Time to Braise
The mystery of 1101 S. Second St. – the Walker’s Point home of right-at-the-starting-gate Braise Restaurant – will soon be revealed. Owner/chef Dave Swanson has been hosting pre-opening dinners for the last few days, in preparation for the soft opening tomorrow (Wednesday, Dec. 21). You can take a peek at Braise’s interior in this link. The one-time bowling alley (and former location of Chez Jacques restaurant) takes advantage of the building’s existing materials – Cream City brick and wood from the old bowling lanes. What might you find on the menu? Braised lamb with savoy cabbage confit; and veal belly with mint pappardelle, black pepper cream and pancetta. Hours: Tues-Sat from 5 p.m. (closed Christmas Eve and Day)
Monster Meat
“It took us by surprise,” says Brian Ward of the inclusion of his Ward’s House of Prime on the Travel Channel show “Big Beef Paradise,” which celebrates the restaurants across the country where size matters. “They heard we had big cuts of prime rib.” Well, yeah. Prime rib at this Downtown establishment (540 E. Mason St.) comes in 8, 16 and 24 ounces ($23-$38). If an enormous slab of red meat is your version of the Crown Jewels, set your DVR for Wednesday, Dec. 21 at 8 p.m. Part of the episode will feature footage of Ward’s daunting Prime Rib Eating Contest. Three brave souls set out to achieve the seemingly impossible – consume a 160-ounce slab of prime rib in less than an hour. If you miss Wednesday night’s show, the episode will be rebroadcast on Dec. 25 at 6 p.m. Perfect for Christmas dinner-time viewing. Click here and you can live vicariously through someone else’s belly.
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