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Arthritis Foundation Wine Tasting

Sunday, November 14th, 2010

EatDrinkMadison.com is pleased to feature an article from guest blogger Stephanie Caine of the Arthritis Foundation.

The Arthritis Foundation held its 12th Annual International Wine Tasting on Saturday, Nov. 6, at Full Compass Systems. The venue was alive with theatrical lighting, purple linens, pleasant jazz from the John Vitale group, and of course, an amazing collection of the area’s best in food and beverage.

Whole Foods Market selected the wine vendors, in addition to providing a spread of domestic and imported cheeses and other snacks—beautifully laid out and decorated with evergreens foreshadowing the holiday season.

Local winery Botham Vineyards provided souvenir tasting glasses, while Yahara Bay Distillers and Potosi Brewery added to the variety. There was truly something for everyone and much more than just wine at this tasting.

Also highlighting the lineup were the National Mustard Museum, Gail Ambrosius, Vom Fass and Shinji Muramoto, who assembled appetizers on stage as cameras fed the action to guests around the venue via large plasma displays. Certified Advanced Sommelier Toni Johnson of Professional Wine Consultants was on hand to share her immense knowledge of wine.

This year’s Wine Tasting included brief words by people of various ages with arthritis, who thanked guests for supporting the Arthritis Foundation. For instance, five-year-old Addie, who has juvenile arthritis, explained that she likes the regular shots the disease requires her to get because they make her knees feel better.

The Foundation funds vital research as well as local programs and services for those with arthritis. There were several fun ways to support the cause on that Saturday, including fabulous live and silent auctions, a mystery cork sale and an appeal for Camp M.A.S.H., a summer camp for kids with arthritis. The Arthritis Foundation sends its sincere thanks to everyone involved with the 2010 International Wine Tasting, for making it a great success!

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bd’s closing is HuHot’s gain

Friday, July 16th, 2010

And then there were two.

A little more than a year ago, Madison suddenly found itself with three stir-fry restaurants spread throughout the city–Flat Top Grill at Hilldale, HuHot Mongolian Grill on the far west side and bd’s Mongolian Grill near East Towne. But now bd’s has closed, and HuHot is there to swoop in.

According to a brand ambassador from Appetize, which owns HuHot, “We are looking to help these patrons redeem a bit of their (gift card) money and experience our restaurant. We are also looking to help employ a number of bd’s employees who have suddenly lost their jobs.”

Regarding the first point, HuHot will accept bd’s gift cards from now until further notice. That means dollar for dollar up to $20 and $0.50 for every dollar over $20 (up to $100). So, a $20 gift card is worth $20 and a $100 gift card is worth $60.

That’s a nice business tactic by HuHot, whom I applaud for also trying to hire some people who just lost their jobs.

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Sprecher’s Restaurant & Pub

Saturday, April 3rd, 2010
I was surprised when Houlihan’s on the far west side closed a few years ago–I thought it did enough lunch, happy hour and hotel business, but apparently I was wrong. Its successor, the short-lived nightclub Out, was destined to fail (more on that some other time). The third contender is Sprecher’s Restaurant & Pub, and I think it’s here to stay.

First, I was impressed with its service. My Friday night dinner there was sandwiched between  Thursday and Saturday dinner outings in which I thought I’d never see the waitress. But at Sprecher’s, our waiter was attentive without being overbearing and was good at multitasking. (Two diners at an adjacent table apparently had this waiter at a prior visit, as they quizzed him on what they ordered to drink last time, and he got it right!)

I sampled the brat, fish fry and sauerbraten with spaetzel, and all three were good. Without going into too much detail on the first two items–since they are hard to screw up–the fish was perfectly battered (crispy, not soggy), but I was disappointed that for $13 you only got three pieces instead of all-you-can-eat like you can for the same price at other restaurants.

The sauerbraten (super tender beef) was something I would order again, and the spaetzel was a perfect complement. However, if you’re not a meat fan, this dish is probably not for you, as the beef is, shall I say, not lean.

I also tried seven of their beers (the restaurant, by the way, is only licensed by name to Sprecher’s Brewing), with my favorites were the Black Bavarian and the Maibock. I recommend getting the sampler platter (about 3-oz. pours) if you can’t decide on one. 

What better way to end the meal than by having a root beer float? I tried the “low cal” root beer with chocolate ice cream. The root beer was surprisingly good for being lower in calories (I’m not sure by how much), but the ice cream was full of ice crystals, like it suffered from freezer burn.

Sprecher’s is open for lunch and dinner every day, with daily happy hour, outdoor seating and a side room for private parties.

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