The Charmant Restaurant–

Continuing our culinary tour here in La Crosse, Wiskonsen we find ourselves puttin’ on a real good feed at The Charmant Restaurant located inside, you-guessed-it, The Charmant Hotel, and it is FABULOUS!

It’s still too chilly for the rooftop deck–it will open in April, JAAAA!–so we mosey on up to the chef’s counter where we can warm our bones by the cooking flames and watch our meals being prepared.  On this visit we are gobbling the following: pea and ham soup–clean, soothing, and tasty. . .Lyonnaise salad–we devour anything that has runny egg yolk on top. . .roasted chicken breast–crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside–perfect. . .grilled rib-eye–always delicious here. . .and a dessert of ice-cream and berries–delightful and satisfying.  All of this is washed down with a good Rioja–Spanish and French stuff go together quite well…mmmm, aaaaahh!

This is easily the number one restaurant in town. . .great atmosphere, wonderful staff, solid food, and free-flowing beverages.  If you ever find yourself hangin’ in La Crosse, then you MUST eat here. . .you will love it–I gar-ron-taaaayy!!

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It’s lovely and tasty out there.

Mississippi sippin’–

MMM!  The sun is out on the banks of the mighty Mississippi River. . .the town of La Crosse, Wisconsin is welcoming us with open arms and beverages of every size and color. . .and we are happy to have another day together. . .mmmm, aaaaahh!

Sunshine and flowing water and light breezes and bloodys and green beer (for St. Patty’s Day) and love. . .what else does one need?  Not much.

La Crosse is super-chill. . .you gotta visit this town if you ever find yourself toolin’ around in the great midwest of the U.S. of A.. . .our time here is coming to a close, but yours could just be beginning.  Travel wide and far cuz time is soooo short. . .enjoy as much as you can NOW.

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It’s lovely out there.

Bar crawl…La Crosse–

JAAA!!  La Crosse, Wisconsin has more bars per capita than any other town in the state…and possibly the midwest–please GOOGLE to check my correctness, it could be off a bit:-).

Nevertheless, it is easy to walk along a historic street and pass 15 watering holes before getting to the end of the block. . .along the way there has to be at least one or three places that appeal to us, and alas, there is/are. . .mmm, aaaahh!

We particularly love the Bodega Brew Pub with lots of thirst-quenching choices and lots of tasty grub to coat our stomachs. . .we also love the live music joint right next door. . .and the Irish pub right around the corner. . .and the other Irish pub up the street. . .and the retro Starlite Lounge where classic cocktails flow and jazz plays through the night…etc. and so on.

Back in the 19th century fur trappers and river runners and outdoorsman of all sorts wandered these paths and streets along the mighty Mississippi River, and now we get to do the same in the 21st century but with indoor plumbing and better heating. . .man, we love modernity, don’t you?

Definitely consider popping into La Crosse if you ever find yourself touring around in the midwest of the U.S. of A.. . .there is plenty here to keep you busy and entertained for many days and weeks.

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It’s lovely out there.

Le Chateau, La Crosse, WI–

BOOM!  It’s French cuisine at a place called Le Chateau on the banks of the mighty Mississippi River in La Crosse, Wiskonsen, and it ain’t bad at all. . .in fact, it’s kinda good.

Le Chateau was formerly the historic Mons Anderson House, the oldest home in La Crosse–built in the 1850s.  The home has changed hands many times over the past 160 years, and now a couple called Tim and Eva Ewers are living the dream of owning and running their own restaurant inside this old mansion.  Tim runs the kitchen and Eva runs the wine cellar and dining room. . .we are honored to have the opportunity to dine here and support this business.

During our meal we are gobbling the following: an amuse bouche of a crab pastry thing–tasty but a tiny bit stale. . .foie gras sauteed with slices of banana–surprisingly enjoyable though just a tad too salty. . .harvest salad with poached egg–refreshing and delightful. . .seared crispy chicken–good and gobble-worthy. . .and a cassoulet–hearty and delicious though again a bit salty.  All of this is washed down with a sixty-dollar bottle of Pomerol–mmmm, aaaahh!!

The atmosphere inside Le Chateau is dark, woody, and somewhat staid. . .plus, the music playing is all European classical: Pachelbel, Mozart, Schubert…that sort of stuff. . .when we really could use some toe-tapping uplifting beats. . .ah well.

The staff are all sweet and welcoming to us. . .the food is overall quite good, and the drink is lovely. . .if the owners could make the vibe just a tad more kinetic somehow, then we would come back again and again.

The REAL treat here is the downstairs bar called “The Cave”. . .walk down a spiral staircase into a stone cellar where there is a bar, a wall of wine, and Pink Floyd playing on the sound system. . .ah, we are home…we will most definitely be back!

Definitely consider doing a meal at Le Chateau and drinks down in ‘La Cave’. . .you will be intrigued and satisfied in the heart of historic La Crosse–I gar-ron-taaaaayy!

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It’s lovely out there.

Wiskonsen discoveries–

BAM!  We recently discovered that Georgia O’Keeffe was born in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin…powerful lady, great artist, sweet little town.

O’Keeffe hung out on a family farm on the edge of Sun Prairie until she was about 18 or so…then made her way to art school in Chicago…then to New York…then to Arizona where she soared to the stars and the heights of human existence. . .mmm, aaahh!  We can feel some of her grounded and magical vibes here. . .can you?  You can if you try.

Our next discovery is not really a discovery but more of a reminder: some of the tastiest pie on Earth can be had in the cafes, diners, and snack shops of Wisconsin…above is a bird’s eye view of the apple caramel pie with vanilla ice cream at Fat Cat Coffee Works in New Glarus, coffee on the left and tea on the right. . .we inhale all of this in about thirty-seven seconds with no problem at all…crust is soooo buttery and delightful. . .the passage of time is easy when eating good pie.

Then it is time for a beverage or three at Puempel’s Olde Tavern…they have been serving folks here since the 1850s so they know what they are doing. . .always fun to step back in time with the substantial barkeeps and get spellbound in “America’s Little Switzerland,” New Glarus, Wisconsin. . .prost!

Time is waiting for none of us. . .it is simply moving forward. . .moving somewhere. . .does time even really exist?. . .just another silly human concept to help folks feel like there is some order to the chaos of being??  Let’s discuss over another pint of Spotted Cow.

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It’s lovely out there.

Mad City musing–

MMM!  Madison, Wiskonsen has everything we need for the moment: free-flowing booze, fabulous hotels, bracing lake views, and delicious dining options.

If you ever visit this town, then I highly recommend that you grab some drinks and snacks at The Old Fashioned across the street from the Capitol building, take a nap in your hotel room at The Edgewater on the shore of Lake Mendota, sip a cocktail and soak up the lake views at The Boathouse in the lower level of The Edgewater, and finally do some din-din at Estrellon on Johnson Street. . .you will enjoy all of these places and have the time of your life, at least just for that particular day.

Madison is a university town with a lively vibe and a desire to serve patrons and visitors well with plenty of midwestern “nice”-ness to go around.  Plus, all of the woes of the world feel a million miles away from this vantage point…this is, of course, good and/or bad depending on your individual perspective.  Anyway, check it out here some time. . .you will like, I think.

To see more amazing images from around planet Earth simply click on a location of your choice in the category menu on the ‘About’ page of this blog. . .dive on in. . .so much to see and soooo little time.

It’s lovely out there.

Madtown grub–

One of our favorite places to put a feed on while here in Madison, Wiskonsen is called The Old Fashioned. . .mmm, aaaahh!

The Old Fashioned is right on capitol square just across the street from the Wisconsin capitol building. . .they serve outstanding pub grub here. . .we especially love the Old Fashioned Burger cooked medium-rare topped with cheddar cheese, bacon, onions, and a delightfully runny sunnyside-up egg–washed down with a bottle of Schlitz…SOOO SATISFYING!

We also have no problem inhaling a nicely charred brat with crispy thin onion rings–jaaaa!!

This place is always packed with people…”the game” is always on…the staff are spot-on and helpful…the location is ‘tres central’…the grub is hearty…and the beverages are various and free-flowing. . .what more do you need?  Not much, really.

So, be sure to pop into The Old Fashioned during your next visit to Mad City. . .this place will be ready for you, and you will love it–I gar-ron-taaaayy!

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It’s lovely out there.

Chillin’ in Madtown–

POW!  This is the number one hotel in Madison, Wisconsin: The Edgewater.

Built on the shore of Lake Mendota back in 1948 or so people have enjoyed staying in this place for about 70 years now. . .heck, Elvis even stayed here once–BOOM!

The exterior of the building is vaguely art deco/mid-century modern…the interior of the building has been fully refurbished and updated with fine bathroom fixtures, tasteful decor, comfy furniture, big-screen tvs, and wi-fi EVERYWHERE. . .mmm, aaaahh!

There is a great bar at lake level called The Boathouse…folks flock here winter spring summer and fall for beverages, pub grub, and the best lake views in Madtown. . .when it is warm-to-warmish people love to hang on the outdoor deck and drink the day and night away.  But it is especially pleasurable to sit in the warmth of The Boathouse sipping cocktails while watching hearty souls ice fish on the frozen lake. . .brrrr, “catch anything good, fella?”…siiiiip…mmmm.

We love stayin’ ‘n’ hangin’ at The Edgewater, and you will too if you ever find yerself in these parts. . .enjoy!

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It’s lovely out there.

 

Nose-to-tail…supremo!

MMM!  Here we are gobbling away at a joint called ‘St. John’ located on St. John Street in the Clerkenwell section of London, and it is totally delectable…jaaaaa!!

St. John is owned by a dude called Fergus Henderson who is one of the first chefs to elevate the whole snout-to-tail craze to a level of respectable and desirable dining.  Fergus made bone marrow cool and delicious. . .he sends out four bones full of marrow that we have to dig out and spread on perfectly toasted slices of hearty bread…add some lightly-dressed bitter greens and sliced onions, and we have an appetizer that soothes my belly and helps us do our part in consuming every last bit of the animal…nothing goes to waste here.

We also devour sardines with butter, greens, and lemon…WONDERFUL–tasty fruits from the sea!  We then move on to saddle of hare and a pigeon squab. . .both cooked with care and both wild, gamey, and tasty…we have a side of potatoes and possibly the most delicious cabbage we have ever eaten. . .mmmm, aaaahh–we are enjoying this!

The whole meal is washed down with a tasty bottle of chablis. . .we will drink chablis with anything and everything–absolutely delightful.

Then we end with a sticky toffee pudding that makes us go, “MMMMM!”

This place is legendary in the food world, and it totally rocks. . .the space is finely carved into an old building in this funky section of town–nice big bar in the back that offers interesting snacks from the kitchen…and then the main restaurant on an upper level…all white decor, super-chill staff, fascinating grub, and free-flowing drink. . .plus, the good vibes of Fergus are here reminding us to respect all of the creatures on the planet that provide nutrition and sustenance to us.

Definitely consider eating at St. John the next time you are in London. . .this place deserves your attention.

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It’s lovely out there.

Wow…just WOW!

MMM!  Here we are puttin’ on a major feed at a place called ‘Dinner by Heston Blumenthal’ located in the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in London, England, and this place is totally rockin’ our world…jaaaa!!

Dinner by Heston Blumenthal has two Michelin stars, and it is easy to see, smell, feel, and taste why. . .everything here is beyond spot-on.

We are warmly greeted by the hosting staff when we arrive…we sip champagne at an austere bar while waiting for our table to be ready…we are escorted to our table smoothly and efficiently…we are greeted by our waitperson calmly yet kineticly–there is good energy here.  Then we are presented with our menus…the menus are incredibly interesting–dishes of the day are listed on one side, and the history of each dish is briefly described on the other side where we learn that all of the items served in the restaurant are based on old British recipes that go back as far as the 14th century…woweewowow!  Of course, I am eating dishes from the 14th century…from a cookbook used to prepare meals for Richard II that dates to the year 1390…’sblood and zounds!!

So, here is what we are devouring: something called ‘Rice & Flesh’ from 1390–uniquely delicious, never had anything like it before and could eat it again and again…’Frumenty’ from 1390–possibly the most delicious grilled octopus we have ever had covered with smelt, smoked eel broth and pickled veggies…’Chicken & Cauliflower’ from 1390–absolutely tasty and delectable…’Hereford Ribeye’ from 1830–cooked perfectly, covered in pellets of bone marrow, never had a better piece of meat anywhere on Earth, superb.  All of this is washed down with a great bottle of chablis…yes, chablis, I will drink fabulous white wine with ANYTHING…jaaaa!

We follow all of this goodness with a fine selection of English cheeses and a good glass of 20-year-old port…then we ingest an absolutely wonderful dessert called a ‘Tipsy Cake’ from a recipe that goes back to 1810 and includes a hunk of pineapple cooked on a rotisserie–magical, scintillating, delightful. . .could eat this again and again…mmmm, aaaaahh!!

If you really wanna blow it out the next time you are in London, then consider dining at Dinner by Heston Blumenthal. . .Heston is the guy who runs The Fat Duck out near Brighton which was voted the “World’s Greatest Restaurant” back about 15 years ago or so. . .of course, you can rest assured that this guy knows what he is doing, and though ‘Dinner’ has only two Michelin stars (Fat Duck has three) you will still have a meal to remember for many months and years to come.

Eat great food…drink great beverages…no one knows what is going to happen five minutes from now so enjoy yourself right this very moment…cheers!

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It’s lovely out there.