Archive for June, 2013

Which Wich

Sunday, June 9th, 2013

I was so pleasantly surprised by my first meal at Which Wich, located in Middleton between Abuelo’s and Ruth’s Chris, that I went there two more times in that same week. If you like having it your way, this is the place to go, as you can customize every aspect of the more than 50 subs on the menu.

When you walk in, you’ll see a huge board that displays all the choices. You grab a brown bag that corresponds to the sandwich type (e.g. beef, chicken, etc.), then mark up the bag with your preferences, such as size (7″ is $5.25, 10″ is $7.25, 14″ is $9.25), bread type and of course, toppings.

I thought the BBQ Pork and Slaw was fantastic. The pork itself was flavorful (I look forward to eating it again in the Cuban on a future visit), and I liked the mildly sweet sauce. I added crispy onion strings, but they got too soggy in the sauce (rookie mistake by me).

The gyro also was a delight, especially the tzatziki sauce. However, it just wasn’t the same having it on sub bread instead of pita bread. On the other hand, I still enjoyed the No Rye Reuben, despite getting it on wheat bread. That’s because the corned beef was perfectly tender, and the added jalapenos gave it a nice kick.

If you want to go carb free, you can order any sub as a salad with iceberg lettuce or spinach. In retrospect, I should have ordered a chicken dish, such as Chicken Pesto, but instead I ordered the Grinder (salami, pepperoni and capicola). It was okay, but the entire time I was eating it I kept thinking, this would be better as an Italian sub.

Other sub types include vegetarian, breakfast (served all day) and Kidswich (e.g. PBJ, grilled cheese, etc.).

Which Wich is open every day for lunch, dinner and carryout.

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Bars at Dragon I, Osaka House

Sunday, June 2nd, 2013

Just a block from one another on State Street, Dragon I and Osaka House each offer two different experiences, depending on what time of day you arrive.

Both offer lunch and dinner during the day. Dragon I is a sister restaurant to Nam’s Noodle and offers mainly Vietnamese dishes, while Osaka House serves Japanese primarily through carryout and delivery, since its capacity is only 19.

By night, however, both become popular bars. Like Nam’s Noodle, Dragon I offers private karaoke rooms, which are located upstairs. From Sunday through Wednesday, the hourly rental fee is $25 before 9 p.m. and $30 after; Thursday through Saturday is $30/$35. The rooms come in various sizes to accommodate different-sized groups. You get unlimited songs–Korean, Japanese, Vietnamese and American–during the time in your room. If you like karaoke, you’ll love this experience, especially since it’s among your close friends, meaning you can pick songs you wouldn’t have the courage to do otherwise.

I have read how bad the service is during dining hours at Dragon I, and I see that it’s just as bad at night. A staff member may occasionally stop by to see if you need more drinks, but you’ll likely have to go all the way downstairs to order. Plus, no one seems to know how to make any of the featured cocktails And while the rooms are mostly soundproof, you can hear other singers through the vents.

From singing we go to dancing at Osaka House. The entrance to the bar is on Gilman Street, not State Street, which sort of gives you the feeling you’re going to a secret club. I’ve heard it called the “sake lounge,” but the manager told me it really has no name.

Inside you’ll find just a handful of bar stools, a nightly DJ and a small dance floor. From 9-10:30 p.m. the place is dead, but then suddenly the entire place reaches its 49-person capacity, and a line quickly forms to get in. Not surprisingly, it’s mostly a college-aged crowd, and even the drinks are aimed at them (shot menu includes Patron, Jose Cuervo, SoCo and Absolut–totally for students who don’t know any better).

    Madison Symphony Orchestra Urban Air

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