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

Cha-Cha-Cha La Merenda

International Tapas…conjures visions of squid in a sublime French bisque…okra in a tangy marinara sauce, toast points with gravy? Oh wait, that’s Shit on a Shingle. That does exist, unfortunately. La Merenda in the Historic Walker’s Point Neighborhood, has not only created this genre of cuisine consumption, but excelled.

Thrown off our regular path of lunching in scenic spots, my companion and I duck into the once-a-dirty-foundry spot on National. Inside, lively orange and yellow hues brighten up a space that, with few windows, needs all the help it can get. As we sit, order tea and peruse a lengthy menu, things brighten up.

La Merenda lunchtime options offer Cold, Sandwiches and Hot. Within these styles your tastes can range from Italy, Israel, Thailand and Peru, all without the dysentery. The sunny flavors of the White Bean and Tuna Salad provide a light starter, firm beans and flaky tuna. Moving on to the tangy mint Tel Aviv Citrus Salad, we do not get our passports stamped and end up adoring a Croque Monsieur and a La Merenda BLT in France. Oh I almost hugged my little bite of Croque as the béchamel sauce was something that I have dreams about when my husband is working late.

When we’ve recovered from our lustful experience of France, we head over to Indonesia for the hot course. Creamy, coconut milk surrounds the shrimp in this dish known as Sambal Goreng Udang. The amazing combination of mashed potatoes, coconut curry sauce and shrimp is something only a crazy chef makes up in his head and then makes us eat. At least that’s what I’m telling myself to relive the guilt of my overindulgence. The last dish is Pancit from the Philippines. I’ve had this dish several times and it is always satisfying and tasty. Asian noodles tossed with chicken, Chinese sausage, carrots, and shitake mushrooms, how can you go wrong?

We skipped the dessert, it just seems too decadent to do during mid day. Unless you’re enjoying your third martini lunching in the ever popular networking spot, the strip club, which I have never done. So we get the check, gratefully pay a meager pittance for such a wonderful meal and head back to a lazy afternoon at the office.

International Tapas La Merenda style, is not one to shake a maraca at, unless you’d just rather have a burger for lunch. In that case, I’ll see you at Culvers.

Parent Note: While La Merenda does have high chairs and is now, as of October 1st, non-smoking, it’s not a comfortable place for kids to hang out. The din gets a little high in the evening and the food is just a bit off-course for the young ones who don’t do spicy. As I say that, I did drag The Toddler there a couple of times and she loved the curry mash, but that was about it. Dinner was rushed and you should really find the time to savor the lovely food presented at La Merenda. Get a sitter.

LA MERENDA
125 EAST NATIONAL AVE 414.389.0125

KID RATING: 1

PARENT RATING: 5

BETTY BON VIVANT RATING SYSTEM: 1-5

1 = ABSOLUTELY NOT WORTH THE EFFORT, SAVE YOUR $ FOR GIN

5 = WOW, I WOULD STRIP NAKED AND ROLL IN THIS CHOW IF I WAS A DOG

More Props to the Hood

Gaze as we visit to 2 first class local events on the glorious WEST Side. Marvel at the wonderful costumes of the Asian dancers parading down National Ave. Rubberneck at the culture of the Cello in the Garden event held in the Forest Home Cemetery. All...right here in our backyard.






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Cheers!
~Betty

That Melting Pot : The West Side

Milwaukee is segregated. and diverse. and tempestuous. and a really pleasant place to live.

It can be all things to all people, and many residents that leave generally have a way of migrating back in some capacity. There's something in the water (bad reference circa 1993) that draws people to the laid back pace that Milwaukee offers. Officially, we are known as the city that DOES NOT work too much. That's something to be proud of, according to Men's Health Magazine. Not that I read Men's Health, someone posted it on the fridge in the office kitchen. Perhaps to suggest that none of us really needs a vacation so stop whining.

One way Milwaukee does manage to succeed is at it's fests. There's a fest for all seasons and whims, including weed season. But that's Madison. This weekend (Saturday, Sept 22) the West Side hosts Silver City’s Asian Festival: East Meets West National. Since the sad demise of Asian Moon, a poorly attended Summerfest event, the city hasn't seen a fest for the huge Hmong, Chinese, Thai, Japanese, Phillipino, Vietnamese, Korean, and Laotian population. The new Thai Bar-B-Que at 3417 W. National Ave is playing host, along with several other Asian businesses in the area. This is your chance to experience all that I love about the West Side. It's not too often that I will admit to loving the West Side so take it now, before I start to rant about the noise, garbage, crime, traffic, aging neighbors that don't care about the maintenance of their buildings...oh there I go again.

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The Fest starts off with a parade, and everyone loves a parade. Hopefully we'll be privileged to view some of the great costumes and floats that show up at the new years parades in cities like Chicago and New York. The parade will feature Asian and American Vietnam War Veterans.

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After taking in the parade, head over to the Thai Bar-B-Que for some fabulous snacks. Just don't do the BBQ itself, it wasn't very impressive, considering the moniker. The noodles, Pad Thai especially, are a true experience in typical Thai cuisine (as far as I know. The closest I've gotten to Thailand is watching "Bizarre Foods" on the Travel Channel). This is a dry noodle dish, with a little spice but is light and flavorful. One of the best I've had in Milwaukee.

Other suggestions...the Tom Ka Gai is creamy wonderfulness, the spring rolls are AMAZING and fresh, with pork and fresh herbs. There are pages and pages of appetisers, soups and salads. Then romance novels of main dishes. To make ordering easier, I asked the waitress for her suggestions and all of them were quite good. She was also adept at pointing us in the right direction for the Toddler Who Eats Only Meat and Starch. Chicken Satay and Sticky Rice were exactly what she needed. She loved shoving big hunks of rice in her mouth while poking herself with the sharp satay sticks. Whatever keeps 'em busy as far as I'm concerned.

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Thai Bar-B-Que seems to have developed a following, it's almost always busy in the evenings when I drive by and the night we visited there was a full dining room of mixed ethnicity's, showing that perhaps the average Milwaukean is venturing out past the end of the block to experience the pleasure of ethnic eating. Thai Bar-B-Que, 3417 West National Ave. 647-0812. Smoke free, extremely child friendly waitstaff and an ambiance to fill you're wildest fancy fantasy.

While I know that you, my faithful readers (all 2 of you), have always ventured beyond your comfort zone, will be reveling in the Asian vibe on Saturday. After you're done eating yourself into a comfortable Chinese food coma, balance all that salt out with some more salt and sugar at Mekato's Bakery & Cafe. This place is also extremely unique in it's offerings. Chicago may have a bigger population of Latinos, thus breeding business like this, but we have better ones. This place is clean and friendly and has sublime Cafe con Leche. Just make sure you get it to stay and not to go. The Styrofoam cups somehow destroy the flavor, as well as the environment.

You'll find dough balls of all kinds, so many that look the same but have hidden jewels of flavor on the inside. Little fried patties called Arepa de Choclo, much like a corn fritter. Strange yet satisfying. Empanadas of beef and chicken that are greasy and good. There are sweets of all kinds but the most popular ones have guava in them. Ask to see the Pastel de Guayaba. The Colombian Churro is an interesting contrast to the Mexican Churro. Not as sweet and seems to be baked, not fried.

Mekato's is an excellent addition to the neighborhood, you'll see them giving out Bunuelos at local fests whenever they can. Mekato's Bakery & Cafe, 3500 West national Ave. 383-2233.

In addition to visiting all of my favorite haunts "there will be a cultural stage featuring various Asian dancing groups; Japanese Kendo, or fencing; martial arts demonstrations; carnival games; and food and cooking demonstrations." Not to mention, they have a myspace page, and everyone who is anyone has one of those.

I'm kidding, really.

http://www.myspace.com/asianfestival

http://www.silvercitymainstreet.org/Asian_Fest.html

Hope to see you there!

~Betty

Wine Vamp: The Weird & The Wonderful

Santa Barbara County Roussanne, Appellation Series - 2005

Generally, when it comes to edible leanings, one might not gravitate towards something classified as "weird", but I really have no other word for this wine (or do I? freakish, spooky, psycho, mental). The local distributor mentioned that this unique (nicer than weird, older thesaurus) white wine had notes of mango, orange blossom, peach, honey fruits, cinnamon, apricot, carmel and tangerine. Whew! This wine is busy. Unique, well put.

It's got a little tiny effervescence to it, or it just bit my tongue. I found it had a smoky nose, jarring initial intensity that mellows out after a few sips. Roussane has a pow! to it that I really liked and I could love more whites that have this much excitement pouring out of them. Kinda sweet, long finish. After careful consideration I did feel all the bits about the tropical fruits, more so the non-sweet musky fruits like papaya. Cinnamon? I think that's a stretch.

This varietal is not usually found outside the Rhone, Rosenblum Cellars in Santa Barbara, makes a small lot of it and sells it via their website. $18 + shipping. Reasonably priced, and possibly still available at Ray's if you're fast: $22.

http://www.rosenblumcellars.com/index.jsp

Prosit!

~Betty