The Cheeze Factory Restaurant

Last month, my guy and I took a long weekend to Wisconsin Dells. It was relaxing and just what we both needed. Besides the boat tour being the number one favorite thing we did, The Cheeze Factory Restaurant experience is definitely right up there.

I was contacted by The Cheeze Factory Restaurant a few months ago and offered the opportunity to dine "on them" and see what they are all about. The Cheeze Factory has recently gone 100% vegan with their menu. Vegan is something that I had never experienced before, but I'm always up for new opportunities. My guy was a little less excited of eating vegan food, but said he would do it for me.

The Cheeze Factory is located right on one of the main drags in Wisconsin Dells, right next to The Wilderness Resort. After our really long hike in Devil's Lake that morning, we arrived to the restaurant very hungry and ready for the experience.

The interior is a combination of up north cabin, cafe and diner. I loved the black & white tiles on the floor.

The restaurant has plenty of seating for groups of all sizes and swivel stools at the counter. We chose a table in the corner by the windows and started perusing the menu.

 There were a lot of options to sort through and figure out what we going to want to try. Fresh squeezed lemonade called my name right away, so we both got a glass of that. You could definitely taste that it was freshly made. It was so good.

 I saw this sign on the table while we were figuring out our meals. I appreciate they share they kitchen practices and let you know how things are going to be prepared.

 I selected the Mushroom Lovers Goulash and Gnocchi. I was very excited about the five types of mushrooms in the dish and the fact they are locally-grown was an added bonus. This meal was wonderful. I don't know what the "sour cream" was derived from but you could barely tell it wasn't real cream. The gnocchi was amazing. They were soft but held together in the sauce. The only part I wasn't a fan of was the pepper on the top, that I easily put to the side. Peppers and I sometimes don't agree with each other, so I tend to avoid them.

And let me tell you about the salad that came with the entree, it was heaven. I loved the picked carrots and parsnips and couldn't stop eating it. The salad had a light dressing on it and was created with kale and other greens. This entire meal was absolutely amazing for me.

My guy was a little leary with what to pick that he was going to enjoy. But he finally decided on the Asian Medley dish. This was a really unique combination of a chinese and indian meal with the use of coconut milk in the dish. I really liked his meal and he couldn't stop eating it. He tried the tofu and decided it wasn't for him, but kept on eating the rest of the meal. I tried the tofu and liked the nice char on the pieces. It was very good.

Our meals were so good, that we both decided to pack up some so we could eat it later. I didn't expect my guy to take home vegan leftovers, but he was the first one to say that if I could figure out how to make that meal, he would eat it all the time. Of all the places that we went to eat, and we ate out a lot, this was the only place that we chose to bring leftovers home because it was just that good. (The leftovers were devoured that evening while we watched a little TV - they reheated awesome and were the perfect, no guilt, late night snack!)

We were told from the start of our meal to save a little room for one of the heavenly desserts. It took us a while to decide on what to get and relied on the amazing descriptions from our server to help us pick one from our top choices.

We decided on a piece of the key lime "cheezecake." It was made with cashews and it was absolutely fantastic. The crust was very nutty, but delicious and you would never know that it wasn't cream cheese. I actually think I preferred this over regular cheesecake (and I love cheesecake). I wish the piece was bigger but we decided to share just the one and not over indulge too much. 

The entire experience surpassed any expectations I had and while walking to the car after the meal, my guy already said the next time we were in the Dells, we should definitely come back. I even considered stopping the next morning to bring back some desserts, but we didn't really have a cooler and knew we were going to make a few stops on the way home. 

My entire concept of vegan food has changed, and changed for the positive. I realize now that it's not just a bunch of beans and lettuce and really wonderful entrees can be created from natural foods. I hope this place continues to thrive and I urge everyone to check this place out the next time they are near the Dells. 

I thank The Cheeze Factory Restaurant for this amazing experience. Though they provided the meal at no cost to us, the opinions are completely my own. 

A Night Out: Cafe Manna

It had been way too long since my friend Tiffany and I went out to dinner, so I pulled out the good 'ole CityTin and gave her some options. She had recently gone to an organic and vegan restaurant with some friends and suggested that I try it, so Cafe Manna was chosen.

Cafe Manna is located in the Sendik's Town Center shopping center on Capital and Brookfield Rd. in Brookfield. It is the at the end of one of the strip malls which allows for nice natural lighting from two walls of windows and outdoor dining. The entrance reminded me of a minimalist version of some "upscale" chain quick-serve dining options (They are going to hate that analogy). There is a counter with staff behind it to great you, light maple wood everywhere, and menus, napkins and cups are located behind the counter. Behind that area is the kitchen behind swinging doors. Cafe Manna is the first Certified Green Restaurant in Wisconsin, which really shows how environmentally focused they are. 

View of the dining room from our table in the back

We were sat at a cozy table for two off to the right and near the back of the dining room. If the restaurant would have filled up, we would have gotten to know our neighbors really well with how close the tables were to each other. The light fixtures, sconces and artwork is also minimalist but goes together great to pull the appearance together.

Table for Two

Pretty napkin folding

While we browsed the menu, our server brought over some hummus and crackers and told us about the daily special "Risotto Monday" and that the special risotto was wild mushroom. I wasn't done moseying through menu and the risotto didn't appeal to me so I passed. But because I had previewed the menu that afternoon, I did ask the server for (only THEbest wine in the world #IMO) a glass of Montinore Estate Pinot Noir. Tiffany decided on a glass of the Sokol Blosser Meditrina “The Goddess.” 

While we waited for our wine, we perused the menu and snacked on the hummus. It was pretty good. The crackers had a little sweet to them, which woke up my sweet/salty tasty buds and put them in a happy state. It was hard to stop eating but I knew I had to save room for more food. We had to decide on an appetizer. I heard from my #mkefoodies friends that we had to try the Guacamole Potato Skins, though once looking at everything, I debated between that and the Spanakopita Pie. Ultimately the potato skins won.

Montinore Estate Pinot Noir on the Left, The Goddess on the right

She returned with the wine in stemless glassware, very smart for such tiny tables - less chance of splattering anyone with hand-guesture-talking. We cheers'ed and then I smelt, swirled, smelt and took a sip. It was just as I remembered - Pinot Noir perfection. This winery is very small and doesn't always produce enough to ship to Wisconsin, but I am so glad that someone is still placing orders for it. I tried Tiffany's The Goddess and it was pretty good, but nothing was topping my glass of wine. I savored it until the end of the meal and was sad when it was gone. 

For my entree, I debated between the Pizza Rustico, Raw Lasagna or Polenta Florentine. I am an uber-fan of The Chew on ABC and Michael Symon was talking about polenta on a recent episode and I realized that I don't think I've ever had it grilled or fried. That swayed me in the polenta direction. Tiffany chose the Peace Bowl which was rice and veggies in a coconut curry sauce with cashews.

Our appetizer came out a short time later and looked sooooo good. The guacamole was piled high on the potato skins with a little pico on top of that. We each took one and savored them. The potato was cooked to perfection - crispy on the outside, soft potato inside. The guacamole was mild, just how I like it. Who would have thought potato + guac would make such a terrific combination. (Look for this appetizer in a blog in the near future for Packer Season) I had the server wrap the 3rd tater skin and took it to work the next day. I reheated the potato and plopped the guac back on top and it was fantastic. 

Pepita Guacamole Potato Skins from Cafe Manna

Then the entrees came. They both smelt heavenly and I could hardly wait to jump in, but pictures were needed first. After just a few shots, I got what I wanted and dug in. The polenta had perfect grill marks on it which made for crispy edges and a soft center. I grabbed a grape tomato slice, mushroom and some sauce for the polenta and took a big bite. It was a different texture than I was expecting, not bad, just different. Being that I always heard polenta was so creamy, I was expecting more of a mashed potato and less of a rice texture, but regardless, it was pretty yummy. There was a balsamic sauce on the bottom of the plate (I believe) that the veggies were sauteed in and then a creamy bechamel sauce was drizzled over the veggies, polenta and arugula. It was very good, but way too large of a portion with the appetizer and hummus. I took more than half of it to go. 

Polenta Florentine from Cafe Manna

I did snag a bite of Tiffany's dish and being that I have had limited experience with curry, (and mostly bad at that) I didn't have high hopes for this plate either. Boy was I mistaken! The coconut curry sauce with the quinoa and cashews was divine. I really enjoyed the slightly sweet taste of it, mellowed by the rice. I would definitely suggest that meal to anyone looking for something filling and different. 

Peace Bowl from Cafe Manna

We didn't do dessert because we were full to the brim from our wonderful meal. I would suggest this place to anyone that is looking to try Vegan cuisine and I don't think anyone would be disappointed. For my wallet it was a bit pricey (even the wine, but I knew that going in). I would say this is a restaurant for special occasions and wouldn't be added to my go-to repertoire. But I will highly recommend it to anyone looking for eats in the Brookfield area. 

Tiffany had a few comments to add as well. The food was excellent and she was a member of the clean plate dinner club, however, she is thinking that the restaurant as a whole was missing more ambiance. She wanted something more on the tables, but with the size of them, that may not have worked. And for the price that she paid for her meal and drinks, she would have liked a bit more....something. She couldn't pin it down, but wanted something more. 

Has anyone else tried Vegan restaurants in the Milwaukee area and want to give me more suggestions? I don't think that I would ever become a vegan, but the food options really open my eyes and are drool-worthy. Until my next meal, Happy Eating.