The Madison Blind somehow survived two years on the top floor of the Graduate Hotel despite seemingly little dining traffic. Its replacement, Camp Trippalindee, is basically a do-over, with a completely different interior and a more down-to-earth menu. (more…)
Posts Tagged ‘downtown’
Camp Trippalindee
Sunday, January 7th, 2018Zandru’s Tapas Bar & Restaurant
Sunday, November 26th, 2017
The food at Zandru’s Tapas Bar & Restaurant is good enough that I would order it for take-out, but it’s not good enough that I would dine in again.
When you first walk in, you’ll notice right away how much space is wasted. There’s no feeling of intimacy here; in fact, the stark-white decor makes you feel like you’re in an Apple store. Meanwhile, the service is a bit spotty–on one visit, I was brought an uncleaned cloth napkin, and it took several minutes for me to get a replacement since the staff left the dining area.
I did say the food was good, so here’s a recap.
You’ll find four types of montadito, which is basically sliced baguette with grilled meat on top. The Spanish sausage ($4.50) is tender and has a bit of heat to it. The lightly toasted bread maintains its texture against the sauce, and the onions and black olives add a bit of breadth to the flavor.
Paella can be portioned for one or two people. Of the four varieties, I tried the valenciana ($16/$38). The paella itself is comforting, and I appreciate that the veggies were cooked through. If the dish only had the Spanish sausage, I would have been satisfied. However, it also had chicken, which was so overcooked, I almost gave up chewing it. The mussels similarly were dry.
Some of the best shrimp I’ve ever eaten came in the gambas as ajillo ($9). The shrimp was fresh and perfectly cooked, and the broth in which it sat was garlicky but not in an overpowering way.
The Spanish tortilla ($7) is actually an egg and potato pie. The potatoes were soft but firm enough to keep their form, and they were the primary flavor, ahead of the quiche-like eggs. The onions and bell peppers were not prevalent.
Among the Latin Fusion entrees, I tried the pan con chicharron ($10). The salsa criolla adds a subtle tang to the tender roasted pork, and the bolillo bread held up to bind all the ingredients together.
Zandru’s Tapas Bar & Restaurant is open for lunch and dinner seven days a week.
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See more photos in our Zandru’s Tapas Bar & Restaurant Flickr album.
BelAir Cantina
Sunday, November 5th, 2017
BelAir Cantina was a Milwaukee-area chain restaurant until it opened a location in Madison at the end of summer. It specializes in tacos and tequila.
I was excited by the choices of tacos, only to be disappointed in their execution. In fact, you’ll find much, much better tacos a block away at Canteen.
For example, there was just enough lobster that you could detect its presence in the lobster shrimp taco ($5.95), but it was altogether super bland. I had to use the salsa from the chips and salsa to get through it. Similarly, the ninja pig taco ($3.81) depended completely on the hoisin sauce for flavor. Many bits of the pork were overcooked.
Meanwhile, the lamb in the lamb barbacoa taco ($4.28) was tough, needing a lot more braising time. I think some cilantro and jalapenos would have greatly helped this barren-looking taco. Also, I did not receive the promised rice and black beans for ordering three tacos, as you can see from the photo.
At least some of the non-taco items fared better. The Triple Ceviche ($11.05), listed in the appetizers section, is very fresh. It’s a big bowl mostly filled with cucumbers, but you will receive enough pieces of lobster (mostly claw), octopus and shrimp to make this dish worthwhile. The side of chili oil adds heat and a different direction to the flavor.
Burritos include the Gringo ($10.95, includes ground beef) and the Vegurrito ($9.85, includes grilled cauliflower), and they are massive. I knew from the first bite of my spicy pollo ($9.89) that it was going to be good. The chicken was tender, and there was a ton of it inside, with a little cabbage that provides some crunch that I could have done without. Unfortunately, the burrito was not at all spicy.
You’ll find a few soups and salads on the menu, too. The broth was thin and salty in the hominy shrimp soup ($5.75). I appreciated that the garbanzo beans were cooked through, but they just served as filler to compensate for the lack of shrimp.
If you sit at the bar, you will see a large collection of tequila that rivals Pasqual’s. The BelAir margarita ($6.50) is made with Arette Blanco and went down easily. Next time I’ll probably try the kiwi margarita ($9).
BelAir Cantina is open every day for lunch and dinner, with brunch served on the weekend.
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See more photos in our Belair Cantina Flickr album.
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