The Ale Asylum Riverhouse (1110 N. Old World Third St.) was nearly half full around 12:30 p.m. when my mother and I walked in. The restaurant, beer writer Dan Murphy wrote, has a licensing agreement with the renowned Madison brewery, and therefore offers more Ale Asylum brews than you can likely find on tap anywhere else in Milwaukee. (And you’ll remember, Ale Asylum’s beers, especially their IPAs, are quite good.) Half full might not sound like a busy day, unless you consider the size of the former Molly Cool’s Seafood Tavern. It’s massive, and the patio was poppin’ on this gloriously sunny day. My mother and I enjoyed the Downtown Dining Week lunch menu from the air-conditioned interior.
To start, she ordered the chopped salad – a substantial portion of carrots, cucumbers, grape tomatoes, chickpeas, cheddar cheese, bacon, and croutons, all doused in a lemon herb vinaigrette. I ordered the “truffled” deviled eggs that were topped with sweet candied bacon and placed atop a generous sprinkle of smoked paprika. I’m not sure what about them was truffled, but the yolk-based filling was smooth and the bacon was crunchy.
As an entrée, my mother order the volcano shrimp. What arrived at the table was a fistful of rice, topped with a bright green seaweed strands, and surrounded by four pieces of shrimp in a “volcano” sauce. I was told it was fantastic, in all its spicy-sweet glory. My salmon wrap was filled with a creamy salad of the pink fish and lettuce, full of flavor and a little crunch. The portion was just right for a three course meal, and the “house” kettle chips made for a commendable salty companion.
For dessert, we both chose the lavender orange crème brulee, which tasted of neither. But no matter, for $12.50 plus the cost of a slow-sipping Ale Asylum High Coup, I was more than satisfied.
The dinner menu, which will run you $25 a person, can be found here.
