Posts Tagged ‘east side’

OM Indian Fusion Cuisine

Sunday, November 12th, 2017

20171027_120216OM Indian Fusion Cuisine, located in an old strip mall on the east side, features South Indian and Indo-Chinese cuisines through both a buffet and menu ordering.

Speaking of the menu, it’s huge–for example, you’ll find 12 varieties of bread alone. As a result, OM has many items not found at other Indian restaurants, but the quality wasn’t consistent. For example:

  • The peas in the tindora poriyal (sauteed vegetable medley) were quite undercooked, some hurting my teeth because they were like pebbles. At least the tindora (gourds) were tender and tasty, with a good balance of cumin and coriander.
  • Dosa (a type of pancake) is brought around by the waitstaff, and it was less enjoyable than it could have been because it had a cracker-like consistency.
  • The rice ball was dense and very dry. You’ll need a lot of sauce to get through it.
  • The spices in the biryani ($14.95 with chicken) are very fragrant, but unfortunately, the well-seasoned chicken wasn’t juicy at all.

20171027_122329That said, you will find some better-prepared items:

  • Mysore bonda is a fried dumpling with no meat or veggies inside. It has a hint of flavor from the scallions and its doughiness absorbs sauces well.
  • Tandoori bhaji is like a fritter. OM’s version is heavy on the breading and contains a soft slice of plantain (instead of the traditional onion). It would have been better with a side of mint chutney.
  • The curry goat is tender and has a hint of heat. Watch out for the bits of bone in the goat or you’ll likely crack a tooth.
  • The curry chicken also is tender, though the sauce seemed milder than the goat version.
  • The pongal ($9.95), made of mashed rice, ghee, ginger, cumin and lentils, was more flavorful than it appears. Still, I’m glad I tried it as part of the buffet ($10.95), because it’s overpriced as a menu item.
  • The arrabita spaghetti ($13.95), part of the fusion portion of the menu, surprised me as a menu item. However, I really enjoyed it, as it’s noodles tossed with chili flakes (and some oil, it seemed) with a tiny bit of tomato sauce.

OM Indian Fusion Cuisine is open Wednesday-Monday for lunch and dinner. It also has a bar area, though OM doesn’t seem like a place you would have a drink.

OM Indian Fusion Cuisine Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Madison-area guide to Oktoberfests 2017

Sunday, September 3rd, 2017

beer-stein

While Oktoberfest doesn’t take over the entire City of Madison like it does in La Crosse, we do have our fair share of celebrations each September (and October). Here’s a look:

Event When, where Of Note
Thirsty Troll Brew Fest Sept. 9, Mt. Horeb How long can you hold a stein? Try the Masskrugstemmen contest.
Dogtoberfest Sept. 10, Capital Brewery A fundraiser for the Dane County Humane Society, complete with a dog costume contest.
OktoBEERfest Sept. 16, Breese Stevens Field Includes reindeer ring toss and a wine tent for some reason.
VRBC Oktoberfest Sept. 20, Quivey’s Grove This event is put on by the Verona Road Business Coalition and features beer from Wisconsin Brewing Co.
Fall Beer Taste Sept. 21, Downtown Sun Prairie Enjoy beer and cider from 26 businesses, plus roaming entertainment, in Sun Prairie.
Essen Haus Oktoberfest Sept. 23, Essen Haus Includes a brat-eating contest and a bier-drinking competition.
Gear and Beer Fest Sept. 24, East Side Club Buy, sell, and trade musical instruments, recording equipment and vinyl records while drinking beer.
Quivey’s Grove Beer Fest Oct. 7, Quivey’s Grove Includes live music and more than 100 beers to sample.

Avenue Club and the Bubble Up Bar

Sunday, April 10th, 2016

The Avenue Club and the Bubble Up Bar is Food Fight’s second reboot of the Avenue Bar. I heard many loyalists weren’t happy with the changes, but in my opinion, version 3.0 is an upgrade in decor, atmosphere and food.

Gone are all the adornments (I was at the auction for said adornments). Now you have a darker, more modern-looking space that I wouldn’t consider a supper club.

If you’re just hanging out in the bar area, you’ll find a nice cocktail selection. The Original Avenue Bar Brandy Old Fashioned ($7) is finally made-from-scratch (the old Avenue Bar used a mix). I also was pleasantly surprised by the Manhattan on Tap ($8). It’s a kegged cocktail, and they are now all the rage in Madison.

The overhauled food menu has a sizable shareable list, including tempura calamari ($11) and confit chicken wings ($11). You will need 3-4 people to finish the massive serving of thick-cut potato chips you get with the smoked onion dip ($6), which was mild and a bit lumpy.

Lunch includes the expected soups, salads and sandwiches. I appreciated that the French onion soup (served as a side to my lunch order) had a generous portion of cheese and the onions were actually cooked long enough. Meanwhile, the Pastrami and Challah ($11) was a nice find. Tender meat is paired with crunchy and sweet pickles, and the toasted challah bread holds them all together nicely.

Entrees run from $16-$30. I would not hesitate to order again the short rib stroganoff ($20). The fresh tagliatelle pasta is perfectly al dente, and the short rib is full of flavor. I also enjoyed the roasted shiitake mushrooms scattered throughout the dish.

Of course, the popular fish fry remains. The fried walleye ($20) may have been my favorite dish. This gigantic fillet is moist and flaky and battered with Spotted Cow beer. You also can get the walleye pan-seared; baked and fried cod also are options.

The Avenue Club is open every day for lunch and dinner with a late-night menu. Brunch is served on weekends.

***

See more photos in our Avenue Club Flickr album.

Avenue Bar Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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