Mooyah Burgers

Brookfield Square has recently added five new spaces to the southeast end of the mall. Three of these spaces became restaurants and I have had the opportunity to try all three already. Jason's Deli is like a Panera but add a salad bar. I will write more about this one another day. Blackfinn AmeriPub is a sportsbar-style restaurant with great unique eats and I will write about this one too in another post. Today I am focusing on Mooyah.

I first found out about this franchise last year when I heard it was being added to the mall. I was curious what it was going to served but figured meat of some sort. Mooyah is a burger and shake quick-serve restaurant. You order at a counter and your meal is made just for you. It is either brought to you or they call your name when it's ready. 

My fiance and I had a wedding appointment in Brookfield and I suggested we check out Mooyah after. He was completely on board. 

Mooyah is not a large place, with seating for about 30. We both chose the regular burger with cheese and one of the things I like the most is that the majority of the toppings are free to add to the burger. Only cheese, bacon, and avocado is an additional charge. I added Swiss cheese, sauteed mushrooms, and grilled onions on a white bun. My fiance ordered American cheese, lettuce, tomato, and mayo. I asked for a side of Mooyah sauce on the side because you have to see what's so special about their own sauce--it's a creamy thousand island sauce. We also ordered a medium fry because it serves 1-2 people.

We grabbed a table while waiting for our order to be ready and took in the atmosphere. The place is very kid-friendly with coloring sheets and crayons to entertain the littles while there. The artwork is then posted up near the menu. They also have a "Moodle Doodle" chalkboard wall to draw on. 

Our food came out quickly and was served to us on metal trays. I was impressed by the size of the burgers--though flat, mine was bigger than the bun and the bun was pretty big.  They loaded on the mushrooms and onions for me. 

I took a bite and it was impressed. I would compare it to a Butterburger or Kopp's burger but it did have it's own flavor. we both enjoyed the burgers. 

The fries are freshly cut and fried and I was very glad I ordered the Mooyah sauce--we used that as our dip for the fries. The sauce was great - creamy and tangy. And the medium order of fries was perfect for the two of us to share. 

We both said that we would come back again and probably bring the little ladies with us. I think they would enjoy coloring and then seeing their artwork on display! And they would also like the food.

Red Rooster Dinner

My guy and I were looking for someplace to eat recently and I suggested taking him to a place that I love and know that he would enjoy the food too. Andrea's Red Rooster is off of Springdale Rd., just north of the Majestic Theater. In my opinion, it's a bit of a hidden gem with great food and drinks. I actually worked here over a decade ago as a summer job. I met some great friends from that job that I still talk to these days.

The place has changed slightly since I worked there - a bit more of a pub atmosphere with more high-top tables to extend the bar and less dining room area. The place is really a hot spot for lunch and happy hour crowd.

The menu has changed completely since I worked there but the food is still just as good. My guy and I decided to try the wings for an appetizer. They are quite decent in size and come covered in just enough sauce. They were really good and I would definitely order them again.

I ordered myself a cocktail from their specials board and the bartender wasn't shy on making sure I got my money's worth. It was cherry vodka and lemonade and quite strong but really good.

Then came our sandwiches. I opted to build my own burger and created a bacon mushroom swiss. It was really good - the bacon was crispy and the burger was juicy. I did chips on the side.

My guy did a burger as well and opted for fries. I believe his was the Rooster burger but I could be mistaken with BBQ and haystack onion rings on it. We both really liked the burgers - - nice and juicy and having a variety of toppings is always great. Before we even walked out the door, my guy asked when we could come back again.

They have a nice patio out back for summer dining so I told him we should come for dinner sometime and enjoy the patio with some friends.

Oconomowoc Night Out

My friend Kacey had his birthday last week and invited his friends out for a night of food, drinks and fun in Oconomowoc.We started at Lakerz because they have ample seating for a large group. Check out the birthday boy anxiously awaiting the arrival of his friends (or food, not quite sure which was more important at that moment - LOL).

Our server was absolutely amazing. She wrote down very little and remembered just about everything. At one point our group was up to 18 people and she kept on top of drinks and even separated all our checks at the end.

I was told their burgers are superb and they have a lot of them on the menu so I knew I was going to order one. I went outside the norm and order the Brie burger with chips. It had brie cheese, apricot chipotle spread, mushrooms and bacon. I made a wise choice as this was excellent. I like that the bacon is made into a circle and holds the sauce on the burger. The brie cheese melted from the heat of the patty and made it delicious. The burgers are cooked medium well, but mine was actually more medium. No complaints and I enjoy a my burgers a little more pink.

They also have cute presentations for some of the burgers. Everyone finished their meals with extremely satisfied bellies. But a discussion was started about which place in Oconomowoc has the best burger. The discussion was between Lakerz or Crafty Cow. It seemed to be a 50/50 split from those that have tried both. Unfortunately, I haven't eaten at Crafty Cow yet to try theirs, but they stuff the fillings between two patties to make a unique burger. I'm hoping to try it out soon and weigh in.

Kacey even got a free birthday shot - he let our server pick and we believe it was a Slippery Nipple because it tasted like butterscotch. He liked it until he found out the name.

Kacey's Birthday Gang at Lakerz.

Something interesting that Lakerz just added this past week is The Lobster Zone. I didn't believe it was actually a game at first, but sure enough, you can pay $2 and try to pick up a lobster. If you get it, you get it cooked for you for free. "You catch it, we cook it" is the slogan on the machine. Not sure it's my thing but it definitely drew people in to check it out.

Next up we made a stop at Crafty Cow for a some "fancy beers" as Kacey called them. Though the place looked really busy, the host quickly pulled tables together for our group and sat us near the back - yay for not having to wait! The only unfortunate thing about this spot is the slow closing back door. A wave of cold came over the table every time someone opened it. Apparently the door used to have a sign asking people to not use it unless necessary, but there was no sign and we shivered from time to time.

Crafty Cow has an industrial-art vibe on the inside - exposed heating and cooling vents and unique art on the wall. I didn't get a good look at the bar area, but they do have plenty of beers on tap and it changes often.

I was able to find some new beers to try and liked them. I would definitely come back for a beer atan and I definitely need to come back for a burger. But until summer, I don't want to sit near in the back of the bar.

Our last stop for the night was Splash.  I have been here before and really like the martinis. It also had a patio that overlooks a lake and is really beautiful on a summer night.

Kacey received a free drink on his birthday, but he has to show his ID. This began the discussion of all of us showing our IDs and how different we look since we got them.

I ordered the Wild Elderberry Martini that would be awesome to sip on a hot summer night. It was refreshing and lemony.

The favorite martini of the group is the Reese's Peanut Butter Cup and this is Splash's signature drink to. Our server told us the recipe is top secret and even the employees have to sign a waiver that they won't give out the recipe.

There was a band playing live music and our friends Angie & Jeremy that recently got engaged, went up and danced a bit. It was really cute to see them so in love.

All in all it was a great night in Oconomowoc with merriment had by all. Downtown Oconomowoc is similar to downtown Waukesha with the selection of bars and shops. I have never shopped in downtown, only enjoyed the eats and drinks, but I think I will have to change that soon.

Simpsons/Family Guy Party

My friend is a lover of all things Simpsons and we had a party for the 500th episode a few years ago. It included him decking out his place with all of his memorabilia and food based on the show. I helped with the food portion and helped with the Krusty Burgers, Squishies, free goo, donuts and Duff Beer. It was a blast as you can see from the pictures.

Well it was time again for another Simpsons party, but this time it was because of the Simpsons/Family Guy crossover episode. Another one of my friends is a huge Family Guy fan so we decided to have the party. The two friends were in charge of decorations this year and I just had to bring beer labels for both brands of beer - Duff and Patriot Ale. 

I scored this huge oversized Homer cutout from a Facebook group and my friend gladly paid me back for it.

He limited his memorabilia this time because it wasn't held at his house. Unfortunately Family Guy memorabilia isn't as easy to come by as Simpsons so there wasn't much except the Wacky Waving Inflatable Arm Flailing Tubeman in the front yard and the hosts dressing up as the lead characters.

Lois and Peter Griffin

More party decor and one with me not being the hostess and actually enjoying a Duff beer with Bart!

 We again had Krusty Burgers and Squishies along with plenty of other yummy eats.

 We even had donuts again!

 The episode was actually written by the Family Guy creators with the Simpsons joining them. So it was a little different - not horrible but glad I watched it. I'm not an avid viewer of either but do enjoy helping with the themed party things.

 After the meal and watching the show, we got into some heated games of spoons. If you have never played with the competitive friends that I have, you haven't seen evil spawn from them when they win a round and get a spoon over someone else. It's all in fun, but we can get highly competitive.

 After spoons I was surprised by my friends with a cake for my birthday. They all sang and I almost burnt the house down with all the dang candles because I'm getting so old. It was a really sweet gesture and I am forever grateful for them thinking of me.

Another successful themed party with scrumptious eats, great drinks and fun games with friends.

Eating Las Vegas: Part 1

My company is celebrating 30 years in business in 2013 and back in January at our company Christmas party, my boss surprised us with a trip to Vegas! We were even invited to bring a guest!

I brought my friend Carolyn on the trip and we had a blast eating our way thru Vegas while site-seeing, relaxing and exploring.

Day 1:
We left on a Saturday morning and arrived in Vegas around noon their time, 2 pm our time. We were definitely hungry already!!!!!

We took the long-way to the Red Rock Casino and did a touristy trip down the strip with a great comical shuttle driver that entertained us on the not-so-well known history of Vegas as well as the new things being built. Our room wasn't ready when we got to the hotel, so what else do we do on vacation, but drink some beers and eat some yummy food! First stop - The Yard House.

I had stopped here with my dad on my trip to Vegas three years ago and loved the place. They have well over 100 beers on tap that run from the cooler room through yards of tubing around the restaurant and are poured at the perfect temperature for you to enjoy.

I started myself with a Rogue Hazelnut beer and stuck to just the pint size, though they did have larger (and smaller) options. Vacation was just starting - not time to get wasted!I found the Rogue Hazelnut at Woodman's today and added it to my "must-buy" list.  We decided to split a few appetizers instead of get a real meal. The menu had snacks and appetizers on it, so we chose from those areas as well as suggestions from our server.

Gouda Chicken Flatbread - The gouda was nice and melty and the peppers and chicken were good. I wished there was more cheese, but what Wisconsinite wouldn't?

Crab, Lobster & Artichoke Dip - Can you really go wrong with a dip? I think not - this was perfect on my palette. I preferred it spread on the pita pieces over the chips, but I'm pretty sure we cleaned the plate completely on this.

Ahi Poke - I had just watched an episode of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives that featured this place in Hawaii. The closest I'm going to get to Hawaii for a few years it probably through that show and the Travel Channel, so when I saw this on the menu, I had to try it. It is marinated raw ahi tuna with avocado, carrots, daikon radish, macadamia nuts & crispy wonton to put it on. I am glad I tried it - it was nicely marinated and now I want to try other varieties. Anyone know where there is local Poke in Wisconsin?

 Our favorite was the crab, lobster & artichoke dip by far and all of it was a great start to our trip.

After a few more beers (Tripel Karmeliet, Rose Garden, Abita Purple Haze...and...?) and a few samples, we were full, feeling great and on our way to our room. It was time to get our vacation started! (PS - All of the beers we had were for the first time and I'm glad that I an find them in Wisconsin at Woodman's)

Day 2:
We started the morning with Starbucks (I know - not too exciting) and packed some water and granola bars for our Pink Jeep Tour in the Red Rock Canyon in open-air jeeps. (more on this soon). We were starving when we got back to the hotel at lunchtime and craved large juicy burgers. We were told by my coworkers that we had to check out LBS (pounds) for a good burger and had to have the Buffalo Chicken Dip. 

Of course, drinks were first! I went for a Raspberry Blush wine drink and Carolyn got a jalapeno bloody mary.

The buffalo chicken dip was spectacular. The chips were made in-house and the dip had just enough kick, when I avoided the peppers in it. The blue cheese was barely melted into the dip and cooled down the spicy-ness for me perfectly.

By the time the burgers came, we were pretty full. (scraping the dish completely clean and contemplating licking the plate will do that) . I got the Perfect Burger with Gruyere cheese, smoked bacon, frisee, roasted tomato, onion marmalade, their special sauce and herb mayo. They ask if you want pink or no pink for your meat and I went for pink so it wouldn't border on too dry. The burger was plenty juicy, the herb mayo and special sauce are awesome!
 

Carolyn got the Kansas City BBQ which is a burger topped with BBQ Pork, fire cracker onions, coleslaw and pickles. It was stacked sooooo tall. 

I was getting so full and needed more liquid to wash down the delicious, "hits the spot" burger, so a XXX drink was ordered. Yep - didn't finish my first drink before the second came so I was two-fisting. I ended up eating half of my burger on the bun and the other half, I took the bun away. Carolyn loved her burger as well and we were so glad we found this spot. 

Because we gorged on burgers and had spent a ton of time in the fresh air that morning, we decided to relax by the pool (in the shade because I'm so pale). We got a beer and chillaxed. We also had the evening and large portion of the next day off so some downtime was in order before our venture to The Strip. 

The Strip and the remainder of the trip are "to be continued." Yes we ate and drank more!!!! And I'll tell you now, even though Red Rock is 11 miles off the strip, I highly recommend staying there. The casino had everything that I could have wanted and probably more because I didn't even explore it all in the four days we were there. 

Viva Las Vegas!