Marquette Mission: Day One

Marquette Mission Day 1

The first day of our journey was met with a new lesson: no half days prior to leaving. I thought I’d be able to see a few patients and slide out a little early, but it didn’t exactly happen like that. So Adrienne, calm and collected, just picked up Jimmy Johns and met me at my mother’s where we set out. I don’t think it’s necessary for me to review JJ’s, but I will leave you with this: she got me an Italian with no onions. Can you believe it?

We set out from Fort Wayne headed to Milwaukee to stay one night, then we will head up to Marquette, MI, right on Lake Superior. Traffic really wasn’t bad, as we went around Chicago and missed both rush hours. Our hotel is the Hotel Pfister, a classic hotel in the heart of downtown Milwaukee. They have a resident artist, a book about their history, and, well, class. We dropped our car, sent our bags with the bellhop, checked in, and went to the room to put our feet up for a few minutes. There were scoured the internet for where we were going to eat.

We decided on Bacchus. It was an upscale restaurant, fresh white pressed linens, a sous chef (who I think was our waiter), and a sommelier. We chose a Pinot Noir from Eyrie Vineyards, which was surprisingly light however very enjoyable. Very few (if any) tannins, not too dry, it was just perfect.

As is the want of many a Wisconsinite, we ordered a cheese sampler, at the recommendations of our waiter. Adrienne does not like Bleu cheese, but he strongly recommended one anyway (I figured that means it’s really good (I don’t like mushrooms – OMG YOU HAVE TO TRY THE MUSHROOMS – LOL ok)). We also ordered a Brie which Adrienne did not tell me she did not like. Okay, so our favorite was a 17 month cow/goat cheddar and the Bleu. Also, this was served with some cranberry and walnut bread, some of Steve’s Bees Honey, and some blueberry compote. The honey was still granulated which actually carried a wonderful texture and delightful flavor.

For appetizers, we shared the Strawberry Ginger Soup and Veal Ravioli. So when the assistant waiter (I know, right?) came out with the soup, we had a complete “Emperor’s new clothes” moment, where he had a large bowl with a small custard in the middle and I thought to myself, “that’s the first time I’ve seen a solid soup” and “I wonder if the soup is INSIDE the custard”, but then he produced a silver jug which held the real soup. The menu tells me the custard was a buttermilk panna cotta and there was balsamic drizzled on the bottom of the bowl. A few “dehydrated” strawberries danced on top of the balsamic, and then he poured the soup around the panna cotta, which was a rich pink color. The soup was served chilled (not cold, just a little below room temperature, and was light and airy in texture and the combination of strawberry and ginger with the airy texture at a little below room temperature was refreshing. It was the most beautiful soup that’s ever crossed my lips. The panda cotta was rather like a light lemon custard that paired quite well with the other flavors. I’ve had dehydrated strawberries before, and these were quite different. These were ephemeral strawberries: they were on your spoon when you put it to your mouth, and your tongue and palate caught the sensation of it for just a moment, and then it was gone.

I certainly did not expect Adrienne to offer up the possibility of veal ravioli but when she did I JUMPED ON IT. There were four, about 1.5” across, served on a bed of cooked spinach, topped with toasted pine nuts, and drizzled with a touch of browned butter (butter fondue is what the menu calls it). I was impressed that she tried it and she even liked it!

For main courses, I ordered the lamb (I just do not get enough lamb) and Adrienne ordered the Alaskan Halibut. My lamb came medium rare, sliced thin, and presented atop a panzanella salad. Expertly cooked and presented, the lamb was seasoned perfectly and each sliced carried the perfect amount of the seasoning. The salad had chunks of bread, tomato, olives, and was dressed with olive oil and vinegar, all of which complimented the lamb.

Adrienne’s halibut was tender and succulent, the crisp outside tried to hold itself together when presented with a fork, because the inside wanted to shear like layer of slate after a quake. Her succotash was great too. Succotash is one of my favorite sides my mother used to make, and I realize now as an adult it was her way of getting us to eat lima beans. 

The wine made its way through the entire meal, and we even left a little behind. Absolutely stuffed, we passed on dessert and headed out. The restaurant was a short walk from the hotel and from the beach, so we headed to the beach to see the water. One of us was not completely aware that Milwaukee resides on the lake (well, adjacent to the lake), this was the source of great amusement. The lake was beautiful, however walking up next to it one could feel the cold of the enormous body of water. Content, we walked back to our hotel and turned in for the night.

Additionally, I’ve decided to start a new grading scale to give everyone a good idea where each restaurant falls. I’m calling this the only name that makes any sense: THE BALTOMETER. Bacchus has a 9.25 on the Baltometer.

Tomorrow, we’ll head up to Marquette but before we leave Milwaukee we’re planning on a brewery tour.