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Ishnala Supper Club

Sunday, May 27th, 2012

I always consider Memorial Day weekend the unofficial start of summer. If you’re traveling to Wisconsin Dells, I’d recommend having dinner at Ishnala Supper Club, which is open each season from May-October.

This 59-year-old establishment sits on the serene Mirror Lake, and the big windows let diners enjoy the view. With all the surrounding woods, you may feel like you’re in Northern Wisconsin. In fact, the secluded feel was part of the reason a portion of “Public Enemies” was shot on location here.

When you arrive, have a drink at the Arrowhead Bar, named after its shape. (I think it would have been nice to have high-top tables on the perimeter of the bar room, but alas, the area is too narrow.) There are plenty of specialty cocktails to try, including the Chief Ishnala, which includes vodka, rum and tequila.

Surprisingly, this supper club doesn’t have Friday fish fry. If you crave seafood, you’ll have to choose among five entrees, including the North Atlantic salmon ($28), made tender and flaky but needing a bit of salt.

Prime rib ($33 for 16 oz., $28 for 10 oz.), a feature of most supper clubs’ Saturday specials, is actually available every day at Ishnala. The meat was roasted perfectly, though the flavor had to be enhanced with the au jus. I combined the prime rib with the delicious butterflied prawns for $34.

Other items on the menu include the bone-in ribeye ($38), the roast Wisconsin duck ($27) and the chicken Oscar ($29).

During the season, Ishnala is open every day for dinner. The nearest “landmark” is Tanger Outlets; from there, it’s just a short drive through some winding roads.

Tags: supper club, Wisconsin Dells
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Dim sum at Hong Kong Cafe

Sunday, May 20th, 2012

Every now and then when I’m in a big city with a Chinatown, I’ll look for a dim sum restaurant. I love seeing the cart of small plates wheeled around; all you have to do is point at what you want, and the server places it on your table immediately.

We don’t have that kind of service in Madison, but Hong Kong Cafe is a good substitute. On weekends when dim sum is served, you get a picture menu to aid you in your selection process. I’ve been here enough times that I have usually have my base items, followed by whatever I’m in the mood for.

Those base items include the fried turnip cake, which is my absolute favorite. There are small pieces of pork inside to add to the flavor, though newbies may want to add soy sauce until you’re used to the taste. I usually also get the shu mai (big portions here) and the steamed pork buns (not homemade, but tasty nonetheless).

Items I order on a rotational basis are the fried sticks (almost like a churro without the sugar), the congee (a soupy rice with either chicken, pork or beef), the dumplings (steamed or fried), the shrimp-stuffed tofu (good, though I don’t care much for the chopped water chestnuts) and the hot and sour soup.

Other items include the won ton soup, shrimp dumplings, cold noodles and fried taro.

Serving sizes are meant for 2-4, though with certain dishes, like the two-portion pork buns, you’ll have to order a second plate. Depending how hungry you are, five or so plates should feed two people. Dishes are brought out the moment they’re ready, and I like that feeling of knowing another plate is coming soon.

Tags: dim sum, downtown
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Papa Bear’s BBQ

Sunday, May 13th, 2012

Although I usually write about new restaurants, I wanted to give a shout-out to the oft-overlooked Papa Bear’s BBQ, which resides in a small strip mall on Cottage Grove Road. Madisonians tend to think of places like Smoky Jon’s when asked about barbecue joints, and that’s a shame because they’re missing a gem in Papa Bear’s.

It starts with the ribs. I ordered the full slab ($19 for the meal), which is served with the individual ribs pre-cut. The meat is extremely tender and there’s just the right amount of Papa Bear’s homemade BBQ sauce to enhance the flavor. In my opinion, that sauce is better than anything found at Smoky Jon’s, Fat Jack’s, Famous Dave’s or Brickhouse BBQ.

I also loved the corned beef brisket ($7.25 for small; $10 for large). The thin-sliced corned beef (misspelled as “corn beef” on the menu) works well outside its usual home inside two slices of rye bread, though I was tempted to stuff some inside the biscuit.

The flavorful pork shoulder ($6.95 for small; $9 for large) was sliced instead of shredded and again served on its own. There was just the right amount of fat on each slice, though that may be a turn-off to some people. I combined bites with the creamy cole slaw, which I also enjoyed. All meals are served with a biscuit and two sides.

My only disappointment was the hot links ($5.25 in a sandwich), not because they weren’t tasty but because they weren’t really that spicy hot. Other items on the menu include smoked chicken ($8.25), oven-fried chicken ($8.25) and the Papa Bear Burger ($5).

Papa Bear’s BBQ is open Monday-Saturday for lunch and dinner. While there is space inside to dine-in, I would recommend calling ahead and carrying out.