Posts Tagged ‘Middleton’

New items at Bison Jack’s, Taco Bell, Sonic

Sunday, June 10th, 2012

Here’s a look at some new items on menus around town:

2012-03-01 12.03.02In March, Bison Jack’s invited me to try some of their new sandwiches; most of its menu was heretofore bison dogs.

I love reubens, and I was actually impressed by Bison Jack’s version. If you didn’t know the corned beef was actually bison, I would dare you to say that you could notice the difference. General Manager Matt Brink told me they go through all the same steps of corning the meat, and it shows.

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2012-06-09 19.19.11Taco Bell has been advertising the hell out of its Doritos Locos taco. The taco itself is fine, but I was disappointed the bland shell didn’t taste more like a Dorito. For instance, you don’t get any of that cheesy residue on your fingers, part of the fun of eating Doritos.

(As an aside, my favorite flavor of Doritos was the Taco Bell version, until it was replaced with the less tasty taco version. Funny how the two companies reversed its cross promotion.)

I also tried the new beefy nacho burrito, which has nacho chips inside. While that may seem like a good idea on paper, the chips are soggy from all the nacho cheese. I would have preferred a crunchier chip, but that’s what happens when you put chips inside a burrito.

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2012-06-10 11.53.22Sonic has some great burgers, but now I’ll be sure to order its hot dogs, too. I tried the new Wholly Guacamole Dog, which comes with jalapenos, tomatoes, diced onions, cheese sauce, pepperjack cheese and of course, guacamole. Lots of flavor here. I would definitely get it again, though next time I would hold the pepperjack cheese, as I didn’t feel it added anything to the final product (weird texture, too).

For some reason, Sonic doesn’t list this dog on its website, so I couldn’t find nutritional info. Maybe that’s a good thing …

Craftsman Table and Tap

Sunday, February 12th, 2012

Craftsman Table and Tap, which opened in early January in Middleton, is supposed to have a lot of similarities to its sister restaurant, the ultra-popular Coopers Tavern. Unfortunately, there’s not much family resemblance–yet.

Sure, there’s the gastropub menu and the extensive tap and bottle list, but the food leaves something to be desired.

From the shared plates menu, I had to start with the poutine ($6.99), an appetizer I love at Coopers. Craft Table’s version is topped with braised brisket, but unfortunately it was very sparse on cheese and gravy. In fact, I found myself with many bites of–God forbid–regular fries.

Among the entrees–you can choose from burgers or artisan sandwiches–I tried the pulled brisket sandwich ($9.99) and the Reuben ($9.69). The former just felt too dry–I was really expecting a moist and savory sandwich. The caramelized onions helped but weren’t enough to save the dish.

The Reuben wasn’t any better. The house-cured corned beef was tough, so much so that after each bite, I would end up pulling out an entire strip with my mouth. Corned beef should be fall-apart tender, and this was not.

I washed this meal down with a tasty Ayinger Brau-Weisse Hefeweizen Wheat ($6.50). Whereas Coopers boasts 14 imports out of its 26 draft beers, Craft Table only has 7 of 18. It’s not like I don’t like domestic beers, but I can get them at any bar. That’s what made Coopers (and places like the Malt House) unique.

Craftsman Table and Tap is open at 11 a.m. every day. It doesn’t yet have happy hour, and it hopes to open its upstairs to banquets and private parties in the near future.

P.S. Craftsman originally opened as Craft Table and Tap until another restaurant by the same name cried foul. To all aspiring restaurant owners, especially Food Fight, Inc: always do your research! (Food Fight’s Cadillac Ranch/Cactus Ranch had the same issue.)

Craftsman Table and Tap on Urbanspoon

Bison Jack’s

Sunday, October 30th, 2011

I eat a lot of protein, but one type that hasn’t made a regular appearance in my rotation is bison. I’m thinking that will change now that I’ve enjoyed a meal at Bison Jack’s, which opened earlier this month in Greenway Station.

According to the USDA, bison has less fat (2.42 g) and fewer calories (143) and about the same protein (28.4 g) per 3.5-oz serving compared to select beef (8.09, 201, 29.89), pork (9.66, 212, 29.27) and even chicken (7.41, 190, 28.93).

That info is comforting since the toppings on each bison dog most likely negates the health benefits. For example, I had the Sonoran ($7.95), which is a bison dog topped heartily with ketchup, cotija cheese, cheddar, green chili and green goddess (a salad dressing). The easy conclusion: delicious but messy (e.g. don’t eat this on a date). In fact, you couldn’t even tell the hot dog wasn’t real.

I also wolfed down the Italian Stallion ($7.95), which is an Italian sausage on an Asiago cheese bun topped with pepperoncini, onion, roasted peppers, marinara and Parmesan. Another supremely messy yet tasty concoction. I accompanied both dogs with a side of sweet potato tots ($2.95).

Outside the nine specialty dogs, you also can build your own. Other menu items include a 1/3 Pounder ($6.95)–which I liked–as well as more sides and a couple of breakfast items.

Bison Jack’s is open for lunch every day and breakfast and Mon-Sat. Catering also is available.

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