Richness incarnate, the lot of them, with key touches to balance it all. And appetizers such as braised bone marrow ($15) to spread on toasts, served with sweetbreads and mashed root veggies, and duck confit ($10) in a tidy wrapping of classic buckwheat crepe, sauced with cherry-port gastrique. That includes fabulous, first-rate charcuterie such as duck liver mousse ($6), served with fine dice of gelée made with port wine. It's not a bad idea to keep the half-pint house-pickled veggies ($3, with the likes of cukes, carrots and garlic) at the table, to clear your palate after some of the richness to come. There are much more memorable options here.ĭiners could start a meal with snacks such as deviled eggs ($1) while they're mulling the menu or contemplating their glass. The Rumpus Room's delicious take on the Cuban ($8) incorporates finely pulled pork rather than classic slices of pork loin the grilled burger ($12) with Russian dressing is a good bar burger, but not a great one. In keeping with the more easygoing mind-set, sandwiches are available at dinner as well as lunch. The rémoulade was a piquant joy, but I'll admit I'm no closer to understanding the Brits' fondness for mushy peas. Fish and chips ($17) when I had it was a mixed bag, pairing lovely, crisp-battered cod with crinkle-cut fries that were going soft. ![]() With it come sautéed escarole and dusky ham-hock brodo.Īnd sirloin is thoroughly flavorful and tender - amazingly so - in the pub steak ($19), cut in thick slices and served with bread pudding, carrots and red-eye gravy.Įven fish tilts hearty on this menu: Perfect scallops ($23) were matched with brilliant-orange carrot purée and black Tuscan kale. ![]() The portion of garlic potato purée seemed a little, well, dainty for this robust dinner, served in a cast-iron Staub gratin dish.īy contrast, the three smallish nuggets of lamb ($23) braised in stout and served on mashed potato and turnip were more than enough - it's cheek meat, notoriously rich no matter which beast it comes from, be it lamb, cow or pig.įried chicken is a dish that's become a darling among chefs from New York to Los Angeles, and it's treated right at the Rumpus Room, too: The half bird ($16) is good and crisp, with tender, flavorful meat. Everything atop it - Gouda, fried egg, and sautéed arugula with shaved mushrooms - enhances it.īangers 'n' Kraut ($16) gives a Milwaukee inflection to British bangers and mash: Usinger's kielbasa instead of stubby British sausages and the addition of braised red cabbage. The enormous pork schnitzel ($17) shows just how good this dish can be: a thin cutlet that's still thick enough to be juicy, coated in delicately crisp breading that's pure pleasure to crunch. This menu covers snacks and appetizers, charcuterie and all-Wisconsin cheeses, sandwiches and some tremendous entrées. Fittingly, they sprinkle in some Milwaukee heritage, too. Some of the menu crafted by corporate chef Adam Siegel and executive chef Andrew Ruiz (previously at Bacchus) evokes English pub and homey dinners, but with polish, flare and mountains of flavor. It's reminiscent of Chicago gastropub Owen & Engine, one of this restaurant's influences the Rumpus Room's black-leather-and-wood bar stools, in fact, look identical. "Rumpus Room" sounds pure midcentury (it's a tribute to Joe and Paul Bartolotta's dad's old bar by the same name), but the look is distinctly Victorian, in the steampunk vein. This is rich, sturdy food that stands up to the 150 or so beers - 24 on tap and one on the engine, or cask pump excellent, elegant cocktails by one of Milwaukee's premier bartenders, Chad Doll (formerly of Hi-Hat and Bryant's) and oceans of spirits - 83 bourbons, 86 whiskeys, 74 Scotches, 27 gins - all of which fill a small, well-organized book. It's not the group's first casual restaurant - a pizzeria and a burger-and-custard stand precede it - but this one jumps on the national gastropub bandwagon, and the vibe, the food and the drink are of the moment.Ī strong bar program that's focused on beers and spirits more so than wines frames the foundation here, and the menu reflects that. ![]() This one has the added appeal of entrées mostly under $20, lower than the typical price at Bacchus or Mr. It's the kind of attention a new Bartolotta restaurant inevitably draws. Later, post-theater guests would roll in - a fur-coated tsunami, another said. ![]() Mainly 20-somethings populated seats at a counter near the slicer shaving artisanal meats - the charcu-shi bar, one pal dubbed it. And soon, the next wave, as the dinner-at-8 crowd arrived. at the Marcus Center and at other venues nearby.Īh, a breather as the arts crowd thinned a bit and tables opened. The magic hour was approaching, though: showtime across Water St. The bar area beyond the doorway was thick with revelers, and the dining room was full as well. It looked like the party was well under way at the Rumpus Room one Friday night.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |