Other than the fact they are both on the water, the Port Restaurant & Lounge and Dockside Grill & Rum Bar are drastically different restaurants in Wisconsin Dells. Both have some good qualities, but I would only return to Dockside. (more…)
Posts Tagged ‘American’
Port Restaurant, Dockside Grill
Sunday, July 16th, 2017Cafe Zupas
Sunday, July 9th, 2017
Cafe Zupas is a chain restaurant that serves soups, sandwiches and salads. It’s a perfect spot for lunch, especially if you’re around the Greenway Station area.
The space is very bright. You’ll probably encounter a long, snaking line that may remind you of an airport, except it’s not depressing and actually fast-moving. The reason the line moves relatively quickly is because Cafe Zupas has around a dozen employees working the food prep area, and each takes a different order (e.g. a person dedicated solely to soup).
Let’s start with the soups (half $4.59, large $6.59). You can choose standard soups, like tomato bisque and New England Clam Chowder, or ones that are more unique, like red pepper & lobster. The Wisconsin cauliflower was perfectly thick and creamy. The cauliflower flavor wasn’t overpowering, which was nice, and I’m glad I added the applewood-smoked bacon pieces ($0.69) for a little saltiness.
The sandwiches ($5.99) are normal size, meaning not crazy big like other restaurants serve. I was considering the Cuban grilled pork but instead settled on the crab avocado melt. Even with the crab salad, cheese, avocado and bacon, the sandwich leaned on the bland side. In fact, I had to dip it in the chipotle ranch that came with my salad to get through it.
On the other hand, I didn’t need to use the chipotle ranch with my glazed chicken chipotle salad ($5.99 half, $7.99 large). The glaze itself was slightly sweet, and it enhanced the bland chicken, which was similar to packaged chicken you find in a grocery store. The salad was otherwise a well-crafted ensemble of peppers, tortilla strips, corn, black beans, red onions, tomatoes and cheese.
If you can’t make a decision, you may combine soups, sandwiches and salads into Try 2 combos.
Three quinoa protein bowls ($8.99) also are on the menu. The Mexicali Braised Pork bowl was super fresh, and the pork was tender. However, there wasn’t much quinoa included, making the bowl basically another salad.
Cafe Zupas is open Monday-Saturday for lunch and dinner.
The Verona Woods
Sunday, June 4th, 2017
The Verona Woods is a restaurant and bar situated in a growing business park that serves better-than-casual fare. Judging by a one-hour wait on a recent Friday night, it’s become a popular spot.
The menu is creative and long, starting with a half-page of appetizers that include two burgers for some reason.
- Many of the appetizers appealed to me, and I settled on the Tequila Sunrise Tiger Shrimp ($12), which is perfectly cooked with a hint of grilled flavor, and it sits atop fresh guacamole contrasted with crispy wonton wrappers. It’s a very enjoyable way to start a meal.
- I know it’s out of the ordinary to rave about chicken tenders, but Verona Woods’ Tater Chip Chicken Tenders ($6 half, $12 full) are breaded in potato chips. That, along with the juicy chicken, makes for a tasty combo.
Several of the entrees come in lunch and dinner portions. Friday features fish fry, and Saturday features baby back ribs.
- The short rib in the braised red vino short rib pasta ($8 lunch, $15 dinner) was supremely tender, and the flavorful broth was a delight to eat with the pasta. This was definitely a highlight.
- The chicken cordon bleu ($11) is a good sandwich because of the bacon and grilled bun, both of which helped mask the somewhat dry chicken.
- Among the sides, the tomato bisque ($3 cup, $4 bowl) was very creamy and a little sweet. Other sides include bourbon brown sugar carrots ($4) and kale caesar side salad ($3).
- The robust food selection also features burgers, seafood, steaks, salads and tacos. On a future visit, I’ll get either the shallot cream chicken ($15) or the lemon grass halibut ($24).
The bar features several specialty cocktails and a decent wine list. I tried the Verona Woods’ version of the Bloody Mary, which is made with Four Roses bourbon and more Worsteshire than normal. The garnish was the same pickle that comes with the sandwiches, plus two green olives and a slice of lemon.
The Verona Woods is open every day for lunch and dinner.
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