Wis Tex BBQ has recently opened in Stoughton.  We took a first look at the place within it’s first couple weeks of operation.

Visiting a new place that early is always dicey for us, and perhaps a bit unfair for the restaurant.  It takes time for a new restaurant to get their footing, work out the kinks, train their employees, and really show what they have to offer.

The outing starting out very rocky due to a customer service issue.  We won’t go into the details, because the restaurant acted promptly to resolve the conflict and the situation.  We will, however, go into some details over the food.

The menu is, obviously, BBQ oriented.  And the BBQ was good.  The food is reasonably priced, and the menu is intelligently presented, allowing the diner to choose different plates based on the number of signature meats that you would like to order.  Currently the signature meats include Beef Brisket, Pork Shoulder, Ham and Turkey Breast.  You can also add a side of ribs for $4.00.  Of course, you can also order a straight rib dinner, as wll as a rib tip dinner.

You also get a choice of two sides with your meal.  The sides include French Fries, Sweet Potato Fries, Baby Red Potato Salad, Corn on the Cobb, Cole Slaw, Pinto Beans, and Onion Rings.

Between the two dinners the following was ordered;  Pork Shoulder, Side of Ribs, Turkey Breast, Beef Brisket, French Fries, Pinto Beans, and Cole Slaw.  The winner of the evening was, surprisingly, the turkey breast.  Smoky and yet still very moist, it stood out from the rest of the signature meats.  Having said that, the rest of the signature meats, as well as the ribs, were good, and will probably improve as the place works out the kinks.  The fries were skin-on, crisp fries, and were very good.

And the pinto beans were a standout for us, though many people may not agree.  Most BBQ joints serve their beans swimming in BBQ sauce, which to us is overkill.  You’re ordering BBQ meats, you DO NOT need BBQ added to the beans as well.  (We know, purists would protest about that).  But the pinto beans had a nice, honest, pinto bean sauce and were a welcome change from what we come to expect from places such as this.

All in all, Wis Tex BBQ shows promise.  With time, the kinks will presumably be worked out with the service.  The food is off to a good start, and is worth a try.

If you’ve tried it, let us know what you think by leaving a comment!

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My Buddies Restaurant and Sports Bar has opened on Madison’s far east side.  Located on Lien Road, the building has changed hands often in the last few years, formely housing Damon’s, Tilted Kilt, and Babes.

Featuring the typical sports bar multitude of televisions as well as a full bar and menu, we wish this restaurant more luck than the former establishments.  We’ll give it a try in the upcoming weeks.  In the meantime, have you tried it?  If so, leave a comment and tell us what you think!

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Namio’s Sports Pub

Namio’s Sports Pub has opened in Fitchburg.  Long-time Madison residents may recognize the Namio name as being connected to a very well respected Madison tradition that was around for years.  In fact, this new establishment was opened by distant relatives.

We took a first look recently.  The menu currently features standard Sports Bar fare, and is somewhat limited.  We were told that this was due to the fact that the establisment is newly opened.  The menu will be expanding in the upcoming weeks.  Have you tried it yet?  Let us know what you think!

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To accompany these fine brews, chefs Patrick O’Halloran and Robert Kulow have crafted a menu that will please foodies and beer enthusiasts alike.  Using high-quality, simple ingredients, the menu is a straight-forward approach to tavern dining.  Here, traditional fare such as burgers and fries are given new life with simple touches.  Menu highlights include white truffle fries, Spotted Cow-battered onion rings and the spicy slaw dog.  These innovative dishes are enhanced by local ingredients including Usinger’s sausages from Milwaukee, Nueske’s bacon from Wittenberg and Whitetail Country Meats ham from Hayward.

Tipsy Cow, operated by Patrick O’Halloran and Michael Banas (co-owners of Lombardino’s Restaurant), along with Sue Kirton, will be open Monday thru Saturday at 11:00 am serving food until 10:00 pm each day with bar service continuing into the night.  It is located at 102 King Street.

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Nostrano is owned by former Chicago Chefs Tim and Elizabeth Dahl, who have honed their skills in some of Chicago’s finest restaurants, such as Blackbird, Boka, Naha, Charlie Trotters and NoMi. Nostrano will offer seasonal, Italian-influenced small plates, entrees and desserts created in-house from local ingredients. Nostrano’s wine list will feature selections from small producers throughout the Mediterranean region, and its unique cocktail list will highlight classic cocktails from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

Nostrano will be open Monday through Wednesday from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. and Thursday through Saturday from 5:00 to 10:00 p.m.

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As is always the case, we start by using the following disclaimer – a first look at a place is just that – giving it a try before they may have worked the kinks out.  It takes a while for a restaurant to settle in and show its true colors, both good and bad. 

We intended to start with an appetizer of the BBQ Ribs ($9.75).  The menu billed this item as individual pork ribs served on a bed of crispy onion strings with Brickhouse Original BBQ sauce.   We say we intended to start with that, but that isn’t the way that it worked out.  We watched as the server took our order on a nifty electronic device, and then disappeared.  We then waited for our appetizer for around 40 minutes — all the while envying the tables around us who had ordered after we did and were already eating (and finishing!) their entrees.

After around 40 minutes, our server reappeared and told us that there had been a problem “getting the ticket to the kitchen” or some such thing.  After about 50 minutes everything came out of the kitchen all at once – our appetizers, sandwiches and sides all made a joint appearance.  To make matters worse, all of our food was at best room temperature, and at worst, just plain ole cold.

We’re not sure how the food could have been served to us at this temperature, logistically.  We also would have appreciated it if we would have been consulted about the timing of the appetizer in relation to the timing of the sandwiches.  But, it was what it was.

On to the food though.  The ribs were not individual, as promised by the menu.  If you had intended to share this appetizer with a group rather than with an close friend, it would have been a little awkward given that the ribs needed to be manhandled to be pulled apart into an appetizer to be shared with more than one.  It is possible that the kitchen knew that there were two of us at the table and so they divided the appetizer up into two portions.  This would have been a showing of remarkable thought and organization however, and it would have been the only one experienced on this trip — so we doubt that this was the case.  The “bed” of crispy onion straws was pretty sparse.  But the ribs were good.  The sauce was not cloying or sweet.   We’d order the ribs again, but probably as an entree.

Also ordered was the Sausage Sandwich ($8.25), described by the menu as Smoked sausage, grilled, and served with Brickhouse Mustard BBQ sauce and pickled peppers.  This sandwich would have been excellent had it been served warmer than room temperature.  It was overflowing with slightly smoky, slightly spicy sausage with a really very good tangy mustard sauce. 

Cheddar Grits had been ordered as the side, and while we understand that grits are a down-home rustic food, these had too many large clumps of grits to allow us to rave about them.  Still, the flavor was what one would expect.

The Pulled-Pork sandwich ($7.75) was described as slow smoked pork shoulder, shredded, and topped with coleslaw and Brickhouse Original BBQ sauce.  We dubbed this sandwich the “Poorly Pulled-Pork Sandwich”, and not only because of the tongue twister opportunity.  There were very large clumps of pork in the sandwich which made it somewhat awkward to eat.  The flavor was there, once again – it was the execution that needed attention.  The coleslaw should have made more of an impression than it did, but it was okay.

The fries were good – crispy and tasty, and the homemade pickle slices were really very good.

The interior of this new restaurant clearly shows that they are going for more of an urban BBQ restaurant versus a down-home bbq joint.  They did a very good job at remodelling the place, and the three floors (with a very good sized rooftop outdoor deck) will easily handle the crowds that will inevitably make their way there before Kohl Center events.

So, to wrap it up, our first look at Brickhouse BBQ turned up a lot of execution errors that we hope will be worked out in the upcoming weeks.  If not, we are not convinced that, while the food is good, it is good enough to overcome the execution.

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Vintage Brewing Company

Madison Dining Online stopped in within a week of the opening to take a first look at the place.  As with all of our first looks, we always make sure to throw around a few caveats.  We understand that the first few days of a restaurant’s opening is not always the best time to truly understand the longterm standards of the restaurant.  Often times we take a first look at a new establishment and end up eating our words of praise.  Other times, restaurants show steady improvement  after their opening.

Having said that, here are our initial thoughts.

When you first walk in to through the front doors, there is a lounge-like area with comfortably couches and seating.  It looks nice – it looks comfy.  We still don’t really understand why it is there.  It isn’t really a place you’d settle in with a drink.  Perhaps Vintage is expecting crowds and waiting lists of people looking for tables.

The interior has been remodeled, with the alterations bringing a slightly different vibe than its previous life as JT Whitney’s.   As the name implies, it is clear that the vintage look is a goal here.  The goal is reached for the most part.

But on to the important first impressions – the food.  We started with an order of the Guacamole, Salsa and Chips ($6.75).  When the order was placed before us we were a bit taken aback at the scarcity of the chips, given the price of the appetizer.  It became apparent that the guacamole was freshly made of high quality ingredients.  The salsa was quite good as well.  It appears that the price of the appetizer goes towards the quality of these items, and we don’t really mind paying more for quality.  But really – even if the chips are homemade, would it really cost that much to add a few more to the plate so that you can actually enjoy the guacamole and the salsa?  Or perhaps we were just shortchanged on the serving portion.

We also tried the Fish and Chips ($8.75).  This beer-battered cod was fried in oil that was not hot enough, which allowed the oil to seep into the batter rather than make the batter as crispy as it should have been.  We were somewhat forgiving of that execution error, as the fish itself was flavorful, flaky and moist.  We liked it, and we assume they’ll work out the kinks.  Much like the chips mentioned above, it was actually the sides and condiments that made this dish.  The coleslaw was crisp, fresh and tasty, and the tartar sauce was some of the best we’ve tasted.  Though the menu said the dish was served with malt vinegar, we needed to ask for it.  Which is ok – just remember to do so.  Nothing beats malt vinegar on fish and chips.

The item that stole the show was the Blue Heaven Burger ($7.75).  Unlike many restaurants which will not serve you a burger the way you ask for it if you want it medium rare, Vintage asked how we wanted the burger done, and delivered it perfectly cooked to order.  Served dramatically with a knife speared through the lettuce, tomatoes, onions and burger, we have to admit that we thought this was one of the most perfectly prepared burgers we’ve had in a long time. 

Clearly hand formed before being grilled to crunchy perfection on the outside, this burger was meaty, juicy and bursting with flavor on the inside.  It was the type of burger that your mourned when it was gone, almost immediately craving another one just for the taste and texture, no matter how full you might be.

We can’t wait to go back to see if the burger withstands the test of time.

We’ll go back soon to see how this restaurant has fared since the opening week.  When we were there they were not yet serving their own brews, as they had not yet been granted the appropriate licensing needed to operate a brewpub (or so our server said).  We look forward to trying that as well.

If you’ve tried Vintage Brewing company, let us know what you thought by leaving a comment below.

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We left very pleased, and eager to go back again – soon.

Opening in January, the restaurant was doing a relatively healthy business the day that we stopped in.  Upon entering, one could not help but notice the aroma of rotisserie chicken filling the room.  And this is a good thing.

Lunch started with an order of Ceviche Mixto ($11.95).  This ceviche was made up of chunks of fish, calamari, shrimp and mussels, marinated in lime juice, garlic and chili.  The shell it was served on was balanced on both sides by mounds of sweet potoatoes.  Other ceviches available include fish only, shrimp only and mushrooms only.

For the main courses, we tried the lunch special, which was a quarter of a rotisserie chicken (6.95) which included a house salad and a choice of rice & beans, french fries, maduros (sweet plantains) or tostones (green plantains).   We also tried the Aji de Gallina ($9.95), a shredded chicken casserole with walnuts and parmesan, mixed with boiled potatoes, with hard-boiled egg and black olives on top.  This was served with a side of rice.

We enjoyed the rotisserie chicken.  We often say that the true test of a restaurant is to order their chicken.  It is so easy to do chicken wrong.  This was far from wrong, being moist, tender and very flavorful.  The house salad that it was served with was a bland shredding of iceburg lettuce - until you added the homemade dressing.  When asked what was in the dressing, our server explained that it was a secret even from him, stating,  “Our chef makes sure we aren’t around when she makes it!”

Another element that brought a burst of flavor to the chicken was the chili sauce.  Spicy enough to cause a nice, slow heat, yet not so spicy that it was overwhelming, this sauce was a really interesting addition to the chicken.

The Aji de Gallina was on the surface quite bland.  There was something satisfying about it, however, if one looked at it from a comfort food standpoint.  Admittedly, we did add some of the chili sauce that had been served with the chicken into the dish to spice it up, and that punched up the flavor tremendously.  Next time, we’d deliberately order chili sauce on the side to add to this dish.

We liked Pollo Inka a lot.  We’d go back there any day over many of the restaurants in the area, particularly the same tired old chains.  It is our hope that Madisonians support a small, local and unique restaurant such as this.

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Find address and hours here.

The Coopers Tavern recently opened up its doors on the Capitol Square.  Billing itself as a neighborhood tavern that specializes in craft beer and rustic food, it has a very extensive beer menu, with items on the food menu that are unique and not often found in Madison.

Established as a joint partnership between Food Fight and Madison couple Peter McElvanna (formerly of competing capital pub Brocach) and his wife Amy Marsman, Coopers occupies the location formerly housing the short-lived Sucre.

We recently stopped in for a first look at the place.  We left with a pleasant intial impression.

The dish that has all the local Internet writers and foodies abuzz is the Poutine.  For those of you who aren’t local Internet writers or foodies, Poutine is not only fun to say, but it also is a traditional Canadian dish that has its roots in Quebec.  It is comprised of French Fries tossed with cheese curds and topped with gravy.  As someone who has frequently visited Canada on business, I can attest to its popularity, finding the dish served in diners, restaurants and even fast food joints. 

Poutine purists will note that there are some small execution errors in this particular poutine.  First, the gravy is a tad bit heavy.  Second, the cheese curds on the order that was served to us were pooled and melted at the bottom of the plate, creating a disk of hardened cheese with embedded french fries.  Still, it was adequate comfort food on a cold winter day.

Somewhat more successful (though slightly overcooked) was the Sconnie Egg.  A play on the traditional Scotch Egg, this hard-boiled egg is instead coated with Wisconsin bratwurst before being fried.  It is served on a bed of stout mustard, with a side of pickled vegetables.  A lacking touch which would have put this dish over the top would have been a dab of sauerkraut on the side.

The lunch menu is comprised of a few salads including a roasted beet salad with citrus dressing and a brussels sprout salad with blue cheese, bacon and croutons.

The sandwiches include a variety of offerings, including a burger, a reuben and a veggie sandwich.  We split an order of the Brisket Sandwich.

If you are looking for a brisket sandwich slathered in barbecue sauce, this is not it.  And that is just one of the reasons why this became our favorite brisket sandwich in Madison.  The other two reasons were the onion jam and the bacon aoli.  The aoli alone made this worth ordering, though the brisket itself was surprisingly moist and slightly smoky.  Served with a side of homemade chips, we’ll go back for this sandwich alone.

The chips were also noteworthy.

The beer menu at The Coopers Tavern must be mentioned.  Heavy on Belgian beers, this menu provides very unique beers that you won’t find many other places.  There are a couple dozen on tap and many served by the bottle.

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The Heartland Grill, located at the Sheraton Hotel on John Nolen Drive, brings the downtown, the east side and the west side of Madison together, providing a central gathering place where people can connect.  The menu focuses on comfort food, strong on seafood and steak dishes. 

Chef Smith has been a professional chef since 1992,  graduating from the Scottsdale Culinary Institute.  A native of Janesville, he has been leading the Heartland Grill’s culinary endeavors since early 2007, bringing signature dishes like Grilled Salmon with Crystallized Ginger Sauce to the forefront.  Chef Smith believes in catering to his clientele and in giving them what they are looking for – comfort food in a warm atmosphere where people can connect.

He is passionate about fresh seafood-based dishes with a lot of flair from southwestern cuisine and Asian influences, while using local and seasonal ingredients to provide the freshest, highest quality menu selections available.

Both Chef Smith and The Heartland Grill believe in contributing to the community in which  they live.  They are very excited about participating in the American Liver Foundation’s Flavors of Madison, firmly throwing their support behind the worthy cause.

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