Brunch al Fresco

Guess our schedules were just too busy these past few weeks, but J and I finally got together to continue the Tour this past Saturday. We tried to go to Ocean Grill for their web-advertised Saturday brunch. http://www.foodfightinc.com/oceangrill.htm

But when we arrived at 9:30 or so they weren't open. Gosh, I was really looking forward to that Bloody Mary, so we wandered over to the top of King street and The Local Tavern and their outdoor dining. http://thelocaltavern.com/

But for the wind, it was a great place to have brunch downtown, and people watch. As we were ordering our bloody marys, talking to the waiter about liking them full-bodied and spicy, a fellow diner passed our table and assured us that the Bloodys were indeed spicy!

We liked the retro glasses -- sort of like a soda fountain glass. The drinks were dressed with a pickle, olive and a pepperoncini. The sauce looked interesting - like maybe there was horseradish in the mix. The heat came from red pepper flakes. Spicy at first sip, but the palate adjusted quickly and it was simply a good drink.

Both of us ordered the quiche special - which was served individually encasserole with a phyllo dough crust. It was very tasty and served with a side of fresh fruit. I have to admit that my expectations were pretty low for what I thought was a more of an old-fashion 'tavern'. But looking around, all the breakfasts looked tasty. Needless to say, we'll be back.

We rank The Local Tavern's Bloody Mary:
Spice: 5
Strength: 5
Price:4 ($5)
Appeal: 3
Size: 12 oz.
Brunch: 4

Lunch instead of brunch?

We're having a bit of trouble finding places that serve breakfast and bloodys on Saturdays.

We know there are lots more options on Sundays...but neither one of us fancies those 'all you can eat' buffets. Too much food.

And besides, Saturdays are a better lounge and linger day in my opinion...

So next time we hope to it will be warm and sunny enough for an outside table and we'll probably 'do lunch'.

But where to go??

Perhaps the mother lode.. but not at Eldorado

Date: 4/5/08
Place: Bluephies, 2701 Monroe St.
http://www.foodfightinc.com/bluephies.htm

J and I planned to meet at the Eldorado Grill on Willy Street for the latest in our bloody mary brunches...but guess they're only open on Sunday mornings...so we headed to Bluephies (another Food Fight restaurant). Wanted to go there anyway to formally review it and we are glad we did!

For our 'official review' we tried their "Belt Busting" special ($7) and it is now the one to beat! It's got great spice and J decribed the sauce as 'meaty' without being thick like a V8-style juice. Loaded with celery, olives, an aspargus stem (pickled in a horseradish brine), mushrooms, lemon and lime, it came pretty darn close to being the answer to our quest...as J challenged, we are looking for a bloody mary that 'eats like a meal'!

Soooo only 4 months in and we may have found our favorite. We liked it well enough to enjoy a second round, so need I say more??

Our breakfast was good - although J's quiche was on the petite side and my biscuit wasn't as flavorful as other visits. But it's the company that counts, and it's always affirming to catch up with a friend I've known since childhood. Knowing what's going on in her life and sharing the same is what this journey is all about.

We ranked Bluphies Belt Buster:
Spice: 5
Strength: 4
Sauce: 3.5
Price:4
Appeal; 5+
Size: 4

This is the first really nice day - highs in the 60's - that makes us think Spring is really here to stay.

What more can I ask for? Great weather, great friend, good food and a perfect bloody mary. That second bloody made me sleepy; think I'll go nap on the deck in the sun!

Where to next?

We do have to go back to Bluephies http://www.foodfightinc.com/bluephies.htm not only to include them in our offical tally, but also because their breakfasts are so good.

I've also tried the Bloody Marys at Babes http://www.babesmadison.com/contact/ but I don't think they have Saturday brunch....but maybe just to compare their drinks, because remember them as really good. (but it's been a few months since I've had a drink there.)

We talked about The Weary Traveler next time, but they don't serve breakfast so I'm not sure where we're going. Have to talk to J.

By reputation we try The Green Lantern

Date: 3/1/08
Place: The Green Latern, McFarland
http://www.explorewisconsin.com/greenlantern/

Several people recommend this place, so here we are on the first of March.

Oops, we started our visit with a 'spice your own' version - which the nice waitress talked me in to before I realized that we can't judge a drink that we make ourselves. (You get a tall tomato juice delivered with a tray that includes Tabasco, A1, Worcestershire, steak sauce, celery salt, a bloody mary seasoning). Fortunately it wasn't that strong so we ordered what the they called"the ultimate" mixed by the bartender. Horseradish jazzed this one up more than the 'make your own' and it included a pickle spear, but no olives and I miss those.

Spice: 2
Strength: 3
Sauce: 3
Appeal: 3
Size: 3
Price: 5
Our waitress, April, was great and the my hash browns and english muffin were cripsy and dark and the ham/cheese omlete was perfect. The restaurant was too smoky for me though.

Catching Up: The Club Tavern

Place: The Club Tavern
Date: 2/9/08

February already and our second taste testing. The Club Tavern in Middleton is up for sale, so who knows what the future will bring. I love the dining area of the place - it's over 100 years old and the exposed stone foundation and low ceiling give it a cozy feel on a winter morning.
http://www.clubtavern.com/
Spice: 2.5
Strength: 4
Sauce: 4
Appeal: 5
Size: 5
Price: 4.5
Brunch: 4 (two for one coupon)

This is a large drink (21 oz.) that comes loaded with salad - including a spicy shrimp. Yummy. This day J and I were really impressed; they raised the bar for drinks to come.

I will add that I'd been to the Club Tavern twice before with K and one of those times the drinks were subpar (when K questioned, the waitress admitted they were premixed in anticpation of a busy Saturday crowd.)

Catching Up: The Avenue

Date: 1/12/08
Place: The Avenue
http://www.madisondining.com/avenuebar/

So this was the first official visit on the Bloody Mary tour. The Avenue's reputation made it a perfect place to start.

Spice/Sauce: 3 for spice but 2 for sauce (too thin)
Strength: 4 (post brunch buzz while shopping)
Appeal: 3 (not much salad)
Size: 2 (in a short glass)
Price: 4 (potent for the price)
Brunch: average

What We Judge

Every bloody mary we drink goes through a vigorous assessment process. We judge each contender on:
1. Spice/Sauce
2. Strength
3. Visual appeal
4. Size
5. Price

Extra credit for a tasty brunch!

How We Score

On a 1 to 5 scale, here's how we tally:
1. Tell your friends to stay away - horrible
2. Don't bother ever coming back
3. Well, at least it's alcohol
4. Worth a second trip
5. Yipee - the mother lode!

Spicing Things Up

We started recording the taste testing the old fashion way - just joting down notes in a small notebook...but then it occurred to me that blogging might be a bit more fun. So here I go. One small step back to my writing roots. 'Course I'll never compare to B's blogging, but this is a start. Just keeping it fun.