Posts Tagged ‘south side’

Chili King

Sunday, June 18th, 2017

20170616_123552There is no shortage of Asian cuisine on South Park Street, and new to the arena is Chili King. It replaces the short-lived Angkor-wat, which replaced Inka Heritage.

Chili King has an enormously long menu, spanning cold and hot appetizers, rice dishes, noodle dishes, various types of entrees, “famous sauteed,” lunch specials and even sushi. My normal tactic is to try a cross-section, and here is what I have to report:

“American” appetizers include egg rolls and crab rangoon. The other apps, such as the sliced pork stomach ($7.99), are typically not found on an Americanized Chinese menu. The strips of pork stomach weren’t too chewy but essentially had no flavor other than the bit of chili sauce on top, so you may need to add more sauce like soy sauce. The portion size is enough to feed 2-3 people with an entrée.

I didn’t expect the lamb with fish in creamy sauce ($14.99) to be served as a soup. Fortunately, you get a generous portion of both–the lamb came in bite-sized pieces, and the fish was very tender and absorbed some of the broth flavor well. Other similarly categorized entrees include the hot & spicy solo fish fillet ($13.99) and dried string bean with pork ($11.99).

20170614_122549The Singapore noodles ($13.45) is a heaping plate of noodles with the right amount of curry seasoning, plus giant chunks of chicken, lots of shrimp and an over-abundance of vegetables. It’s good as-is and even better with a little Sriracha on top.

You will find a section of the menu called “boiled/casserole” comprised of hot pots. I tried a dry pot instead; specifically, the turnip & twice-cooked pork dry pot ($15.99). A pleasant surprise, the pork came in the form of thinly sliced pork belly, mixed with both crunchy and tender vegetables. I appreciated the perfect amount in of heat from the chili peppers.

Of note, there is a fairly extensive array of vegetarian dishes as well.

Chili King is open every day for lunch, dinner and carryout. Delivery is available.

Chili King Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Off Broadway Drafthouse

Sunday, April 16th, 2017

20170212_124554To 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).

20170331_120840The 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.

Off Broadway Drafthouse Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Rockhound Brewing Co.

Sunday, June 19th, 2016

Park Street is one of the gateways into downtown Madison, and I’m happy to see all the new developments, including Rockhound Brewing Co. It’s located on the ground floor of an apartment complex on the site that was once home to Lane’s Bakery, which moved into new digs near the Beltline.

Rockhound has a neighborhood-feel to it. Inside, you’ll find a big, U-shaped bar and lots of what appeared to be reclaimed wood.

Beer me. On one visit, Rockhound had four of its beers and several guest beers on tap.

  • Although I’m not a pale ale fan, I was pleasantly surprised by the Greenbush Pale Ale. The flavor was not too hoppy, and the touch of citrus was welcomed.
  • The Hoity Toity Hefeweizen is a complement to summer and has a nice wheatiness.
  • The Sandstone Blonde Ale seems like it would go well with basically everything on the menu.
  • I look forward to trying the Ice Shanty Bock this winter.

Standard brewpub fare. In any other city but Madison, Rockhound has a pretty solid menu. That means there are some tasty items, but nothing you can’t also find at places like Waypoint, Wisconsin Brewing Tap Haus and Cafe Hollander.

  • The duck nachos ($11.50) are topped generously with duck confit (although many pieces were too chewy) and large tortilla chips (although half were stale, which means they couldn’t have been fresh fried as stated).
  • The Mac + Cheese Burger ($12) combined a thick, grass-fed patty with a five-cheese, fried macaroni cake that would make an outstanding appetizer. The sun-dried tomatoes added a touch of sweetness.
  • The menu also includes salads, pot pies, sandwiches and a few entrees.

Rockhound Brewing Co. is open every day for lunch and dinner. Street parking may be available on Park Street or Drake Street.

Rockhound Brewery Co. Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

    Madison Symphony Orchestra Urban Air

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