Joey Gerard's - Another Bartolotta Experience

We went to the soft opening of Joey Gerard's in Greenfield on 5601 Broad Street.  To the Joey Gerard's Website.  It is the new Bartolotta's restaurant which is supposed to be more affordable and based on the old Supper Clubs that used to be all over Milwaukee.  They really went all out, the decor and the food, even the staff was wearing the traditional butcher type jackets.  It was a lot of fun.  Keep in mind that this was the soft opening, it was also day 1 (of 2) of the soft opening so they certainly have some kinks to work out and they will work them out, I am sure of that.  You walk in the front door directly to the bar which is totally modern.  Comfy seats, corner booths, dark woods and mood lighting.  Once we were greeted by the wonderfully eccentric and friendly hostess she took us straight to our booth in 1 of 3 dining rooms (this place was HUGE).  The carpets were fabulous, brought me back to Las Vegas with the palm leaf design.  I wanted to take a picture but I felt incredibly silly taking pictures of the carpet at a restaurant, especially with the Bartolotta's big shots wandering around.  The dining room we sat in had fabulous lamps and hanging lights and the chairs and booths were very cool.  My husband thought the booths needed to be broken in a little, but for all we know we were the first to sit in a newly upholstered booth.  The table we had was quite wobbly too.  We were in one of those 'U' booths and the table is quite long.  An easy fix I'm sure. We sat down and were given our menus and some comment/suggestion cards to fill out as our night progressed.  One of the members of our party is a vegetarian and was struggling to find any vegetarian options.  The three of us on the other hand are meat lovers and were in heaven at all the options.  We accidentally ended up ordering the same main course, all 3 of us.... whoops!  We got Filets cooked medium.

I got a Baked French Onion Soup for an appetizer and Macaroni and Cheese for my side.  It wasn't my favorite soup, I actually probably won't order it again, I'll definitely go with a salad next time.  I didn't like the crouton and though the flavor had too much sweetness or citrus-y flavor. 

My steak was over cooked, my husband and sister-in-laws steaks were also over cooked.  This information went directly on our comment cards.  Despite it being cooked more medium well to well than medium the meat still had a lot of good flavor.  It had just the right amount of char on it and I got mine with a cracked pepper brandy sauce with was delicious.  Seriously I would have spooned it into my mouth if that wasn't completely inappropriate. The macaroni and cheese side was also amazing.  It was made with traditional elbow noodles, topped with a panko seasoning mix and was perfectly cheesy.  It wasn't too think or too soupy you know, it was perfect!  Believe me, I know cheese.  My brother-in-law, the vegetarian also ordered the macaroni and cheese and he also ordered french fries, both of which were served cold.  He picked at it but said it was too cold to even enjoy.  Amanda, my sister-in-law got a Red Snapper Soup and said it was amazing!

 Aaron ordered french fries with his steak and also said they were cold.  After dinner we ordered french silk pie and shaum torte.  The french silk pie was pretty basic but was comforting.  Good crust and smooth texture.  The shaum torte was also comforting, just like I remembered it.  They garnished both with strawberries and we weren't disappointed with either dessert. To top off our night we ordered two adult ice cream drinks.  I can't remember the names, but if you head there I recommend them!  Ours tasted like tiramisu!   Bartolotta's holds itself to a very high standard and all these bugs, big and small with be fixed before the opening.  All in all we liked it.  I know the fact that they cooked our steaks too far seems like a major problem but they did have amazing flavor and as far as the food that came out too cold that is an easy fix.  The staff was great, very friendly and incredibly excited to open.  The drinks were very fairly priced and the food is more affordable than at other Bartolotta restaurants.  Aaron and I both can't wait to come back with Amanda and Jon.  We plan to sit in the bar next time because the atmosphere there was just so cool and comfortable.

P.S. The drinks were flowing.

Homemade Beef Jerky

Aaron and I have had an ongoing love affair with beef jerky.  It is quite expensive to buy from the store and we had been talking for weeks and weeks about making it ourselves.  Then miraculously early this summer we acquired my moms old dehydrator (which she acquired from her mother, its quite old).  We dehydrated all sorts of fruits and fruit spreads and decided to just go for it with the beef jerky. 

We went to a local butcher and got 3 lbs of eye of round and had the butcher slice it REALLY thin.  The butcher should know how thin when you tell them its for beef jerky.  When we were at the local butcher we also bought a starter "Jerky Making Kit" that contained a few varieties of seasoning and Cure. For our first batch we decided the starter was the way to go.  This beef wasn't cheap and we weren't trying to waste it all trying to make our own Cure or ruining the seasoning etc. 


So the first thing we did when we got home was separate the meat into two sections to make two different flavors.  We made a cracked pepper and garlic batch and a mesquite bbq batch. We mixed the beef in the cure and seasoning mixture along with a little bit of water and let it marinade over night in the refridgerator.  Then, quite simply in the morning we loaded it onto the trays and rotated the trays every hour or so and we'd also flip the beef on the top tray after each rotation. It will take about 4-6 hours depending on the dehydrator and the thickness of the beef.  Also it will depend on how tough or chewy you like it. 










We ended up with some fantastic jerky.  Next time we hope to weight it before and after so we know what we're yielding as far as price per pound of jerky and also I wasn't huge on the flavors and I like the 'original' flavored jerky and want to try a batch without any seasonings.  I know there are methods of doing this without a dehydrator so if you don't have one and try making your own beef jerky let me know how it works.

Chili

I know its summer, but its been an incredibly, unbearably hot summer and when it finally 'cooled' down to a mere 75 degrees I was totally ready for chili.  I particularly like chili because its so versatile.  Add or subtract whatever you'd like, make it your own!  Here is my basic chili recipe for four people, or two people with left overs for tomorrow!

Ingredients:
1 lb. cooked ground beef
1 medium red pepper
1 medium green pepper
1 small to medium onion
15 fl ounces tomato sauce
15 fl ounces water
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. cumin
1 beef bouillon cube
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper (I always add more)
2 heaping tbsp. chili powder
1 tsp. salt and pepper
pinch of garlic
diced dried jalapenos to taste




I start by browning the meat in a large, deep pot.  The pot should be big enough to hold all the ingredients.  While the meat is browning I chop up the vegetables, red and green peppers and onions.  I like to chop my veggies large but do what you like.  Once the meat is browned add the veggies, I do it this way so that I don't have to drain the beef and can cook the veggies in the meat fat.  After the veggies get a good start in the fat I add the tomato sauce and water and mix it up.  Then I simply add all the spices at once, stir it, cover it, bring it to a boil and then simmer on low for 2 hours or more.  We like ours spicy so I always add more red pepper and jalapenos.  The longer it simmers the more flavor and spice it gets. 

A few side notes: We cook the noodles separately and store them separately from our chili in the fridge just so they don't get too soggy (and also frying up left over noodles the next day with a little butter, parmesan and pepper is delicious).

Wisconsin State Fair 2012

State Fair in Wisconsin is all about Beer, Cheese and deep frying things, like beer and cheese... I really do love it here!  Aaron and I head to the fair to eat, people watch and eat.  And we are not alone.  They have something called "Crazy Grazin Day" which is awesome.  They will have a large group of vendors pick an item or two to feature on their menu at a reduced price.  It really is a great way to sample the fair food for a little cheaper.  They had everything this year ranging from 4 pieces of chocolate covered licorice for $1.00 to Spaghetti and Meatballs on a stick for $2.75 or even a fresh lemonade for $3.00. 

Unfortunately Aaron and I did not make it on Grazin Day. We did not leave hungry though.  We started off the fair this year the same way we do every year, with cheese curds. They are battered and fried and served hot and fresh.  I don't know if it is white cheddar cheese or if its mozzarella cheese but they are fantastic.




 It was a little warm this day at the fair so with cheese curds in hand we headed to get a root beer and walk the Expo Center.  This year at the fair they decided to rent little motorized scooters to people which was just great for people watching.  While walking the Expo center we hit up our favorite beef jerky stand where we got a stick of mild buffalo jerky and just minutes before Aaron grabbed a GIANT pickle from a similar stand (side note, I HATE pickels). 







After exiting the expo we made our way to the Wisconsin Products Pavilion with a quick stop at the Roasted Corn stand where Aaron enjoyed an amazing ear of corn!! Once in the Products Pavilion we had a baked potato loaded with butter, cheese, sour cream and bacon bits.  After that we needed something sweet so I got an Apple Doughnut and Aaron got an Apple Cider.  The apple doughnuts are very cake-y and rolled in cinnamon sugar.  Reminds me of fall at an apple farm in Wisconsin which makes me sooo excited for the summer to wind down!  It was a nice break from all the fried, cheesy food we ate thus far! With our apple products in hand we headed to the Coliseum to enjoy the Donkey Hitches.  This was a first for the Fair this year and I'm not so sure it will be coming back.  We didn't stay to long and continued the food journey.



We got a pork chop sandwich from the PORK stand which is always amazing.  The pork was so juicy!!  We headed out for dessert after that where I enjoyed a deep fried peanut butter and jelly on a stick which is simply a deed fried uncrustable.  It is something I look forward to every year!  Aaron got his yearly cream puff which is a HUGE fair staple for many.  The cream filling is so wonderful!  The last thing we hit up was the milk stand.  Like 6 or 8 oz of flavored milk for only 25 cents!!!  There was Strawberry, Chocolate, Vanilla, Maple.... maybe Banana idk lots off good stuff!  At least we got our exercise in that day with all the fair walking!!  If you're in town or close to town next year hit up the Wisconsin State Fair 2013 August 1st-11th!

The Bartolottas Experience - Ristorante Bartolotta's

**Disclaimer**
 The food here is so good we could not control ourselves.  The food was eaten before I could even get my camera out to snap a few shots.  Poor self control :)

Ristorante Bartolotta's located at 7616 West State Street in Wauwatosa, WI.  My home town.  We come here time and time again and are NEVER disappointed.  The service, food and ambiance is consistently spectacular.  This is a small restaurant nestled in The Village of Wauwatosa, it probably only seats around 50 people at a time.  It's definitely an upscale establishment... fancy clothes, high prices sorta thing but you pay for what you get.  They have a set menu but there is a Chefs Seasonal menu that changes seasonally (obviously).  Some of the seasonal menus we've come across are truffle season and heirloom tomato season.  They always have wine pairings to go along with any menu item and though I'm not such a professional wine drinking that I focus on a wine pairing (I'm more of a drink what I like wine drinker), but I hear its always spot on.  We always start our evening off with the "Affettato Mitso di Prosciutto e Salumi alla Emiliana", basically a fantastic cured meat platter with little fried cheese balls.  Just amazing.  Seeing as we were celebrating my new job (and being with a manager of another Bartolotta's restaurant, Amanda) they also provided our table with a complimentary "Cozze alla Zafferano", Mussels in a creamy, tomato-y, wine sauce.  Aaron and I both don't like any seafood but Amanda enjoyed it. 


Now, the best part.  Our main entrees.  I went with my all time favorite, the thing I dream about and crave every time I pass the restaurant, "Pappardelle al Ragu d'Anatra".  It's homemade ribbon pasta, which is just to die for, topped with braised duck ragu.  Fantastic.  It is creamy and rich and the duck is sensational.  The pasta is almost 1.5" wide, the perfect thickness and wonderfully long. I always tell myself I'm going to get the smaller portion but the second I see one of the waitstaff walking out with a plate of it I know I'm getting the dinner portion.



Aaron always goes for the "Filetto di Manzo alla Perla Nera di Norcia".  A hand cut filet with carrots, on top of pureed potatoes and topped with a truffel sauce.  It is Aarons favorite steak in the state and to be honest he says its the best steak he's EVER eaten.  Cooked to perfection... its not too charred and it's so tender you don't need a knife to cut through the 3" thick filet.  It melts in your mouth and when partnered with the truffle sauce its just fantastic.

We finished our food adventure off with dessert.  3 desserts to be exact.  The first a trio of homemade gelato.  The flavors were a chocolate flavored latte, coconut and raspberry.  We also got tiramisu which was ridiculously rich and a Carmel and Sea Salt pudding topped with a thin layer of chocolate and homemade whipped cream.  The last is my favorite.  By far.  The mix of the sweet and salty is perfect and homemade whipped cream is soo good.
 

Here's the link to their website: Ristorante Bartolotta
   I promise that the next time we go, one of us will get something new off the menu to share with you as long as the next time you have something to celebrate you promise to head to Ristorante Bartolotta.  You will not be disappointed. Mangi!

Happy Graduation!

                                   

After a long 8 years in college changing majors and switching colleges I FINALLY graduated in May of 2012.  I am now a Registered Dental Hygienist looking for a job.  So in honor of that Aaron took me and a close classmate of mine out for a fancy dinner to celebrate graduating.  We went to Carnevor which is located at 724 N. Milwaukee Street in Milwaukee.  You almost always need a reservation here and like I said, its pretty fancy.   The wait staff is very attentive and are always filling your water and if you leave the table they refold your napkins, all that fancy stuff.  The decor is also very modern.  I thought it was a little loud and also a little too dark.  We ordered a bottle of Riesling, J.J. Mueller a 2010 from Germany.  It was DELICIOUS.  Crisp and sweet.  Aaron ordered a glass of Bells Oberon, one of his new favorite beers.  Hopefully I can convince Aaron to give me a little more info on his favorite beers at some point in the future.  They start the table off with a mini loaf of bread and some garlic herbed butter which was quite good.  Aaron and I got a salad.  I got a Caesar which was good, I opted for no Anchovies and Aaron got a Wedge Salad, chopped up and topped with Nueskes Bacon (more on Nueskes later). Aaron said his was very fresh, good cheese and bacon which is really the most important part.  Enough about the salads.... They have 2 different cuts of meat, Prime Cuts and Reserve Cuts.  I am always completely satisfied with the Prime Cut and Aaron did get a Reserve Cut one time and couldn't tell a difference.  All 3 of us got a Filet, which is my all time favorite cut of meat.  I order my steaks medium, so does Aaron.  My friend Amanda ordered hers medium well and they butterfly it for her so that it doesn't get too charred.  Aaron got a bone in Filet and didn't realize just how much more undone the meat gets towards the bone.  It ended up being a bit too uncooked for his liking but he got to finish my steak so he wasn't completely unsatisfied.  Amanda and I thought the steaks were delicious.  I had a garlic herb butter melted on top of my steak which made it even juicier! The sides on the other hand weren't all that great.  We had an order of Asparagus that was far too over cooked, a side of mini twice baked potatoes which I didn't like because they seemed almost too sweet, but Aaron and Amanda did enjoy them.  There was also a side order of Steak Fries which were just OK.  They were very crispy and seasoned. Really this place is all about the Steak (and seafood, which neither I nor Aaron eat).  To finish it all off we got an order of Doughnuts which the waiter included for free since we we're celebrating (thanks!).  The Doughnuts were balls of fried dough served with a chocolate sauce, vanilla cream sauce and a seasonal berry sauce.  YUM. 

Best Pizza In The City

This kind of restaurant is why I wanted to start a blog.  Its not a chain, or owned by a famous athlete or downtown on Old World Third Street... it's a little family restaurant that probably hasn't changed in at least 30 years with a comfortable, friendly atmosphere where the staff knows us.  The restaurant is called Cataro's Italian Villa, its located at 5641 West Beloit Road in Milwaukee.  They must do a lot of business in take out because every time we're there on Friday or Saturday its not packed.  You can call them for carry out at 414-545-1520.  Now, to the good stuff!!  Our trip to Cataro's always starts with a LARGE glass of White Zinfandel for me and a Pepsi for Aaron.  Aaron always gets an Italian Salad and we share and order of garlic bread.  Aaron said the salad is "good, simple and effective"  he's really one for words, huh?  The garlic bread is smothered in garlic butter sauce and the bread has just the right amount of crunch.  Our pizza order never changes, large with pepperoni and sausage on the whole thing and add black olives to half (Aarons' half).  We get the large so we have leftovers for the next morning, only this time Aaron finished his whole half.  The pizza is amazing.  We're not sure where they get their sausage from but its wonderful.  The sauce isn't too sweet, which is the way I prefer it.  I think at Cataro's its all in the crust.  It's a thinner crust that has enough strength to hold a lot of toppings.  Just thinking about it makes me want to dig into my left overs!!  Like I've said before, I'm not a professional writer or a critic so you gotta try this one for yourself!  I've also heard raving reviews from my in-laws about the Spaghetti which is on special on Tuesdays and my brother orders a side of Meatballs which he thoroughly enjoys.  Please try it for yourself and let me know what you thought!!

Link to Cataro's Menu