Friday Night Light
There are things worth getting intimidated by – like comparing notes on Mexican cuisine with Rick Bayless or making crème brûlée for Jacques Pépin. But dining at Sebastian’s in Caledonia shouldn’t be on that list. Especially not Sebastian’s on a Friday night. This is when owner/executive chef Scott Sebastian does a little thing he calls “Friday Casual.” It’s a simple formula: three courses, once price ($19.95). Scott changes the menu every week. Here’s what happening on Friday, Jan. 30th. For the first course, choose a tossed salad or tomato bisque with ricotta dumpling. Second course: pan-fried, panko-crusted grouper with toasted barley cake, braised root vegetables and Romesco sauce; or grilled flat-iron steak with béarnaise sauce, root vegetables and pommes frites. Third course: chocolate decadence with tangerine sorbet. (6025 Douglas Ave., Caledonia, 262-681-5465)
Still Rolling
January has been a good month for Jake’s to “roll back the clock.” Every Monday night in January, the Pewaukee restaurant (21445 Gumina Rd., 262-781-7995) has been offering its 8-ounce Original Tenderloin and Onion Rings (along with potato and salad) for $10.95 – inspired, to an extent, by the $1.95 price back in the 1960s. Since the promotion turned into a Monday night winner, co-owner Karen Replogle says they’re going to continue it through February. So if you’re hankering for a steak and watching your pennies, tell your stomach to hang on until Monday. A reservation would be really wise. Hours are 5-9 p.m.
Auspicious Addendum
A few days ago, a friend looked at me with sad eyes. “Can you believe Heinemann’s?…,” he began, then launched into an elegy about the famous grilled coffeecake. With the last three Heinemann’s locations now in the past – and therefore, the beloved coffeecake, too – it’s been a bitter pill for lot of fans to swallow. But not to worry. The Cafe at the Pfister (424 E. Wisconsin Ave.) will add three items to its menu – three items that were once staples on the Heinemann’s menu. And you get to vote for which ones in the hotel’s online survey. Go to the Pfister home page (pfisterhotel.com) and click on the link at the top of the page. Just don’t try voting for the baked oatmeal. The Heinemann’s powers-that-be apparently consider that recipe top-secret.
Stimulus to Consume
Did you know Whitefish Bay had a stimulus package? Neither did I. The Bay’s new Berkeley’s Cafe (342 E. Silver Spring Dr., 414-897-8624) is the driving force. To my knowledge, it’s the only force. The restaurant’s stimulus package is the 4-6 p.m. Happy Hour. Besides the drink specials ($7 Grey Goose Cosmos, $5 whiskey old-fashioneds), the appetizers are half-price. You’ll also get a free house drink with a movie ticket stub. The Fox Bay Cinema Grill is just a few steps to the west.
Heartfelt Wine-ing
Former Downer Wine & Spirits owner Tom Vaughan will flex his “wine educator” muscle at a fundraiser about one week from now. “Fall in Love With Wine and Art,” at the South Shore Pavilion (2900 S. Shore Dr.), combines things that all conceivably go well together – wine (30 varieties selected by Vaughan), hors d’oeuvres, chocolates (from the local Franklin’s Fine Chocolates), and sundry kinds of displayed artwork. Interested? It’s Feb. 7th, 7-10 p.m. Tickets (available only in advance): $35. Stop in the Bay View Community Center to buy tickets, or ring them up to purchase them over the phone: 414-482-1000.
Can’t get enough dining? I chat about restaurants every week with Jane Matenaer and Kidd O’Shea on “The Mix.” Listen at 6:10 a.m. – a new time! – on Friday, January 30th. That’s 99.1 WMYX-FM.
