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Wingstop

Saturday, March 3rd, 2012

Wingstop opened last fall in the spot previously occupied by the poorly managed Palis Mediterranean Cafe on Regent Street. The other Wingstop in Madison, located where Harold’s Chicken Shack is now, closed too quickly for me to ever visit it.

The menu is exactly what you’d expect: wings, boneless wings and chicken tenders. From the nine flavors of sauces, I tried the original hot, hickory smoked BBQ and garlic parmesan with my order of 35 wings ($21.99).

Overall, the wings are meatier than their counterparts at BW3s. The original hot sauce was tasty, even though it wasn’t the least bit spicy, and it went well with the bleu cheese sauce ($0.69). I also enjoyed the garlic parmesan sauce, which was very buttery in flavor.

Most places can’t do a good BBQ sauce, and Wingstop is no exception. This version was just average and definitely didn’t have a “hickory smoked” flavor. Well, for my meal, two out of three ain’t bad.

I was surprised to see Wingstop sell beer, since the ALRC is pretty thrifty about giving permits to restaurants on campus. Here, domestic bottles and 16-oz taps are reasonably priced at $1.50, while imports are $2.

Wingstop is open every day for lunch, dinner and carryout. It’s also open until 2:30 a.m. on Friday and 3 a.m. on Saturday.

Tags: downtown
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Tempest Oyster Bar

Saturday, November 12th, 2011

It was nice to see the space vacated by Restaurant Magnus filled with a seafood restaurant in Tempest Oyster Bar. For one, we obviously don’t have many of these types of restaurants in Madison, and two, I’m glad we didn’t add on to the already numerous Italian, pub or Mexican places we have around the Capitol Square.

My first visit was after 11 p.m. on a Monday night. I was surprised to see it was still open this late. However, owner Henry Doane was there, and he told me he wanted to establish a late-night presence like he did at another one of his restaurants, the Tornado Room.

That night I enjoyed a Batida ($8.50), made with cachaça, passionfruit, tamarind and sugar. I followed that cocktail with the Willapa oyster shooter ($4.50), which was basically an oyster in a Bloody Mary. I thought it was a bit too spicy and drowned out the oyster. Next time, I’ll try the Marsielle (with sparkling wine) and the Coquimbo (with cilantro vodka).

On a recent dinner visit, I went all-out. My starter was six west coast oysters and six east coast oysters ($2.50-$3 each). All were very fresh and perfectly shucked and cleaned, unlike some other places. I also sampled the Coho Salmon ($23), which was flaky and delicious, as well as the Fish & Chips ($14). Folks, I have to say that may be one of the best pieces of fried haddock I’ve ever had. I would pay $20+ to have an all-you-can-eat serving of that crispy and perfectly flavored fish.

My entree was the 1.5-pound live Maine lobster ($20/lb), my favorite seafood dish that I unfortunately only order on rare occasion due to price and availability. This lobster certainly did not disappoint. When you get it this fresh, you don’t need to dip it in butter. I felt like the character Madison from the movie “Splash” while devouring it (no, I didn’t bite through the shell).

From the dessert menu, I tried the Chocolate Bundt Cake ($8), which came with cherries and toffee. The latter was a nice an unexpected touch.

Tempest is open every day for dinner. You may be lucky to find a meter spot in front; otherwise, the parking ramp is adjacent to the building.

Tags: downtown, seafood
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The Rigby Pub and Grill

Sunday, November 6th, 2011

During its final months, the Casbah was in such disarray that some days it was open, others closed, then open, then closed again, that I was glad something finally replaced it. That something is the Rigby Pub and Grill, a Beatles-themed establishment located a block from the Capitol.

I’m a sucker for burgers named after a restaurant, so of course I started with the Rigby Burger ($8), which is topped with onion straws, melted cheddar cheese and “magical mystery sauce,” which was a tasty mayonnaise-based sauce (I suspect). I enjoyed the combination of flavors. As with all the sandwiches, you get your choice of potato chips, coleslaw or potato salad on the side.

The Bigger Than Caesar Wrap ($7.25) was hearty with the grilled chicken and came in a spinach and herb wrap. Other items include the Dear Reuben ($8), Lonely Hearts Turkey Club Band ($7) and the Let it BLT Wrap ($6.25).

I also had the onion straws ($5) as an appetizer, along with the And Your Curd Can Sing ($6.50). I actually prefer these types of fried cheese curds with the crispier exterior. I could take or leave the accompanying buffalo ranch sauce, though it went well with the onion straws.