Injera-licious!

Ethiopian Cottage Restaurant
1824 N. Farwell Ave., Milwaukee, WI
Cuisine Type: Ethiopian/African
Price: $-$$

ATMOSPHERE: Located across the street from a little pizzeria and an arcade and amongst a row of ethnic restaurants on the street, Ethiopian Cottage makes itself at home. When you walk in, the inside is warm and colorful... the walls are a warm yellow color and african art featuring many reds and greens adorn the walls. In the middle, you can find very colorful wicker tables designed to hold a tray of food for all to share. In the back is a small, well stocked bar.

DRINKS: You can find a nice selection of beer and wine here. (I'm not 100% sure what their hard alcohol selections are). I got the Tusker beer from Kenya and Jon got the St. George Ethiopian beer. They were both very nice light lagers. After we finished our beers, I also tried some of the Tej (Ethiopian Honey Wine) which was very sweet and reminiscent of Mead. Delicious!



















FOOD: The food was awesome and what a cool dining experience it was!! I ordered the Doro Wat which was a slow stewed chicken drumstick with 2 hard boiled eggs simmered in a Berbere sauce (dark red spicy sauce). Jon got the Ybeg Alicha, which was lamb simmered with Onions and ginger. Both were served on a giant shared plate on a oversized piece of Injera (ethiopian yeast risen flat bread) along with Red Lentils and yellow split peas as a side dish. It was also served with an extra basket of Injera. You do not use your hands when you eat Ethiopian, so you scoop up your food with the thin, pancake like bread and use it to soak up the sauces. Everything was phenominal, succulent, spiced just right and we ate everything on our plate.



















SERVICE: Seeing as though it was Friday night in the dead of winter in Milwaukee, we were the only ones dining in the restaurant. Another woman did come in while we were there, but needless to say, the service was great because we were (practically) the only ones there! The waitress was very friendly, willing to answer questions and attentive to our needs.

OVERALL: I highly recommend coming to dine here just to experience a new kind of food and dining experience. The prices are very reasonable and the food is delicious and wonderfully different.

WOULD WE GO BACK: Most definately!!

- Review by Theresa

Indian home cooking... cooked by... the whole family.

India Curry House
1332 E Algonquin Rd., Algonquin, IL
Cuisine Type: Indian
Price: $$

ATMOSPHERE: India curry house is located in a strip mall, right next to a liquor store and looks a tad disheveled and unimpressive from the outside. Inside, there aren't many frills either. Several booths line the walls with several more small tables in the middle and the decor consists of a faux red brick covering at the bottom half of the wall. It didn't really bother us though, because most of the ethnic restaurants seem to concentrate more on the food than the decor.

DRINKS: Alcoholic drinks, unfortunately, were not served here. I was disappointed that I could not order a glass of chardonnay with our meal. So, I stuck with diet coke. Jon, being adventurous, decided to order the Masala tea. It had a very unusual flavor & spice to it, one that really did not sit well with the stomach. The other drink options consisted of Mango Lassi's (smoothies), Tea & Coffee.

SERVICE: This restaurant was being run single-handedly by a small family. The mother and (possibly brother) were cooking the food and the 2 middle school aged daughters were waiting tables. The service was EXTREMELY slow for a Friday night. We must have come in right after a big rush of people because it took about an hour to get our food to our table after we ordered it. I got a laugh out of the older daughter waiting tables whose soles of her gym shoes were detached and flopping off of her feet every time she walked. She made a comment about how she probably should invest in a new pair of shoes, but how comfortable the ones she had on were. The younger daughter was eating rice in a booth next to us between waiting tables and was on her laptop. It was a very laid back setting, almost as if you were eating right in the family's living room.

FOOD: The food was delicious. I ordered the Chicken Tikka Masala (my favorite) and Jon had the Saag Lamb with Basmati Rice and a side order of Naan. The food made the whole trip worth it to the restaurant. The Chicken Tikka Masala was thick, rich & creamy and the chicken was tender and juicy. Jon's Lamb was also very tender and mixed perfectly with spices and spinach. We came away very full and happy from our meal.

OVERALL: I recommend the food, but it's not really ideal as a dine in location. Instead, I would recommend ordering as take out, which they do offer. If you are around the area for lunch, it looks like they do have a lunch buffet that would be quicker and offer many different dishes for you to try. I would avoid going on a busy night like Friday or Saturday.

WOULD WE GO BACK? We would probably go there just to pick up take out or if we happened to be in the area for their lunch buffet... but I wouldn't want to experience the hour wait time for my food again.

-Review by Theresa

The Himalaya's never tasted so good.

Taste of Himalayas
110 North 3rd Street, St. Charles, IL
Cuisine Type: Indian/Nepali
Price: $$

I was spinning a globe at work the other day (every employee gets one) and decided that wherever my finger landed, Theresa & I would try to find a restaurant with that cuisine. The first 65 times I landed in Antarctica (ok so they’re poorly made globes), the 66th time I was out in space somewhere (I landed on my tape dispenser) but the 67th time I landed in the Himalayas. Normally when I think of the Himalayas, I think of three things: mountains, mountain ranges and Mount Everest, so I can only assume the area’s diet consists of rock and glacial ice. Luckily Theresa reminded me that you can’t cook rocks and we remembered a place called Taste of Himalayas in St Charles that specializes in Himalayan cuisine, so off we went.

ATMOSPHERE: Located right off the main drag of downtown St Charles just behind the Filling Station, Taste of Himalayas is in a wide-facing building with a large patio out front. The inside is well-laid out and comfortable, has a fully stocked bar and few Nepali items for flair (look for the dagger on the wall), and felt equally accommodating to both casual and formal dress. The secondary dining area towards the back holds a lunch buffet and more seating.

DRINKS: There’s a full list of 22oz and 12oz Indian beers to try here. Theresa chose the Haywards 5000, a pretty straightforward and flavorful lager, and I chose the Flying Horse, a lager so light and sweet it was almost juicelike; it felt like the ultimate beer-to-cool-down-with-on-a-hot-day, I’ll have to look for it at Binnie’s this summer.

FOOD: The menu is primarily Indian cuisine with Nepali-style dishes and has a ton of vegetarian and non-vegetarian offerings like tandoori specialties, poultry, fish, lamb, veggies, breads and more. We ordered the kashi ko Bhutuwa appetizer, boneless goat meat stir fried with Nepalese spices and cilantro, a little lettuce & cucumber on the side: oh good god, delicious. Every time I’ve had goat it makes me wonder why more places don’t serve it, the meat has a natural sweet gamey/spice to it that was only enhanced with the crisped edges from the stir fry. We had to stop ourselves to leave room for the entrees on the way.

Our entrees arrived a few minutes later, accompanied by basmati rice and excellent tandoori bread. Theresa ordered the chicken tikka masala, marinated boneless chicken roasted in a spicy tomato sauce garnished with ginger & cilantro. The dish was everything she expected it to be plus more. The spiced & creamy tomato sauce complimented the tender tandoori cooked chicken and was quickly a favorite of Theresa's. I ordered the lamb palak, boneless lamb pieces cooked with fresh spinach and Indian sauce, garnished with ginger. Impossible to say anything bad about it, it was fantastic: the lamb pieces were big and tender, the sauce was thick, spicy and rich with a little heat to it, and it all mixed deliciously with the rice and bread. This dish can trick you into thinking you’re not eating as much as you actually are, because it won’t fill you up until 15 minutes after you stop, so I suggest taking it slow!

SERVICE: Friendly, quick and helpful service; our table was waited on by two different guys, each of whom couldn’t have been better if they tried, stopping over frequently to top off our beer glasses and ask if we needed anything else. The owner even stopped by to check on us, and I hope he understood (despite a full mouth) how enthusiastic we were about everything.

OVERALL: A great experience all around, we were thrilled to have tried it. It has different beers, amazing food, great service and is a short walking distance from plenty of St Charles bars. Prices can lean a bit upwards for some drinks & dishes, but everything else easily makes up for it. We were all praise, no complaints. Very highly recommended!

WOULD WE GO BACK?
Anytime, no globe needed!

- Review by Jon

The Spy who fed me.

Safe House
779 N. Front Street, Milwaukee, WI
Cuisine Type: American/Bar & Grill
Price: $$

Safe House was one of the most unique and coolest dining experience I think we've come across so far in our travels.

ATMOSPHERE: Safe House is a Spy themed restaurant in the heart of downtown Milwaukee. Not only is it "themed" after spies... it takes the definition of the word theme to a whole new level. Upon entering the establishment, which is located in a secret entrance in an alley, you are led to a room where you have to disclose to the woman a secret password to enter. (You'll have to figure the password out for yourself, it's more fun that way!) If you know the password you will be let in without a problem... however, if you don't, they will require you to do something to humilate yourself... such as hula hooping or doing a robot dance. Once you've done this, the secret door will open and you will enter the establishment... only to find that your humiliating experience was just viewed on multiple televisions throughout the restaurant. It's fantastic! Besides carrying on the whole James Bond and miscellanous spy movie theme, the whole restaurant filled with a slew of surprises. Secret doors, windows, mirrors, moving walls... etc. I won't spoil all of the suprises as you'd be best off witnessing them yourself. Make sure you walk around and explore every nook and cranny, there's so much hiding right in front of your face that you just might miss if you're not looking. All I can say is that it was one of the coolest, most interactive dining experiences ever.



DRINKS: They had a huge variety of alcoholic drinks. We opted to go for their custom Microbrew called "Code Beer" that was served in a souvenier mason jar glass. After you buy the glass (with beer inside) for $5.00, refills after that are only $2.50! That's a great deal! They also have a great selection of other various microbrews on tap as well. As far as signature cocktails, they have a wide range of those as well with their own signature souvenier glasses. There is also a $25 enormous martini that you can buy and keep the glass as well! As far as non-alcoholic drinks go, you'll find your standard sodas and such.

FOOD: The food here is your typical American Bar & Grill fare. We started with the spinach dip and pita triangles for an appetizer and it was delicious and addicting!! I opted for the Spy Burger with american cheese and Jon got the burger as well with a little mexican international flare(salsa & pepperjack cheese). The burgers were delicious and extremely filling and I was happy to see that they had crinkle cut fries to go along with it. Another person at our table ordered the Foccacia club sandwich and it was HUGE! Definately worth the money. The other entrees amongst our table included the Vegetable Lasagna with a cup of Tortilla soup and the Country Fried Steak. I didn't get a chance to taste those, but they seemed to enjoy it thoroughly. All in all, the food was pretty basic and decent for the most part, but you can tell the whole incentive to visit this establishment is for the atmosphere.

SERVICE: On a kind of negative note, I can't say that the service here was that great. Sure, it was Saturday night and extremely busy... and our waitress let us know that she had about 9 other tables to take care of... but, I would think that since this place seems pretty busy on a regular basis, that the owners should try and have more waiters on staff on the busy nights. It took a long time for her to visit the table initially... probably about 5-10 minutes and after we ordered each drink, it took about 10 minutes for her to bring it out to us despite the fact that the bar was right behind us. I was going to request some mayo with my burger, but didn't want to risk the 5-10 minutes it may have taken her to bring it out to me, so I just ate what I had in front of me. Maybe on another night of the week besides Saturday the service here is better, but again, I think the main focus here is on the atmosphere, not the service.

OVERALL: I'd say this is a great place to visit if you're in downtown Milwaukee. It's fun, unusual and unlike any restaurant you'll ever visit. The food is decent and the service is on the slow side, but it's great if you're not in a hurry, looking for some cool drinks out on the town and are looking for an interactive dining experience.

WOULD WE GO BACK? Definately! It would most likely be for the ambiance, but the food isn't bad either!

- Review by Theresa

A touch of Japan in the heart of Orland Park

Fuji Japanese Steakhouse & Sushi
15132 South LaGrange Road, Orland Park, Illinois
Cuisine: Japanese Hibachi/Sushi
Price: $$-$$$

Although it was a longer drive to get out here from our neck of the woods, I was really happy with the overall experience and food that Fuji provided to us.

ATMOSPHERE: Even though Fuji is tucked away in a mini-mall, don't let that scare you, it is definately worth checking out. Upon entering, we noticed right away that this place was packed! However, we had a reservation, so we got our table right away. There was a small amount of japanese decor around, but my eye was drawn to the several hibachi grills looming before us. I will say that compared to other hibachi style restaurants we've been to, the seating and spacing between tables was a little tight. However, I know that they only had so much space to work with, so they utilized it very appropriately.

DRINKS: We didn't delve too deeply into the drinks because we were on the spot to order quickly, so, we opted for the traditional japanese beers, I got a Sapporo and Jon got the Asahi. I did notice that they had a variety of Saki, Wine and a full bar available as well.

FOOD: I decided to go with the Hibachi Chicken and Garlic Shrimp combo, while Jon opted for the Scallops and Calamari hibachi style. To start with, they bring out a cup of onion soup in a light broth along with a Fuji Salad with Ginger dressing. Several people at our table ordered Sushi for an appetizer and I will say that the one spicy tuna roll I tried definately was in the top five of sushi restaurants in the area; it was delicious! After our soup and Salad, our Hibachi chef showed up and started grilling up the fried rice. The giant fireball he created from the oil on the gril was definately a spectacle! He did some very entertaining egg tricks in which he flipped them up in the air with his spatula and then cracked them open and fried them to go along with the rice. After that, he cooked up the vegetables in which he did the traditional onion volcano trick and then moved onto the meats.

The Garlic Shrimp was AMAZING! Even though everyone at the table made some cracks at how my breath was going to smell afterwards, it wasn't overpowering. The shrimp had a great flavor and perfect tenderness. In between cooking the chicken, he served Jon his scallops and calamari. Jon's dish made me wish that I ordered his. The scallops were succulent and not chewy or dried out. The Calamari was suprisingly tender and flavorful as well! It was nice to try calamari for once unfried. After the seafood, our chef cooked up the chicken. The chicken was definately good, but it was a tad on the dry side after having tried the scallops and calamari. It was still good however, and is a great standby for those who are afraid of seafood.

After everything was cooked, he even went on to cook mushrooms and sprouts. At this point, I felt like after eating for 30 minutes, that my plate just kept filling itself up again!! We had SO much food! I threw in the towel shortly after and asked for a box to take my goodies home in.

After all of the main course eating was over... I got news that we got ice cream too! Oi! Jon and I opted to get the Green Tea ice cream since I had never tried that before and it was wonderful! (The other two choices were vanilla and sherbert). On top of ice cream, we were also given sliced oranges.

SERVICE: The service was right on target, the waitresses were fast and attentive, never letting anything go empty or letting empty plates sit around for too long.

Overall, I would say that this is a fantastic hibachi grill to visit. The service was impeccable, the food was delicious and the atmopshere was definately fun and entertaining. Sure, the prices may be a bit high, but you definately get what you pay for in food (including soup, salad, rice, meat, veggies, ice cream & fruit). Definately check it out if you're in the area, you won't be sorry!

WOULD WE GO BACK? In a heartbeat! This place is worth every penny!

- Review by Theresa

Tequila!

Tequila's Mexican Restaurant & Nightclub
1101 N. LaFox Street (route 31), South Elgin, Illinois
Cuisine Type: Mexican
Price: $-$$

After collectively realizing we were slipping in our recommended daily salsa intake, Theresa and I headed over to Tequila’s Mexican restaurant in South Elgin for dinner. Located in a small strip mall off Rt 31, Tequilas is a short drive down Rt 20 from Pingree – GPS users take note that your destination may be a block or two off, but the sign is easy enough to spot from the street.

ATMOSPHERE: The restaurant is much bigger inside than it looks from the street (it doubles as a nightclub after dinner hours), and holds a casual authenticity not found in other Mexican restaurants thanks to the latino pop soundtrack and lack of “Zorro’s aged Spanish villa” decorations. The entrance is plastered with flyers for upcoming DJs & live acts, tequila bottles adorn the walls, and a large wooden dance floor is located right next to the bar. While on our way out, I noticed there was another whole bar/club in the back of the restaurant already jumping with a live band, and the lit area around our table was already dimming in preparation for the Friday night crowd. It’s obvious the place parties after the kitchen closes, but it makes the restaurant no less comfortable to eat in – no effort was made to rush us out, but the “eating time is over, now we dance” vibe was undeniable. We got a laugh out of it.

DRINKS: Since we were with friends and already started catching up when our drink order was taken, we didn’t spend too much time browsing the selection. Needless to say they had a good selection of margaritas, Mexican beers and tequila (I’m guessing) to choose from. Theresa went with a Dos Equis and I ordered a Modelo served in a chilled salt-rimmed mug, mmm.

FOOD: To start, they gave us a sampling of various salsas and chips; They had your traditional spicy salsa, a black bean salsa, pico de gallo salsa (amazing), and another green chili/sour cream conncoction that they wouldn't give us the secret to. The actual menu can intimidate you, there are lots of appetizers, entrees and specials that all sound great. I eventually chose the ground beef flautas – three small flour tortillas filled with ground beef and fried, served with rice, shredded lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, refried beans and guacamole on the side for piling on top. Normally I’m not a fan of fried dishes, but these were fried lightly enough to give the tortillas some crispness without drenching them in oil, and the beef inside was lightly spiced. What surprised me was the lightness of the dish throughout, nothing felt heavy or greasy, and the right amount of sides were given with the dish so you can enjoy the entire thing without having to be rolled out of the place on a wheelbarrow. Theresa ordered the pork tamales with red sauce covered in cheese. She said that it held an amazing flavor and wasn't too heavy on the sauces or cheese. It also came accompanied by enough rice and beans to feed a mariachi band.

SERVICE: Our waitress was very friendly, knowledgeable about the cuisine and was a good sport about us being silly at the table, especially when Steve’s enormous bubbling steamy witch cauldron dish (I believe it was the Parrillada, a huge meat filled dish meant for two) arrived.

OVERALL: Tequila’s is a great place to grab a casual lunch or dinner – the food is delicious and affordable, the atmosphere is friendly, and the witch cauldron dishes guarantee a laugh. Just be out after dinner hours or you’ll be trampled on the dance floor ;)

WOULD WE GO BACK? For sure! It's a great tasting authentic meal for a great price, you can't beat that!

- Review by Jon

Regional Cuisine with a Gourmet Twist

Harvest Restaurant
Pheasant Run Resort, 4051 East Main St., St. Charles, Illinois
Cuisine Type: Regional/American/French
Price: $$-$$$

For our VDay dinner, I decided on Harvest at St Charles' Pheasant Run Resort. Specializing in local American cuisine, it was a nice way to end the day and check out a bit of what Pheasant Run had to offer. I used to work a horrible job a short distance from the resort, so I was eager to dispel my smolderingly volcanic dislike for the area with something more enjoyable.

ATMOSPHERE: The restaurant is part of the main building, and a small walkway linking different resort areas leads directly into Harvest; $6 valet parking is available. Plenty of people going here & there inside. You first walk into the lounge/bar (which was already busy), and the hostess' counter is at the back. I was a little underwhelmed by the atmosphere for two reasons: first, the look of the restaurant as some of the walls were elementary school-style glazed brick and the booths an old, dark wood that made the place seem a little outdated. Second, it was louder than I expected a nice restaurant to be, like everyone had made this their second stop for the night. Not major enough issues to be disappointed though, because we were having a later dinner than usual and the restaurant location may have been used as another resort business in the past.

DRINKS: Having met our beer quota earlier in the day at Barley House we were only interested in the wine list, which contained plenty of choices both affordable (our pick was Stone Cellar Merlot, $26) and refined (Snooty Top Hat & Monocle Guy Vineyards, $94). Ok I made that last one up but there's a lot to pick from, served in large wine glasses that help to open up the flavor - the Stone Cellar was very good, warm and slightly fruity without being too sweet or dry.

FOOD: All the food easily made up for the lesser atmosphere. Theresa chose the leading entree of the chef's seasonal selection, the pan seared veal medallions, and I chose the house specialty of pan-roasted pheasant w/ juniper berry sauce, caramelized onions, wild mushrooms, green beans and fingerling potatoes. Both were outstanding; the pheasant (a bigger one than I expected) was roasted perfectly and paired very well with the mushrooms and sauce, and the small cornbread dumpling was a great addition to the flavors. It was also a nice surprise to see a full plate of food for each dish - I have no problem with restaurants that serve minimal food for the sake of presentation or flavor, but these had the best of both worlds - excellent flavors, presentation, plating, and plenty left to take home. Also, kudos for having delicious herbal wheat bread and spiced butter before the meal. Nothing here was short of delicious.

Pan roasted Pheasant w/juniper Berry Sauce

Pan-seared veal medallions w/garlic mashed poatoes

SERVICE: Friendly and confident, the waitress raved about the chef's talent in the kitchen, stating "If he goes, I go." Apparently I reminded her of someone who had been there before, so at least I know my evil twin is getting out to eat well, too. Minor mix-up as we left when Theresa's leftovers she wanted boxed were thrown out, but replaced with a fresh dish.

OVERALL: Absolutely recommended for the food and wine, slightly less so for the atmosphere. Try to sidestep the valet if you can, as it's not worth $6 for the attendant to pull your car up when it's only parked 2 feet away.

WOULD WE GO BACK? Jon - Probably not, Theresa - Maybe if it was less like a Frat house crowd in a shopping mall and more like an elegant restaurant like it's supposed to be

- Review by Jon