Craving a fish boil? Have a hankering for some lamb? The new Buck & Badger, which took over for the space once occupied by Ian’s Pizza last November, is your destination for northern comfort foods.
Among the animals I ate in my visits to this lodge-like restaurant were duck, boar and bison. First, though, I want to talk about my surprise favorite, the beer brat corn dogs ($8.95). The brats were juicy, the breading was the right thickness and you get three tasty mustard sauces for dipping.
I did like the pan seared duck breast ($15.95), despite the pitifully small portions. I didn’t care for either of the sides, as both the sweet potato gratin and the carrots were under-cooked.
I can’t remember the last time I had boar, but I’m sure it had more flavor than the bland boar burger ($9.95, no sides). What saved this sandwich was the tasty boar bacon and the Gruyere cheese. I ordered the burger medium but got it rare.
The buffalo pot pie ($14.95) is worth ordering again. It contains a hearty amount of stew meat, mushrooms and potatoes, and the flaky puff pastry has a buttery goodness (though you have to use a knife to cut it). For the less adventurous eaters, Buck & Badger has five different salads on the menu.
I should stress that although there is a bar (it’s where you used to choose your slice of pizza at Ian’s), it’s primarily a restaurant. That’s because the bar area is really small, has no atmosphere and the owners want you to go to another one of their establishments, the Ivory Room, after your dinner (show your receipt for free cover). Plus, there are no drink specials here.
Buck & Badger is open every day for lunch, dinner and carryout.
I was actually happy to see The Continental close this past summer. In its final months, the service had greatly deteriorated, and I was never impressed by the menu. The succeeding establishment is 
There are numerous small plates on the menu, though I’m not sure how many you can order since they cost as much as $24 each. One that wasn’t satisfying was the bulgogi-style Grilled Short Ribs ($12), as there was barely any meat on the endless bones. Another was Rose Marie’s Original Spiedini ($14). The four tiny rolls of breaded sirloin and two pieces of mozzarella–while all very tasty–should have been half the price.
