Red Robin, Greenfied, Wisconsin

Red Robin Gourmet Burgers

7575 Edgerton Avenue

Greenfield, Wisconsin 53220
http://www.redrobin.com/

When I discovered the Red Robin Gourmet Burger chain in
Monona, WI. last year, I thought my mouth had died and
gone to heaven.  Just outside Madison and just off HWY 12,

it was a perfect stop to and from visiting my son at the
University of Wisconsin Madison campus.  

Then they opened a location just south of Milwaukee
and I had proof that there was a God and He loved 

me!

The decor of the Red Robin restaurants is about as

kitschy as you might imagine for a gourmet hamburger
joint that has a giant plastic backward baseball cap
wearing red robin as its mascot.  But the staff is help-

ful and friendly - from the cheerful door greeters to
the smiling hostesses who direct you to your table.
The friendliness even extends to the restaurant
manager who makes it his business to stop at 
each table and ask how the meal is going.

But it is the fabulous burgers that bring you back
to Red Robin.  My personal favorite is the Royal
Red Robin Burger ($8.99).  The menu calls this the
Aristocrat of Burgers because it is crowned with
a fresh fried egg.  In addition, it is topped with three
strips of hickory-smoked bacon, American cheese, crisp
lettuce, tomatoes and mayo.  This is not a burger; it 
is a meal: breakfast, lunch and dinner.

(Let me note at this point that unlike most restaurant
burgers, the Red Robin burgers look exactly like its

picture in the menu.  If it is stacked six inches high in
the menu it is stacked six inched high when it is 

served to you.  In fact, most Red Robin burgers are

so big they are served in their own paper "diapers"
to catch all that stuff you could lose when you bite

into one of these bad boys).

In addition to their regular roster of delicious
burgers, Red Robin features a new and different
burger each month.  The last time I was at the 
Greenfield location, they were featuring the 5 Alarm
Burger ($8.99).  As the menu says, "crank up the heat
with Pepper-Jack cheese, jalapeños, fresh tangy salsa,
sliced tomato, crisp lettuce and Chipotle mayo.  As I
like to say, "It made my mouth happy."

For a burger joint, and a fabulous one at that, Red

Robin has a fine selection of fresh soups, sandwiches,

salad and other non-burger entrees - but I wouldn't
know nothing about those other options.  I am a 
Red Robin burger boy.

Every Red Robin burger comes with a "bottomless"

basket 0f fries and every non-alcoholic beverages

come in "bottomless" glasses.  The attentive waitresses

keep a watchful eye on your empty glasses - often
setting down a refill as you take your last sip - and
always ask if you would like a refill on the fries.

While we are on the subject of refills, the Red Robin
specialty drinks - the Freckled Lemonade, the Very
Berry Blueberry Limeade and the Blueberry Pomegrante
Limeade ($3.99) -  are all excellent.

On the non-refill tip, you owe it to yourself to try
the Dreamy Orange Smoothie ($3.99), which is like a 
Dreamsickle in a glass.  

On the Eating While Black scale:

So good you'll slap your mama!
It made my mouth happy!
Aiight!
Better than dirt.


Service: Friendly and courteous
Comfortable for black people?:  Yes
Recommend to your black and white friends: Yes
Recommend to just your black friends: N/A
Recommend to just your white friends: N/A

The Original Pancake House, Milwaukee, WI

The Original Pancake House
2621 North Downer Avenue
Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53211
http://www.originalpancakehouse.com/

In the spirit of full disclosure I must tell you I LOVE the Original
Pancake House. I would eat there everyday if my waist and wallet
could afford it. As it is, I have gone stretches where I have eaten
there twice a week and for more consecutive weekends than I care
to count. I have recommended the Original Pancake House to
several friends, family and acquaintances and it has become their
breakfast place.

In a word, the food at the Original Pancake House is phenomenal.
For those of you who hate Spoilers please avert your eyes from
the page now because the food at the Original Pancake House is
way off the "It Makes My Mouth Happy" chart and receives my
first "So Good It Will Make You Slap Yo Mama!" rating.

What makes the food so good? Consistently fresh and high quality
ingredients. I have been there many times and have sampled
many different items and everything is uniformly excellent. I
mean everything: the thick strips of bacon, the homemade apple
sauce, the butter that tastes fresh-churned and, especially, the
maple syrup which is so good I poured an extra thimble of it that
I got in a take home order over a couple of Eggo waffles and it
made those waffles sing in my mouth.

The Original Pancake House is known for their two Specialties of
the House. The first is the Apple Pancake, a plate sized pancake
smothered with sautéed apples and cinnamon sugar baked to
perfection to create a deliciously rich cinnamon sugar glaze.

The second is the Dutch Baby an air filled delight oven baked to
golden perfection and served with lemon, whipped butter and
powdered sugar to create a mouthwatering blend. To call either
of these delicious souffles a "pancake" is a misnomer. They have
to be experienced to believed.

(One word of caution: both the Apple Pancake and the Dutch
Baby are oven-baked pancakes and take longer to prepare.
If you are with a party make sure to tell the waitress not to hold
up everyone else's orders until your is done - or get there before

the rest of your party arrives and put your order in early).

Of the two, I am a die-hard devotee of the Dutch Baby. Served
with fresh lemon slices and powdered sugar, eating the Dutch
Baby is the definition of "It Made My Mouth Happy!"

That is, until you have the sublime experience of the French
Toast, four slices of perfectly grilled perfection. The combination
of the thick sliced bread, eggs, cinnamon, seasoning, butter and

syrup has to be tasted to be believed.

Nothing could be better than the french toast except for
the incredible omelettes served at the Original Pancake House.

These omelettes look like half a football on your plate yet
they are fluffy and flavorful. The omelettes come in seven
delicious varities and each comes with the choice of three

different cheeses - or all of them. I have sampled several
and have settled on a concoction of my own. I order a
Vegetarian Omelette with all three cheeses and then, to
make it healthy, I have the cook add fresh cooked chop-
ped bacon.

The omelettes come with pancakes or pan potatoes on
the side. I highly recommend ordering the pan potatoes.
They are perfectly crisped and flavorful.

(For the health conscious, the omelettes also can be

made with egg whites and the side of pancakes can be

had with sugar-free syrup but let's not ever speak of
this again).

If you are feeling adventurous please try the Potato
Pancakes. Like the pan potatoes, the thin flaky pancakes
are perfectly crisped and flavorful. I like mine with
butter and the wonderful maple syrup and they come
with a bowl of the excellent homemade applesauce.

I have it on good authority that the Banana Pancakes
are also excellent. (Extra! Extra! I have tried the
Banana Pancakes and they are delightful, a symphony
in the mouth).

Part of the pleasure of eating the Downer Avenue
location is the East Side Milwaukee ambiance. Tucked
into a tidy neighborhood of art house movie theatres,

trendy shops, restaurants and upscale grocery stores,
the area has a comfortable lived in feel and the denizens

of the neighborhood are so well-off and comfortable in
their skins that they ain't scared of no black people.

In fact, at first, it was a little disconcerting to be standing
in front of mailbox with another rather large and
intimidating looking black man and to have a little old

white lady step right between us to deposit her mail in
the mailbox without the least bit of fear or trepidation.

On sunny days it is not unusual to see people walking
their dogs, couples pushing their children in strollers,

people of all ages riding bicycles and artists and musicians
setting up their easels and music stands. And, inside the

restaurant the atmosphere is equally familial and
ecletic.

On the Eating While Black scale:

So good you'll slap yo' mama!
It made my mouth happy!
Aiight!
Better than dirt.

Service: Friendly and courteous
Comfortable for black people?: Yes
Recommend to your black and white friends: Yes
Recommend to just your black friends: N/A
Recommend to just your white friends: N/A

Brisco County Wood Grill, Menomonee Falls, WI

Brisco County Wood Grill

N96 W16865 Cumberland Court
Menomonee Falls, WI 
http://www.briscocounty.net/

I drove up to the northern suburb of Menomonee Falls
to visit the Brisco County Wood Grill on the recom-
mendation of one of my "work friends," as my daughter
calls them.  The Menomonee Falls location has been
there for years and I have seen it for years from the
expressway but I had never been tempted to turn in
that direction, even when using that exit to go else-
where.

In fact, there is something about the very placement of
the Menomonee Falls location that seems designed to
discourage the patronage of black people.  For a public
place of business it is tucked into a not so convenient
cul-de-sace  and has what can almost be construed as
a "secret entrance," i.e., if you haven't been forewarned,

it is easy to miss.  Fortunately, my "work friend" gave me
a heads-up and my daughter and I had no problem finding
the restaurant entrance.

It was winter in Wisconsin when we visited the 
Menomonee Falls location but nothing compared with the
chill we experienced when we walked through the door.  
Geez Louise!  You would think the patrons had never seen
black people before.  And it is possible they hadn't as my
daughter and I were the only black patrons in the restaurant.

If the dagger-like looks the elderly-looking gentleman
working the open wood grill gave us could kill, my daughter
and I would be dead.  

Brisco County Wood Grill is decorated like a western lodge
and we were seated in a rustic alcove with four wood plank
tables and benches.  Our server was an energetic young man
who was amiable and attentive.  

The menu offered an array of reasonably priced meals
focused primarily on steaks and chicken.  On the
recommendation of my work friend, I started with the
excellent onion straws ($6.95).  The generous appetizer
was battered, prepared to a light brown crisp and came with
a sharp flavorful Cajun horseradish sauce.  

Each meal at Briscoe County comes with a complimentary
basket of bread and each basket of bread comes accompanied
with a mason jar of homemade apple butter.  I hadn't had apple
butter in thirty years and never had I had homemade apple
butter.  It brought back fond memories.

For my entree, I ordered the 12 oz. Ribeye steak ($19.95)
and given a choice of salad or soup to go with my baked potato,
I choose the soup.  On the good advice of my work friend, I
selected the chicken dumpling soup.  It was a great choice.

It is the dumplings that make chicken dumpling soup and
the dumplings in Briscoe County's soup were excellent.  

The ribeye steak arrived on a cast iron skillet-plate with
succulent mushrooms and a delicious au ju sauce.  It was as
I ordered, seasoned and grilled to perfection.  I have had better
steaks but they came ala carte and cost almost twice the price.   
 

I brought my daughter along with me because I wanted to
know if the rotisserie chicken was as good as I heard it was
and my daughter always orders chicken.  Of course, she
ordered an Briscoe Burger ($7.45).  All of Briscoe County's
1/2 lb. burgers are made with Certified Angus beef and
are served in a basket with seasoned fries.  The burger and
the fries were delicious.

I have it on good authority that the rotisserie chicken - slow
roasted to lock in flavors - is excellent.  There are five
rotisserie chicken choices:

Quarter white: $8.45

Half Chicken: $10.95

Half Dark: $8,95

Half White: $11.95

Whole Chicken: $11.95 (take out only)

Briscoe County Wood Grill also offers a fascinating array
of wood grilled pizzas including BBQ Chicken, Chicken
Tostado, Hawaiian, Supreme, Veggie and Cheese  and
ranging in price from $8.05 to $17.45.

All that and I haven't even mentioned the fajitas or wraps. 

Ordinarily when encountering food this good, I would have
made several return trips by now but, frankly, I am still
feeling the chill from our first visit.  Everybody outside of
the chef were nice enough and our waiter was great
(I tipped accordingly) but even in exiting the restaurant
I could not shake that funny vibe.  

The food was excellent but the way the chef glared at us
as we left, I can't help but wonder if he spit in our food.

On the Eating While Black scale:

So good you'll slap your mama!
It made my mouth happy!
Aiight!
Better than dirt.

Service: Reserved and courteous
Comfortable for black people?:  Not so much
Recommend to your black and white friends: Yes, with caveats
Recommend to just your black friends: No
Recommend to just your white friends: Yes

Mekato's Columbian Bakery, Milwaukee, WI

Mekato's Bakery and Cafe
3500 W National Ave.
Milwaukee, WI 53215

http://www.mekatos.com/ 

Mekato's Bakery and Cafe is a classic Columbian bakery in the
heart of Milwaukee's Silver City district.  Founded in Chicago,
Illinois in 2002 by the Bohorquez family, Mekato's Columbian
Bakery prides itself on providing quality products daily with
guaranteed freshness and "careful service." 

On the recommendation of my friend Fernando, a native of 
Columbia,  I visited the Silver City Mekatos location on a 
beautiful spring day and I was glad I did.  

Nestled on the northwest corner of 35th and National, the 
Mekatos Milwaukee location is bright and colorful with a small,
utilitarian dining room.  Standing in front of the impressive
bakery case and looking up at the vast array of baked goods
available on the menu board (and because most of the menu was
in Spanish) I was momentarily dazed and confused.

The young counter girl noticed my dilemma and after determining
that I was attempting to order breakfast suggested I order one of
their five breakfast combos. The combo she suggested came with
beans and rice, steak or eggs (I chose steak) and a perfectly fried
arapa ($8.00).  Given a choice of beverages, I chose a cup of
coffee with milk.  

The coffee arrived first and it was delightful with the steamed foam
of milk nestled on top the porcelain coffee cup.  Both café con
leche and cortadito, expresso topped with steamed milk, are
$1.50.  Also available are hot chocolate ($1.50) and cafe
colombiano ($1.25).

As I sipped my café con leche and waited for my breakfast, I
perused both the bakery case and the menu. 

Thanks to the largesse of my friend Fernando, I had already
sampled the fried empanadas,  beef or chicken ($1.00), and 
knew them to be excellent.  If it is not offered, do ask for the
green ahi (Columbian salsa).  My breakfast arrived and I dug 

into the plate of flavorful beans and rice and several strips of 

tender thin-cut steak.  The single fried arepa that accompanied
the meal was so wonderful that I ordered two more ($1.50).

On my second visit to Mekatos, on a cold and dreary weekday,
I ordered take-out from the wondrously varied bakery and
the other delicacies and fine foods available from behind the
counter. First, I went for what I know: I ordered six more of
the deliciously crunchy empanadas - 3 chicken and 3 beef. Then
I got adventurous, and I mean really adventurous because this
time there was a different counter woman and while she spoke
very limited English, I spoke almost no Spanish. So I had to
revert to primitive pointing and mimicking: I point to something
that looked good, indicate how many I want - "Two," I would say
holding up two fingers. "Dose?" the woman would ask. "Yeah, yeah.
Dose!" And I did this until I had purchased over thirty dollars
worth of food.

I bought four incredibly fat and flavorful sausages and two thick
slabs of impossibly sinful deep-fried pork crackling that the
counter woman arranged in a Styrofoam carton with six arepas,
four tiny plastic cups of the marvelous green ahi sauce and four
lime slices.

I didn't know if I could replicate this purchase but it was
wonderful.  At home I ate the sausages like a gringo - on buns
with mustard and the green ahi slathered on top like relish. They
were incredible.  But nothing quite compares with pure decadence
of the pure deep fried fat of the pork crackling.

I subsequently learned that the sausages were chorizo con arepas
(one sausage, one arepa and one lime slice: $2.50 ea) and that the
pork crackling were chicharrón con arepas ($3.00 ea).

In addition to the above, I bought two caramañolas, a light, crispy
ball of cassava masa dough empanada filled with meat ($1.50 ea),
two marcelinos ($1.00 ea), two flaky, buttery croisant con quesos
($.1.25 ea), and two donut-like buñuuelos ($1.00).

It was a delicious haul that I shared with family and friends.

On the Eating While Black scale:

So good you'll slap your mama!
It made my mouth happy!
Aiight!
Better than dirt.


Service: Friendly and courteous
Comfortable for black people?:  Yes
Recommend to your black and white friends: Yes
Recommend to just your black friends: N/A
Recommend to just your white friends: N/A