Posts Tagged ‘downtown’

Madison Cuisine

Sunday, November 29th, 2015

I’ve heard Madison Cuisine, located in the Lucky building, described as a food court, but it’s actually more of a cafeteria. You grab a tray when you walk in, and then you are met with a sushi bar, Chinese dishes and American dishes (including breakfast).

So, if you’re looking to eat pancakes, General Tso’s chicken and pepperoni pizza in one meal, this is your place.

Note, the layout is weird. For example, the cups and the soda fountain are not located near each other (the former is located by the Chinese food). Meanwhile, you need to flag down a cook to take your order at the American station.

The sushi is made fresh, on the spot, and then put in those to-go containers you see at grocery stores. My Ocean Sampler ($9.99) had two pieces each of salmon, tuna, eel and shrimp. They were super heavy on the rice, and I wish the wasabi was stronger.

The noodle bowls ($8.95) aren’t on the printed menu. You can choose noodles such as rice, thick or ramen, and then top it with meat such as beef or duck. Don’t mistake the broth for pho; this version is basically tasteless, making the noodles bland as well. At least you get a lot of meat, which in my case was tasty pieces of Peking duck.

I fell for the Best Philly Cheesesteak in Madison ($8.95). It’s got some merits–the sandwich is cooked right on the spot, comes with a generous helping of toppings and includes lightly grilled bread. However, the two slices of cheese were inadequate for the size of the sandwich, and the green peppers and onions needed to be sauteed longer.

As I alluded, the rest of the varied menu includes items like burgers, omelettes, French toast, chicken wings and Teriyaki shrimp.

Madison Cuisine is open every day for breakfast, lunch, dinner and carryout. Park in the ramp underneath (enter from Lake Street).

Madison Cuisine Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Naf Naf Grill

Sunday, October 25th, 2015

Naf Naf Grill is one of the first restaurants to open in the giant Hub apartment building on State Street. Serving Middle-Eastern fare, it follows an assembly line ordering concept similar to Qdoba and Chipotle.

First, do you want a pita with hummus or baba ghanoush, or do you want a bowl of rice, hummus or lettuce? Next, do you want chicken shawarma, steak shawarma or falafel? At this point, you can add chopped salad, purple cabbage salad, sumac onions and/or pickles. Finally, top off your creation with Tahini sauce, garlic sauce, S’Khug (hot sauce) or fire sauce.

The steak pita with baba ghanoush ($7.59) was a winning combo. Soft but sturdy pita houses the tender, bite-sized and lightly seasoned steak, and the mild baba ghanoush complements, not overwhelms, the flavor.

I also enjoyed the hummus bowl with falafel ($7.79). The falafel is made the way I like it–crispy on the outside with just enough seasoning to avoid being too bland. I would classify the hummus as pretty standard, which is why I’m glad I added the truly hot, hot sauce as well as the purple cabbage salad.

Naf fries (coin-shaped fries), lentil soup and Basmati rice comprise the rest of the menu.

Naf Naf Grill is open every day for lunch, dinner and carryout.

Naf Naf Grill Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Estrellon

Saturday, October 3rd, 2015

Tory Miller, the executive chef and owner of Graze, L’Etoile and Sujeo, has now added to his portfolio a Spanish tapas restaurant inside the Ovation 309 apartment downtown called Estrellon, and it’s a beauty.

The menus are long, so let me get right to it. The two-page tapas menu is available in both the dining room and tapas bar and includes mostly bite-sized (meaning, for one person only) items, including special categories like croquetas, cheese and charcuteria. Most are served on toasted baguette.

  • The manchego croqueta ($3) is like a cheese curd but much gooier inside. It’s rich, and you probably can’t eat more than a few anyway.
  • The three-piece blood sausage ($3) reminded me of a blander version of Chinese sausage, and the accompanying aioli was subtle.
  • I couldn’t get enough of the jamon iberico ($15).  It’s cut so thin that it melts in your mouth; it’s not salty and has a bit of smokiness.
  • I liked the oysters ($2 each), but I wish they didn’t come topped with the house relish, which took over the flavor.
  • The flaky smoked trout ($5) was a delight, and I liked the creme fraiche. However, I was indifferent to the sugar snap peas and pickled mustard seeds, as neither added anything to the dish.
  • I adored the creamy chicken liver ($4), and while it didn’t need the slightly tangy jam, they both worked well together.

The main menu, available only in the dining room, includes full-sized items, though that doesn’t mean large portions. For example, I enjoyed the grilled scallop dish ($14), though it’s too bad there was only one scallop, especially for that price. Fortunately, the bright-tasting sweet corn elites helps to fill you up a bit.

I regretted my choice of the lamb sausage ($14), which was quite dry and depended heavily on the aioli. On my next visit, I’ve got my eye on the Valenciana paella ($40 for two people), which comes with rabbit, shrimp, mussels, clams and chorizo.

As expected, Estrellon also has a respectable craft cocktail menu. I tried the Plum Loco ($10), which is a smooth mixture of plum brandy and dry white port; the Albariza ($10), which houses a nice sweetness from the ginger honey syrup; the La Plaza Viega ($11), a Manhattan-like cocktail that features Four Roses; and the Cherried-Away ($10), a balanced concoction of rye with cherry balsamic shrub, lemon juice and orange bitters, among other ingredients.

For dessert, the basque cake ($9) is a smart choice, as it features super moist cake and a scoop of vanilla ice cream. The sorbet ($8) was bright and cheery, though the over-abundance of green grapes got tiring.

Estrellon is open for breakfast as a cafe Tuesday-Sunday, and both the tapas bar and the dining room are open for dinner Tuesday-Sunday. The Overture ramp is the closest parking ramp, but you do have to walk all the way around to Johnson Street to enter.

***

See more photos in our Estrellon Flickr album.

Estrellon Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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