The "New" Nice Ash

Friday evening in downtown Waukesha with mild temperatures - what else is there to do, but stroll the streets and check out what's going on, grab a bite to eat and a drink. Tiffany and I ventured through all of downtown before, of course, deciding on Casa del Rio for dinner. I decided on the Seafood Enchiladas and I was so happy that I did. It was absolutely amazing! Crab meat and shrimp were chopped up and seasoned with just the right amount of spice and then rolled into flour tortillas, covered with red sauce and of course queso! (lots and lots of queso) I would highly recommend this dish at Casa. Tiffany got a combination platter and seeing as she was part of the clean plate club, I'm assuming hers was just as delicious.



My only complaint (and I don't know if I just haven't had an original margarita in a while or what) but my Margarita just didn't hit the spot for me. It was really salty and I'm not just talking about what was on the glass rim. The salt overpowered the lime and sugar taste of it. After I finished it, I then ordered a Bacardi Dragon Berry (strawberry) and Lemonade and that was sooooo delicious. It would be the perfect summer drink because it tastes exactly like strawberry lemonade (scary exactly and dangerously exactly!!) I will definitely keep that in mind for next summer!

After dinner we strolled back in the direction of our apartment and looked at what bars were the hot spots that night. Neighbors had a really loud band and only a handful of customers so we passed and headed to Nice Ash.



They opened up the addition side while renovating the other side and my-oh-my was I impressed! The place looks so large compared to when it was a celtic store with dragons and fairies in the windows. The bar is definitely the focal point of the place being a huge square with a little circular pod on each corner. The granite top is gorgeous and compliments the copper kick plates very well. The liquor display up the middle of the bar is quite the spectacle being lit with color-changing LED lights under the bottles and is a three-tier pyramid completely full with whatever your heart desires. All taps are just $5 and they feature quite a few tap beers now.

There was a huge TV on the side wall and one in the back that I could see from where I. The front area of the bar featured the signature comfortable leather chairs facing the band playing great 90s and older hits. The new side also has brand new bathrooms that are very nice!

Once the wall is taken down in between the old bar and new, this place is going to be absolutely "the place" to go in Waukesha. Not to mention it is going to be gigantic. The "Ash Hole" is staying and of course the walk-in Humidor but I don't even know what they are going to do with all the extra space! I'm sure they will think of something!

This Friday is the unveiling of the entire bar and I'm planning on going there to take it all in. I do wish Walt would have been able to see what has become of his favorite bar, but I'm sure he is looking down from above, cigar in hand and watching over all of us! I'll save you a stool Walt!

Poppin' for a Year!

One of the stores that I frequent most often in downtown Waukesha is having its First Year Anniversary this Saturday. Poppin' On Broadway, a gourmet popcorn store, is located on Broadway Street between the 5 points and South Street.

The celebration is on Saturday, November 14 from 10 am - 3 pm.
PoppinOnBroadway.com

I stumbled across this place a few weeks after they opened and have fallen in love with its popcorn. The owner is an amazing flavor creator of all things popcorn. My personal favorite is the Broadway mix which has cheddar, butter and carmel corn all mixed together. Running in a close 2nd would be the parmesan garlic.



The owner is very pleasant and always has samples available. She does the flavored coated corn too and does Packer colors, Carroll University and Causes in which proceeds from that purchase go to benefit the cause.

The store's website is finally up and running and you can place orders online and ship it anywhere in the US. My aunt and uncle loved what I sent them for Christmas last year and had to visit the store when they were in town from San Diego. I plan to ship them more this holiday and possibly give it as gifts to others.




So if you find time this weekend, I highly recommend you stop in and check it out. Maybe start a little holiday shopping???? Trust me - if you like popcorn, you can't not like this store!

Cheap Eats Restaurant Reviews

I occasionally get the opportunity to read the Milwaukee Magazine at work (I should really make it more mandatory for my PR jobs, but I rarely find it floating around here and find time to read it). Anyways, the cover story of the November 2009 edition is Cheap Eats by Ann Christenson, which totally intrigued me being the frugal food lover that I am. So I paged through the entire magazine and when I got to the story, I was amazed to find that not only did it have Cheap Eats in Milwaukee, but it also listed Waukesha and other outlying city hot "cheap" spots. I will post a few below of places that I have eaten. The entire article is available in the issue that is on sale now.

Let's start with the places that I have eaten at that made the list:

Real Chili - sure its in Milwaukee, but its a must-eat if you haven't yet. Located between Water Street and Cathedral Square on Wells, this place is great anytime of day. I had the mild with cheese and sour cream the last time I was there and with it only being $5 a bowl, it sure fills you up and satisfies you!



Tutto - I stumbled across this place with my friend Deana last summer looking for a quick snack after visiting the Milwaukee Museum's Body World exhibit. We sat in a huge booth - probably could have crammed 8 in there and we had our own TV to watch sports on. We ordered two appetizers (crab cakes and something else) and were completely blown away with how amazing the food was as well as the presentation. This place is located on Old World 3rd St. just south of Buckheads and Mader's. www.TuttoMilwaukee.com


The Rochester Deli - I have blogged about this place before, but I don't think I can give it nearly enough acclaim. This place is straight up city deli with awesome sandwiches, fresh salads, soups and amazing desserts all made by the owner himself. You must try a peanut butter/chocolate dipped cookie. Heck, share it if you can because it's a very large cookie, but definitely worth every bite. I have tried their cold sandwiches and hot ones and haven't come across any I haven't liked. They are "Home of the Best Reuben" and time after time I keep saying I'm going to get one, but I have yet to - maybe this upcoming March for St. Patty's day I will. The Friday fish sandwich is definitely something that can only come out of a Wisconsin Deli!
www.RochesterDeli.com


Oakland Gyros - I have been to both locations - UWM and Layton by the Airport - and the gyros are sooooo good. Well not that I have ever had a bad gyro, but sometimes the seasoning is just better than others! I even took my grandma here and she enjoyed herself. You can never have too much cucumber sauce and Oakland Gyros definitely supplies you with plenty!



Those are the ones that I have been too - now onto those in my area that I will be going to soon!!!

Jake's - I have heard people talk about this supper club before in Pewaukee, but haven't found an opportunity to go. Reading their dinner specials has made my mouth crave a nice steak. That will be a good treat once I am done with all this root canal work! www.Jakes-Restaurant.com


Pat's Rib Place - Located in what used to be a Subway on Sunset Ave & East Ave. Pat's has made a name for itself in serving up great wings and ribs. I have heard many compliments on it and have yet to go in there. I just have to be in the mood for ribs, which for me isn't that often because of the mess, but maybe, just maybe I'll venture there soon!



Haute Taco - Located on Capitol Drive in Brookfield, again I have heard all great reviews of this place. In a county that has many different Mexican style restaurants, its hard to try them all and not just stick to your favorites, but now knowing they were written up for Cheap Eats, I might just have to try it out.
www.HauteTaco.com


Bombay Sweets - I have never had Indian food and for an Indian restaurant to make it in Brookfield, it has to be worth checking out. They also have a location on 13th street in Milwaukee.

Eric's Porter-Haus - This place has been located on Wisconsin Ave. in downtown Waukesha for as long as I can remember and yet, I have never gone in. I see coupons and specials for it in the paper often and again still haven't gone in. Well their new "stimulus" specials may have just peaked my curiosity and again once my mouth is able to chew up a steak, I'm there.
www.EricsPorterHaus.com


Of course there are many other restaurants that didn't make the list and many more that should have, but a magazine can only write so much. That's what I'm here for - to share my love of food and the fun of Waukesha with you!!!

Sumthin's a Brewin'

There is a double meaning to my headline: 1) Halloween is this Saturday and I'm excited to dress up and have fun in downtown Waukesha with my friends. It's fun to see all the costumes and its not as crazy as Madison but still a fun time. 2) The weather has definitely changed to fall/winter (we already had snow), so its time to get the slow cooker going and make some yummy treats! I didn't use it as much as I would have liked this year and since I found a small one for only $8, I can prepare half sized meals for when I'm living solo! Oh of course I'll still make meals for armies like I always do and have everyone over to enjoy, but I just have to get into the mood to do it.

I move this Sunday (hopefully!!) and I am going to be able to organize a kitchen that is functional and to my exact standards. Living with a roomie changed things a bit in this because it was set up to both our standards and I know I would have put certain things in other spots than where they were and vice versa. But now I start with a blank slate and and I'm ready to make it my own. I'm sooooo excited, but not looking forward to all the work. Then it will be time for a shopping venture so I can stock up on all things crock-pot! Chili , lasagna, pork tenderloin!!!! I can hardly wait! I definitely want to have a chili party (stole idea from Ellie!!!). And for those that don't like chili, well there will be something else for you to enjoy!

Onto Halloween, I don't know where we will all go in downtown because they aren't having the trolley this year, we will have to stay right in downtown, but I know we will have fun. We always do. OOOO and I found a job listing on Craigslist for a new "upscale bar and grill" planning to open up in downtown the first weeks of Nov. '09. I'm assuming this is taking over Ray's because nothing else has changed into a restaurant lately that I know of (and you all know I know Waukesha very well). I'm excited to have a new perspective of downtown and maybe venture to different places soon. Nice Ash will be opening the addition soon and I can't wait to see that. I have heard all good so far.

I'm dressing as "Captain's Treasure" this year - which is basically a sexy pirate. How fitting seeing as I popped a blood vessel in my eye and I now can wear my eye patch on it so I don't scare too many people. My friends are going as Dorothy (from Oz), Alice in Wonderland and the Mad Hatter, Thomas the Train (Sebastian is 3 so it's fine), and Rosie the Riveter/Eskimo/or one other??? (costumer TBA). What are you dressing up as? Any big plans for the ghoulish night??

Taylor's & Pre-Bday Specials!

I guess I really can't rave about this place enough, but Taylor's People's Park was where I heading with friends last Wednesday for a quick bite to eat after work. The atmosphere is fun, lively and not too noisy and the ever-changing wall art is surprise everytime. Currently, they are displaying some sort of Adam and Eve work on the walls that use jar lids as elbow and knee joints. I don't venture much out of the box at Taylor's because what I love there is so amazing, I have yet to find something to trump it. I always order the potstickers. You get 5 perfectly crisp pork-filled potstickers over some fancy lettuce with a Wasabi, Soy & Ginger Sauce. I have yet to be disappointed in this and would recommend it to anyone. The potstickers that they had on the menu at 5Gen when it first opened were good but more like flat eggrolls than potstickers.

My friend Jacob ordered the hot wings and I was actually quite surprised with the size of the wings. There was plenty of meat on them that he was only able to finish 1/2 his order. The hot didn't seem too hot from what I tasted, but there is something about that sauce that my palette just doens't like. Tiffany ordered the classic chicken breast sandwich that looked like the size of a Kopp's sandwich and she said it was delicious.

After our light snack we ventured for a walk around downtown Waukesha quickly and when we got to Divino Gelato, I just had to stop in for a treat. I ordered a small 1/2 vanilla and 1/2 mixed bery - can you say - berrydreamcicle!!! It was so delicious and hit the spot.

I'm a sucker for signing up for restaurant clubs and one perk is receiving emails with special treats in them for your bday. With my bday coming up next Monday, I have already received 8 offers that include things like free dessert or $10 off $25. I'm getting excited and I'm going to start hitting up my friends for dinner companions soon to take advantage. Then I will have a lot more to blog about!!!!

Night out with Mom

Last Saturday, my mom and I did something that we haven't done together in a long time -- went to a play and dinner! It was a wonderful time. About two weeks ago, for some reason that I still don't know exactly, I got the inkling to go to a play at the Waukesha Civic Theater. So I looked up the website and it just so happened that Seussical the Musical was going to be performing for 2 weeks. I immediately called my mom and asked if she wanted to join, which of course she said yes. I told her to plan to make a night of it and after the performance, we would go to dinner in downtown Waukesha somewhere. My mom is always up for that kind of fun.

So Saturday at 4 we went to see the musical, which was very cute and I even had crowd interaction twice! Yes, I had the lucky chair I guess and twice during the performance the actors touched me or sat in my lap! I found it really really funny. The play lasted just under two hours and by that point, we were definitely hungry for something, but we weren't sure what. Although it was rather warm out on Saturday (and humid) we still decided to venture downtown and find something to eat.


Right down from the theater is Generations at 5 Points (http://www.gen-five.com), a tapas restaurant. Tapas is small plate dining, not necessarily appetizers, but you could order up numerous items and share with friends. I guess I call it "perfect size dining" -- you don't walk away overly stuffed if you clear your plate, unlike an applebees or TGI Fridays size portion. I had been there once before and was curious as to their new menu items since my last visit. (The menu is changed up frequently so the chef can show off his culinary skills). I decided on shrimp and avocado purses, which had chopped up shrimp and avocado inside a wonton wrapper that was twisted shut on top to look like a little bad. I had three of these on my plate with watermelon-tomato salsa in the middle and a balsalmic reduction swirled around it all. The sweet and salt of the salsa and reduction worked perfectly with the purses and I enjoyed it all. My mom ordered the seared salmon and it was definitely one of the best pieces of salmon I have ever had. It had perfect color and was just flaky enough to break off pieces to share. It was served over pea pods and red peppers. I'm not exactly sure of the sauce that was on her plate, but I honestly didn't think it even needed it because it was amazing.

Of course we ordered beverages too, because not only is their food amazing, the drinks aren't too shabby either. They have an extensive wine list that you can order by the bottle or glass and many specialty martini's and cocktails. My mom got a glass of Echelon Pinot Noir that complimented her salmon well. I decided to go with something more unique and ordered the X Rated Fusion Martini. I believe it was X-Rated liquor, raspberry vodka and a splash of champagne because it was frothy on top. Definitely delicious and definitely could sneak up on you without you realizing it.

After dinner we wandered around town and looked at a few shops. My friend just opened Kindred Gifts, but unfortunately wasn't still open when we walked by. We then went by Sloppy Joe's Shake Shop and they were doing tons of business on a warm day. We eventually walked down to Divino Gelato (www.divinogelatocafe.com) to enjoy a sweet treat for dessert. I chose chocolate and mango gelato (per Dave at my job suggesting that fruit and chocolate gelato compliment each other wonderfully) and my mom got Almond Joy and pistacio. The pistachio was really flavorful but I didn't try the Almond Joy because I'm not a coconut fan. It was quite a popular place as well and they even had ladder golf outside so people could win t-shirts and other fun prizes. The owner took my mom and my picture for their website (so now I'm famous). It was a great way to end the night.

So my ventures around Waukesha are really exciting me - if you are curious about a place and want me to try it first, I'm all about it - so give me your suggestions and I'll see what I can do. Until then - happy eating!!!!

Tour De La Sha!

I did another roundhouse of Downtown Waukesha in the past few days and boy oh boy do I have the delicious information to share with you. It started on Friday afternoon when I walked around Downtown Waukesha in search of lunch. I had started on Barstow and debated about Rochester Deli but seeing as I had that only the week before, I decided on Steaming Cup all the way on the other side of Downtown - thank goodness its not that big!

The place wasn't that busy for a Friday, but the weather was gorgeous so I think everyone was enjoying it in the parks. But I decided to go for it and take it back to work to enjoy. Typically I get the Tuna Jammer but for some reason I saw the Cranberry Bog sandwich and decided to sway from my norm. And I am really glad that I did. The sandwich was one of the best flavor expressive meals I have had in a really long time. It consists of Turkey, Cranberry cream cheese, peppers, and dijon mustard between two slices of Cranberry Ciabatta bread that is then grilled in a panini press. It was a little messy to eat but the flavors all complimented each other really well. I got potato salad on the side and a pickle slice and was stuffed and happy with my choice. I will definitely experiment with that at home, but don't worry Steaming Cup, I'm going to tell everyone I know to try the sandwich.

So after work on Friday, my friend Shauna met me at my apartment and we went to the House of Guinness for a 5th Friday Networking Event for the Young Professionals of Waukesha County. We received $2 off pints and so that makes Strongbow only $3 - you can't pass that up. Although the group was smaller this time, it was an excellent group and we shared a lot of information. We even dragged one gentleman along with us for the remaining of our excursion thru Waukesha. The next 5th Friday falls on Halloween weekend and I discussed with the event coordinator how cool it would be to do the bar crawl like last Halloween! We will see.

Finishing the event at 7 pm, we found ourselves extremely hungry and in need of a filling meal if we were going to enjoy any more drinking. I suggested Ray's on South and Tiffany, Shauna, Josh and I headed there. The place had a few tables filled when we arrived and Josh worked his magic with the waitress and got us a free round of beverages. This lead us to realize we definitely needed satisfying meals in our tum-tums. I went for the fried Perch and potato pancakes, pretty much my Ray's staple. The fish was excellent as were the mixed veggies on the side. The only odd part was that instead of receiving a few potato pancakes, I received 1 that was probably 8" across! It was still delicious. Shauna ordered a chicken sandwich that competes with Kopp's on size and taste and Tiffany opted for the Chicken Parmesan. She said the chicken was great, but could have used a bit more seasoning to compete with other menu options they have. Josh had eaten before he went out, but he stole tater tots from Shauna and seemed to be drooling as we ate.

Post dinner, we decided to take Shauna and Josh to Tiff's and my fave bar, Chill on Gaspar Street. Zack was again bartending and remembered Tiff and I from before. We had a blast at Chill. Josh made Zack experiment and just started stating what he wanted in his martini. It was a refreshing blue raspberry concoction in which Zack let me have the overpour from. Shauna tried the Cherry Squirt martini and commented on how strong it was. She then proceeded to share it with Tory when she arrived. Brandon ordered himself a Cosmopolitan upon joining us and before I could even ask if he liked it, it was gone - so I'm assuming it was great! Josh then challenged the bartender to make us a Piece of A$$ shot. Scared by the name, I questioned the ingredients to find out it was a version of a Snake Bite, which I enjoy. I'm unsure on the measurements, but the shot has Southern Comfort, Lime Juice and Amaretto. I really liked this one and due to another generous overpour of Zack's, I received two shots!

We then decided to venture onward to hit up another bar in downtown for a drink. Neighbor's Social Club's crowd seemed a bit older and the music was pretty loud so we continued on. I showed Josh a few of the other new places in downtown that had opened - Generations, Sloppy Joe's, The Black Trumpet and more. We finally decided on Taylor's People's Park because all the windows were open and the night was gorgeous. The music they were playing that night was a jazz/indie/pop/rock mix and really interesting. It had a great club beat to it, but didn't drown out our conversation. Josh ordered a Stoli Raspberry and lemonade while I continued my beer streak and went with a Blue Moon. We people watched while enjoying our drinks and Josh again worked his magic and got round 2 for free. This time I was able to try Josh's drink and I forgot how much I really love Raspberry and Lemonade in a drink together. I helped him finish it and we decided to just call it a night then. Friday on the town = success!

Finally, last night, neither Tiff nor I felt like turning on the stove and cooking dinner so I opened my entertainment book and found a coupon for Sprizzo's in downtown Waukesha. I had had breakfast there a few weeks back with my mom and enjoyed it, so we walked over and grabbed a table. It was not very busy so we should have had very prompt service (I'll get to that later). We started with the crab and artichoke quesadilla - a very interesting combination and we figured as long as we were getting a discount, why not? It was probably the best decision we made. Crab and artichoke compliment each other wonderfully with cheese and toasted warm. The salsa looked homemade as did the guacamole but I was hesitant on using them so the true flavors of the quesadilla would shine thru. Tiffany then ordered a Cheese Tortelini and sausage salad and I got the French Dip. Tiffany's salad was gigantic but a really interesting flavor combination in which nothing overpowered anything else. It had a light ceasar dressing on it and the sausage was the kind you put on a cheese platter, not like Italian sausage that has been cooked. My French Dip was alright. The menu said mushrooms but all I saw and tasted was roast beef and carmelized onions. The au jus didn't seemed to have too much to it either. The potato salad on the side had an orange color to the dressing and I figured paprika once I realized it wasn't very southwest/taco-like in taste, but it was good. All in all the meal was great, however for a Tuesday night and only having three tables in the place, I would have expected a little better service. Our waitress was chatting in the back with co-workers while Tiffany waited for a beverage and eventually just went to the bar to buy it and I had to make direct eye contact with her to get her over for the bill. Definitely something to be worked on.

So that's my last 5 days in review. I enjoyed every bit of what I had and thank my great friends for venturing out with me. We always seem to make a great time out of an unplanned night!