three and a half stars
Thursday, Sept. 23, 2004,
Oh, my.
My Scooter-pie took me out to dinner last night, to a new place that just opened. Chops, On the Lake.
(the old Eagles Club Rathskellar) And it was fabulous!
K-Town has simply never had anything like this place before. A real, live, top-notch Steakhouse. Upscale, elegant, tasteful, and stylish.
And the food. I�ll say what I told the owner: �It compares favorably with Tavern On Rush, Emeril�s, AJ�s, and the Luxor Steakhouse. � And I wasn�t lying. Simply the best meal I�ve ever had in this town. Period.
The waitstaff was a bit green, but in this town, that isn�t surprising. They were trying hard, though, and the owner has enough steakhouse experience to be able to polish them up to at least Milwaukee standards.
Menu is a true, steakhouse/chophouse ala-carte menu. Entrees come with a large, excellent salad of field greens, onion, grape tomatoes, radish, and hearty, butter-garlic homemade croutons, and a small loaf of crusty rye bread (also homemade) .
I had the 8-ounce tenderloin, and Spouse had the 12-ounce strip. Both were perfect aged beef, cooked to perfection per our orders, and with a dab of Worcestershire sauce. The Worcestershire, too, tasted homemade.
For sides, I had the pan-seared asparagus, and Spouse had the glazed carrots and the garlic mashed potatoes. Servings were large enough to share, and all the vegetables were very fresh, top quality, and cooked perfectly.
We each had a glass of Black Opal (Aussie) chardonnay.
The bill, for the two entrees, three sides, and two glasses of wine? Under $75.00. (At Tavern On Rush, you�d be looking at about $125.00). We left $100, as the servers were really making an effort, and we had two waiters and a very attentive busboy. (My water glass was never under half full. That gets counted with me.)
I have a tendency to be very supportive, in praise, in custom, and in word-of-mouth, when someone is trying to get it right. I mean really putting forth the effort to be top-flight in whatever they are doing. Whether it is a carwash, a hot dog stand, a florist, a steakhouse�whatever. When they take pains, they get my business. I sincerely hope that these folks can make a go of it, because we sorely need them in this town, and they are worth keeping.
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After dinner, it went from the sublime to the ridiculous, as Spouse needed to drop in at the Ghetto Wally-World. I know I shouldn�t call it that, as some of my dearest friends work there, but I can�t help it�it�s such a pit.
I barely got in the door before I bumped into T, so I stood there and chatted with her until Spouse was done getting his necessities for his trip. (As well as a copy of the Star Wars DVD set. I wouldn�t put another dime in Lucas�s pocket for anything, and I wouldn�t even give this version houseroom, but Spouse was all crybaby and had to have it.) Then we came home and got him all packed. I beaded for awhile, watched CourtTV, and then hit the hay.
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Speaking of beads, I�m having a problem with my �garnet/marcasite� choker. I used a Bali silver magnetic clasp on it, because that happened to be the most antique-looking fastener I could find. Problem is, the magnets in this thing are so freaking strong, they�ve overpowered the glue that holds them in the setting! I will see what a little Duco-cement and a good 24-hour setting period do, but damn! I paid a lot for that clasp, and I�ve only worn the necklace twice. Duco is my everyday miracle, though. Probably fix it right up.
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I�m kinda beat today. I had to see Spouse off on his journey this A.M., so I was up at 4:30. And I had very dreamy sleep last night. I always feel a little beat up after nights like that.
Interesting thing, though�I dreamed I was thin. I saw my reflection in a mirror, and I was thin. Kinda willowy.
Bizarre.
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Work seemed kinda hosed-up today. Last minute tabling of projects, a boss in a seminar till noon--when she leaves for the day!. And one of my co-workers just had a relative die, and she�s really sad, but she wouldn�t go home. It�s her birthday tomorrow, too�god that sucks. Due to a combination of poor planning, last-minute requirement changes, and other general ineptitude, everything I�d planned to work on for Thursday and Friday was swept out from under me. Leaving me bored stupid. I helped a co-worker with some stuff, but otherwise it has been thumb-up-butt all the way, baby. And either I�m getting a cold, or the stink level dropped today. Although the girl that sits behind me makes me wheeze every single day that she�s there, I didn�t notice any nasty breakfasts or shit this morning, like usual. So that was nice.
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I don�t know what to do with myself tonight�probably take a bit of a walk, and eat a lean cuisine. And the rest of my usual weeknight pursuits. No excuses, with the Spouse out of my hair. In the diet news, I�m wearing my
�01 khakis, and I�m pretty tickled about it. And I�m about two weeks away from another favorite outfit, my olive linen slacks and top. So I�m gonna be a good, good, girl.
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Reading: �The Snapper�, by Roddy Doyle (the author of �The Commitments�)
Music: XM Radio; �On Broadway�.
Beading: Victorian choker, in soft purples.