Quickie with Maxie!

Maxie's Southern Comfort. Completely child-friendly, they have crayons, enough room and a loud din to cover any tantrum. The bathrooms even have a changing table! Yes, what a wonderful woman Maxie is. I think she may even like kids.

Maxie's offers a menu just for the shorty, with obligatory fried chicken (a little bland considering the portion is so large the Adult is going to have to finish it), fish fry, burger, and butter noodles. One thought, if you like your kid to get a few veggies with their carbs, ask them to hold the fries and bring out a side of their vegetable of the day. The second my daughter sees fries, all bets are off and nothing else is going to be consumed. I can't believe I still don't follow this advice. Must be the wine.

The wine...they have a great list. We opted for a white since we were all having fish and starting with the oysters for happy hour (half price!). The Albrecht Pinot Blanc, Alsace, France, 2005 has a hint of the sea in it, which makes for a lovely fish pairing. You can smell the ocean in this glass, and the lemony hint is subtle and superb. Check the web site for the other options. www.maxies.com. They have numerous specials on various days but the 2 that hit me were the $1 kids menu on Sunday and the Vino Vendsday. Again, check the site, it's got everything from menus to specials & catering.

OK, so this was to be a quick one, since I've been absent and I don't want to scare anyone with my rants. The oysters were excellent, fresh and briny. The gumbo was really good but okra, ick! Not for me. I had the supper club salad, with blue cheese and raspberry vinaigrette. I added ahi tuna for $7.95 (it says 8.95 on the web site?) and it filled up this salad perfectly. It was done seared and rare. Even the waitress remarked that it looked lovely.

From what I could tell, everyone had a superb time chomping on chicken fingers and fries, ahi tuna in Cajun sauces and big steamy bowls of gumbo. This place does an nice little electric slide for me, I'll be back, with and without the kids. Maybe I'll even drink my way through the wine list. Care to join me?

~Betty!

MAXIES SOUTHERN COMFORT
6732 WEST FAIRVIEW, TOSA 414.292.3969

KID RATING: 5
PARENT RATING: 5
BETTY BON VIVANT RATING SYSTEM: 1-5
1 = ABSOLUTELY NOT WORTH THE EFFORT, SAVE YOUR $ FOR BAROLO
5 = WOW, I WOULD STRIP NAKED AND ROLL IN THIS CHOW



Happy Hour Every Day 4pm-6pm - Half-Priced Raw Oysters and Clams

Phan's Garden, Home Away from Home

Yeah, well... my home doesn't have pink walls and a humongous fish tank, but I do spend quite a bit of time here. So much that I've overlooked it as a viable spot for reviewing. It truly is a wonderful restaurant, not an unturned stone anymore. Many have found this spot even though it is way out of the way for most (except my family) (and most Mexicans & Hmong in Milwaukee).

The first thing to note upon entering Phan's is that you're probably not there for the ambiance. It's kind of a interior designers nightmare. Pink and red, glass and gold. A elderly person's bathroom gone awry. But then, you are there for the fabulous Pho, the $25 tab and the warm full belly feeling.

People with kids might want to try and wrestle someone for the booth with the fish tank, full of gold fish that luckily don't resemble anything on the menu. This provides for excellent entertainment while you wait for your apps. The booths, we've noticed, are impossibly far away from the table, so very little ones should opt for the high chair or have Mom leave feeling guilty for all of the rice that's under the table (like me).

For starters, we've always gotten the spring rolls, or A-2. These are the fresh, Vietnamese variety. They do have nice little fried rolls too, called egg rolls here, that are the size of a cigar. There's a great way to get both, which I'll indulge you with shortly. The spring rolls these days aren't what they used to be. They lack the herbs that used to come packed into these fresh and filling salad wraps. Now, they generally have 3 shrimp, lettuce and rice noodles. Not great, but the peanut sauce is good and these are filling for the minimal price. Hopefully, the herbs will come back in the summer.

Appetiser # 2, which doubled as my daughter's entree, were the friend dumplings. Like the Japanese & Chinese version, these are pork filled dough balls. Nothing too extreme, but they are a good size and the dough appears to be hand made, it's thicker and juicer than others. The Kid likes the meat most of all, but then that's not new. She shucked all the shells. Another app where the sauce makes it, tangy and tart.

The Husband noticed that we routinely order the same things here. I have ventured into other territory to try the Chinese options and they just aren't my favorite. Lots of cabbage and heavy sauces. Sticking with the Vietnamese standards, we're rarely let down. B-14 or Bun (full name undisclosed since I can't remember it) comes in a multitude of ways. Generally, the least adventurous is with BBQ pork and an egg roll (see! great idea). This dish is a large bowl of rice noodles, with cucumber and bean sprouts underneath. Piled on top is the meat, egg roll and whatever else you might order with it (fish balls, meat balls, etc). The sauce is a fish stock & vinegar, Rooster Sauce combo that spices it up.

Since this is the season for colds and flu, this place rocks for one main reason. Pho. This is a huge bowl of beef (or chicken) broth, with thinly sliced beef (or chicken) and loads of rice noodles. The soup come in two sizes, huge and enormous. On the side, the bowl comes with jalapeno slices, Thai basil, mung bean sprouts, lime and Rooster Sauce. Put them all in there, it makes for a sweat-inducing, cold-fighting bowl of healthy fun.

For the kiddies, ordering the appetiser sized portions of rice, pan fried noodles or egg drop soup works. You won't find a whole lot of vegetable choices unless your kid thinks Bun looks really cool. This place, on the whole isn't too child-friendly, but I can completely overlook that for the warm hospitality, the quick service and the super cheap prices. The bathrooms have improved over time but there's still no Koala Bear station. If you have a larger party, the banquet room is often available for the asking.

Oh, and the drinks, I almost overlooked them! The Mango smoothie is a great way to have your little darling to get some fruit. Phan's does offer a few beer and wine options, although we generally don't partake in the Asian beer. The wine is pretty foul, unfortunately. The iced coffee is thick and sweet with condensed milk and double-strength brew. It's best consumed as a desert.

I hope you enjoy Phan's the way I have for so many years. With all the the Hmong restaurants popping up on National Ave, it's been a hard contender to beat. Enjoy!


PHAN'S GARDEN
1923 WEST NATIONAL AVE 414.384-4522

KID RATING: 2
PARENT RATING: 5
BETTY BON VIVANT RATING SYSTEM: 1-5
1 = ABSOLUTELY NOT WORTH THE EFFORT, SAVE YOUR $ FOR BAROLO
5 = WOW, I WOULD STRIP NAKED AND ROLL IN THIS CHOW

2008 Resolutions...to eat MORE!

A Most Happy 2008 New Year to you! I thought I'd share my first resolution, publicly. To EAT, DRINK and BLOG more. I've been slacking since the holidays hit and I intend to sharpen my pencil and scrub the wine glasses and get to work. Join me, please.

Cheers!

Betty bon V