Category: Restaurants

Restaurant: Chez Fonfon, Birmingham, Alabama

Okay…I admit it.  When I go home to visit my parents, a beautiful French restaurant is not the first place we’d normally go for dinner.  Honestly.  French cuisine, while amazing and what most chef’s will be classically trained to prepare and cook, is not something I am overly familiar with.  I’ve eaten at one other French restaurant that I can recall, and that was Bouchon in Las Vegas.

But there is a story as to how I ended up sitting at a small round table with my roommate, my parents, and a nice couple my parents know through their work.  And it all started with James Beard.

Now…there are words I never thought I would be typing…but this is the pure and simple truth.  I was glancing through the 2012 James Beard Award nominations and ran across a restaurant that my dad had mentioned having lunch at a couple times with a rep he works with at his office.  Interesting.  So, I mentioned on Facebook that I was incredibly jealous that he was getting to eat at Highlands Bar and Grill, as it was up for a James Beard Award under the amazing skills of Executive Chef, Frank Stitt, who has received many accolades over the years for his restaurants and food.

This…is how it started.  My dad mentioned to the rep, Mr. Davis, that I had actually heard of the restaurant and the chef and had been singing the praises of both.  Before I knew it, a couple months of planning, and I was set to be in town and have dinner at Chez Fonfon, a sister restaurant to Highlands Bar and Grill, which was opened in 2000 by Chris Mancill, Frank Stitt and Pardis Stitt.  This restaurant has more of a cozy, casual French bistro flare to it and serves up classic, hearty French fare to match the beautiful decor.  Yes…Chez Fonfon boasts authentic French with its French Belle Epoque café tables 100 year old etched glass door from Lyons.  It really feels like you’re in the heart of Paris, Lyons or Nice, settling in to enjoy a little atmosphere and some great food.

So, that’s how I ended up here.  And now that I was here…I was ready to see what Frank Stitt and his kitchen staff could do for me – a gluten-free vegetarian.

I can tell you one thing…they handle food allergies quite well.  Upon settling in to eat, the waitress was informed by myself of my dietary restrictions.  She immediately had some suggestions as to what I could eat for an entree.  I already felt comfortable there.  So, the table ordered an appetizer of Escargots with Parsley and Shallot Butter ($8.75) and I set myself to deciding between having the chef create a delicious veggie tray or whether to try the dish on the menu that is both gluten-free and vegetarian.  Decisions…decisions.

In the end, I kept to the menu.  We actually had quite a variety going on with the orders from the menu.  Mr. and Mrs. Davis both ordered one of the fish dishes that was a special that night.  My mom decided on the Shrimp and Avocado Salad with Sauce Rémoulade ($14.75).  My roommate and my dad both got the Trout with Brown Butter, Capers and Brabant Potatoes ($18.75).  And, like I said…I kept to the menu and ordered the Omelette with Zucchini, Tomato, Basil and Comté ($13.50).

I love omelettes.  I eat them a lot.  I wish I were better at making them at home, because I would do it more often.  But mine turn into a egg scramble mostly…so getting a delicious omelette when I eat out is always awesome.

With the food prepared, the waitress began to bring out the plates.  All of them were fine-tuned and beautifully plated.  There was a place for everything.

My omelette came complete with a salad of greens and pommes frites on the side.  It was a large plate of food, but I was hungry and ready to dig in and see what Frank Stitt and the kitchen crew were made of.  After all, it’s not every day that I get to taste food prepared by such a highly regarded and chef.

The Omelette with Zucchini, Tomato, Basil and Comté was, in a word, delicious.  The eggs were prepared to the perfect airy fluffiness and stuffed to the max with the delicious cheese and vegetables.  It was silky rich and just…amazing with every bite.  There was no skimping on the filling in this omelette.  Each bite was full of every vegetable inside and it was seasoned to perfection.  Nothing bland about this egg dish.  Not at all.  The salad was lightly dressed and delicious.  It paired really well with the omelette.  I often found myself scooping up some of the greens onto the fork with a small bite of the omelette.  They paired very well.  And the pommes frites…just what I would expect from a French bistro.  Crispy, salty, and perfect.  But between the omelette and the salad, I was well full, so I only sampled from the pommes frites on my plate.

Everyone else was very content and quite pleased with their decision for dinner.  Every plate was cleaned.  The rest of the table enjoyed desserts, but there were no gluten-free options for me to have, so I passed.  It’s okay though, because my mom had baked me up a gluten-free brownie at home, so when I got back to their house, I dug into that and washed it down with some vanilla almond milk.  Not very French…but heavenly to me.  It was a perfect way to end a perfect dining experience.

So, was Chez Fonfon everything I hoped it would be and more?  You bet it was.  The service was fantastic.  Our waitress walked me through what would be safe to eat.  The food was fresh, warm, delicious.  The atmosphere was buzzing.  The place was crowded with a line waiting when we left.  That speaks very highly of this restaurant, which I was told turns tables quite steadily throughout the night.  I can see why.  And my company at that French bistro in Birmingham, Alabama…was the icing on the cake.  A perfect meal in a perfect setting.

And all because of James Beard.

And my dad…for arranging to make it all happen.

Chez Fonfon…you deserve every accolade written about you, your chef, your food, and your sister restaurants.  Because of the meal I had was any indication of what else is offered at the other establishments…then you’re really at the top of your game.  Birmingham, Alabama is lucky to have you.

French food in the heart of the South.  Yeah…that’s the life.  And it is très délicieux!

Restaurant: Kildare’s Irish Pub, Columbus, Ohio

It was one of those risks you take when you try out a new restaurant.  You either get what you expect…or more…or it just falls short of everything you hoped it would be.

Being the Columbus, Ohio traveling fools we are (because…an awesome friend lives there…so travel has to happen), my roomie and I have pretty much pillaged every pub up that way.  Including ones just outside of Columbus or in neighboring areas.  But, it took a trip to the Dublin Irish Festival in Dublin, Ohio to discover Kildare’s Irish Pub, located in Columbus, Ohio.  How we overlooked this one I’ll never know…but it was an oversight we sought to correct.

To be honest, the original plan was to drive up to Medina, Ohio to dine at Sully’s (only the best Irish pub this side of the pond!), but after a late night at the Irish Festival the night before…none of us were really feeling energetic or spry enough for the drive there and back.  So, to keep the Irish theme alive, we decided to head to Kildare’s Irish Pub instead.  This way my roomie still got her fish and chips…I could figure out what I could have…and Jenn…well, I never know what Jenn will order.  She’s a sneaky one.

Anyway…finding Kildare’s wasn’t easy.  In fact…we drove past it, despite having directions.  The image on the internet showed a big red pub, reminiscent of Dublin Ireland’s very own Temple Bar.  What we didn’t realize was that the side of the pub was painted red and the wall facing the road…was blue.  But, we got there eventually, parked the car, and headed in.

In true pub fashion, you seat yourself.  We opted for a table near the back, where we could get a good look at everything.  Soon after settling in, the waitress came over to greet us, tell us a little about the pub, and see what we would like to drink.  Of important note with Kildare’s…98% of the decor is from Ireland.  Seriously.  We played a game where we tried to decide what 2% wasn’t.  Hey…you do these things while waiting on food.  When the waitress returned with drinks (water for me and Magners for my friends), she asked if we had any questions.  I told her I was a tricky one in that I was a gluten-free vegetarian…so I might need some menu guidance.

She told me that Kildare’s does fantastic with vegetarian…but not so much with gluten-free.  Hey…she was honest!  Anyway…with that in mind, she directed me toward the salad section.  She even suggested the Kildare’s Salad, which would be safe…as long as I got it without croutons/flatbread.  So…that’s what I got.  The Kildare’s Salad with a safe balsamic vinaigrette ($5.99).  My roommate, of course, ordered the fish and chips ($14.99) and Jenn went completely outside the box(ty)…and got the Philly Cheesesteak Boxty ($11.99).  As everything is made fresh at Kildare’s…we settled in to watch some Olympics on the televisions and chat about anything and everything…as we often do.

When food arrived…I was actually surprised at the serving sizes.  As my salad was only $5.99, I got a huge containing chopped Iceberg & Romaine lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, red onions and julienne carrots.  The dressing was kept to the side so I could add it myself (thank you!).  It was a lot bigger than I imagined…but it looked fresh and delicious.  And it was…but there was nothing that really set this salad apart from one that I could make at home.  In fact…those are the usual suspects in a salad I make at home (minus the lettuce…as I’m a spinach girl).  So…yeah…not so hugely impressed with the salad, but it was fresh, crisp, and edible.  Nothing wrong with it…but…nothing that set it apart either.

My roommate got one plank of fish, which was slightly overdone on the tips.  With it…a good serving of fries.  Now, I’ve seen platters of fish and chips much larger than this one for the same price, but…it was actually in human portion sizes, so who is to complain about that, right?  And as for Jenn’s Philly Cheesesteak Boxty (thin sliced roast beef, American cheese, and onions rolled in an Irish Potato Pancake then drizzled with Cheese Whiz)…well, my roommate tried a bite and said she liked it better than the fish and chips.  So…there you have it.  But this gluten-free vegetarian was pretty much…limited to salad.

But I’m used to that.

Overall, we decided that the food wasn’t bad…it just didn’t really blow us away.  I love that in theory they try to keep things authentically Irish, giving a few meals an American twist (for those people who can’t step outside their food comfort zones).  However, none of us walked out of there raving about what to have the next time we happened to be in town.  In fact, we had already come up with the restaurant we want to eat at next time.

Good or bad…the staff is friendly, the atmosphere is straight out of Ireland, but the food…well…it was a bit of a letdown.

Restaurant: The Skylight Bistro & Wine Bar @ The Indianapolis Marriott East, Indianapolis, Indiana

I think every good deed should be praised and rewarded.  Honestly.  Because sometimes something unexpected can happen in the most unlikely of places.

Take for example my recent stay at The Indianapolis Marriott East Hotel.  I was in Indianapolis, Indiana for a convention and it was the first night of the event.  After a stressful drive up there (heavy traffic and then being the victim of a semi truck tire blow-out/tread shower), I got checked in, hauled in the luggage, and went to go get my badge and program from my roomie’s mom, who was attending, but staying at a hotel across the lot, not at the convention itself.

With that mission accomplished, my roomie and I turned our attention to other pressing matters – dinner.

We were hungry!

With opening ceremonies for the convention getting close, we decided to give the hotel restaurant a shot.  The Skylight Bistro & Wine Bar does not have a menu up online so we meandered over that way to glance at the one they had out at the host stand at the entrance of the Bistro.  I gave a quick overall glance to what was being offered, and it seemed that salad was once again going to be on my plate.

The host asked if he could help us, and a waiter just happened to meander over.  I explained my dietary restrictions – being a vegetarian and gluten-free.  He gave a nod, said that I could take my time looking over what they have to offer.  And then, after a pause, Mark, who ended up being our waiter that day, said that he would go back and talk to the chef to see if there is something that he could make for me that wouldn’t just be a salad.

I thanked him and he disappeared for a moment.  While he was gone, I decided on a salad that I could have in case that plan were to fall through.  But when Mark returned, he had happy news from the chef.  The chef happened to have gluten-free rice noodles in the kitchen.  And he could definitely work some vegetables in with that.  It’s been a long time since I have had that much happy!  We gave a nod and soon we were being seated in the plush seats of the Skyight Bistro & Wine Bar.

Mark went to retrieve our drink order (hydration – so water!) and when he returned, we were ready to order.  My roomie went off the beaten path…and got the BLT Sandwich which came with fries ($9.00).  As for me…I eyed the salad again, and decided that I’d be bold…and see what the chef could do for me.  So I said the vegetables and rice noodles would be awesome.  Mark then inquired if I would like a sauce with that.  I told him to ask the chef because not all sauces are safe for someone who can’t have gluten.  So, he gave a nod, took the order and went to put it in.  A moment later he returned to tell me the chef was going to cook the noodles in a vegetable broth and that way there would be some flavor throughout the dish.  He did, however, mention that our food would take a bit longer to come out because the chef would have to make mine completely from scratch.

I told him I was happy to wait.

And so…we waited.  It took, just over 20 minutes for our meals to be brought out to us.  My roomie looked quite happy to have food settled in front of her.  And her BLT sandwich looked really, really good.  As for me, a bowl was settled in front of me.  In it was the most fantastic, amazing looking Asian Noodle Soup I ever laid eyes on.  Huge.  The vegetables were steamed and mixed into the broth.  The rice noodles were cooked to perfection, laying in this fantastically seasoned vegetable broth.  And the chef even did up a beautiful little layering of vegetables and noodles to really make it look fine dining.

It was one of the most amazing things I had ever seen.

And so…as Mark went to retrieve a spoon for me, I took my fork and began tasting what I could spear.  The vegetables were cooked to perfection.  There were carrots (ribbons of them), mushrooms, asparagus, red peppers, and squash, beautifully chopped and included in the meal.  The portion…was much more than I expected.  I made my roommate take a taste and even she was happy for me.  I mean, everything was seasoned and done to perfection.  And all of this was created specifically for me…due to dietary restrictions.

There are few chefs who would step up to a challenge like that, but this one did.  And everything in that bowl worked.  It was one of the most fantastic soups I’ve had the honor of trying.  And, it was made specifically for me.  That dish is nowhere on the menu (but, it should be).  Yet, here is a shining example of a restaurant stepping up and taking charge of a dietary need.  More places should learn from this.  My meal was filling, delicious, and special.  I’ll always remember it…and I’ll forever recommend the Skylight Bistro & Wine Bar at the Indianapolis Marriott East now to anyone going into that area.  Brilliantly executed, stunning to look at, and savory.  This was just what I needed that night.

Best of all, despite having to create the dish on the fly, I was only charged $14.00 for my large bowl of gluten-free, vegetarian goodness.  Basically, I was charged the entree price on a Chicken Pasta.  Nice.

Like I said, every good deed should be praised.  Well, here is a shining example of restaurant staff stepping up to a challenge and conquering it.  I am forever grateful to Mark and the chef for really making my dining experience at the Skylight Bistro & Wine Bar one to remember.  I was blown away by the service, the care, the technique, and the food.

No simple salad for me…not this time.

Thank you.

Restaurant: Bella Notte Italian Trattoria, Lexington, Kentucky

Gluten-free and Italian food don’t always go hand-in-hand.  Believe me.  More than once I have relegated myself to the salad, but no croutons, please, at an Italian eaterie.  In fact, unless I hit up a local chain or one of the box chains that has a couple of gluten-free options (Olive Garden, Carrabbas), pasta is usually off my radar unless I make it myself at home.  And, unfortunately, much of the gluten-free options at the box chains are meat heavy…which doesn’t work for this vegetarian.

But, every now and again, you find a place that surprises you.

Bella Notte Italian Trattoria in Lexington, Kentucky, is one of those places.

I probably never would have given Bella Notte a second look if I were simply passing by on the road.  I tend not to notice Italian places anymore because most of them have nothing I can eat.  But I have this great app on my iPhone called Find Me Gluten Free and I used it to find somewhere I could eat after I ran in The Great Buffalo Chase 5K on the Fourth of July.  One of the places it returned was this little Italian Tratoria on Nicholasville Road in Lexington.

Bella Notte is a very unassuming looking building just off the main drag.  We arrived shortly after it opened for lunch.  It wasn’t very busy at the time, but by the time we left, it was starting to pick up.  I liked arriving before the crowd, especially with my dietary needs.  That way I could be certain that my waiter or waitress understood my food allergies.

Little did I know that I wouldn’t have even had to worry about it here.  The staff at Bella Notte knows their stuff.

We were greeted warmly at the door and escorted back to a table near the far wall and window.  The restaurant has a very homey feel to it.  Christmas lights line the trees inside, twinkling in the dimly lit setting.  The walls are a rustic yellow, but the area is set up like you might be eating out on a terrace in Tuscany.  From the ceiling, little yellow stars dangle overhead.  Bella Notte, as you may know, means ‘beautiful night’ in Italian.

We were seated and our waiter came over to get our drink orders while we looked over the menu.  I knew from my gluten-free app that this place had gluten-free pasta, so that was a plus.  When the waiter returned with our water, I let him know that I was medically gluten-free and he said they had a menu for that.

Boy…did they ever have a menu.  He returned only a moment later with a full page menu, that resembled their regular menu, only excluded items that were not safe for me to eat.  He also explained as he poured out the olive oil for the fresh, homemade bread my roommate could enjoy with her meal, that I should not feel compelled to sample the herbed oil as it does have gluten in it.  I was also informed that both soups of the day, a tomato basil and a corn soup, were both gluten-free.  I love a helpful staff.

After giving me a moment to decide on something off the gluten-free menu, he returned and we placed our orders.  My roommate went with the Chicken Parmesan ($9.00).  She had never tried Chicken Parmesan before and was intrigued.  This one included a hand-breaded chicken breast served over a spaghetti marinara, topped off with mozzarella and provolone cheeses and fresh basil.  With the option for either a soup or a salad, she opted for the Tomato Basil soup.

My waiter then turned his attention to me.  I ordered the Gluten-Free Penne Arrabianta ($7.00).  I was going to get the corn soup, but just to be certain I asked if it was also vegetarian and he said it was not.  So, instead I went with the Salad Rustica.  He took down the order and went to go put it in at the kitchen.

I was already feeling very confident about eating here.  The staff was definitely putting my mind to ease with their knowledge of the menu and the care they were taking with my order.  I released a huge sigh of relief and before I knew it, the soup and salad arrived at the table.

The Salad Rustica is a beautiful blend of seasonal fresh greens, lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, tasted walnuts, and a side of the chef’s vinaigrette.  When it was set down in front of me, I was elated.  Not only was it a vibrant salad, but they put the dressing to the side instead of dowsing my salad in it.  I appreciated that more than ever because I’ve grown into not drowning my salad in dressing like I used to, and most restaurants tend to be heavy-handed on the dressing, especially a vinaigrette.  I dug in…and wow.  The walnuts are what really make this salad pop.  The greens were crispy, fresh, and perfect.  The waiter gave my salad some cracked black pepper on top and it really helped amp up the flavor in the greens.  The lemon juice and olive oil were the perfect seasonings for this salad.  And the vinaigrette was delicious.  The chef was right on point with those.

After leaving a clean salad bowl, the main dishes arrived at the table.

My bowl of Gluten-Free Penne Arrabiata looked absolutely fantastic.  My mouth was watering as I took a moment to look it over, take a picture on my cell phone and my camera, and finally picked up my fork and dug in.

Let me first say that when ordering gluten-free here, the gluten-free pasta is a fusilli.  So, the penne in my pasta was replaced with a perfect al dente gluten-free fusilli. pasta.  The rest of the dish remained true to the original.  The pasta was coated in a homemade marinara sauce with crushed red chilies, a chili-infused olive oil, lemon juice, and topped with fresh basil.  One bite, and I was hooked.  It was a delicious, spicy pasta.  One of the best arrabiata pastas I have ever had.  Honestly.  The red pepper was added to perfection.  And the olive oil that had been infused with chili really gave it the perfect kick that I look for when I order an arrabiata pasta.  I was beyond impressed.  And I ate the entire bowl of pasta, savoring each perfect gluten-free noodle.  Which, by the way, was amazing.  It didn’t crumble and fall apart on my fork or under the marinara.  It remained a perfect al dente throughout the entire meal.  Impressed doesn’t even begin to cover it.

We both were quite happy with our food and the service at Bella Notte in Lexington, Kentucky.  But, we had a 12:30 movie to catch at the cinema just up from the restaurant, so we didn’t linger nor grab a dessert.  It was okay though; we were both completely stuffed.  Our check was handed to us and I was quite happy to see that Bella Notte also does not charge you extra for ordering something gluten-free.  There was no upcharge for the gluten-free pasta or anything.  I felt like a normal customer and that, sometimes, is not an easy thing to come by as a gluten-free foodie.

Will I return to Bella Notte next time I’m in Lexington?  Of course.  I didn’t expect to find such care, such precision, and such knowledge at an Italian restaurant, but Bella Notte does everything right.  And the food was amazing.  So, if you are out and about in Lexington, Kentucky and looking for a great place to eat…check out Bella Notte.  Honestly, take my word on this one.  It’s a gem of a place that knows its food and happily caters to the gluten-free diner.

A beautiful dining experience at a beautiful restaurant…in the heart of Kentucky’s bluegrass region.  Bravo, Bella Notte.  Bravo.

Restaurant: Walker Bros. Original Pancake House, Glenview, Illinois

What happens when you leave the hotel bright and early, heading home from a fantastic vacation, and you have breakfast on the brain?  You make a stop in the Chicago area for breakfast…that’s what happens.  And when in the Chicago area, some of the best breakfast around is served up at Walker Bros. The Original Pancake House.

Walker Bros. is apparently a Chicago-area landmark.  It’s first location was opened in 1960 in Wilmette.  Since then, other locations have opened, but standards have been kept high.  In fact, Walker Bros. was named as one of USA Today’s “Top Ten Pancake Restaurants in the Nation.”  Additionally, Zagat sang their praises and named them Chicago’s “best breakfast – bar none.” Apparently, Walker Bros. is the place to hit up when the breakfast craving hits.

And…that’s what we did

You know a place is good when you turn into a full parking lot.  And then…the line.  It was a long line…and a rather decent wait to get seated.  But the staff turned tables as fast as they could and we never really stood for too long somewhere.  One of the hostesses came through to find out how many people were in each party to assist with getting the line moving.  Oh, I was already excited about breakfast here.

We were finally seated, approximately 30-40 minutes after our arrival.  The restaurant has this nice, homey appeal to it.  Waiters wear white, button-up shirts and diner hats.  Yes…those little folded hats that were a standard in every diner in the 50s.  Talk about a throwback!  The Glenview location is designed with solid oak, brass lamps, and stained glass.  It’s beautiful.  And bustling.

We were given water and given some time to peruse the menu.  And there…a shining beacon on the pancake page…was gluten-free pancakes.  I was sold.  FINALLY…no omelets or eggs.  I could get something that I normally can’t enjoy while out at a breakfast place.

We placed our orders.  Cathy treated herself to one of the standards that Walker Bros. is known for – Three Little Pigs In A Blanket ($7.25), which is their own house-made sausage wrapped in fluffy pancakes, dusted with powdered sugar, and served with whipped butter and syrup.  As for me…I had to order the Gluten-Free Pancakes ($7.25), which comes with whipped butter and syrup.

I was practically giddy with anticipation over these pancakes…for real!  I don’t think I shut up about them as we waited on our order to arrive at our table.  I got really excited when the little dishes of maple syrup arrived.  Our food wasn’t far behind.

And holy flap-jacks, Batman…you get your money’s worth from the menu.  My very large plate was filled with six fluffy gluten-free pancakes.  Yes…six.  Holy Moses.  They were perfectly cooked up too, with that beautiful golden crust on the outside.  I sparingly spread a bit of the butter over a couple of the pancakes, poured a touch of syrup over them, took a breath, and sliced through one with the edge of my fork.  A moment later, I was enjoying the taste of pancakes…not prepared by me for a change.

The Gluten-Free Pancakes from Walker Bros. are light and fluffy for sure.  They have the crunch of the outer, golden crust that I love when pancakes are done right.  And the best part is…they are gluten-free, wheat free and peanut free.  So…safe to eat if you have any of those allergens.  Nothing is off with the taste.  They are fantastic, reminding me of what classic buttermilk pancakes were like.  Man, I’ve missed being able to have pancakes out at these places known for breakfast food.

Could I eat all six pancakes?  No.  But I managed more than I expected.  I was caught up in the taste, texture, and sheer brilliance of the Gluten-Free Pancakes.  Walker Bros. managed to turn out a plate of pancakes that tasted like classic buttermilk pancakes…none of this cornmeal business…this was a classic pancake…minus the gluten.  And yes…it made me so happy to be eating there.

When food can put a smile on your face, leave you satisfied, and just be fantastic…then something is being done right.  Walker Bros. definitely sets a high standard for brunch places and pancake houses.  They beat out any franchise or chain…hands down.  It’s obvious they respect the products they put out and want to serve the best to every customer.  The service was fantastic…the food…even better.

If you find yourself traveling through the Chicago area and a hankering for breakfast (no matter what time of day…they are open until 9:30 p.m.) hits…find a Walker Bros.  I mean it.  I will forever visit here because I know I can get amazing food that works with my food allergies.  And…hello…I can eat pancakes!!

WINNING!

Best.  Breakfast.  Ever.

Restaurant: Brocach Irish Pub & Restaurant, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

By now, my friends, you know the drill.  When I go out of town, one of the main requirements when it comes to eating out is finding a good pub.  Well, there are plenty to choose from in Milwaukee, trust me.  And when possible, it’s best to ask a local about where to get the best pub grub in town.  But,  I sort of stumbled upon this place via an Internet search.  And my roommate mentioned it to a local at the race and she gave it her approval.

The pub: Brocach Irish Pub & Restaurant in downtown Milwaukee.

There was much anticipation coming into a late lunch/early dinner here.  We needed to wait for the dinner menu to be offered and not the brunch menu, as it would be a crime for my roomie to go into a pub and not be able to have the fish and chips.  So, we hit there around 3:00 p.m. and were greeted in the little alcove inside the door and taken to a table upstairs.  Except no one informed our waiter that the upstairs was reserved for a wedding party.  So, back down the stairs we went and were given a nice raised table to settle into.  Our waiter took our drink order and we settled in to peruse the menu.

There were plenty of options on there for a vegetarian.  However, with me also being gluten-free, I was pretty much limited to a salad.  Which is fine, because they had a list of delicious, large salads to choose from…varieties on flavor…everything a vegetarian could ask for.  So, I sat there and went over which one I really wanted to try.  My roomie helped me come to my final decision as her mind was already set on the Fish and Chips ($13.50).

So when our waiter returned to take our order, she did her standard, and I put in for the Very Veggie Salad ($8.00).

The pub wasn’t hopping yet.  The wedding party was en route, but we were there at an odd time to order food.  So, our wait wasn’t very long before we had plates of food being set in front of us.  My roommate’s fish and chips actually looked like a decent, normal portion.  Nothing that would be too much.  And my salad was freakin’ huge.

The Very Veggie Salad was a toss of mixed greens, grape tomatoes, green beans, red onions, cucumbers, chickpeas, and artichokes.  All of this was tossed in a balsamic vinaigrette, which I meant to ask for on the side, but they didn’t drown my salad in it, so I was okay with it.  It was a very colorful salad, with lots going on.  LOTS.

So, after taking my photos for the blog, I picked up my fork and dug in.  And here is what I loved about it.  The artichokes lent a perfect hint of bite to the salad.  I love artichokes, so including them in the salad made a perfect compliment to the other ingredients in there.  The green beans were al dente.  The chickpeas gave me some much-needed protein.  And the rest of the vegetables were all fresh.  Every forkful brought a new blend of flavors.  And the dressing was the right match for this kind of salad.  Light so as not to overpower the great vegetable combination going on in the bowl.  Yeah…I was one happy girl at the table.

My roommate loved her fish and chips, so we were both quite content at the end of the meal.  What’s more is the pub vibe you get at Brocach.  It’s laid back.  It’s easy-going.  It’s like a true pub in Ireland.  The Euro 2012 matches were playing on the television near the bar.  We could still hear ourselves talk as we settled in to eat.  It was the perfect setting and I’m glad we ended up going there.

Brocach has a lot to offer and a little bit of something for everyone who walks through the doors.  They served up amazing food without a long wait.  And provided the perfect setting for a great dinner out in Milwaukee.  And we left just as the wedding party was beginning to arrive.  So, we actually had really good timing.  Next time I’m in Milwaukee, would I go back.  Sure.  But there are other pubs to try…although it is definitely not out of the question.

Sláinte!