Category: Eating Out

Weiners of Waterton – Waterton, AB

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So, I realize that not many people will get the chance to travel to the northern part of Glacier National Park and into Alberta, Canada, but when you have an amazing little restaurant like Weiners, you gotta write about it!  With a winter population of 50 and a summer population of 2,500 Waterton is a beautiful town tucked into the mountains in Waterton Lakes National Park just north of Glacier National Park in Montana.  There are plenty of hikes to take and sights to see – all of which require sustenance along the way.  Weiner’s is the place to find it!

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With a small, simple menu and quick service, this tiny restaurant has tons of combinations of all beef hot dogs or homemade sausages to fill the void left by 5 miles of hiking.  I love the hashmarks cut into either before they’re grilled to order.  Oh, did I mention they’re baking their buns fresh all day long??  From a tame dog with mustard or a loaded spicy sausage topped with kimchi and spicy mayo you’ll be hard-pressed to eat the same thing twice!  We tried all sorts of combinations and not a single disappointment was had.

With the weiner selection comes the option of fresh cut fries or sweet potato fries.  They’re hot, crispy and delicious – my uncle said they were the best sweet potato fries he’s ever had!  Again, there’s a great variety of sauces available for dipping – homemade ketchup, spicy mayo, curry…the choices are endless and awesome!  Do yourself a favor and order both and plenty of dipping sauces, it’s totally worth it.

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I’m impressed with the quality and service of this small place in Waterton.  They’re passionate about food, have great service and do everything right in my opinion.  You can eat at a few small counters looking out the windows or take a seat in the cool air on one of many picnic tables out front.  There’s always a fire burning and you’ll never tire of the view.  They’re still building out their web presence, but you can find them on Facebook and  also basic information on their website at weinersofwaterton.com.

Moose’s Saloon – Kalispell, MT

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On our recent trip to Montana, we made our first stop at Moose’s Saloon in Kalispell.  Recommended by a couple locals, this mainstay is a must-stop before traveling 30 miles to see the beauty of Glacier National Park.

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Now, you won’t find an ounce of refinement in this place, but that’s how the locals and visitors like it!  A dark loud place, the floors are covered in peanut shells and sawdust while the walls sport graffiti and license plates from the countless numbers that have walked through their doors.  There’s a great selection of beers ranging from your mainstays to local breweries – a lot of them!  Think Huckleberry Wheat or Hat Trick IPA, both were excellent!  And let me tell you, beer is cheap!!  Good thing though, because this is a cash-only establishment.  Get a glass or pitcher, find yourself a seat and crack some peanuts while you read the graffiti on the walls.

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You have to order your food at a window and it will be brought out to you, so there’s not really five-star service here.  What they do have though is pretty good pizza and basic sandwiches.  My roast beef and swiss was nothing special, but a good sandwich on fresh-baked bread.  The salads were good-sized and fresh too.  It was a great starting point for our big group to begin a 10-day wilderness adventure.

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If you get to Northwest Montana and want a true experience, I highly recommend it.  While it’s pretty loud and had a limited menu, the place was packed with families and softball teams so you know it’s definitely a favorite.  And although we won’t get back there often, it’s one of ours now too!

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Bakersfield – Cincinnati

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The Over-The-Rhine area of Cincinnati has been wonderfully developed over the last 5 years with a myriad of interesting shopping and food choices.  Chances are, if you’re looking for something in particular, it’s probably there!  Bakersfield was one of the early entrants in the OTR area and they have been wowing people with their Tacos, Tequila & Whiskey since they opened their doors.

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This location has a small patio out front with a large garage door that opens to the street.  The long narrow space provides plenty of seating, but I think we’d all be happier if there was more space in the bar.  The place is dark, loud and surprisingly comfortable.  This is not a spot for a quiet date, but perfect for lunch or dinner with a group of friends.  We started off with a cold beer from their moderate selection as well as a Spicy Margarita.  The latter will light you on fire, but I’d recommend a coupe of these mason jars of lightning to anyone stopping by!  The queso with chorizo was hot, spicy and gooey – the perfect accompaniment to the salty fresh chips.

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The menu has a great selection of appetizers, salads, tortas and tostadas, but they’re know for their tacos.  Order by the taco and sample several from their selection of 9 different varieties.  The food is simple, fresh and beautiful.  Our short rib, fish, steak and corn/blackbean tacos were all delicious!  I meant to try the pork belly, but couldn’t get past the first three I ordered.  I guess that’s a good excuse to stop back soon!

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While we’re proud of our Cincinnati gem, the owners have now opened five more locations in Columbus, Pittsburgh, Nashville, Indianapolis and Charlotte.  You can read all about them and view the menu at bakersfieldtacos.com.  You can also check out their feature from Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives here.  Take a look, stop on by and be sure to bring your big-boy pants to have a Spicy Margarita!

Milwaukee Public Market

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One of the best ways to get a true feel for the people and the food of any city is to visit the local market.  If they don’t have an historical market, most cities are working hard to establish new ones as a gathering place and showcase of the fine foods they have to offer – Milwaukee Public Market is one of the finest examples I’ve seen.  Located downtown, conveniently near plenty of parking and other shopping, they feature tons of vendors with prepared foods, delicious ingredients for your own cooking, on-site cooking classes and a full calendar of interesting events.  To give you an idea, in the 3 days we were in town, we visited this place 3 times!

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Looking for some great coffee and sweets?  Grab a fantastic pastry or cookie from C. Adams Bakery.  The selections are endless and beautiful!  You’re definitely going to want to accompany your selection(s) with a honey vanilla latte (iced or hot) from Anodyne Coffee.  They roast their own beans and have some really great drink options.  Right across the street, and with 5 more locations throughout the city, is Colectivo Coffee.  They are worth a stop as well with a great selection of house-roasted coffee drinks as well as pastries and sandwiches.

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Looking for some real food?  Check out Aladdin for delicious homemade hummus and other Middle Eastern delights.  The St. Paul Fish Company has lots of selections of fresh fish for you to take home, but there were a ton of people sitting at their counter with smoked salmon on a stick or having fresh oysters shucked right in front of them!  I had the breakfast tacos one day from Margarita Paradise and was blown away with the quality and freshness.  Finally, for a huge selection of meats, homemade sausage, fresh salads and an endless number of sandwiches and panini, check out Nehring’s Family Market.

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My only regret is that we didn’t have more days to explore and try more things at the Market!  I highly recommend checking it out for a quick meal or a day trip before shopping in the Historic Third Ward – you’ll be one very happy foodie if you do…

Distil – Milwaukee

On By greg@kandflivingIn Beer/Cocktails, Eating Out, Photo Gallery, UncategorizedLeave a comment

Our recent Milwaukee trip was full of adventures in sightseeing, music and food!  We definitely had a memorable stop at Distil.  A dark, comfortable restaurant with urban-classic decor wasn’t too busy or loud for cocktails and noshes on a Friday night out with friends.  If you’ve read some of my posts, you know I have an affinity for this type of craft American fare and distinctive drinks.  Distil did not disappoint!  The Rosa Umada was a fantastic experience/cocktail.  An old fashioned glass is sprayed with an aerosol of grain alcohol infused with clove and placed over a larger glass with smoking wood chips.  It’s brought to your table, the glass is removed to release the smoke and then a wonderful mix of bourbon, maple and vanilla is poured into it.  It’s a beautiful presentation and a fantastic twist on a classic bourbon cocktail.  I know I absolutely want to try making this at home – you can’t get enough of the smokey aroma!

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They have a great selection of small plates, we sampled the cheese board, charcuterie board and the steak tartare.  I’m sucker for these when they’re done well.  The boards looked gorgeous and were amply covered in a great selection of meats, cheese and accompaniments.  Whether is was the duck prosciutto with grain mustard, blue cheese with honeycomb and Marcona almonds or a cheddar, salami and raspberry stack they were all fresh and tasty!  The tartare had a nice texture, just enough capers and a creamy egg yolk.  The whipped bone marrow gave just enough fat and richness to set this apart from other preparations I’ve had.

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Overall, this was a really nice spot for small plates and cocktails.  I’d recommend it for a pre-dinner or pre-theater date night or happy hour.  Clinton Sterwald is an imaginative mixologist with a keen sense of aroma, taste and presentation.  The Apartment 137 is another must-try drink on their menu!  Give them a try for the best of Wisconsin’s small bites and cocktails.  You can check out their menu and story at distilmilwaukee.com.  Dig in!

Fifty West Brewing Co. – Cincinnati

On By greg@kandflivingIn Beer/Cocktails, Eating Out, Uncategorized1 Comment

It’s no secret that I, like most of America, love craft beer!  One of the gems in Cincinnati is Fifty West Brewing Co.  Located on the east side of the city, they have a wonderful selection of house brews and a good menu to match.  What I love most, is that they have a great variety beyond the typical IPA-heavy selections you see elsewhere.  Still, I started with the Petroglyph Pale Ale, which was aromatic, slightly hoppy and had a good bitter finish.  My wife went with the Fuzzy Feeling Golden Ale, a crisp fruity light beer with a good apricot flavor.  You could drink that one all day – it just tastes like summer!

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The atmosphere is warm and comfortable in the bar and the restaurant.  They also have patio space as well as a shuffleboard table room with additional bar seats.  We sat in the bar area and started with a couple of appetizers.  The Pretzels & Pimento Cheese are salty, warm and buttery.  The pimento cheese isn’t memorable, but it was definitely good.  We also tried the Cornmeal Crusted Goetta Balls.  For those that aren’t from here, goetta is a pork product made with spices and cut oats.  It’s served all different ways, but in this application it makes for a creamy “sausage-like” center in contrast to a crispy exterior.  Dipped in grain mustard, these were delicious, but really heavy – they could totally be an entree.

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We decided to split an entree and the Brontosaurus Beef Rib with Gouda Grits was really good.  This is a huge piece of slow-cooked meat with a great outside char.  Pull pieces of this rib away from the bone with just a fork and make sure you get some of the great Carolina-style BBQ sauce with each bite.  It was moist, smokey and was complimented really well by the creamy grits and crunchy cole slaw.  It’s a huge portion and I think you’d be hard-pressed to polish this thing off on your own.  It would be a lot of fun trying though!

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Overall, it was another excellent meal at one of our favorites.  The menu has a lot of great choices and I highly recommend the wings and the mussels – especially the mussels!!  Brewmaster Blake Horsburgh and Chef John Tomain will keep you coming back again and again for new beers and seasonal menus.  Check out their website fiftywestbrew.com and grab a growler at their location or one of the other outlets they distribute to around the city.  You will be as big a fan as I am!  Oh, I almost forgot to tell you to stop in for “Penny Tuesdays” when you flip for every beer and either pay full price or just a penny – either way, you’ll come out a winner…

Forno Osteria + Bar – Cincinnati

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Located just north of downtown Cincinnati in the Hyde Park area, Forno Osteria + Bar is a great find for refined, yet comfortable, Italian food.  The restaurant features a long curved bar and plenty of seating indoors and out in a rustic atmosphere with modern finishes.  It’s a beautiful place for an impromptu dinner or a special occasion.  Celebrating a birthday, we started with the Black Plum Fizz (plum shrub, St. Germain, prosecco) and a Limonata (blueberry-thyme syrup, vodka, comtratto bianco).  They were both refreshing and good examples of a small, but interesting cocktail menu.

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The menu has a good selection of modern Italian flair with starters, pastas, mains, sides and pizzas.  We always love a good meat and cheese starter and their Antipasto Italiano was perfect.  The house-made pickled vegetables gave the right amount of crunch and contrast to cut through the fatty deliciousness of the salumi and truffled mozzarella.  If you haven’t had a pickled caper berry before, you’re going to want to now!

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Although the entrees all looked amazing, we wanted to sample several things.  We settled on one of their signature pizzas made in a 900-degree oven.  Sausage and caramelized onion doesn’t sound like anything exciting, but I assure you it was!  The crust was perfect and crispy topped with a bright tomato sauce, mozzarella, house-made Italian sausage and caramelized onions.  It’s not your everyday pizza and it’s absolutely worth ordering!

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We had two sides that could have been my whole meal.  The Wild Mushroom and Mascarpone Risotto was rich, creamy and full of mushrooms.  It was earthy, perfectly al dente and a good portion for a side.  The Roman Style Artichokes were also worth ordering again.  Topped with prosciutto crudo and Italian parsley, we could have eaten multiple bowls of these!

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Our service was great – thanks Delia!  It’s not surprising that the owners of Via Vite, another one of my favorites in Cincinnati, have created this beautiful experience.  Chef Stefano Carne executed each dish perfectly and definitely has two new fans after last night!  Check out their menu at fornoosteriabar.com and make a reservation right away, you won’t be disappointed.

Love & Salt – Los Angeles

On By greg@kandflivingIn Beer/Cocktails, Eating Out, Uncategorized1 Comment

Big cities provide big opportunities for a great dining experience and Love & Salt in Manhattan Beach did not disappoint!  Located just blocks from the pier, it’s a small, warm and comfortable place for an easy dinner with friends or solo, as I was this week.  The atmosphere is California-cool with ample seating at tables, the bar and the kitchen bar.  I was early for dinner at 6:30, but the place was completely full an hour later.

The menu is a beautiful collection of Italian-inspired dishes with a California twist.  Choices include small plates, salads, meats, pasta and seafood.  It’s really well put together with just enough choices to appeal to a wide audience.  Of course I started with a cocktail and the dirty martini was nearly perfect, but for the absence of blue cheese-stuffed olives.

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Fresh ingredients are abundant on the menu.  I sampled the Fava Bean Toast made with whipped ricotta, preserved lemon and pecorino.  It’s beautiful, fresh and the perfect size starter for the evening.

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While the pizzas, meats and pastas all looked and sounded wonderful, I went to the lighter side with my entree and chose the Grilled Octopus.  Another work of art on the plate, it was slightly spicy and grilled to a perfect light char.  The dish also includes crispy potatoes, chorizo, salsa verde and a bit more preserved lemon.  I can’t tell you enough how good this was!  I am definitely going to have to try my hand at making my own preserved lemons.

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The prices were reasonable and the service was friendly and timely.  Chef Michael Fiorelli has a deft hand with local ingredients, flavor combinations and an interesting menu.  I would absolutely recommend this place for your next trip near LA/Manhattan Beach.  You can find out more on their website loveandsaltla.com.

Sable Kitchen & Bar – Chicago

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If you’re looking for inspired craft cocktails and delicious small and medium plates, I have a place for you!  On my trip to Chicago last week I had a chance to eat at Sable Kitchen & Bar after a few cocktails at The Berkshire Room.  I figured after a few great bourbons, I was going to need to follow up with the same caliber of cocktails.  Thankfully, Sable is just a block and a half away.  The cocktail menu here is vast, creative and intriguing.  Think of your favorite bourbon or gin elevated with combinations of ingredients like tarragon syrup, cola bitters, cinnamon-infused pear brandy and caraway liqueur.  I loved the Wheatley Convention Center, a blend of Buffalo Trace bourbon, averna (an Italian citrus liqueur), vanilla, Lemon Wetherby’s cola bitters and angostura bitters – smooth and sweet with a brightness from the citrus.

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I love the food menu here as well.  Executive Chef Lawrence Latrero knows what he’s doing in this kitchen!  There are a handful of selections in each category of snacks, seafood, meats and veggies.  The lobster rangoon were perfectly crisp outside and creamy inside.  We also really enjoyed the flatbread with asparagus, mushroom and truffle, but anything with truffles is a no-brainer for me.  Being a meat-lover I really appreciated the Wagyu beef sliders.  Tomato jam, garlic aioli, cheddar and a quail egg make these anything other than your typical slider.  They were so good that we ordered two and had to order two more right away!

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If you save yourself any room, I would highly suggest the churro ice cream sandwich with brandied apples – whoa!!

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Honestly, you can do no wrong here.  Everything was well-executed and definitely has me ready to come back to try more!  If you’re in Chicago, get to River North and check them out.  Detailed info and menus can be found on their website sablechicago.com.

The Berkshire Room – Chicago

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I travel to Chicago for business – a lot.  Needless to say, there’s no shortage of fantastic places for dinner and drinks.  Sometimes though, you need somewhere a little less busy and a little less pretentious to enjoy a craft cocktail and nosh a few snacks to unwind.  I found the perfect place a few years ago in The Berkshire Room and have made it a regular stop ever since.

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Located in the River North area just around the intersection of Ohio and State (that alone should indicate it’s awesomeness) this small lounge is on the first floor of the ACME Hotel.  The interior is just dark enough and is a great mix of Prohibition-cool and modern style.  There’s a decent selection of beers and ample wine choices, but this is a cocktail lounge.  They are true mixologists here creating interesting craft cocktails with a selection of bourbons, gins and liqueurs.  Think Willy Wonka with booze to get an accurate picture here.  This week I stuck with a simple Bulleit Rye Old Fashioned – OK, maybe two!

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There’s a limited selection of small plates and desserts for accompanying your drinks, but the true gems are the cocktails.  Try the “Dealers Choice” – you pick the liquor, the flavor profile (sweet, savory, herbaceous, etc.) and the glassware and the mixologist creates something on a whim for you.  Great for happy hour or after dinner, I can’t tell you enough how much I love this place!  Check them out at theberkshireroom.com.