I was expecting greater things from Kickers in Wisconsin Dells, given that its sister restaurants, Moose Jaw and Buffalo Phil’s, are well-established. But Kickers is a restaurant that needs focus. It tries to appease sports fans, groups and families, all with a fairly average menu. (more…)
Posts Tagged ‘American’
Kickers
Sunday, May 21st, 2017Zoup!
Sunday, April 23rd, 2017
Zoup!, located in Greenway Station, really does serve some outstanding soup. In fact, I wish there were more locations of this national chain in Madison so that I could have more convenient access to the soups.
Apparently, there are “hundreds” of recipes, according to the menu, but 12 soups are available any given day. They come in five sizes, from side (8 oz.) to XL (32 oz.), and range in price from approximately $4-$12, depending on the soup.
I was impressed with the Pumpkin Pie Bisque ($5.25 for a cup) because it’s true to its name. It’s pureed pumpkin with brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg and tastes just like the pie. In other words, imagine putting a pumpkin pie in a blender until it liquefied–that’s this soup.
Lobster bisque ($6.75 for a cup) is in my top three of favorite soups, so I had to try it at Zoup! Here, it’s much creamier than the average, and there was more crawfish by far than lobster. Still, the seasoning was spot on, and it made for a good dip for the accompanying bread (your choice of French, multigrain or sourdough).
My No. 1 is French onion soup, and Zoup!’s version ($4.50 for 8 oz.) did not disappoint. It was very thick (instead of that watery crap other restaurants serve), had the right amount of salt and the onions were soft and tender, as they should be.
The corn and crab chowder ($5.25 for 8 oz.) is hearty, though it had too much potato and not enough crab or red peppers. I think I would have enjoyed it more if I had some hot sauce to go with this. Warning: this soup is high in calories, as each 8 oz. serving has a whopping 440 calories.
I skipped the few salads and tried some of the sandwiches. The albacore tuna sandwich ($5.75 for a half) was light, and that’s because the tuna salad barely had any mayo, and the lettuce, tomato and capers don’t contribute to the flavor, obviously.
Meanwhile, the Southwest turkey ($7.75 for a whole) is fairly standard in terms of taste and appeal. It’s definitely helped by the chipotle mayo, which offers a little spice and flavor to the turkey, pepper jack cheese, tomato and toasted French bread. Guess I’ll stick to the soups from now on.
Zoup! is open every day for lunch and dinner.
Off Broadway Drafthouse
Sunday, April 16th, 2017
To say Off Broadway Drafthouse is an upgrade from the preceding South Bay Lounge is an understatement. The new incarnation that opened last May is cleaner, more restaurant-like than dive bar and has much better food. If you find yourself near South Towne Mall for some reason, it’s worth a visit.
There’s a nice variety of sandwiches on the menu. The War Pig ($11) has a lot of flavor, starting with the moist pork chop, followed by the crispy bacon, the lightly grilled ham and the slightly tangy aioli. Next time I may try the Egg Salad Angelique ($9).
On Fridays, the fish fry is a must. Your choices are walleye, cod, blue gill and lake perch. The blue gill ($14) is fresh, moist and perfectly crispy on the outside. It didn’t need any lemon or dipping sauce, yet I still used the homemade tartar, which was so good–it’s basically an aioli–that I was dipping my fries in it. The accompanying cole slaw is creamy, and the corn bread was served cold (I prefer warm).
The Royal House Salad ($9) is tossed with a citrus vinaigrette and has a nice mix of veggies, with added crunch from the various nuts. The added grilled chicken was tender.
The Airway Chicken Wings ($10) were juicy, and the spice rub is primarily a smoky paprika. Like the fish, you won’t need any dipping sauce with them. Other “shares” include Drafthouse mussels ($12) and house spiced nuts ($5).
The rest of the menu is comprised of entrees such as the herb-roasted game hen ($13) and “game day bites” such as butter fat popcorn ($4).
Off Broadway Drafthouse is open Tuesday-Sunday for lunch and dinner, and it serves brunch on the weekends.
-
You are currently browsing the EatDrinkMadison.com blog archives.
