Memoirs of a Geezer!
Reflections and Observations -- A Bright Passage from the Fantasies of Youth
to Illuminations of Advanced Maturity!
This Episode: The Fine Art of Fine Dining...??
(Please Note: As one advances into another level of consciousness, namely, "advancing maturity," one's tastes in cuisine -- dining establishments as well -- undergo a kind of metamorphosis, hence this dissertation on that specific topic!... as follows...)
It devastates me to have to admit... In my Geezerhood, I'm neither a gourmet nor a gourmand (probably never was either, even in my callow youth!). SweetHeart insists I would savor styrofoam served under the guise of genuine beef, or any sort of ersatz stuff, like tofu or bean curd disguised as meaty dishes.... (Presented under a stainless serving platter? Maybe on fine china??)
I will confess this, however, at this point in my life, if offered a choice of a large sack of pistachios or a similarly large portion of salted in the shell peanuts, vs. a fine steak or even chateaubriand, I'd choose the former, that is, the nuts!! (What's that you said? We are what we eat??!!... Keep a civil tongue...!!)
There are some additional "however's" to this admission. On special occasions, such as SweetHeart's birthday or visits from beloved relatives and other dignitaries, we do venture to enjoy the culinary delights of fine local purveyors. Examples: Milwaukee Ale House has our favorite chicken pot pie, possibly in the entire hemisphere! Oh yes, and their pot roast too!
Traveling to the delightful environs of Kinnickinnic Avenue (the so-called "Heart of Bayview") in beautiful and often unheralded suburban Milwaukee, one might discover Cafe Corazon on the left (south side?) of that fabled and increasingly popular roadway, one suffused with fine restaurants, saloons and other attractions... bowling, too, I believe!
I haven't completely warmed to Tapas. The other evening, our beautiful and talented daughter, Bethie, persuaded SweetHeart and me to plunge bravely into the unexplored territory of Tapas, paella too, I should add. To me, the food was quite good, if a bit spare. To SweetHeart, a different opinion.
On balance, the restaurant was crowded and perhaps "understaffed." In any case, ordering a couple of tapas at a time, and individually, spaced several minutes apart, is probably not a great idea for the ravenous!! The paella, purportedly a 40-minute process for the kitchen, arrived in
an hour and a half.
We were, however, treated to two desserts free of charge, a reward for enduring the overly long wait for each of the tapas and the slow-moving paella (that may have been cooked, packaged and exported directly from Spain while we waited -- eating buns and drinking beverages during said wait -- and then ferried to us aboard a lumbering commercial aircraft with one working propeller)! (Oh, and the grandchildren both nearly fainted from hunger during our sojourn... There was grumbling from more than just our table, I noted during my search for a restroom!!)
Moving on to other preferred dining establishments, I particularly enjoy a dish served by Simple Cafe. It's a kind of breakfast hash affair, complete with glorious Brussel sprouts, adorned with turkey breast and assorted vegetables, topped -- like a crown, denoting a kind of royal feast -- by an egg, its golden orb staring upward, unblinking and majestic as a sunrise! They have lots of other fine fare for the discerning diner... breakfast and lunch only!
And then there's Benji's! Quite possibly, Benji's serves the best breakfast fare in all of the metroplex, at least in this ranter's opinion. The hash browns are superb. I tend to ask the server to make them extra crispy. I like burnt cookies too! Oh, and the Hoppel Poppel. You should try it at least once. The Matzo Ball soup has healing properties! The Hear-O Israel sandwich was featured on "Man vs. Food..."
Coffee Houses: They serve food too, don't they?! SweetHeart and I have been devotees of Colectivo (formerly, Alterra) since approximately 1994. We are fond of all of their coffees with the exception of Velo. We've amassed more than a million points, at times, now down to more than 900,000. But we're making a comeback? They serve some fine sandwiches, and now offer a Bowl. Stone creek has an excellent breakfast bowl, and the decaf coffee is very good. There's a new location on Downer and Park. We've noticed some deserters there, on occasion! No
names!!
I can't recall not being fond of various ethnic foods and the restaurants that serve them. Two of my favorites are Indian -- Maharaja and Bollywood -- both on the east side of Milwaukee, WI, and both excellent. Mango beef, chicken or port... Jalfrazie... naan...
roti... samosa... Taste, close you eyes and you're on the bank of the Ganges, sitar music floating along its waters, women in saris, singing while being rowed languorously in colorful vallams... Something like that!
More food and restaurant stuff, critiques and the like, perhaps to follow on a future date. Maybe.... but...
I'm getting hungry!!!... "SweetHeart, do we have any nuts around here?..."
(Please Note: As one advances into another level of consciousness, namely, "advancing maturity," one's tastes in cuisine -- dining establishments as well -- undergo a kind of metamorphosis, hence this dissertation on that specific topic!... as follows...)
It devastates me to have to admit... In my Geezerhood, I'm neither a gourmet nor a gourmand (probably never was either, even in my callow youth!). SweetHeart insists I would savor styrofoam served under the guise of genuine beef, or any sort of ersatz stuff, like tofu or bean curd disguised as meaty dishes.... (Presented under a stainless serving platter? Maybe on fine china??)
 |
| These are identified as Tofu Tacos! |
I will confess this, however, at this point in my life, if offered a choice of a large sack of pistachios or a similarly large portion of salted in the shell peanuts, vs. a fine steak or even chateaubriand, I'd choose the former, that is, the nuts!! (What's that you said? We are what we eat??!!... Keep a civil tongue...!!)
There are some additional "however's" to this admission. On special occasions, such as SweetHeart's birthday or visits from beloved relatives and other dignitaries, we do venture to enjoy the culinary delights of fine local purveyors. Examples: Milwaukee Ale House has our favorite chicken pot pie, possibly in the entire hemisphere! Oh yes, and their pot roast too!
Traveling to the delightful environs of Kinnickinnic Avenue (the so-called "Heart of Bayview") in beautiful and often unheralded suburban Milwaukee, one might discover Cafe Corazon on the left (south side?) of that fabled and increasingly popular roadway, one suffused with fine restaurants, saloons and other attractions... bowling, too, I believe!
 |
| An image of Kinnickinnic Ave. We're reliably told the word means "tobacco" in a Native American dialect! |
I haven't completely warmed to Tapas. The other evening, our beautiful and talented daughter, Bethie, persuaded SweetHeart and me to plunge bravely into the unexplored territory of Tapas, paella too, I should add. To me, the food was quite good, if a bit spare. To SweetHeart, a different opinion.
On balance, the restaurant was crowded and perhaps "understaffed." In any case, ordering a couple of tapas at a time, and individually, spaced several minutes apart, is probably not a great idea for the ravenous!! The paella, purportedly a 40-minute process for the kitchen, arrived in
 |
| Why is this image titled in French? |
We were, however, treated to two desserts free of charge, a reward for enduring the overly long wait for each of the tapas and the slow-moving paella (that may have been cooked, packaged and exported directly from Spain while we waited -- eating buns and drinking beverages during said wait -- and then ferried to us aboard a lumbering commercial aircraft with one working propeller)! (Oh, and the grandchildren both nearly fainted from hunger during our sojourn... There was grumbling from more than just our table, I noted during my search for a restroom!!)
Moving on to other preferred dining establishments, I particularly enjoy a dish served by Simple Cafe. It's a kind of breakfast hash affair, complete with glorious Brussel sprouts, adorned with turkey breast and assorted vegetables, topped -- like a crown, denoting a kind of royal feast -- by an egg, its golden orb staring upward, unblinking and majestic as a sunrise! They have lots of other fine fare for the discerning diner... breakfast and lunch only!
And then there's Benji's! Quite possibly, Benji's serves the best breakfast fare in all of the metroplex, at least in this ranter's opinion. The hash browns are superb. I tend to ask the server to make them extra crispy. I like burnt cookies too! Oh, and the Hoppel Poppel. You should try it at least once. The Matzo Ball soup has healing properties! The Hear-O Israel sandwich was featured on "Man vs. Food..."
Coffee Houses: They serve food too, don't they?! SweetHeart and I have been devotees of Colectivo (formerly, Alterra) since approximately 1994. We are fond of all of their coffees with the exception of Velo. We've amassed more than a million points, at times, now down to more than 900,000. But we're making a comeback? They serve some fine sandwiches, and now offer a Bowl. Stone creek has an excellent breakfast bowl, and the decaf coffee is very good. There's a new location on Downer and Park. We've noticed some deserters there, on occasion! No
I can't recall not being fond of various ethnic foods and the restaurants that serve them. Two of my favorites are Indian -- Maharaja and Bollywood -- both on the east side of Milwaukee, WI, and both excellent. Mango beef, chicken or port... Jalfrazie... naan...
More food and restaurant stuff, critiques and the like, perhaps to follow on a future date. Maybe.... but...
I'm getting hungry!!!... "SweetHeart, do we have any nuts around here?..."
Humbly Submitted 01-17-19 -- Joel K.
