Golden Gate Restaurant

Golden Gate is a hidden gem in Waukesha that won Top 10 Chinese Restaurants in America Award in 2010. I had the food once as take out that someone else picked up. But recently my guy and I decided to go there for dinner and eat at the restaurant.

It's located off of Racine Avenue & the 164/59 bypass in a strip mall that houses an antique mall and a few other businesses. When you walk in, the bar is to the left and the dining area is to the right. The dining side is decorated in traditional Chinese decor. We were seated at a table and greeted by our friendly server. She gave us a few moments to find some drinks to enjoy.

I chose a "Virgin's Dilemma" made with fruit juice, rum and peach schnapps. It was very sweet but delicious. 

We decided to go all out, as I typically do with Chinese food and because my guy has never had Crab Rangoon so we ordered that as an appetizer. It was spectacular! The triangles were perfectly fried and there was plenty of crab meat mixed into the cream cheese filling. I made my guy a fan of these which is awesome!

For our main course, I ordered the sweet and sour chicken which was presented on a large plate with fried chicken, green peppers, maraschino cherries, sesame seeds and plenty of sauce. Each piece of chicken was nice and crispy; the sweet and sour was unique and probably a more traditional sauce than what I get at the take out places. The sauce was a little thinner and had just a hint of sweet.

My guy ordered Kung Pao Shrimp from the Hunan and Schezwan menu. He had the option to order it mild, medium or hot and he chose medium - he likes a kick to his food. His meal came on a very large platter too. I sampled a few bites of it, and the shrimp was cooked perfectly. But it was a little too spicy for my buds to handle. He really enjoyed the meal and we both had leftovers to take home.

After our meals were packed up, our server brought us fortune cookies and almond cookies to enjoy after the meal. I liked the almond cookies and it brought me memories of a trip to the International Folk Fair when I was in grade school. These tasted almost the same as the ones from back then.

As we left, I took a look inside their display case and saw all sorts of awards that the restaurant has won. This place is quite the hidden gem as I don't hear too much chatter about it in Waukesha - but it has a steady following - the parking lot is always full. They also put on some demonstrations and a big Chinese New Year celebration complete with traditional dances in the parking lot.

Michael's Restaurant

Michael's Italian Restaurant has been a staple in Waukesha for over 35 years. I have enjoyed many meals here since moving to the city and it's one of the places that I make sure to mention when giving food suggestions to friends looking for a good bite in Waukesha. 

My parents, my guy and myself got together for a dinner earlier this year on a Saturday evening. The restaurant was bustling with people but we were able to get a table right away. If we wouldn't, the bar area is nice to wait in. It reminds me of a supper club with mirrors on the walls and seating all the way around the bar. 

My parents are big fans of Michael's pizza and I would have to agree and say it's one of the top pizzas that I have had in Waukesha. My parents ordered a pizza and the antipasto salad to share.  I didn't get a picture of the salad but it's very big and definitely feeds two people with a lot of variety. (From the website: Crisp lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, onions, vinegar peppers and olives with salami, pepperoni, and provolone topped with house Italian dressing.) And they chose to order a large pizza so they could take home leftovers. It was delicious as always! 

I just absolutely love pasta and I'm always looking for something different to try. I love their wild mushroom ravioli and the goat cheese ravioli special. I hope they continue that as a special - it was divine. 

This time I chose the Cheese Tortellini with Beef Ragu - Tender slices of  beef  sautéed with garlic, shallots, mushrooms and fresh basil finished with Madeira wine sauce over Tortellini. When it arrived, I knew I made another great choice. The beef was so tender and flavorful and really added to the pasta. The fresh basil and Madiera sauce pulled this plate together wonderfully and I will go on record to recommend this dish to all pasta lovers. 

My guy chose the Blackened Salmon and the this too was a great dish - Sauteed on a bed of  angel hair pasta, drizzled with pesto sauce. The salmon was nice and flaky and the pesto had amazing flavor. This helped counter the blackened spices for me, but my guy thought the fish was perfectly seasoned.

None of us had room for dessert after all this food, but we left so happy with full stomachs and another great memory of Michael's.

La Estacion Dinner

When you want Mexican food and you are in Waukesha, there are quite a few options. But the one that comes to mind first for me is La Estacion. It's the one that I have been to the most and has consistently delicious food.

My guy and I went there a few Fridays ago before the Art Crawl and we were pleasantly surprised that we got a table right away. The place was hopping with people, but the tables were being cleared quickly to get the next groups in.

They sat us in the main dining room and although the train cars are a great dining experience too, this time of year, they can be a little chilly, so I liked our spot. Our server greeted us quickly and brought over some chips, salsa and water for us to start on while we mulled over the menu.

I am a character of habit and like to get the same types of Mexican food (but at different restaurants). La Estacion's flautas are my favorite in town so I ordered those with chicken. I couldn't remember if I usually ordered the corn or flour tortillas so I went with corn and my guy ordered the shrimp fajitas with corn shells.

We also ordered margaritas - raspberry blended for me and a regular on the rocks for my guy. 

While our meals were being prepared, we munched on the chips and salsa - probably something I love a lot about Mexican restaurants is that fact that they make fresh chips and salsa for my dining pleasure. Homemade chips are the best! And we sipped our drinks....they make them strong at La Estacion!

The food came out pretty quickly and smelled amazing. As soon as my plate was put in front of me, I knew I wouldn't be able to eat it all: four stuffed flautas with lettuce, tomatoes and sour cream on top, rice, beans and scrumptious guacamole on the side.

My guy's fajitas came with enough plates and dishes to feed a family of 6. The poor dishwasher has so much extra work from all the fajita lovers. Sizzling shrimp, onions and peppers came on a metal plate and the smell was actually mouth-watering. Then they dropped off the dinner plate, tortilla warmer, and rice, beans, lettuce, sour cream, and guacamole on another plate.

And then we dug in. My flautas were great, but after biting in, I rememberd that I like flour tortillas better for them. These were really crunchy and more like taquitos - still really great. The chefs at La Estacion know how to season their meats to make them plenty tasty without overpowering the dish. I then sampled a shrimp from my guy's plate and WOW - it was spectacular, and just the perfect tender texture for scrumptious shrimp. And the fajita sauce was PHENOMENAL. My guy wants me to learn how to make it so I think this might be one of my next copycat recipes to try. We both couldn't get over how good it was.

There wasn't a scrap of shrimp left on his plate, but he too agreed that next time he would get flour tortillas. Heck, skip the tortillas and just eat the shrimp!

I told him that I have enjoyed La Estacion's brunch with my friend Tiffany and that for the buffet, there is also a shrimp station among other scrumptious eats, and it was really good then. So basically if you want amazingly flavored, perfectly cooked shrimp, you need to go to La Estacion in Waukesha! Not to mention great drinks, specials and a fun atmosphere.