Taste of the Town

Roots Restaurant and Cellar

There’s no better place to linger over a leisurely dinner or Sunday brunch than Roots Restaurant and Cellar. Nestled atop the rapidly-evolving Brewers Hill area, Roots not only offers one of the most spectacular views of downtown Milwaukee, but it also serves up some of the most creative culinary fare in town.

In fact, Roots’ back-to-earth approach and their flavorful food have garnered attention both locally and beyond, earning acclaim from magazines like Gourmet and Bon Appétit. It’s one of those places you want to visit again and again, and that you want to recommend to every single person you know.

The evening we went was bracingly cold, rainy and wet, but the minute we stepped inside the softly lit upstairs dining room the chill melted. The clean, modern lines of the interior, decorated in that chic, eco-inspired style so prevalent on the West Coast lent things an air of casual-elegance. We hung up our coats and settled into our seats, looking out upon a sublime view of lights twinkling in the ever-deepening dark.

Our waiter arrived soon after, offering us a small plate of lemon, lime, or cucumber (!) for our water, and filled us in on the evening’s specials. Since the menu already included a number of items that piqued my interest, the addition of a few new things complicated my selection process a little. Really, how does one choose between duck confit made with gingersnaps, chicory mascarpone, filbert candies and shaving cream, and seared sea scallops with spiced pumpkin and pepita empanadas for starters? And what do you do when you’re torn between an entrée of truffle seared tenderloin with chevre whipped potatoes and black truffle mushrooms, and the grilled dates with cranberry served alongside some kasha and wild rice with pumpkin foam?

I’ll tell you what you do. You change your mind entirely and decide to go with something completely different just as the waiter arrives to take your order. Thus we ended up sipping a spicy, warm bowl of artichoke and red pepper soup, followed by house salads tossed with tomatoes, English cucumbers, and a well-balanced vinaigrette.

A plate of olive oil poached Mahi, with some cardamom-smoked couscous mixed with a handful of cured olives found its way in front of me next. To be honest, the fish seemed a little on the dry side, but the couscous was excellent. Scott’s bowl of Southwestern-inspired beef tip stew was also flavorful.

                     

For dessert we split a rich, chocolate confection with a small scoop of pumpkin ice cream. It was a divine way to wrap up a beautiful meal, after which we reluctantly bundled up and headed back out into the cold, Wisconsin night.

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Roots Restaurant and Cellar
1818 N. Hubbard St.
Milwaukee, WI  53212
(414) 374-8480

Happy Thanksgiving

With temperatures dropping and holidays approaching, I find myself spending more and more time in the kitchen. This week, I’ll be whipping up a couple of pies for Thanksgiving with my in-laws. My favorite is this gingered pumpkin pie recipe that I found several years ago, but I couldn’t possibly have Thanksgiving without at least attempting to recreate my mom’s pecan pie as well.

The other item I absolutely must have on Thanksgiving is Yams Mousseline, a somewhat more sophisticated sweet-potato casserole. If I feel really industrious, I may also make some cranberry bread beforehand. I found some “fresh from the bog” cranberries at Fresh Market the other day, and need a good excuse to use them. That said, feel free to share what you’ll be bringing to the table in the comment section. Happy Thanksgiving!

Mader's Restaurant: A Taste of Old School Milwaukee

Milwaukee’s deep ties to German heritage permeate so many aspects of this city’s culture. Some argue we should play it down and focus instead on all the new and trendy restaurants and cultural offerings in town. While I’m certainly grateful to have a nice variety of food and shopping options available, after living here for a couple of years I disagree with those who want to focus only on what’s new. I can go to LA, Chicago, or Miami to get a truly hip and cutting edge cultural fix. But beer and brats? Friday night fish fry? Those are pure Wisconsin.

Oh sure. You can find men with thick My Name is Earl-type mustaches cruising on a Harley Davidson, as well as beer and gluttonous platters of fried fish in other places. But in Milwaukee, they are a distinct part of what fuels the heart and soul of the city. And I think they should be celebrated. And so should the more traditional cultural underpinnings of the culinary scene. With that in mind, I decided to check out a restaurant that is a veritable icon of Milwaukee’s German culture.

Mader’s started serving up steins of “Cream City” beer and plates of hearty German fare way back in 1902, and has been a must-stop for both locals and visiting celebrities ever since. In addition to the food, stein collectors will find a great assortment on display and available for purchase, and those who can relate to Dwight Schrute and his ardor for weapons will be entertained by the $3,000,000 collection of medieval German weaponry housed within the cavernous walls. 

Located on Old World Third Street, it’s worth noting that Mader’s offers complimentary valet parking, which although becoming more common here, is an especially appreciated amenity when the place you are going is located in one of the busiest sections of central downtown. Inside, the décor is, fittingly, reminiscent of an ornate German beer hall; however, here you’ll find the traditionally rugged tables are covered by crisp white table linens and adorned with softly glowing candles.

                  

On our visit for dinner, we started with a basket of traditional breads, followed quickly with a couple of house salads topped with the signature hot bacon dressing. If we had been feeling more adventurous, we could have ordered the oxtail soup, but the hot bacon dressing just sounded too good to pass up.

                        

Salads were followed by warm plates of stuffed beef tenderloin "Rouladen style," a traditional German recipe of beef stuffed with a mixture of bacon, mustard, dill pickles, and onion. The last time I had this dish, I was actually in a tiny little German village, visiting a friend, and since rindsrouladen was my friend’s favorite dish, her mother had prepared some for dinner. Anyway, Mader’s was every bit as good and the sautéed spinach and spaetzel served alongside it made for both colorful and tasteful pairings.

                        

We also ordered one of the Bavarian platters, which came with grilled bratwurst and simmered knockwurst. As you know, I personally don’t care for brats AT ALL and left the tasting of these items to Scott, who assures us they were excellent. Along with the brat and knockwurst, the Bavarian platter also included a slice of kassler rippchen (smoked pork loin), potato dumpling and some sauerkraut.

                         

For dessert we tried the apple strudel. While I will never claim to be an authority on strudel, there just seemed to be something missing, flavor-wise. I can’t quite put my finger exactly on what it lacked, but we left more than half on the plate.

                        

Overall though, dining at Mader’s was a nice experience. One that shouldn’t be missed by anyone searching for a little bit of old school Milwaukee culture.

More Cookies for You to Try

Since we are on the subject of cookies, I have to tell you about this recipe I tried yesterday. It’s for these absolutely delicious Chewy Cocoa Cookies with Chocolate Chips. They turn out delightfully chewy with a dense chocolate flavor.

I found the recipe on the Orangette blog and since her pictures turned out much better than mine, I’m not going to post any here. But if you like chocolate and cookies, or better yet, a rich combination of the two, then I encourage you to head to your kitchen right now and give these a try.

Cookie Craze

The other day I flew Midwest Airlines for the first time. While those large, leather seats certainly made it one of the most comfortable flights I’ve experienced in a long time, it was that other thing that sealed the deal and made me wish Midwest offered flights to every city on earth.

You know what I’m talking about. The chocolate chip cookies.

                   

Yes, mid-flight Midwest passengers are offered two, very large, very warm, very yummy chocolate chip cookies.  They are delicious. And they are also free. None of the, “We’ll need five dollars for a tiny bag of stale peanuts,” that you get with most airlines.

I was totally smitten. Just as many others have been. So much so that Midwest has now made their famous cookie dough available exclusively at Milwaukee-area, Balistreri-owned and -operated Sendik's Food Market locations, as well as the stores in Elm Grove, Grafton, Mequon, Wauwatosa and Whitefish Bay.

Apparently it sold out quickly on its first day in stores. But fear not. A rush shipment has been ordered and more cookie dough is expected to be on the shelf by Saturday.  The packages of 32 frozen, ready-to-bake cookies sell for $8.99.