Bacchus

A rather well-known restaurant here in Milwaukee... a place for fabulous wine and food... was the locale of a business lunch on Friday. It was nothing short of glorious. While the name is not one I would choose for a restaurant such as this one, it nonetheless possesses exceptional quality food & service. We were seated for lunch in a conservatory space, the whole room almost all windows and crisp, white double-tableclothed tables and the lake right outside the window. The day was overcast and cloudy, but the room was still bright and the greys seemed to play off of the white to make for a color-palatte that I truly enjoy. All this paired with the expected wonderful service, fine wine and an atlantic salmon filet that melted in my mouth. It is events like this that make me think: "I could get used to this." If there is one thing that I do not mind paying for, it is good food. It is incomparable. The flavors explode in your mouth with each bite. And as I heard someone say today... you can pay $40 for a dinner out at a chain restaurant (they all shall remain nameless)... or you can spend an extra $20 and eat beautifully. Isn't it worth the money? I have always loved food and good food. Of course, being what I would consider a rather decent cook, I am sometimes displeased with restaurant food. It usually lacks the flavors I think it should posses, or the spices that I desire. I am the kind of cook that loves spice, flavor... I think it is this lack of "heartiness" that has driven me to ethnic foods - which I love. Ethnic foods such as Thai, Indian, Ethiopian, and Japanese have such flavor - though all very different - most often are intense. And that suits me. It is after this lunch though, that it is plainly obvious, I am drawn to those foods because of their unique and strong flavors. And that is what I loved today. It is a meal that could stand alone. It did not need a lot of fanfare or anything at all really... it was a mustard and herb encrusted filet of salmon atop a bed of richly buttered mashed potatoes and rapini with a rich red wine sauce. This paired with a very balanced pinot blanc, was the essence of my meal. Now, add to this a beautiful setting, sunlight, and some wonderfully unique bread and fresh butter and you have a feast for the senses. Now, I have to say... I am not used to eating exquisitely fine meals - but when I do have the opportunity I like to meet them as a stranger... and let them introduce themselves... so I would not qualify this as a judgement that was rushed too. It was with patience and attention that I ate my meal that was served simply in a deep, white plate. I was pleased from the moment they placed it in front of me. The colors played to my eyes... while the smell occupied my nose. It was however with the first bite that I knew I was in for a delight. And as I savored the graduation of flavors and the way they all worked together, it made lunch quite an exquisite experience. I plan to go back as soon as some extra money heads my way... a Saturday lunch with my fiance... a most perfect date locale.
For those of you interested in checking out this restaurant or even to see pictures head to Bacchus.