Posts Tagged ‘near west’

Everly

Saturday, January 7th, 2017

tuna-bologneseOne part of Bluephies became Miko Poke, and the other part is now Everly, a California-inspired restaurant that leans heavy on vegetables and grains. Food Fight did a commendable job of making clever, unique restaurants that are worthy of regular visits.

The bright space of Everly includes a full bar, though there are currently no plans for happy hour or nightly drink specials, according to a bartender. I look forward to the summer, when a full-service outdoor eating area will open.

Everly’s menu is robust, so I did my best to try a cross-section of it, starting with the “Vegetables” section. The serving size of the yellow curry eggplant ($7) dish was much smaller than expected. The eggplant was perfectly tender, and the chiles added some welcomed heat, but the curry sauce itself was bland.

The best way to describe the Tuna Conserva Sandwich ($12) is fresh. Everything from the ample tuna to the cucumbers and roasted red peppers exuded freshness. The lemon caper aioli provided the flavor for this sandwich, which was held firmly together by toasted bread. You’ll also find a burger ($12) and a roasted chicken sandwich ($12) among the sandwiches.

mushrooms-eggplant“Things on Toast” is actually a section of the menu, and I ordered the seasonal mushroom toast ($11). It’s a minor point, but I liked that the semi-sour, (marrow) buttery toast had slits cut into it to make it easier to pull apart and eat. The abundance of mushrooms, which included shiitake and crimini, captured the flavors of the garlic and herbs with which they were sauteed.

Among the pastas, I chose the Buckwheat Bolognese ($16). The ground Heritage pork, which I look forward to eating at every restaurant in which it’s served, was dry and flavorless, and the buckwheat fettuccine was under-cooked (too al dente for this dish). Fortunately, they were saved by the deep, complex Bolognese sauce, which must’ve absorbed all of the flavor from the pork.

The only sections I missed were salads (I already had enough veggies here) and big/small plates. The latter includes buttermilk fried chicken ($9) and pork + white corn grits ($16). Brunch is served on the weekends.

Everly is open for lunch on weekdays, dinner every day and brunch on weekends.

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

Miko Poke

Sunday, November 20th, 2016

20161118_114841According to Eater.com, poke bowls–essentially raw fish served on top of rice or leafy greens–was the “dish of the summer” in the United States. Thanks to the folks at Food Fight, Madisonians can enjoy this trend at Miko Poke, which sits in the former Vodkatorium of Bluephies.

Ordering is done assembly line style. The regular size poke bowl ($10.50) seems about right in terms on quantity, while the small ($7.50) allows you to order a couple of poke bowls and/or add a side. The large is $14.50.

Although I only personally ate two poke bowls, I sense the theme is that the restaurant does an excellent job of combining flavors and textures into a tight area.

For example, the sliced cucumber brightened the Hawaiian Style bowl, while the edamame added density and the avocado brought creaminess to the super fresh, diced tuna.

Meanwhile, in the Spicy Albacore bowl, I appreciated the sweetness of the melon, the crunch from the fried garlic and the heat from the serrano peppers, which were the only thing that made the dish spicy (the spicy aioli was a misnomer).

20161118_115518Other bowls include the Coco Curry (yellow squash, carrots, tahini and toasted coconuts, among other ingredients) and Banzai Shrimp. You also can build your own.

Miko Poke also serves Hawaiian shaved ice ($3.50). I really enjoyed an alcoholic version, the passion fruit punch ($6), which is bursting with flavor that masks the Tito’s Handmade vodka.

On each table are bottles of poke sauce and volcano sauce. The former has a slight sweetness and goes well with fish and rice, as expected. The latter was vinegary, and similar to the aioli, it wasn’t spicy at all.

Miko Poke is open every day for lunch, dinner and carryout.

Miko Poke Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Madison-area guide to fireworks shows 2016

Thursday, June 30th, 2016

Shake the Lake–the new incarnation of Rhythm & Booms–was only the lead-up to many more 4th of July celebrations in the Madison, Wis., area. Here’s a look at the rest (date listed is when the fireworks show takes place), updated for 2016:

Event When, where Of Note
Cross Plains World’s Fair June 26, Baer Park Includes bean bag tournament and human foosball
Madison Mallards July 2 & 3, Warner Park Game time both nights is 5:05 p.m.
Angell Park Speedway July 3, Angell Park 35th Annual Pepsi Nationals
Monona Community Festival July 4, Winnequah Park Includes the Wisconsin Wife Carry Championship and an art fair
DeForest Area 4th of July Celebration July 4, Fireman’s Park Includes a car show and free pony rides
Shorewood Hills July 4, Blackhawk Country Club Includes a triathlon and adult water fight
Maple Bluff Fest on the Fourth July 4, Beach Park Includes a BBQ and “Battle of the Bluffs” softball game
Wilderness, Chula Vista, Mt. Olympus, Great Wolf, Kalahari July 4, Lake Delton All the major resorts are having their own fireworks displays
Stoughton Fair July 4, Mandt Park Includes tractor pulls and pizza-eating contest
    Madison Symphony Orchestra Urban Air

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