itsbubbles's Profile
Spring Training in Mesa...Mexican, cheap eats, etc.
Hello Phoenix hounds -
If you can stand one more "where should I eat, I'm coming for spring training for the very first time" thread...bless your chowhound hearts.
We love the hole in the wall, cheap eats, undiscovered treasures, the huaraches place down three flights of stairs, taco trucks, the Pakistani place in the back of the 7-Eleven...you get the idea. My traveling companion is a) fluent in Spanish; b) from New Mexico and c) hates, hates waiting in (on) line. I am a) a fan of pretty much every global cuisine b) a chef and c) hate, hate traffic.
I'm looking for a couple of good lunch or dinner recommendations, and I've done some preliminary research, here's my ideas and I would love feedback/other places to go.
Pizza Blanco sounds awesome, but because of the waiting on line thing, that's out. Places like FnB, Citizen Public House, Noca, Deseo, POSH, and Distrio sound great, and we might do one of those one night, but it's a little upscale. New Mexican (Los Dos Molinos, etc.) is not particularly interesting, as traveling companion has just spent three months in Santa Fe. I think we're looking more for places like Carolina's, Fry Bread House, Rito's, Susie's, etc.
We're staying close to HoHoKam Park, taking a day trip to Taliesin West, and visiting Tempe Diablo and Scottsdale Stadiums as well. Quick lunches before a game close by stadiums would be great, and we're willing to drive a little for dinner. Four Peaks Brewing Company might be on the list, and a market experience like Phoenix Public Market might be too.
Sonoran style Mexican, to me, sounds like ChiChi's...and I'm sure it isn't, but I'm more familiar with corn tortillas, tamales, cochinita pibil, elotes, etc. being "real" Mexican food (is this my Chicago background?). I'm focusing on Mexican because that seems to be the strong point of Phoenix cuisine, but Asian or any other recommendations are welcome too.
Thanks for your help!
Madison updates, please!
New on/around the Square, I would also recommend Merchant for cocktails and fun groceries; Nostrano for beautiful Italian-esque farm to table, and 43 North for delicious and affordable prix fixe.
Wine in Madison, WI???
Star Liquor on Willy St. has a good selection and great staff. Steve's on University Ave. is comprehensive and their staff is very knowledgeable in my experience.
Baked egg dish - getting it cooked through
You haven't mentioned the temperature you start/end at yet. When making mini quiches in Texas sized muffin tins, I start at 450 degrees for 8 minutes and finish at 350 degrees for 6-8 minutes. That should work for your frittatas as well.
Madison Wisconsin -- Need a place for a private party
A round-up from earlier this year, in the local paper the Isthmus, is helpful, I think:
Gathering places for group good times at Madison restaurants
http://www.thedailypage.com/eats/article.php?article=32879
Green oil/herb dipping sauce at Magnus in Madison
As I recall, it's a version of chimichurri that's a heavier on parsley/oregano than cilantro.
Madison WI for Graduation Weekend
They have 2 locations, with slightly different menus. The one on Willy St. is smaller and a little more hippie. The one on Atwood is bigger and a little more polished feeling.
Madison WI for Graduation Weekend
And I would make reservations ASAP. It's a nutty weekend.
Madison WI for Graduation Weekend
I wouldn't say it's mostly sushi...maybe half. There's a lot on the menu, including the amuse bouches that you can order a tableful of. If one doesn't eat fish or seafood at all, they probably wouldn't be into it.
Madison WI for Graduation Weekend
Add to your list: Restaurant Muramoto for the upscale dinner. Graze for the moderate dinner. I would also suggest Osteria Papavero, except you don't want Italian. It's not red sauce Italian, though. 43 North is excellent.
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Osteria Papavero
128 E Wilson St, Madison, WI 53703
Restaurant Muramoto
225 King St, Madison, WI 53703
Recs for Madison WI on NYE
Glad you liked it - we walked by shortly after midnight and it looked packed. We had a quiet dinner at Las Cazuelas (abetted by a recent Groupon - they are also on restaurant.com), which I had heard quite mixed things about, but we enjoyed our entrees - Tamales Oaxaquenos were moist and spicy; Tacos De Cuitlacoche was delicious - corn smut = awesome. Margaritas were tasty and the whole atmosphere was cozy & romantic. Mariachi band was a plus.
Las Cazuelas
15 N Butler St
Madison, WI 53703
Recs for Madison WI on NYE
Article in the WSJ today: Graze will be open for snacks and drinks starting at 10 PM. Chef Tory Miller will be a guest DJ.
http://host.madison.com/wsj/entertainment/city_life/article_3ca9a31c-5e7f-5816-88f0-effe27285940.html
Madison International restos and markets?
Kyle is probably too shy to tell you, but check out www.thedailypage.com for some of his articles on the lesser-known foods in Madison, as well as commentary in the forums on that site.
Madison International restos and markets?
A specific Indian grocery in Madison is Maharani's on Odana Road. A great international grocery (Mexican/all kinds of Asian/Middle Eastern) is Yue Wah on Park Street.
Sushi near Target Field before game?
Thanks, Kevin - We'll look at the times once they actually announce the gametime...(might be 2:30? Might be 9:00?) and see if it's all doable. The bus option sounds like a great idea.
Sushi near Target Field before game?
Hello Minneapolis 'hounds -
Coming to see Game 1 of playoff baseball at Target Field. Staying at the Best Western Normandy and am pretty certain we will hit up Hell's Kitchen for breakfast the day after; but looking for a good sushi place near the ballpark for beforehand (we're hoping to walk from the hotel to a beer at the Bulldog NE to dinner to the game).
I've seen recommendations for Origami and Nami - either of those more preferable than the other? Or is there any other place that's better and as close?
TYIA. Looking forward to it!
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Hell's Kitchen
80 South 9th Street, Minneapolis, MN 55402
Origami
30 N 1st St Ste 1, Minneapolis, MN 55401
Nami
251 1st Ave N, Minneapolis, MN 55401
Bulldog NE
401 E Hennepin Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55414
Milwaukee Night Out, preferably Japanese
My experience of Japanese in Milwaukee is limited to only Nanakusa, but I found it to be very nice, on par with many Chicago places. We were there on a quiet slow cold Tuesday in late autumn, but I recall it having several smaller rooms, which would make it more manageable for the chowbaby, even if it's a little more hopping on your celebration night.
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Nanakusa Japanese Restaurant
408 E Chicago St, Milwaukee, WI 53202
Good Mexican in Madison, WI?
Sadly, the taco truck (El Norteno) from last summer that parked at Warner Park seems to have not reappeared this summer. The tamales at the small Mexican grocery (Juarez Mercado Store) near the park (near Culver's and Jung's, on Northport Drive) are an excellent substitute, though.
Cheap, authentic, good Mexican is all over town, really. A little bit of Spanish seems to help in most of these places:
La Concha, in a strip mall in Fitchburg, sells a torta sandwich that feeds you and a guest for the day, for something like $7.
On Park Street, Taqueria Guadalajara and El Pastor are both good options - El Pastor a little more gringo-friendly (or accustomed-to, perhaps)
The hole in the wall Taqueria Guanajuato is next to a similarly-named grocery, which makes it convenient for one-stop shopping.
Pan & Pan is supposed to be great, but I haven't been there yet.
Taqueria Guadalajara
1033 Park St. Madison, WI
608-441-9536
La Concha
3054 Fish Hatchery Rd.
Fitchburg, WI
608-276-9263
Taqueria El Pastor
2010 S. Park St.
Madison, WI
608-280-8898
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Taqueria Guanajuato
1318 S Midvale Blvd, Madison, WI 53711
Pan & pan
3737 Milwaukee St, Madison, WI 53714
Where to buy vanilla beans in Madison, WI?
Penzey's Spices. Also Orange Tree Imports.
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Penzey's Spice House Ltd
3252 University Ave, Madison, WI
Good food options between Delafield and Prarie du Sac, Wisconsin?
Well, it's only an hour-and-a-half drive...you sure you'll be hungry?
Right off the highway as you pass Madison is the new Lazy Oaf Lounge, a "gastropub" with good food and a good beer list. Options abound in Madison.
Once you've arrived in Prairie Du Sac, I'd recommend the Dorf Haus in nearby Roxbury - an old-fashioned German beer hall with large portions, large steins of beer, and perhaps a little polka music if you're lucky.
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Dorf Haus Supper Club
8931 County Road Y, Sauk City, WI 53583
Food Roadtrip Around Wisconsin
A couple of places outside of Milwaukee/Madison come to me off the top of my head:
In Wausau, I had a great diner meal at the Mint. I would bet they have pretty good pie.
In Manitowoc, Beerntsen's Confectionary was a charming old-school ice cream parlor (with good food) and fun chocolates and candy.
In Kenosha, the Coffee Pot was one of the best breakfasts I've had in a while. I didn't even have one of their benedicts, but those are supposed to be amazing.
Down around my neck of the woods (SW Wisc), Glarner Stube in New Glarus is awesome Swiss food. I'd also recommend German fare at the Dorf Haus in Sauk City/Roxbury.
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Glarner Stube
518 1st St, New Glarus, WI 53574
Mint Cafe
422 3rd St, Wausau, WI 54403
Beerntsen Confectionary
108 N 8th St, Manitowoc, WI 54220
Coffee Pot On Seventh
4914 7th Ave, Kenosha, WI 53140
Dorf Haus Supper Club
8931 County Road Y, Sauk City, WI 53583
Good fish seller in Madison, WI?
My first recommendation would be the Seafood Center on Whitney Way. After that, I've had good luck in the Hughes Seafood counter in the Brennans on University.
Seafood Center
712 S. Whitney Way
Madison WI 53711
(608) 274-5255
Hughes Seafood Company
5533 University Ave.
Madison, WI 53705
(608) 233-2777
(608) 233-0662 Fax
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The Seafood Center
712 S Whitney Way, Madison, WI 53711
Molten Chocolate Cake, Jean Georges and other versions?
I'm also a fan of a recipe posted over at the Food Network, the David Rosengarden one from 12ish years ago. I think I've been making these little cakes for dinner parties for ten years or so, and they turn out perfect every time and can be made hours ahead and baked at the last minute.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/individual-molten-chocolate-cakes-recipe/index.html
Ideas for leftover eclair shells?
I baked one tray of mini eclair shells too close together and they didn't rise very well and stuck together. So, I'm left with a bag of floppy mini eclair shells, but I'm all about re-purposing my mistakes. What shall I do with them? Here's my ideas so far:
1) Eclair Cake, but with the eclair shells in pace of graham crackers and actual creme patisserie and bittersweet chocolate ganache (Oh, I forgot, I have a bunch of ganache left over too.)
2) Tiramisu
3) Bread Pudding
4) Trifle
Any other ideas out there? Thanks!
Coal miner pastries in Madison, WI
Myles Teddywedgers is the place you're thinking of. One of these items is called a pasty (that's what I would Google for recipes).
looking for restaurant - Madison, Wi
You might want to check out this website:
http://madisononthecheap.com/valentines-day-dining-2010/.
As far as lake view, Paisan's is pretty darn casual - I would suggest the Edgewater Hotel for a most high-class feel with a great lake view.
Oven doesn't light but burners work.. any thoughts?
You need to get your ignitor assembly replaced. My oven comes in for heavy use, and at 17 years old, I have had to replace mine 2x in the past four years. My repair bill was a little over $100 both times (I live in a pretty rural area, so that could be a little cheaper than other parts of the country.)
Great places in Van Nuys area?
Coming to LA this weekend & staying next to the Van Nuys airport. Looking for great food in the vincinity - I don't want to fight huge lines of traffic and hours of gridlock but we will have a car. Especially interested in great Latin and Asian, cheap and hole-in-the-wall is fantastic! I'm from Wisconsin, so brats, burgers, cheese, and beer are not as interesting. I have a list of a few places, can anyone comment on these choices or add to them?
Real nearby:
Beeps Fast Food for breakfast
DeFrankos for lunch
SpringBok for an unusual bar & grill
Asian nearby:
Pho 999
Sam Woo
India Sweets & Spices
La Baguette
Pho So 1
Kyushu Ramen
Little Siam Thai
Sushi Hirosuke
Sushi Ichiban Kan
Krua Thai
Swan Restuarant
Latin nearby:
Taqueria San Jose
Salsa & Beer
Puro Sabor
Las Fuentes
El Criollo
Socorro's
Casa Don Rolando
Tacos Michoacan
Mi Casita Salvadorena
Antojitos Latinos
La Nueva Portena Del Sur
El Taco Llama (the one on Sherman in North Hollywood)
Thanks for your help!
Restaurant suggestion near Appleton. WI?
I would do a search on this board for Apollon (Greek) and Koreana (Korean), both of which I have been to and enjoyed several years ago.
Goat butcher in madison, WI
The two great butchers I know out this way (west of Madison) are Black Earth Meats in Black Earth and Straka Meats in Plain, WI. Don't know if either of them has experience with goat.
http://www.blackearthmeats.com/home.html
http://www.savorwisconsin.com/alllistings/detail.asp?recordid=1139&table=producer
