Posts Tagged ‘Wisconsin Dells’

Alabama’s Dixieland BBQ and Suds

Sunday, May 18th, 2014

On the far end of downtown Wisconsin Dells, right across the street from Famous Dave’s, is Alabama’s Dixieland BBQ and Suds, which opened in March. The old interior of previous tenant Gilly’s Island has been replaced with a southern/country theme, complete with live music each week.

I really enjoyed the food here, if not the prices, and I’m sure I’ll be back to have seconds of some of the restaurant’s platters, which come with corn bread and two sides. Let’s start with the half rack of ribs ($14.99), which weren’t quite fall-off-the-bone tender, but were meaty and full of flavor. You certainly didn’t need to add any of the homemade sauces, though I did drown my fries in them, they were that good (especially the hot sauce).

Onto the fried catfish nuggets ($11.99), which were light and flaky on the inside and not overly battered on the outside. I’d like to put them in a small popcorn cup and have them as a snack sometime.

I would describe the brisket ($17.99) and pulled pork sandwich ($10.99) the same way: juicy and well prepared, but a bit pricey. I don’t think brisket should be more expensive than ribs; this dish would be better priced at $13.99 (that’s also what Famous Dave’s charges), while the sandwich should have been less than $10. Other dishes’ prices were just as puzzling, such as the hot wings ($15.99), smoked turkey leg ($18.99) and 16 oz. T-Bone steak ($29.99).

I had nearly every side item on the menu. Hits were the Hillbilly baked beans, corn bread, corn fritters and pig tail fries (somewhat-curly versions of the steak fries). I was indifferent to the green beans and fried okra, and I couldn’t stand the potato salad, which was too pungent.

Remember, the word “suds” is in the restaurant’s name, and there is a full bar here with a two-page cocktail menu. I enjoyed a glass of the bacon-infused bourbon, which was surprisingly smoky and not at all salty.

Alabama’s Dixieland BBQ and Suds serves lunch, dinner and carryout. You’ll find street parking nearby.

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See more photos in our Alabama’s Dixieland BBQ and Suds Flickr set.

High Rock Cafe

Sunday, October 13th, 2013

The highly visible High Rock Cafe in downtown Wisconsin Dells is a smart choice for those seeking a slightly more upscale dining experience than typical restaurants in the area. Although I’ve eaten here before, I was invited to learn more about the restaurant through the eyes of co-owner and chef Wade Bernander. High Rock has evolved from a summer-only,  second-floor restaurant back in 2004 to a year-round, two-story mainstay of the Dells today.

For appetizers, you can’t go wrong with the jumbo lump crab cakes ($13), topped with an absolutely amazing remoulade (I told Wade to put this on a Po’ Boy sandwich), and the Gilly Goat ($9), a harmony of garlic, goat cheese and diced peppers that layered and smeared nicely on a baguette. It was certainly worth the subsequent garlic breath I gained.

As much as I liked that remoulade, I enjoyed the sherry sage cream sauce that topped the Sebastian (Lobster) Ravioli ($15) even more. Man, they are good with sauces here. In fact, my only disappointment with the entire meal was that there wasn’t enough demi-glace with the otherwise perfect root beer short ribs ($22). I liked the runny egg with this dish, and I give it an A+ for presentation.

On to dessert. The Kissel soup was an adventure. I could certainly taste the tart cranberries and powerful pickled ginger, but both were tempered nicely by the vanilla ice cream. I also had a double chocolate brownie ($6) with a side of spiced nuts. Interestingly, I enjoyed eating them together,  even though I normally dislike brownies with nuts. Wade also doesn’t like brownies with nuts, which is why he created the dish this way.

I should note that a few of the items I ate came from the “season’s freshest” menu, which changes every month to take advantage of the seasonal bounties.

To wash down this extraordinary meal, I was served a basil mango margarita ($8). I was impressed by how fresh this drink tasted, with its balanced mango and basil flavors. The full bar has an excellent selection of martinis as well.

High Rock Cafe is open seven days a week year round. You can find street parking nearby.

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See more photos of my meal on my High Rock Cafe Flickr set.

High Rock Cafe on Urbanspoon

Dells Distillery

Sunday, August 18th, 2013

I was really looking forward to the Dells Distillery, which opened in May in what was once Sharky’s in downtown Wisconsin Dells. Both the restaurant’s ads and website were an invitation to try the homemade vodka, whiskey, brandy and rum, but alas, they are still not being sold yet.

According to a staff member, they were supposed to be available in July, but now the timeline is “any day now.” That’s too bad, because Dells Distillery could really stand out in a sea of restaurants by selling its own branded liquor. So right now, the food has to do the speaking, and it’s doing a good job.

All the sandwiches are a la carte, so heed my advice and order a tater tot-based appetizer. For example, I had the Torta Tots ($8.99), topped with Monterey Jack cheese sauce, pico de gallo and Ancho chipotle sauce with choice of meat (I went with prime rib). Despite being buried under these toppings, the tots stayed perfectly crunchy, and the thin-sliced prime rib complemented the dish well. My only disappointment was when our server brought out the plate and warned us that the chipotle sauce was “very spicy,” only to be not even remotely spicy. Other tater tot specials include Cheeseburger Tots ($8.99) and Cajun Shrimp Tots ($8.99).

One sandwich I tried was the City Slicker ($8.99), which is braised (shredded) pork, pecan-smoked bacon, cheddar cheese, romaine lettuce and red onion. I thought the pork was well-seasoned (I would like to try them on tater tots), but I couldn’t help but wonder if this sandwich would be better with some barbecue sauce. Still, it’s a well-prepared sandwich, and it’s a lot more filling than it appears.

Another sandwich I enjoyed was the Cowboy ($8.99), consisting of braised (shredded) chicken, pecan-smoked bacon, Cowboy Caviar (aka black beans), guacamole and peppery Parmesan sauce. Overall, a tasty concoction. I really liked that sauce, which reminds of me what you could pour over some chicken wings, and I wish there was more of it. I appreciate that the chicken was moist, and the bacon was a nice touch, even though I couldn’t tell if it was really pecan-smoked.

I do look forward to returning to try different tater tot dishes, perhaps a burger and of course, the liquor. Similar to its predecessor, the venue still seems like a popular night spot as well.

Dells Distillery is open every day beginning at lunch. You can find street parking nearby.

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