Amy Lunde who represents the Food Allergy Initiative wrote me a couple weeks back and asked if I would write about food alergies. Since I don’t have any and am not that familiar with the topic I asked if she would like to post something. She wrote back and sent me the following tips for dining out and provided some links for more information.
Food Allergy Initiative – Eating Out Safely and Finding a Cure
EatWisconsin readers with food allergies can safely enjoy outstanding Wisconsin restaurants by following these tips from the Food Allergy Initiative:
- Do some local research. Check the menu in advance on the internet, and ask your allergist and other families for recommendations.
- Call ahead. Call before or after the busy meal time hour, when the chef and other restaurant staff will have more time to talk.
- Bring a Food Allergy Restaurant Card. It should list your food allergies and state that your food must be cooked in a clean and safe area to avoid cross-contamination.
- Be prepared. Bring your emergency medications, and wear your medical identification jewelry.
- Carry a bag of pasta or other safe food from home. Most restaurants should be willing to make an accommodation such as boiling water and cooking pasta, or heating a safe meal.
- Ask to be seated far from the kitchen, to avoid airborne allergens from cooking and preparing food.
- Talk to EVERYONE. The hostess, restaurant manager, chef and wait staff should be clear about your food allergy. Always trust your gut on whether the staff truly understands.
- Ask what is in your dish and how it’s prepared. Make sure your server understands what you are allergic to, and explain that cross-contamination must be avoided. Maybe request to speak to the chef or the manager just to be sure.
- Keep it simple. If you have to ask a lot of complicated questions about the items on a menu, more simple fare—like a baked potato or steamed vegetables—may be safer.
- Avoid fried foods. Both the grill and the frying oil are ripe for cross-contamination; it is best to avoid fried foods unless you know for sure that they are prepared properly.
- Save dessert for home. Many restaurants order desserts from other specialty shops. Desserts are major sources of hidden allergens, and the restaurant staff may not be able to provide a complete list of ingredients.
- Reward excellent service and build a relationship. If you have a comfortable and successful experience at a restaurant, tip your server well and go back.
As you may know, food allergies have become a major public health problem. Twelve million Americans are afflicted with food allergies, which send 125,000 to emergency rooms every year.
An average of 10 children at every elementary school suffers from severe allergies to foods like peanuts, milk and eggs. Even minuscule amounts of peanuts, tree nuts, shellfish or other allergens can trigger a life-threatening allergic reaction.
The federal government spends only $17 million a year on food allergy research — far less than other important diseases, like attention deficit disorder, which receives $107 million in research funding, or diabetes, which receives $1.2 billion. Scientists say they’re less than a decade away from finding a cure – but only with more research funding from the federal government.
The Food Allergy Initiative is working to find a cure by raising public awareness and advocating for increased research. FAI is the largest private source of funding for food allergy research in the United States.
Send an e-mail to your elected officials today. Ask them to devote more funding to food allergy research to find a cure for food allergies. Thank Senator Kohl for his support of research funding and ask him to keep up the good work.
And sign up today as an FAI supporter. Stay up to speed about FAI funded-research to find a cure.
Thank you for your support!
NOTE: THE FIRST PERSON TO RESPOND VIA TWITTER GETS AN INVITE FOR 2 FOR THE SOFT OPENING ON SATURDAY NIGHT (NOVEMBER 14) http://twitter.com/eatwisconsin
On Monday, Nov. 16, at the corners of Mason and Jackson Streets in Downtown Milwaukee, Ward’s House of Prime will open its doors to the public. Ward’s was designed by a team of restaurant professionals to create a dining experience that provides high-end entrees at a fair price with an atmosphere that is upscale yet comfortable.
The menu features Prime rib (served daily) which shares the stage with a list of entrees, including steak, chicken, veal, seafood, vegetarian dishes and more. Ward’s features a full-plate menu with dinner options that include a choice of soup or salad and potato. The bar menu will provide a variety of main dining options, yet patrons can order items such as prime rib chili in both settings. Appetizers, salads, soups, sides and desserts are also individually featured, as well as a selection of more than 500 wines available by the glass or bottle.
Diners can feel just as comfortable dining on full-plate entrees in the main dining room one evening as they can ordering from an exceptional bar menu and watching sports in the lounge late the next. Seating options include:
- Bar and lounge area seating up to 60 with 6 HD TV’s.
- Main dining room seating up to 70, adjacent to a closed-kitchen.
- Third dining room with an outdoor view seating up to 36.
Special events, client meetings and private parties will be hosted in both the main dining and board rooms. Entrance doors to the main dining room are closed for parties upwards of 70 to create a unique event experience. The board room can host private parties of up to 12.
Ward’s House of Prime is located at 540 East Mason Street, Milwaukee, WI It is open Monday through Saturday, 4 p.m. – 1 a.m. (lounge and bar) Monday through Saturday, 5 p.m. – 11 p.m. (main dining) Reservations, recommended but not required, available at 414.223.0135. All major credit cards accepted.
Last month I interviewed Scott Buer of Bolzano Artisan Meats. For those who are interested (and how could you not be interested in such a cool company) here is some news, updates, and events from Scott:
Bolzano Artisan Meats at Lombardi Food & Wine Experience
Food and Wine Tasting Gala Friday, Nov. 13 6:30pm-9:30pm at Milwaukee’s Pfister Hotel
Join us and a ton of great local foodmakers, breweries, wineries and more at this outstanding fundraising event. Great foods for a great cause – all proceeds go to the Lombardi Cancer Clinics. You can win a Bolzano Artisan Meats gift box!
Our First Hereford Hog
Bolzano just got in it’s first Hereford Hog this week. We love Herefords for the same reason we love heirloom tomatoes – they grow slower, taste better, and are raised in small number by folks who care. There are less than 2,000 Herefords in the US, and the only way to preserve them is by eating them!
What’s more is that this means we have the entire hog to dry-cure now. We think this is a good starting point to explore the dry cured meats of Hungary, Austria, Spain, etc, and to invent some Wisconsin charcuterie all our own,to fit our local taste, climate and culture (what foodies call our “Terroir”). Dry-curing takes time, so it will take a while before these are ready, but we’ll keep you updated.
Learn more about the Hereford and other heirloom hog breeds here.
Winter Farmers Market Continues
Thanks to every single one of you who visited our booth at the first day of the Milwaukee County Winter Farmers Market. We pulled a 20-hour shift getting everything ready, but you made it worthwhile. (Especially you two who Early Reserved your whole Speck Prosciutto!)
Don’t forget the market continues until the end of April. See you this Saturday!
Milwaukee County Winter Farmers Market State Fair Park, Tommy Thompson Youth Center
Saturdays 8am-Noon, starting this Saturday, Nov. 7th.
Early Reserve Speck Prosciutto Available Online
Reserving your whole Speck Prosciutto is even easier than before with online ordering. Remember, you can always pool together with your friends, family, Slow Food group or cooking club and share in the whole Speck Prosciutto experience.
Don’t forget our webstore is always open at www.bolzanomeats.com Bolzano Artisan Meats LLC, 3950 N. Holton St. Milwaukee, WI 53212 Ph.# 414.426.6380. E-mail: info@bolzanomeats.com
Slow: Life in a Tuscan Town Special Event Next Wednesday in Madison
In honor of the new book by author Douglas Gayeton called “Slow: A Life in a Tuscan Town” a celebration of local and delicious food is taking place on Wednesday, November 18. Called “A Slow Taste of Tuscany” thirty-three restaurants across North America have been chosen to participate. One of these restaurants is Madison’s own own Osteria Papavero where Chef Francesco Mangano creating a special prix-fixe menu with a copy of the book included in the ticket—complete with a signed limited edition commemorative bookplate. The Dinner price includes 1 book. Single price is $65 and the Couple price $100. The event is being presented by Slow Food Madison.
During the event author Douglas Gayeton will be present at Chez Pannisse Cafe in Berkeley along with his editor, associate publisher Katrina Fried. Publisher Lena Tabori will join the celebration at Nick & Toni’s in East Hampton, and event coordinator Taylor Sperry will be at The Good Fork in Brooklyn. Chefs at select restaurants from Boston to Los Angeles will develop menus inspired by the book. The complete list is posted at www.welcomebooks.com/slow/11-18.
Douglas Gayeton’s SLOW: Life in a Tuscan Town is a magical and utterly unique portrayal of rural Italian life, and a tribute to the region’s kaleidoscope of charming local characters whose livelihoods and culture center around the everyday pleasures of growing, preparing, and eating food.
Imaginative and interactive portraits are layered with Gayeton’s handwritten notes, anecdotes, recipes, quotes, and historical facts and that cleverly bring context and color to the subject of each sepia-toned image and draw us deeper into this romantic, rewarding, and progressively rare way of life. You will fall in love with the intimate images of an entire town whose lives are profoundly bound to the rhythms of nature and inherently exemplify the popular principles that define Slow Food, a multi-national movement dedicated to preserving local food traditions and honoring local farmers and producers.
The unique interplay of pictures and words conveys a thrilling sense of narrative that transcends the page and transports you halfway around the globe. It is a riveting story told in a riveting way: each image is actually comprised of multiple photographs taken over the course of time (from ten minutes to several hours – a photographic approach critics have dubbed “flat film”). The result is nothing less than a new and startling way of seeing photographs.
Gayeton’s life was transformed by his five-year slow food journey in Tuscany. He now lives on a farm in Petaluma, California with his wife Laura Howard, who runs Laloo’s Goat Milk Ice Cream. “While my book is meant to both educate people and share the beauty of a slower lifestyle,” Gayeton says, “the Slow Food movement also offers valuable insights into how to lead a healthier life, ideas which incidentally are central to Laloo¹s mission as well.”
Photographed over the course of Douglas’ years in Tuscany, SLOW grew out of a request from PBS to document Italy’s burgeoning Slow Food movement. Gayeton told them that while most Italians didn’t know what Slow Food was, their lives exemplified the principles that define the movement.
With an anecdotal charm reminiscent of Peter Mayle’s A Year in Provence, Douglas Gayeton’s interplay of pictures and words conveys a thrilling narrative that transports you halfway around the globe to the charming town of Pistoia, nestled in the outskirts of Florence. There we meet the mushroom hunters and sheep farmers, the winemakers and fishermen, the bakers, butchers and chocolate makers whose lives are profoundly bound to the rhythms of nature.
It is a riveting story told in a riveting way: each image comprised of multiple photographs taken over a period of time that can range anywhere from ten minutes to several hours, and layered with Gayeton’s handwritten notes, recipes, facts, and sayings. With this process, Gayeton has managed to introduce the concept of story and time, both compressed and exploded, into his portraits. The result is a photographic approach critics have dubbed flat film; the effect is exhilarating.
When Gayeton makes films he always brings along a still camera. But this time when he looked at his prints he added handwritten notes, which he scribbled directly on the photographs. At first these were meant to remind him of things he’d seen or heard, but he quickly realized that the act of telling his subjects’ stories with words and phrases (and even Tuscan sayings) was more compelling than the film itself.
Gayeton’s photographs were first featured at Slow Food Nation, the Slow Food movement’s first ever event in the US, which took place in San Francisco in September 2008. Over the three days of the event more than 85,000 people passed through the exhibit. Arte Italia opened a SLOW exhibition in Reno (April 30-July 11) and, after travelling, it will return to San Francisco in April 2010. On October 3rd, an exhibition opened at Equator in Los Angeles. Another exhibition opened two nights ago in New York at CLIC Gallery in Soho.
EVENT DETAILS:
Restaurant: Osteria Papavero
Chef: Francesco Mangano
Presented by: Slow Food Madison
Time: 6:00 PM
Address: 128 E. Wilson Street
Telephone: (608) 255-8376
Website: www.osteriapapavero.com
For reservations: please contact reservations@slowfoodwisconsin.org
Event Details: Chef Francesco Mangano will prepare a 3-course prix fixe meal with recipes inspired by foods from the book, Slow: Life in a Tuscan Town. Dinner price includes 1 book. Single price $65, Couple price $100.
Check out this salumi making video Douglas made of Chef John Stewart of Bovolo restaurant for Slow Food Nation or this video of Douglas himself: welcomebooks.com/slow
I was paging through my newest Penzey’s catalog and saw this note on the salt page and was kind of shocked to read this little message from Bill Penzey.
We’re cutting back on salt.
A really good and healthy thing going on with food right now is that people are using less salt. We want to be a part of this. Going forward we will continue to sell reasonably priced generic salts of the earth and sea, but we will no longer be selling the higher priced specialty salts. I feel things have gotten to a point where the specialty salts are glamorizing the use of salt and, with that, encouraging people to use more of it. I have also found that along with the marketing of specialty salt has come a great deal of misinformation, including claims that some salts don’t affect your health like others do. This is just not true and not something we want to be a part of. Salt is salt, it really is, and it tastes no different no matter where it comes from.
With our belief that cooking comes from caring for those around you we feel part of that is caring for the well-being of the people we cook for. We all have our own relationship with salt and I respect that, but as a cook and as a business I feel so much better about working to cut back on the use of salt rather than encouraging the use of more. I hope this makes sense to you,
Bill
I have several issues with this decision. First, I am disappointed that instead of letting customers decide what kind and how much salt to use that Bill Penzey is making the decision for you. Yes you the loyal customer who have fueled the almost unbelievable expansion of Penzey’s across the country are too dumb to realize that salt is salt. From now on if you are buying salt from Penzey’s all you can get is Kosher Flake Salt and Pacific Sea Salt. However that is not really my issue because it’s not like Penzey’s was carrying exotic salts like Pink Salt, Indian Black Salt, or even Smoked salt, my issue is how he is going about this.
The problem is that while salt is salt, there are differences in styles of salt that people use. While there really isn’t much difference in taste there is a difference in texture and how they dissolve. A nice sprinkle of Penzey’s Sel Gris on some grilled Brussels Sprouts has a different effect than if you were to use kosher salt or table salt. Most baking is done with table salt and if you used kosher salt chances are your recipe wouldn’t turn out as well. As a magazine devoted to providing the home chef with great herbs, spices, and blends, I am disappointed they are so dismissive of salt. Without salt you cannot cook great food. Things taste flat, bland, and uninteresting. Ask any chef what is the most important seasoning in the kitchen and they’ll all say salt.
The problem with salt and sodium in our diets is not because of the home cook using a pinch of fleur de sel to season their green beans, it’s the use of salt as a food preservative in processed foods. Look at a can of soup and your blood pressure will skyrocket just by reading the sodium content. Look closer and you’ll likely find that the sodium listed is for one serving and not the entire can (usually 2 servings). Look at any TV dinner, even those horrible Lean Cusines that everyone has been duped into thinking are actually good for you. Look at the boxed chicken broth and stock that everyone uses and see how much salt is in there. So yes I agree there is a sodium problem in our diets but to think that by eliminating the “fancy” salts from the Penzey’s catalog you are helping the cause is just moronic and a little bit narcissistic. Reduce the amount of processed foods you buy and you’ll probably cut your salt intake by more than 50 percent.
Penzey’s is one of my favorite food businesses and I am proud that they are based here in Wisconsin. They have some of the freshest and most reasonably priced herbs and spices around and I’ll continue to support them even though they think I am too dumb to know how to buy and use salt.
I saw an ad for Metro Market bragging about how their beer selection cannot be beat and I just had to comment at just how ridiculous that claim is. Pick N’ Save has one of the blandest beer selections around, even at the Metro Market. Sure you’ll find some local microbrews like Sprecher, Lakefront and New Glarus, but nowhere near the selection found at Brennan’s, Woodman’s, Blatz Liquor, Discount, Three Cellars, and Breeze-Thru. Also most of these other places, with the exception of Woodman’s has employes or owners who know what they are talking about.
I first heard of Chicago chef Graham Elliott Bowles a few years back when Michael Nagrant (HungryMag.com and Chicagomag.com) interviewed him for a podcast while he was piling up accolades at Avenues at the Peninsula Hotel. I also followed along as sites like eGullet and the LTHForum (a Chicago food messageboard) tracked the opening of his own restaurant, Graham Elliot, located at 217 W. Huron Street in Chicago’s River North neighborhood. As such Graham Elliot has always been on the list of “places to try” when I visit Chicago. On a recent visit I finally was able to check the restaurant out with a couple of friends.
I arrived and they were already at the bar where the bartender had filled them in on the new fall cocktail menu just released that day. I had something called the Surrender Dorothy which featured basil infused gin, green chartreuse, fresh lime and prosecco. It was delicious and had a very herbal taste that was nicely tempered by the bubbly prosecco. One of my friends had the Blueberry Hill, a mixture of Hendrick’s Gin, Crème de Violette, Blueberry Compote and Blackberry Shrub that was so tasty that he ordered a second one when we were seated.
There are several signature touches that make Graham Elliot stand out. From the super casual atmosphere with no tablecloths or stuffy dress code to the use of Ikea plates and bowls to the killer music selection which on our night heavily featured Jawbreaker, The Pixies, and the Cure (three of my favorite bands). The decision not to serve the obligatory and often times boring bread basket but instead serve up a basket of truffle popcorn is another Graham Elliot touch. Ahh the white truffle popcorn, what a great way to start out a meal. Its light and doesn’t fill you up like bread can and tastes 100 times better too. You can smell the aroma of the white truffle oil every time a server walks by your table with a new basket of this glorious snack food. Even as we were finishing our final courses I still wanted some truffle popcorn every time that unmistakable truffle smell wafted by.
After looking over the menu and flip-flopping over what items to order the server suggested one of their tasting menus (5 or 10 course). We asked her what menu items are on each of the menus and the 10 course ($125) pretty much covered every item the three of us were looking at so we decided to try it and I am glad we did because Graham Elliot serves up some exciting, unique, and most importantly, tasty food. Here is a brief recap of each course:
Course 1: White Tuna Sashimi with Plantain Chips, Whipped Avocado, Cilantro Sprouts, Passion Fruit. The waitress informed us this was an Escolar sashimi as she brought out the beautifully plated first course. A nice piece of fish sat atop the avocado and passionfruit. A paper thin segment of plantain stuck out from the bottom of that. As striking as the presentation was we were all underwhelmed by this dish. It lacked the pop that I expected. The ingredients made it seem like it would be a flavor explosion but everything seemed kind of muted. It wasn’t bad by any stretch of the imagination, it just wasn’t great.
Course 2: Hand Pulled Mozzarella This was the chef’s take on a Caprese salad and I am not sure I can go back to the real thing again. A perfectly ripe yellow tomato sat atop a round of their house made mozzarella cheese. On top of that sat a small quenelle of balsamic vinegar pre=”vinegar “>sorbet and some micro basil. The waitress then drizzled the small salad with some excellent olive oil. The contrasting flavors of warm fresh mozzarella, room temperature tomato, and ice cold sorbet worked perfectly. The taste was pure caprese but the sensation of that icy balsamic melting just awoke the palate in a manner the traditional salad could never accomplish.
Course 3: Sweet Corn Bisque This just might have been the dish of the evening. The bowl is presented with a small pool of lime crema topped with chipotle jam and crushed up corn nuts and a garlic marshmallow. The server pours the corn bisque into the bowl at the table and instructs you to swirl the marshmallow and other accompaniments into the soup. You got the pure taste of creamy corn with a little heat from the chipotles, a little acidity from the lime crema, texture from the corn nuts, and creaminess, enhanced with the garlic marshmallow. If Graham Elliot Bowles ever writes a cookbook I’d buy it for this recipe alone.
Course 4: Kung Pao Sweetbreads Pretty much what it sounds like. Sweetbreads served like kung pao chicken. I love sweetbreads and I love kung pau chicken so I knew I was going to order this as an appetizer before I stepped foot in the restaurant. A nice sized portion of sweetbreads was perfectly cooked and served with black sesame seeds, scallion puree, and chili oil. The exterior of the sweetbreads was slightly crispy giving way to a creamy interior with just a touch of pinkness, in other words perfectly cooked. What really tied this together and took it over the top was the addition of peanut brittle to mimic the peanuts found in kung pao. My dining companions, not fans of offal, asked the server if they could substitute the lobster corn dog. The kitchen said sure and they loved every bite of it.
Course 5: Seared Alaskan Halibut Halibut, I must admit, is one of my favorite fish to eat. This dish just might be my favorite halibut dish ever. It was up there with the corn bisque as one of the best dishes of the evening. Perfectly cooked, melt-in-your-mouth halibut sat atop some Israeli Couscous mixed with smoked eggplant, caramelized pieces of fennel and some tomato marmalade. Every aspect of this dish was superb and worked in perfect harmony together.
Course 6: Scallop A perfectly seared scallop sat atop some fairly decent potato salad and is drizzled with what I think was a bacon dressing. A fried pickle rested on the scallop. All of the elements were good by themselves but together it just sort of became a muddle of flavors. This was probably my 2nd least favorite course of the evening. I loved the fried pickle on its own and the scallop was absolutely perfectly cooked, creamy on the inside, a golden sear on the outside. For some reason all of these tastes just didn’t work together for me.
Course 7: Tamarind Lacquered Duck I love duck and I loved the way the kitchen used duck in this dish. This was so stunning that I wanted to return the next night and order it again. The course featured medium rare duck breast with a crispy outer skin atop some forbidden rice, banana blossoms, thai basil, and curried coconut. Thai basil, curry and coconut is one of my favorite flavor combinations so I was certain I would enjoy this, and I did immensely.
Course 8 Bison Skirt Steak Thin slices of perfectly medium rare bison skirt steak on top of some addictive Sprecher root beer sauce, killer cole slaw, a nice onion ring and house made baked beans. Sometimes skirt steak, of the most flavorful cuts of meat, can be a little tough and chewy. That is not the case here as it was nice, lean and tender. On this blog I have made reference to my dislike of baked beans but these are so outstanding that I may become a convert. My overall read of this dish is that it was like a steakhouse meal (steak and onion rings) and summer bbq (bbq sauce, baked beans, and cole slaw) all wrapped into one killer dish.
(Note: I am not 100 percent sure these are the correct names for the desserts we had, I couldn’t find the exact menu from when we dined there so I am going from memory. Also by the time these fabulous desserts arrived I had a healthy buzz going).
Course 9: Deconstructed Strawberry Shortcake All of the elements of strawberry shortcake, but deconstructed. It worked well and kind of served as a nice palate cleanser from the heavier protiens served just before it. It was a nice transition between them, and the rich and decadent course that followed.
Course 10: FlourlessChocolate Cake A nice streak of chocolate cocoa syrup across the plate was the foundation for this killer dessert. There were two types of chocolate cake at each end. My favorite part was the crunchy meringue. The ice milk provided a nice cool contrast to the rich chocolate.
Overall I think the meal was a great success, one of the best meals I have had in recent memory. The three of us all agreed on the two weakest dishes; the first course escolar sashimi and the scallop course. However when I say miss the mark, it needs to be taken in context of the whole meal. The escolar was very fresh and tasted good, the combination of flavors just didn’t wow me or my friends. Eaten separately the components of the scallop course were also very good.While at first blush the portions seem small I left Graham Elliot’s I realized I was at the perfect level of fullness. I didn’t feel like I needed to eat any more and I didn’t feel stuffed.
The pacing of the meal was perfect as courses came out shortly after plates were cleared from the previous course, but not too fast. Our server was simply outstanding. She explained the dishes very well, made suggestions, and answered our numerous questions. She was very knowledgable about beer and wine too. One of my friends raved about the balsamic sorbet served with the second course and the waitress took notice. Just before our first dessert course arrived she brought out a small plate with another quenelle of the tasty sorbet for her; a nice thoughtful touch.
As much as I enjoy wine I have always been more of a craft beer guy. I was really in a mood for beer and unlike so many upscale restaurants, Graham Elliot really has an impressive beer list (they also have all of Sprecher’s sodas too). The waitress provided some guidance on the upcoming courses and recommended beers to try as we went along. An Allagash White Ale (Portland, Maine) was a refreshing drink that paired nicely with the lighter first course dishes. As the menu progressed I had a slightly hoppy Mendocino Red Tail Ale which was great with dishes like the Halibut and Sweetbreads. Moving on to the richer dishes like the Bison Skirt Steak and Tamarind Lacquered Duck, I took my server’s advice and had a black ale (I cannot recall what kind it was though). Along with dessert I switched gears and had nice glass of Madeira wine. The list of dessert wines is not online either so I don’t know what kind it was but it was great. Not too sweet and sort of nutty in taste, it was great with the chocolate dessert.
My only regret about this meal was that I didn’t try the ”foilipops,” Bowles’ signature appetizer of foie gras lolipops coated with pop rocks. I am not sure why I didn’t order them but I am certain I will return to Graham Elliot and I’ll definitely try them then.
Graham Elliott is located at located at 217 W. Huron Street in Chicago’s River North neighborhood. Phone: 312-624-9975 Web: http://www.grahamelliot.com/
The Kohler Food & Wine Experience truly offers something for every taste and every budget. The wide range of events – with dozens of complimentary offerings and some ticketed events starting at just $15 – offer endless options as people look for more value out of their entertainment dollars.
We’re only a few days away from kicking off of the Food & Wine Experience, which runs October 22-25, and wanted to share a final update with you about the sumptuous samples and tantalizing tastings available at dozens of complimentary events throughout the weekend. A few examples include:
- Grocer Vendor Fair at Woodlake Market
- Tastings, specials, trunk shows, drawings and events at The Shops at Woodlake
- Chef demonstrations and samplings at the Kohler Design Center (guests can enter to win The Kitchens of Kohler chef-inspired Kohler STAGES Sink and two Karbon faucets prize package)
- Gourmet Marketplace at The American Club
For a full list of complimentary events by date, please visit http://www.destinationkohler.com/village/shops_woodlake/food_wine_comp_events.html. For the full schedule of events and ticket availability, please visit www.kohlerfoodandwine.net or call 800-344-2838.
Oilerie
As usual, one of my favorite stops in Door County even though they opened one in Brookfield. I picked up some Spicy Italian Extra Virgin Olive Oil and some Fig Balsamic. I also grabbed some of that excellent Curt’s queso dip and chips and a pack of mixed lentils. I’ll still lodge my only complaint about the place; why don’t you offer half bottles? You’d probably increase your overall sales by 25 percent. I’ll always buy regular olive oil and 25 year old balsamic in the large bottles but I’ll likely never buy an entire large bottle of something like truffle olive oil or blood orange olive oil because I know I’ll never use that much before it goes bad. I probably would have bought at least two ½ bottles, probably more, in addition to the two large bottles.
VonStiehl Winery
After last year’s disappointing visit to Stone’s Throw Winery I was assured by the owner that they were going to change how they did their tastings. I really wanted to go back and give them another chance because of the great time we had on our initial visit. Unfortunately it wasn’t in the cards on this trip. Instead we ended up stopping at Von Stiehl winery in Algoma on the way up to Door County, and I am glad we did. They offered a tour/tasting for $3.75 which included tastings of several of their wines (I think I tried 6 of them, maybe more).
The tour guide was very enthusiastic even though we were the only people on the tour. It was very in-depth and they’ll tell you just about anything you want to know about Von Stiehl or winemaking in general. She even told us a great deal about the City of Algoma, which made us want to come up and spend more time in this small town on the shores of Lake Michigan.
After the tour it was on to the tasting room. I honestly liked almost every wine I tried. Some of the real highlights were the Cabernet Sauvignon, The Naughty Girl (a nice, well balanced red), an excellent sparkling Muscat, and a delicious and addictive Raspberry Framboise. We bought one bottle of each of these.
Von Stiehl Winery is located at 115 Navarino Street Algoma, WI 54201 (920) 487-5208 or 1-800-955-5208 e-mail at: vonstiehl@vonstiehl.com and on the web at http://www.vonstiehl.com/ . Tours are offered May through October.
Farm Stand in Carlsville
Across the street from Bistro 42 (review here) and the Door Peninsula Winery is a small farmstand that I wished I had gotten the name of. We picked up some Door County Cherries and Blueberries, some of which went into making this easy and delicious grilled dessert. However the highlight were fresh Door County peaches. Hands down the best peach I have ever eaten. Perfectly ripe and dripping with juice, and bursting with pure peach flavor.
I was kind of nervous when we walked into Bistro 42, a restaurant attached to the Door Peninsula Winery in Carlsville, WI because there was nobody at the bar and the dining room was virtually empty. I think there were two other tables occupied in the large, impressively decorated dining room. Then again it was a Thursday night and it was getting late so we decided to try it and boy am I glad we did.
I can rarely resist baked French Onion Soup when I see it on the menu and Bistro 42 was no exception. The soup was very good but noting set it apart from other good French Onion soups. If you are a fan, you’ll enjoy it as much as I did. Moving on to entrees, I had the Pecan Encrusted Walleye with local sweet corn cakes and cherry tomatoes. The Walleye, one of my favorite fish for as long as I can remember, was perfectly cooked with a killer crust of pecans, adding a nice nutty taste and some crunchy texture to the flaky fish. Two corn cakes (think pancakes but made with corn) sat underneath. The cakes were nice and moist and the inclusion of kernels of corn ensured that each bite was bursting with corn flavor. They provided a nice soft texture in contrast to the crunchy pecan breading. The tomatoes were tasty but really didn’t tie into the dish at all, they were just kind of there. A sauce of honey and creme fraiche tied the dish together. My wife had the Mushroom & Cheese Stuffed Ravioli. The menu said they were made from scratch and there was little doubt once the pile of irregular shaped ravioli arrived at our table. They had a great earthy mushroom taste and I liked that the mushrooms were left in small chunks, adding a nice texture to the creamy cheese inside.
The wine pours were among the most generous I have seen anywhere. What you get in one glass here is about double the standard pour at most restaurants. I had a glass of Door Peninsula Select Series Pinot Noir. While it wasn’t the best Pinot I have tried (it was a little acidic for my liking) it paired well with my French Onion Soup and didn’t overpower my Walleye dish.
Service was attentive and fast (though it was dead in there so I don’t know how they are during busier times). At first the waitress seemed to be going through the motions with no enthusiasm but she kind of warmed up and became talkative as our dinner went on, which had me relieved. Bistro 42 is a nice restaurant serving some great food in a warm and inviting atmosphere and I’d recommend it to anyone looking for something different while visiting Door County.
Bistro 42 is located at 5806 Hwy 42 (intersection of Hwy 42 & I) in Carlsville, WI 54235. Phone: (920) 743-wine (9463), web: http://www.bistrofortytwo.com/
