643 S. Kinnickinnic Ave
Milwaukee, WI 53207
(414) 489-7437
www.honeypiecafe.com

The first thing that struck me about Honeypie was their list of Wisconsin Farms and purveyors that they support. This is great to see, they use local grass fed beef in their burgers, as well as local dairy, poultry, produce, ice-cream, and coffee. They also had a great list of beers to choose from.

Honeypie cafe: local farms and purveyors

Honeypie supports local farms and suppliers by using local meats and produce.

House Green Salad- Growing Power greens, tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots

Roasted corn clam chowder with a housemade corn muffin.

The cuisine at Honeypie is comfort food prepared in an elevated state. Almost everything is made from scratch and done very well. Everything I ate I liked, especially the roast chicken, that hit the spot on a cold Milwaukee Winter night.

Burger- Wisconsin raised grass-fed beef, American cheese, caramelized onions, lettuce, tomato, onion, bacon, special sauce, a sunny side egg on an egg-glazed bun.

Roasted Farm Chicken- fine herb spaetzle, wild mushrooms, wilted spinach, shallot butter, and parsley pistou.

After a great dinner at Honeypie we decided it was still early enough to take a walk over to Blackbird bar and have a night cap.

Blackbird
3007 S. Kinnickinnic Ave
Milwaukee, WI 53207
(414) 486-1344
Follow on Facebook or twitter @blackbird_bar

The review I read about Blackbird online was “all the qualities of a dive bar without the dirtiness”, this described Blackbird perfectly.

It was a quiet night at Blackbird when we arrived. We took a seat at the bar and asked to see a list of beers. The bartender was very friendly and knew a lot about the local beers they offered on the list. We each ordered a beer and decided we would go into the other room to sit in one of their booths.

Aside from having a great jukebox, Blackbird also has pin ball machines, video games, a photo booth, and board games. This was a great stop to end our night with a nice relaxing drink.

We both really enjoyed our day in Milwaukee. I know it was only a small sampling of what the city has to offer. I would love to go back and catch a baseball game, as well as check out some more breweries and restaurants. If you find yourself in the Mid-West and you are near the Milwaukee area, it is definitely worth your time to stop over and enjoy what the city has to offer.

Little Goat Diner

Posted on February 21, 2013 by admin

When Whisk and I first started dating a couple of years ago I lived in California while she lived in Chicago. I remember my first trip to Chicago to visit Whisk and how excited we were to go out together and eat some great food in the city. Whisk had already lived in Chicago for a number of years and had already tried out many of the great restaurants that Chicago has to offer. For me, the only restaurant that I was really familiar with and had on my list to try was the Girl and the Goat.

Stephanie Izard opened Girl and the Goat back in the summer of 2010. I first found out about Stephanie from watching her win Top Chef season 4. Her food always looked so delicious on TV. Whisk and I decided that we would go to Girl and the Goat as one of our first Chicago dates. Needless to say, we had a great time and loved the food. So on this current trip to Chicago, we wanted to come and try Little Goat Diner.

Stephanie Izard’s Little Goat Diner opened up in December of 2012 and is located right across the street from her upscale dining spot Girl and the Goat. Whisk and I decided to start our Chicago trip off by having breakfast at Little Goat Diner on a chilly Wednesday morning. We thought that if we liked it, we would come back on Saturday night for dinner with our friends from California, then come back again on Tuesday with her parents for lunch right before we flew back to California. Turns out we really enjoyed our breakfast there and did eat there a total of 3 times on our vacation.

I was surprised by how big Little Goat Diner was when Whisk and I first walked in. It has a lot of seating as well as a counter where you can sit and enjoy your meal and look into the open kitchen. The booths are big and comfortable, and the restaurant is very clean. They have done a great job creating an inviting, warm, and comfortable atmosphere.

fork and whisk little goat diner stumptown coffee

Fork enjoying some Stumptown coffee.

Breakfast: Wednesday Morning

I am glad Whisk and I ate here more than once, it is very hard to pick just one thing off of the menu. The food here is traditional diner food with modern twists and turns. We each ended up ordering a breakfast entrée and splitting a side of hash browns. This was definitely a great way to start our vacation.

fork and whisk little goat diner french toast

Bull’s Eye French Toast
crispy chicken – sweet onion brioche – bbq maple syrup

fork and whisk little goat diner brandade and belly

Brandade and Belly `Benedict`
brandade – pork belly – eggs – biscuit – kimchi

fork and whisk little goat diner hash browns

Hash Browns
shredded on the griddle – grumpy goat cheese

Dinner: Sunday Night

When we arrived Sunday night for dinner the place was packed. Even though the restaurant was busy, service didn’t suffer a bit. Our waitress was knowledgeable, and willing to answer all of our questions.

Whisk and I each ordered a sandwich from there Sammiches section of the menu while our two friends each ordered a burger from the Burger Shoppe section of the menu. When you order a burger you get to choose the type of patty you want; Slagel beef, Kilgus goat, or a veggie patty. Slagel family farm and Kilgus farmstead are both located in Illinois, it is great that Little Goat is supporting local farms in the area.

fork and whisk little goat diner caesar salad

Caesar Salad
sourdough croutons – tempura – white anchovy

fork and whisk little goat diner sloppy goat joe

Sloppy Goat
sloppy joe gone goat – rosemary slaw – squish squash roll

Reuben
smoked corn beef – kimchi – kraut – cheese – special sauce – pretzel rye

fork and whisk little goat diner korean goat burger

Korean Burger
kilgus goat – kimchee – bacon – egg – spicy mayo – squish squash roll

fork and whisk little goat diner all american burger

All American Burger
slagel beef – pickles – onion – american cheese – special sauce – lettuce & tomato – sesame seed bun

Dinner was awesome. I had the sloppy goat, which was really good, but Whisk’s Reuben was off the charts. The addition of kimchi on the Reuben was a definite game changer.

Lunch: Tuesday Afternoon

Tuesday afternoon was our last meal in Chicago for this trip. We had lunch with Whisk’s parents, neither of them had been to Little Goat before so it was kind of cool to share it with them.

With the windchill factor, it was only about 5 degrees outside. I was definitely in the mood for a hearty meal with the cold weather outside. Even though it was lunchtime we all decided to order off of the breakfast menu.

I ordered the spiced apple pancakes, they were everything I was hoping for at that moment. I didn’t eat again for about 10 hours, they were so rich and filling. I really liked the oatmeal crumble on top to give it a nice crunch. Whisk ordered a tasty concoction that consisted of eggs, bacon, kimchee, sprouts, and a bunch of other things, it was delicious as well.

fork and whisk little goat diner spiced apple pancakes

Spiced Apple Pancakes
cream cheese butter – oatmeal crumble

fork and whisk little goat diner home fries

Kennebec Home Fries

Kimchee & Bacon & Eggs & Pancakes Asian Style Breakfast Tasty Thing (how it is written out on the menu)

Little Goat Bread

Adjacent to Little Goat Diner in the same building is Little Goat Bread, which consists of a bakery, bar, coffee bar, and gift shop.

Little Goat Bread bakes the bread for the diner as well as baking breads, pastries, bagels, and much more to sell at the bakery.

You can watch through the giant window as the bakers create their specialty breads and pastries.

They have a fully stocked bar if you’re in the mood for a cocktail as well as a great beer selection.

Grab a quick coffee to go or enjoy a cup with your meal.

fork and whisk little goat diner the little goat

The Little Goat
A specialty little goat diner coffee drink that was perfect for the cold Chicago weather.

Before we left Whisk and I got a few items from their gift shop, including this maple syrup that was specially made for Little Goat Diner.

Burton’s Red Wine Barrel Aged Maple Syrup

After dining at Little Goat Diner three times over the course of the week Whisk and I were very impressed. The food was good each time we were there, and the service was friendly, knowledgeable, and efficient as well.

Another thing that I thought was cool was that Stephanie was on the line cooking two out of the three times we were there. A lot of celebrity chefs that own restaurants these days rarely cook in their own restaurants, it is great and inspiring to see Stephanie cooking her food and keeping standards at such a high level.

Whisk and I are back on California’s Central Coast now, but we had a great time in Chicago and will definitely be going back to Little Goat Diner next time we are in the area. If you live in Chicago, or have plans to be in the Chicago area, Little Goat Diner is a must on your list of places to eat.

Little Goat Diner
820 W. Randolph St.
Chicago, IL 60607
312-888-3455
www.littlegoatchicago.com

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The Good Life Craft Beer and Wine Cellar

Posted on February 11, 2013 by admin

Whisk and I recently visited The Good Life Craft Beer and Wine Cellar located in the little town of Solvang right here on the Central Coast of California. Whisk had heard about The Good Life at work and thought it would be a good place to stop for a drink.

The Good Life is a small and cozy wine bar owned and operated by Alfred and Lisa Mesa. They have created an extensive wine list which focuses on local wineries from the Santa Barbara area and wineries all the way up to Paso Robles. Alfred and Lisa have done a great job on discovering and sharing some local gems; those great but harder to find wines that come from small producing wineries.

A cozy spot to enjoy your drink by the fireplace.

The atmosphere inside of The Good Life is very relaxed and comfortable. A great place to meet up with some friends after work or a dinner out together, as well as a great place for date night. There are couches by the fireplace if you would like to warm yourself while enjoying your drinks, as well as a bar if you prefer to sit at the counter, or you can choose to relax at one of their pub tables.

If you come visit on the weekend many times they will have live music or even a local winemaker pouring their own wines. You can check their event calendar on their website at www.thegoodlifecellar.com.

Wine is not the only beverage you will find at The Good Life, they also carry a great lineup of California microbrews. If you felt like having something to eat with your wine or beer they offer cheese and charcuterie plates, olives, nuts, and even some sweets.

Whisk and I both opted for a glass of red wine on this chili night.

Whisk and I both opted for a glass of red wine on this chilly night.

Whisk and I both enjoyed our experience at The Good Life and will definitely be back again. Alfred and Lisa were both knowledgeable on the wine and beer they carry, as well as welcoming and friendly. Next time you are in the Santa Barbara area make a stop at The Good Life, you will be glad you did.

www.thegoodlifecellar.com

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Stone 2012 Vertical Epic

Posted on December 23, 2012 by admin

I have to admit that I am very late to the game on the Stone Vertical Epic series of beers. The 2012 release is the end of a special series of beers they have been releasing since 2002. The first beer they released in the series was on February 2nd, 2002 (02.02.02), and they have since released a beer in this series one year, one month and one day from the previous beers release date.

I wish I would have known about this back in 2002. The idea behind these beers is that they would be made in a Belgian style that were age-worthy enough to drink together in a vertical tasting upon the series final release in 2012.

Fork and Whisk: 2012 Stone Vertical Epic

Stone Brewery 2012 Vertical Epic

Whisk and I opened a bottle of the 2012 edition this past Thursday night, it was wonderful. This is the perfect winter time beer. The 2012 is dark and rich, but goes down smoothly with a warmth along the way. Whisk commented that the beer smelled like Christmas, I agree. You can smell baking spices, taste the hints of coffee and molasses. This is a beer I would love to drink with a hearty stew, braised short ribs, or a rich oxtail soup.

If you are interested in drinking some of this great beer yourself, I would purchase some soon, it won’t last long. I found some at BevMo for $6.99 for a 22 ounce bottle. I am sure you can also find it at specialty wine and beers shops.

If you would like to learn more about the 2012 Vertical Epic release or any other of the Stone Brewery beers you can check them out at www.stonebrewery.com.

Enjoy!

Tablas Creek Winery

Posted on December 16, 2012 by admin

A couple of months ago Whisk and I ate at a restaurant called Thomas Hill Organics in Paso Robles, CA. For dinner we ordered a bottle of the Cotes de Tablas, a tasty and food friendly Rhone blend produced by Tablas Creek winery. We both really enjoyed the bottle and decided the next time we were in Paso Robles we were going to stop by their tasting room and try a flight of their wines.

This past week we both had a day where our schedules allowed us to take a quick trip out of town, this was a perfect chance to go and visit Tablas Creek.

Fork and Whisk: Tablas Creek tasting room.

View of Tablas Creek from the drive coming in.

We drove up to Tablas Creek on a rainy Wednesday morning. It was a beautiful drive from the recent rains, everything was so green and fresh. We arrived to the tasting room at about 11:30 in the morning, and were promptly greeted by a very friendly lady named Cindy.

Inside the tasting room.

Inside of the tasting room is very clean, but has a warm, welcoming feel to it. They have big windows so you can see out into part of their production area, along with multiple counters for wine tasting.

Fork and Whisk: Tablas Creek production room.

View of their production area from inside the tasting room.

The gift shop inside of the tasting room is full of great cookbooks, wonderful olive oil they produce themselves, clothing, and other merchandise.

The day we visited they had 6 wines on their tasting list which consisted of 2 white wines and 4 reds. What I really liked about their tasting list is that they poured interesting wines, they do a lot of blends, but also do some single varietal bottling’s of some lesser known grapes such as Marsanne, Mourvedre, and Tannat.

Whisk tasting some delicious Tablas Creek wine at their tasting counter.

Fork and Whisk: 2010 Tannat Tablas Creek

The 2010 Tannat was a big, rich wine with firm tannins.

The two wines that stood out to Whisk and I the most were the 2010 Tannat and the 2010 Esprit de Beaucastel. The Tannat was an intense wine, big, smoky, and austere in style. I would definitely decant it for an hour or so, or lay it down for a few years. I am looking forward to drinking this with wild game, braised short ribs, or prime rib.

The 2010 Esprit de Beaucastel is a Mourvedre based Rhone blend. This is an incredible wine with good fruit, spice, body, and earthiness. Rack of lamb or ribeye is what I will be pairing this wine with for sure.

Fork and Whisk: 2010 Esprit de Beaucastel

The 2010 Esprit de Beaucastel, a beautiful Rhone blend composed of 45% Mourvedre, 30% Grenache, 21% Syrah, and 4% Counoise.

After Whisk and I finished our tastings and made our purchases we walked around outside a bit. They have a great seating area outside of the tasting room where you could enjoy a picnic and take in the beautiful views of the vineyard and hillsides.

Beautiful view just outside of the Tablas Creek tasting room.

This picture was taken just after it finished raining, it was a beautiful day on the wine trail.

We really enjoyed our visit to Tablas Creek. The property is beautiful, the wines were delicious, and our tasting room consultant, Cindy, was knowledgeable about the wine and history of the winery, and was very friendly. We will definitely make a return visit and would recommend paying a visit to anyone visiting the Paso Robles wine region.

Pay Tablas Creek a visit on the web at www.tablascreek.com

Thomas Hill Organics

Posted on September 13, 2012 by admin

On a recent date night my wife and I decided that we would head up to Paso Robles to a restaurant I had learned about from a colleague at work called Thomas Hill Organics. We had spent part of our summer vacation up in Paso Robles and had some great wine and food while there, so we thought it would be nice to head back up and try out this newest recommendation.

Thomas Hill Organics is a market-bistro and wine bar. They serve organic produce from their farm as well featuring wines from the Central Coast. They work with local producers for their grass and well fed beef, lamb, free range organic poultry, fish, as well as their bread from local bakers.

Thomas Hill Organics offers menu’s that change weekly, as well as with the seasons. My wife and I really like this. It is fun to eat seasonally and I think that it keeps restaurants fresh and exciting. I like the anticipation of seeing what new dishes will be on a menu each time I come.

I was also very impressed by their wine and beer list. It featured a very nice variety of local wines and beers with very reasonable prices. We had a great bottle that was a Rhone blend from Tablas Creek Winery that we both enjoyed quite a bit.

For dinner we started out with some wine, then split an appetizer, a salad, an entree, and a dessert and that seemed to fill us both up plenty.

A Rhone blend from Tablas Creek called Patelin de Tablas composed of Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedre, and Counoise. Had a great balance of spice and fruit.

Ahi Tuna Tataki, English Cucumber, Sunflower Sprouts, Avocado, Ponzu, Wakame

Grilled Shrimp Skewers, Purple Rice, Peanut Vinaigrette, Pluots and Sprouted Mung Beans, Strawberries, Sweet Thai Chili, Mint, Basil, Cilantro

Roasted Duck Breast, Purple Rice, Baby Bok Choy, Green Onion and Ginger Relish, Pickled Pears, Fried Egg

Tres Leche Cake

Overall Thomas Hill Organics is a restaurant that I have no problem recommending. The staff was knowledgeable and friendly, the restaurant was comfortable and inviting, and most importantly the food was good.

To learn more about Thomas Hill Organics you can find them on the web at www.thomashillorganics.com.

Also, if you would like to learn more about Tablas Creek Vineyard and their wine you can find them at www.tablascreek.com.

Paso Robles Wine and Food

Posted on August 11, 2012 by admin

Our last day trip of our “staycation” was in the Paso Robles wine country. Paso Robles is about the half way point between Los Angeles and San Francisco. We decided to go to Paso for two reasons, it was close, and my wife had never been there before. Actually, I had only tasted there one time myself back in 2005, so I was past due for a visit. Our day in Paso included a visit to three different wineries as well as lunch at Artisan restaurant. If you are interested in planning a trip to Paso Robles yourself, www.pasowine.com has a ton of information on all the different wineries as well as restaurants.

Our first stop was at the DAOU tasting room. To get to DAOU you drive up a long, winding road ending at the top of a hill. The drive to the top is well worth it, rewarding you with beautiful views over wine country. DAOU is an impressive property. Inside the tasting room is beautiful, and outside they have plenty of seating if you wanted to do your tasting while taking in the magnificent views.

Their wine tasting list for the day included 4 wines for $10. The poured for us two whites and 2 reds. For the whites they poured a Chardonnay, and a Rhone blend consisting of Grenache Blanc, Roussanne, and Viognier. For the reds they poured a Zinfandel, and a blend made up of Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Petit Verdot. If you would like to find out more information about DAOU, you can visit them at www. daouvineryards.com.

View from just outside the tasting room at DAOU vineyards

For our second stop we ended up at Adelaida. This has been a tasting room I have wanted to visit for quite some time. They were pouring 6 wines on the day we visited, 2 whites and 4 reds. They started with a white Rhone blend called Version White, it consisted of Roussanne and Grenache Blanc. Next was their Viognier. For the reds they started off with a Pinot Noir, then poured a red Rhone blend called Version Red, which consisted of Mourvedre, Grenache, Syrah, and Cinsault. This was the bottle that we ended up finished the tasting off with a Zinfandel, followed by a delicious Cabernet Sauvignon. We also wanted to take a bottle of the Cab home, just wasn’t in our budget for that day.

We enjoyed our time at Adelaida and I would definitely like to go back and try some more of their wines. Check them out at www.adelaida.com.

We left with a bottle of the Version Red. Great Rhone Blend.

After 2 tasting rooms we thought we should stop and get something to eat. Artisan is a restaurant that has been on our list for awhile. Artisan really focuses on supporting local, sustainable, and organic food sources. They have grass fed beef options on the menu as well as chicken that has been pasture raised. They also really support the local wineries. Artisan is a very comfortable restaurant, with really good food, and friendly service. We had a nice lunch there and would love to come back and try out their dinner. You can see their menu online at www.artisanpasorobles.com.

Lamb leg french dip, pimiento cheese, lamb neck jus

The Cuban, roast pork loin, country ham, holey cow

Bacon tater tots, ramp ranch

After lunch we ended up having only time for one more winery. We decided to go to Kukkula because I had a glass of their wine once before in a restaurant and thought it was very good. I wanted to go back and try a tasting of what else they had to offer.

Kukkula is a Finnish word that means hill or high place. This is another beautiful property with a cool, modern tasting room. For their wine tasting it was $10 for a sample of 7 wines. At Kukkula, all of their wines are blends, no single varietals bottled here. Also, if you are more into red wines this is the place for you. They poured 1 white, and the other 6 were red blends. We had a really good time at Kukkula and ended up leaving with their 2007 in the red, a Cabernet/Syrah blend. Kukkula has a friendly staff, and the owner/winemaker was in the tasting room as well to tell about how he got started in the wine business. It made for a very personal, great experience for us. This is another tasting room I would go back to. To read more about them and their wines checkout their website at www.kukkulawine.com.

The Kukkula tasting room

Views from near the Kukkula tasting room

2007 in the red

After tasting at Kukkula most of the wineries were closing up for the day. It was about 5 pm and we weren’t really hungry enough to have a full dinner yet. Instead of dinner we decided to go back to Artisan and have dessert. We sat at the bar and ordered dessert along with a couple of coffees. I ordered the chocolate malted milk cake, rice crispy nougat, and rocky road ice-cream, I have to say, it was one of the best desserts I have had in a restaurant in a long time. I can’t wait to come back to this place for a full dinner.

Back to Artisan, for dessert this time

Chocolate malted milk cake, rice crispy nougat, rocky road

Warm cookies and ice-cream trio

Our day in Paso Robles was a lot of fun. Good wine and good food. But their are so many places we didn’t get to visit. Definitely going to be back soon. And if you are in the Paso Robles area, take some time and experience the wonderful food and wine.

Enjoy.

Cafe Dulce and Lamill Coffee

Posted on August 10, 2012 by admin

During our vacation last week my wife and I took a day trip down to Los Angeles. The purpose of the trip was to eat and to drink. In the previous post we went over the different restaurants we visited, in this post we will go over our visits to the two coffee shops we visited. My wife is much more educated about coffee than I am, and is the one responsible for finding out about both of these places. Our first visit was to Cafe Dulce.

Cafe Dulce is located near downtown L.A. in Little Tokyo. It is a coffee shop, bakery, and also has a selection of sandwiches and salads to order. What struck me when I first went in was their display case of baked goods. They had some really interesting options to choose from, such as: spirulina churros, brick toast, bacon donuts, and green tea donuts. That is just a small sampling of what they have. We both ordered a coffee and a donut and sat outside. Coffee was good, and the green tea donut was especially good. If you would like to visit Cafe Dulce here is their website where you can look at their menu as well as find their address and other information. www.cafedulce.co

A delicious green tea donut

Bacon donut and an iced coffee

Our next stop was Lamill Coffee, located in Silverlake. We both really enjoyed this place. Inside it had a bit of a diner feel to it. Very comfortable, friendly service, and much more than coffee. They also serve wine and beer, have an in house bakery, full breakfast menu as well as a lunch menu. We didn’t eat any food because we had already had lunch. But we both had a coffee and just relaxed a bit. I had an iced coffee and it was the best I had ever had. Definitely a place worth stopping at to see, and I very much looking forward to coming back myself. To look at their menu and to learn more about Lamill Coffee you can go to www.lamillcoffee.com.

Enjoy.

Wurstkuche, The Pie Hole, Mohawk Bend and The Bazaar

Posted on August 6, 2012 by admin

Last week my wife and I both used a few days of our vacation time and decided to take a “staycation.” Originally our plans were to head up to northern California. But instead we decided to take a couple of day trips from home. Our first day trip was to Los Angeles. Our sole purpose in going was to eat and drink, and if time allowed maybe a quick dip in the ocean. In this post I will cover the 4 restaurants we stopped at. In a later post I will cover the 2 coffee shops we visited.

Our first stop of the day was Wurstkuche. This is a great place for lunch. We had been here once before but had been wanting to go back. They serve a wide variety of sausages ranging from Bratwurst, Bockwurst, hot Italian, vegetarian Mexican chipotle, mango jalapeno, green chilies and cilantro, buffalo, beef, and pork with chipotle peppers, duck and bacon with jalapeno peppers, alligator and pork and many many more. They also serve Belgian fries with some really good and interesting dipping sauces, as well as a great selection of Belgian and German beers to choose from.

If you live near by, or know that you are going to be in the downtown L.A. area, definitely check this place out. Here is the website where you can view their full menu: www.wurstkuche.com

Chimay White and the Houblon Chouffe IPA.

Mango jalapeno sausage to the left, Hot Italian sausage in the middle, duck and bacon sausage to the right, and a side of Belgian fries.

After lunch we walked across the street to The Pie Hole. My wife found out about this place and wanted to try it out. They have indoor and outdoor seating. We ordered a piece of the blackberry pie and split it. The service was very friendly and the pie was very tasty. www.thepieholela.com

Blackberry pie with a graham cracker crust.

Mohawk Bend actually was not a scheduled stop in our day. But while we were at a coffee shop I remembered that one of my buddies from culinary school is a Sous Chef at Mohawk Bend. We looked it up and found we were only a couple of miles away.

When we got to Mohawk Bend we didn’t really have any intentions of eating because our reservations at Bazaar were only about 90 minutes away. We did end up splitting an appetizer and having a few drinks. MB has 72 beers on tap, as well as wine and spirits. Their menu has small plates, burgers, flatbreads, pizza’s, as well as many vegan options.

The restaurant itself is beautiful. Our next trip down to L.A. I definitely want to stop in and have a full meal. If you are interested in learning more about Mohawk Bend and checking out their menu here is a link to their website www.mohawk.la.

So now onto Jose Andres’, The Bazaar, located inside of the SLS hotel. We have been wanting to go to The Bazaar together for awhile now. It played an important part in the two of us starting our relationship.

When we sat down for dinner we started off with a cocktail, The Bazaar makes a great Moscow Mule, the best I have ever had. They have a good size menu with one side being traditional tapas, and the other side being a modern take on tapas. We tried to mix it up ordering from both sides trying to get a good sampling of what they had to offer. We had a really good meal. All the tapas were packed with flavor and looked great. If you are ever in the area it is worth stopping by, even if it is just for a drink at the bar. You can learn more about The Bazaar and the genius of Jose Andres at www.thebazaar.com.

The captions under the food in the pictures below are taken directly from The Bazaar menu.

Moscow mule, my favorite cocktail.

Jamon Iberico Fermin. Dry cured, free-range Iberico ham.

Catalan style toasted bread, tomato jam

Tortilla de patatas “new way”
Potato foam, egg 63, caramelized onion

Organized Caesar
Quail egg, Parmesan

Japanese taco
Grilled eel, shiso, cucumber, wasabi, chicharron

“The ultimate Spanish tapa!”
Ensaladilla rusa potatoes, carrots, mayo, tuna belly

Sea urchin
Avocado, steamed buns

Ottoman carrot fritters
Apricots, pistachio sauce

Your life will change Dashi linguini
Parmesan, quail egg, basil

Figueroa Mountain Brew

Posted on July 27, 2012 by admin

Here on California’s Central Coast we have an abundance of great wineries, but if you are looking for a cold beer, you have some good options as well. Figueroa Mountain Brew is located in Buellton, CA. Only in there 3rd of year of business they are quickly getting a devoted local following. The other night I tried their Hoppy Poppy IPA. Being an IPA fan myself I really enjoyed this beer. If you are interested in learning more about Figueroa Mountain Brew and all their other beers you can check out their website at www.figmtnbrew.com. Enjoy.

Fork and Whisk

Sharing our love of food and drinks.

Category Archives: Drinks

A Day In Milwaukee

Little Goat Diner

The Good Life Craft Beer and Wine Cellar

Stone 2012 Vertical Epic

Tablas Creek Winery

Thomas Hill Organics

Paso Robles Wine and Food

Cafe Dulce and Lamill Coffee

Wurstkuche, The Pie Hole, Mohawk Bend and The Bazaar

Figueroa Mountain Brew

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