DLux - Madison, WI

4/28/2013

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117 Martin Luther King Blvd.
Madison WI
(608) 467-3130
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General Description: As you walk in to Dlux, it feels like you never stopped partying from the night before. Loud party music is blasting in the background, the crowd is exactly what you would expect in a bar, and everyone is drinking bottomless mimosas. It's exactly what I would picture a party-enthusiast's heaven would be like. The walls are lined with bright neon lights and lots of color and the tables are very chic. If you get the $10 bottomless mimosa, the waitress will keep filling it up instantly after the glass is empty, even after you've received the bill. My absolute favorite part was the classy Bloody Mary bar that was filled with high quality, fresh garnish including sharp cheddar cheese, pickled everything, and every type of sauce you could possibly want in a Bloody Mary. I loved the whole environment at the beginning when I was walking in and first ordering, but there is something soothing about the traditional feel of a brunch, which was definitely lacking. The menu was also a little lack luster, but everything was reasonably priced.
Highlights of the Meal
  1. The bottomless mimosa and the Bloody Mary bar!
  2. The breakfast potatoes which had many different toppings available
  3. The unique experience of party music bumping in the background while eating what is normally a relaxed brunch (I'm still unsure whether it was a good thing or not...!)
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My Meal
Spicy Sausage Breakfast Sandwich ($6)
"Char-grilled pork sausage, fried egg, pepperjack cheese and sriracha mayo"

Breakfast Potatoes with Sharp Cheddar and Green Onion ($2.5)

The entire menu at Dlux is breakfast sandwiches and potatoes with toppings. I was a little sad that there were no other options, but the prices were great! My sandwich was good, but not great, and slightly reminiscent of a classy version of the McDonald's breakfast sandwich. I think that's because all of the ingredients were fairly inexpensive, and the pork sausage was pretty greasy. Also, the bun on the sandwich did not work at all with the sandwich, in that it seemed more suited as a hamburger bun. The real reason I got this particular sandwich in the first place was because of the sriracha mayo, which I love, but even that did not make this "Spicy" Sausage Breakfast Sandwich spicy. Overall, the sandwich was very one-note.

The breakfast potatoes were much more intriguing, and had a lot of toppings to choose from. The sharp cheddar and green onion was delicious on top of the potatoes and was definitely worth the extra money!
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The Bloody
The Bloody Mary Bar was by far the highlight of my meal! While Tim was enjoying his endless mimosas, I was up at the Bloody Mary bar experimenting with a LOT of different hot sauces and put a ton of garnish at the top. I honestly think I will never find a Bloody Mary bar as amazing as the one I saw at Dlux! The garnish was well stocked, but none of the ingredients seemed to be sitting out too long, so that they would taste old. Instead everything was fresh and delicious and would definitely entice me back to Dlux, even though I did not enjoy the food that much!

Next Time
Instead of getting any of the sandwiches, I will order a bowl of breakfast potatoes, maybe with the blue cheese and bacon topping, and fix up a Bloody Mary at the bar. That way, I can have some breakfast food, but if I am more hungry, I'll just stack on the garnish!
Overall (3 Olives)
I did not love the menu, but I did love the Bloody Mary bar. For those of you who do not hold that as a priority for the perfect brunch, you should still go for the bottomless mimosas and the crazy atmosphere. I don't have the heart to give such an amazing Bloody Mary bar a lower rating, so I was pretty lenient and gave Dlux 3 Olives. It was a strange, but delicious experience overall.
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Guest Post - Surfside in Washington, DC

3/15/2013

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This guest post comes to you all the way from Washington, DC. Ibrahim and Brigid, recent UW-Madison grads, are the reviewers and I love the personal spin on the post!

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General Description: After moving from Madison to Washington, DC, we realized that while Madison is brunch-friendly, DC is brunch-CRAZY. People flock to every restaurant, cafe, and bar, and brunch reservations are all but required. Luckily, we were tipped off to a fabulous spot that didn’t usually attract a huge mid-day crowd.

This weekend was the first true one of spring, and we ventured all the way across town to eat Mexican food on a rooftop deck in Glover Park. Surfside oozed relaxation, serving up affordable and delicious food with solid Bloody Marys. We’d been envious of everyone heading down to Austin for SXSW, but with sunshine, temperatures in the 60s, and food with a little kick, a Sunday in DC seemed as good as a trip to Texas, including a sunburn.

Each of our UW-grad foursome ordered something different, and we were all impressed with our meals. After starting off with some fresh salsa, we were happy to dive into our rich meals and Bloodys.

Highlights of the Meal
1. The relaxed island-themed atmosphere and sunny rooftop deck
2. The flavorful sauces and Mexican twists upgraded classic brunch dishes
3. Perfectly cooked eggs

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Our Meals
Ibrahim’s steak breakfast burrito was rich with eggs and cheese and brought back fond memories of the infamous “Hangover Burrito” from the Copper Gable Cafe beneath the Aberdeen Apartments in Madison (RIP). With all the meat and cheese, slices of avocado added freshness to what would have otherwise been quite a greasy affair.

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Kevin’s southwestern Eggs Benedict featured a corn tortilla and pulled pork instead of the traditional English muffin and ham. Though it wasn’t a huge portion, he picked up every bit of the chili hollandaise sauce off his plate.

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As to portions, though, Paige’s steak and eggs did not disappoint. A huge plate of sunny-side-up eggs, grilled skirt steak, and queso fresco was doused in adobo sauce -- a serious plate of brunch if there ever was one.

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Brigid also loved her huevos rancheros, the classic Mexican brunch choice. Two eggs sat atop a delicious medley of pinto beans, cheese, avocado, and adobo sauce. It was rich and filling without being heavy, a pretty perfect balance.

While the sides of hash browns and fruit were underwhelming, the rest of the meal was so satisfying that it was easily overlooked.



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The Bloody
The Bloody Marys were surprisingly good after encountering several bland ones over the last few weeks. Medium-spicy and rimmed with a cayenne pepper blend, they may have been mix-based, but they were still a step up from most in DC. The garnish was standard, featuring a celery stalk and lime, which only served to make us homesick for the elaborate cheese-pickle-meat-etc-etc garnishes of the Midwest.

Next Time
We would definitely make the trek back to Surfside for a brunch that felt like vacation. The brunch menu is limited, but everything that came out was delicious, so we’d happily order any of the items. The quesadillas we saw at the other tables might also make a non-brunch trip worthwhile...

Overall (3.5 Olives)
We really enjoyed what we ate, but it really isn’t a dedicated brunch place. While we’d happily return at anytime of day, we would have been just as happy ordering off the regular menu. So for brunch we’ll give 3.5 Olives, but we should really return to check out the main menu.

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Come Back In - Madison, WI

3/3/2013

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508 E Wilson St
Madison, WI 53703
(608) 258-8619
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General Description: Come Back In is a restaurant with small town decorations like painted wood paneling. The walls are lined with glass cases filled with all sorts of beer cans and a ridiculous salt and pepper shaker collection. The restaurant takes reservations and has very quick service. The menu is filled with food that make you wonder if there is a flock of grandmas cooking homemade meals in the kitchen. The restaurant is very homey and inviting with great prices. The small town crowd would definitely appreciate the Come Back In because it has the same feel and comfort that you find in the small country restaurants of Wisconsin.
Highlights of the Meal
1. Large portions of food for a decent price
2. The biggest salt and pepper shaker collection I will ever see in my life!

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My Meal
Cajun Steak Benedict ($9.45)
"Grilled homemade english muffin topped with a 6 oz. Cajun spiced sirloin steak, 2 eggs, and rosemary-wine hollandaise sauce, served with pan fried potatoes"

The meal tasted fine, but was about what you'd expect from a inexpensive steak and eggs. The rosemary-wine hollandaise sauce was very rich and had an overwhelming rosemary taste. I couldn't even taste the "Cajun" seasoning on the steak because the plate was doused in the hollandaise sauce. The eggs were cooked perfectly, however, and the homemade english muffin was delicious! 

The pan fried potatoes tasted almost exactly like the breakfast potatoes my grandma makes. They were seasoned perfectly and I had an instant feeling of nostalgia for grandma's cooking! Sadly, the hollandaise was so heavy that I could not finish the meal.
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The Bloody
Come Back In's Bloody Mary is only $3, but it is inexpensive for a reason. The drink is definitely a homemade mix with mainly tomato juice, and not much else. Unless you like a very mild and salty Bloody Mary, I suggest you go for a different drink on the menu. I had to add a lot of hot sauce to make the Bloody Mary taste any different from just plain tomato juice. I might as well have asked them for Worcestershire sauce, pickle juice, and seasonings and start from scratch. 

The garnish consisted of a crunchy dill pickle and a lemon wedge, and the glass rim was lined with celery salt. I'm fairly sure the chaser was PBR, which only added to the mediocrity.
Next Time
I would trade out my Bloody Mary for a Mimosa because I don't think any restaurant can mess up champagne and orange juice. The meal was too heavy for me, so I will try an omelet to have something slightly lighter. However, most of the omelets are topped with the same hollandaise sauce as the eggs benedict, so I might have difficulties finding a light meal!
Overall (2.5 Olives)
Out of my scale of one to five olives (five being the best brunch of my life, one being the most disappointing, waste of my life, depressing, and awful brunch), I would give Come Back In 2.5 olives. The meal was coated in hollandaise sauce and the Bloody Mary was disappointing. I did love the atmosphere and the insane number of salt and pepper shakers lining the walls. The potatoes were delicious and reminded me of home cooking. Come Back In is one of those restaurants that even though the food is not amazing, it is so comforting and welcoming that you can't help but want to go back.
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