Thunder Bay Grille

During a really cold evening in January, my guy and I decided to go out for a fish fry on a Friday night. It had been a while since either of us had been to Thunder Bay Grille and we figured the wait wouldn't be too long with the place being so large.

I remembered a few years ago, my mom and I sampled their seafood fondue at a Waukesha Biz Alliance Savor the Flavor event and it was the best thing we ate all night. We even went back for seconds (and maybe thirds!) I told my guy if it was still on the menu, we were going to get it.

We did have to wait just a few minutes for a table, but we didn't mind. The bar was busy and it was nice to just sit down on the couches in the bar area and relax before the meal. When our buzzer went off, we were taken to a large booth in the main dining room and I immediately flipped open the menu and saw the fondue. Yay - we were in luck!

Our server greeted us and we quickly put in orders for Mt. Dews (we decided cocktails and the appetizer would be a little too glutinous) and the seafood fondue while we looked over the rest of the menu. Our server suggested that we order a second loaf of bread with the fondue because if we didn't order right away, it takes a while for it to come out of the kitchen. He didn't want us having to wait to enjoy such deliciousness.

When the fondue arrived, it smelled just as I remembered and I already could tell our server was spot on with having us order the second loaf. They do not skimp on the fondue. We were already second guessing ordering our fish frys but figured we could always take leftovers home. The fondue is creamy, cheesy and chock-full of seafood. They are very generous with the portion and the meat in it. We were both in heaven while enjoying it and though we ate a lot, there was still plenty left in the dish.

I found online that the Journal Sentinel posted the Seafood Fondue recipe. I am definitely going to experiment with this some evening as a treat for me and my guy.

Shortly after, our basket of sweet rolls arrived with cinnamon butter. These are delicious but I do miss their cheddar rolls they used to have on the menu.

And then came our entrees. Again no skimping here - we both received large plates filled with food and we knew we would have leftovers.

My guy chose the fried fish and I got the baked. Both of us thought there was a ton of flavor to the fish and it definitely didn't get lost in the fried batter on his. The butter and white wine sauce was the perfect consistency so you didn't lose the fish flavor and just taste all butter.

The french fries were good as well and we each got a rye roll with our meals- carbs galore at our table!

Everything was really yummy and our server was extremely fun and conversational with us, making us laugh the whole time. It really looked like we had enough food for a small family, but it was just my guy and I. The entire experience was great and our server was awesome.

We did take home leftovers of everything. I have never walked out of a restaurant with a shopping bag of leftovers, but there is a first time for everything! The fish and fries heated up really well in the oven. We nuked the sweet rolls for a few seconds and then spent time heating up the fondue slowly so as to not cause the seafood to get rubbery. Needless to say we had extremely happy bellies two nights in a row!

Thunder Bay Grille has a really diverse menu of offerings in addition the massive soup and salad bar. My dad's family used to come here a lot for the Sunday Brunch as the place can accommodate our group of 40+ and the brunch has something for everyone. I highly recommend checking this place out.

Key Westconsin Soup N Salad

I have been trying to bring a lunch with me to work every day, but occasionally I like to splurge and head on out in Waukesha and grab a bite to eat. Sometimes it's with friends and other times I take the meal back to my office.

It was a snowy Wednesday a few weeks back when I didn't bring a lunch and craved a warm, thick, creamy soup. I scoured every soup menu in town I could think of, yet couldn't find a soup that was tempting my buds. Then I remembered Key Westconsin has soup. I called them up to find out the flavors and was told they had a Cod Chowder and Baja Chicken.

I worried the chowder would be too fishy for me, and I inquired about the spice level of the Baja chicken. Rita, the owner, told me it just had a mild kick and was really delicious. I decided on ordering their soup, salad and cheesy bread combo I saw on the lunch menu.Baja Chicken was my ultimate choice, despite the 'mild kick' warning. So, with my decision made, I began my journey.

I bundled myself up and headed over the river to the restaurant. I was able to snap a few shots of the beautiful snow covered Riverwalk on my walk over.

Upon entering Key Westconsin, I immediately regretted my decision to take my lunch back to the office. The tropical vibe was just what I needed to warm me up. (Sorry I didn't take any pics of the inside, but check out their Facebook page for the view). I still took the lunch to go, but I am definitely keeping their inside atmosphere in mind for February and March when I need a break from the gray and snow.

I got back to work with piping hot soup and a delightful salad. The soup definitely had a kick of spice but I liked it - it warmed me up! I could have used a dollop of sour cream, for both the creaminess it would add to the soup and to help mellow the spice a bit. Any person that likes some spice would find this soup excellent. I chose the mango dressing for the salad and was pleased with my choice. It was the perfect amount of sweet to counter the spice of the soup. I was definitely a member of the clean plate club that day!

And the cheesy bread!! I remembered this from other times I have dined at Key Westconsin. It is crispy, melty, and full of yum!

I have dined at Key Westconsin for the Fish Fry, lunch and dinner and it's always consistently good - so full of flavor. A friend of mine keeps mentioning that we need to go back and her birthday is coming up, so I think we are due for another visit very soon.

They are also really well known for their Gluten-Free menu. Some of my fellow blog friends have mentioned this place in their writing about dining Gluten-Free in the Milwaukee area.

From their Facebook page, I saw they just celebrated their 4th Anniversary. Congratulations to them - well deserved! I have also read that the Shrink N Drink dinners are extremely popular and sell out regularly. From what I have read, a doctor or psychologist gets anonymous questions from the diners and using her knowledge and some cunning wit, she answers them. I have been told it is a laugh out loud event. Pair that with some amazing seafood dishes and this sounds like a fun evening.

The Key Westconsin bartenders come up with some great tropical cocktails, Card Game Night looks to be a new feature, and live music on the weekends brings in the crowds. There's a little bit of something for everyone - all decked out in Jimmy Buffet, Johnny Bahama style!

Wauk Wednesday: Key Westconsin

Have you ever watched Today's TMJ4's Dirty Dining? Courtny Gerrish checks in on local restaurants and reports on failed health inspections and looks for answers as to why the business isn't cleaning up its act.

BUT she also hands out Blue Ribbons to restaurants that come through with "sparkling" inspections!!!! Waukesha's very own Key Westconsin was just awarded a Blue Ribbon in March. In fact, they had clean health inspections two years in a row!

I have eaten at Key Westconsin quite a few times and it's a shame that for some reason, I have never blogged about it. Well here I go! My first experience there was right after it opened with my friend Tiffany. We love trying new places and we weren't disappointed. The decor is very warm and inviting. You really think you have been removed from Wisconsin and put in a beach side restaurant! Don't believe me? Check out the images on the Facebook page.

NOTE: Almost the entire menu at Key Westconsin can be prepared gluten-free - love restaurants that take into account those with allergies!

I'll share about my most recent visit and then recap the others below:

A few weeks ago, the weather finally hit above 30 and got sunny so I decided to do a walk around town. The first place I passed was Key Westconsin and I remembered my friend sharing that they had Lobster rolls on the lunch menu. I instantly looked up the number (while still walking) and placed an order for pickup. It was going to be ready in about 15 minutes to I did a lap around downtown.

Passed the Rotunda and headed down South Street

Headed down South to Clinton and looped back to Key Westconsin. 

Owner Gary was working behind the bar when I walked in and gladly helped me with my order. It was all bagged up and ready, so I paid and was back on my way. 

And here is what I saw when I opened it up at work--Heaven in a styrofoam container! :)

I have never had Lobster Rolls before but watched something recently on the Food Network on it and for me, you can't go wrong with lobster salad on a toasty buttery bun. 

It was definitely something I wish I would have split with a friend. Even though they are slider size, they were filling. I did eat both, but almost immediately fell into a food comma for the afternoon of work. It was delicious. Cold lobster salad with great spices on a soft, toasty roll. 

Key Westconsin will now stay on my radar for all its slider lunch options as it's super convenient to get to from my job. BONUS: In summer it has outdoor dining. 

Previous visits:

Tiffany and me: The shrimp cocktail served in a martini glass was right on - perfect spice in the cocktail sauce and presented beautifully. I had the seafood casserole and Tiffany had the scallops. My meal was rich and creamy and I loved it. The garlic bread was a wonderful addition to each meal. Tiffany loved her scallops - nice and tender, no rubberband texture.

My next time, I went with my mom and she ordered the crab cakes and I got the scallops (Tiff's looked too good to resist ordering). My mom thought the crab cakes were loaded with crab and not filler which is awesome, and the scallops were seared perfectly. Again, no rubberband situation going on.

The Family: We then brought my dad for a fish fry one Friday and we were all members of the clean plate club again. Not to mention the fish fry is really reasonably priced.