[ Appleton |Site map | Appleton photos| Other photos | Appleton Blog |
NLCN! | LDS stuff |
About Jeff ]
[ Appleton |Site map | Appleton photos| Other photos | Appleton Blog |
NLCN! | LDS stuff |
About Jeff ]
News: On April 18, I posted many updates and some closings. Some of the changes are listed on the Appleton Blog.
I enjoy dining out and find Appleton and the Fox Cities to have a rich variety of good restaurants. I've traveled to many cities and nations, trying many restaurants and many cuisines, and don't feel disadvantaged to live in Appleton. For those of us who want to get good value for our money and good food, Appleton is a great place to eat out.
I've broken this page into two main sections: (1) Webmaster's Choice - a few of the places that I think deserve special attention, and (2) Other Recommendations for Dining. In the second category are some places I really like as well as some I'm not so sure about that others have recommended. I tell you what I think and always welcome your feedback.
Another online resource listing local restaurants is the dining section at FindItFoxValley.com. For example, you can find a listing of buffets in the area or find other dining options.
Here I discuss places in the Fox Cities that I think deserve some kind of award for what they offer. Give them a try and let me know what you think.
Blueberry Hill received the Golden Fork Award in 2007 for the Best Breakfast, and I have to concur. I took five people there recently where we shared dishes, and after tasting a broad cross-section of their food, I was impressed with almost everything. Their crepes are perfect - not easy to do. My asparagus Swiss cheese omelette was fluffy and tasty (the lightly steamed asparagus was too crunchy for one person's taste, but I liked it). The Belgian waffle was excellent, and even the hash browns were perfect. I fed five people and one baby for $34 plus tip. On a Saturday morning in Feb. 2008, the place was busy but extremely well managed. I was simply amazed at how quickly our food was brought to us. Must have been a huge crew of good cooks to handle so many people. Efficient, courteous staff. 3626 W College Ave., just to the east of Westhill. (920) 830-7600.
This new Thai restaurant is in Neenah, but well worth the 10 or 15 minute drive from Appleton. Small, cozy, but filled with some mighty fine Thai flavors. Great for lunch or dinner. I took my wife and a couple of Russian guests there for lunch recently - tremendous! My wife strongly recommends their green curries; I was crazy about the red. They also offer "Take and Bake Thai Pizza" made with their delightful, mild green curry sauce. Let me know how it is - I haven't tried it yet. 208 W. Wisconsin Ave. in Neenah, across from Zacatecas Mexican Restaurant. It's small, so get there early for lunch before it fills up. Same for dinner. Call (920) 969-9549.
The Live Oak Market in downtown Appleton (119 E. College Avenue) wins my award for the best sandwich in Appleton. This small upscale market and deli offers a spectacular array of unique sandwiches made with high quality Boar's Head brand meats and rich Breadsmith breads. I tried "the Appletonian" sandwich which truly lives up to its name. This hot sandwich features Tender Boar's Head tavern ham, a thick slab of wonderfully carmelized onions and some carmelized apple slices, a little lettuce, and melted cheddar and Gruyere cheeses between hearty peasant bread. My son tried the Chicago Blues sandwich which had tender steak and melted blue cheese, with grilled vegetables in a baguette-style bun. Very good, but we both preferred the Appletonian.
If their menu of elegant sandwiches doesn't have what you want, you can construct your own sandwich using a large list of ingredients they have. That seemed to be a popular route with many of the patrons we saw come in.
Wraps and soups are also available. We tried the tomato basil and noted that this thick and fresh tasting soup had much more tomato than most related soups and no detectable flour to thicken it. Very nice.
The shop only has seating for about 10 people. Most people take out their food. But it has a great view of College Avenue if you do choose to eat there.
They have a nice selection of deli meats and cheeses, with a variety of upscale items such as pasta, sauces, seasonings, and some non-food items.
Live Oak has been there for almost one year. I think their one-year anniversary is in two or three weeks. Nice addition to Appleton!
HuHot Mongolian Grill is one of my top picks for exciting dining in Appleton. It's a Mongolian barbecue with the best ingredients and sauces I've seen for this kind of restaurant. It's all you can eat for about $14 a person (dinner) - not bad for such high-quality all-you-can eat food. The decor is fresh and attractive and the service is great, including the talented cooks who manage to keep track of everybody's customized food as they grill it for it you. They just opened in mid-February 2006, but business is already brisk and I think they'll keep going strong. In fact, it can be so brisk that I recommend you avoid peak times, like early Friday evening. The line to get your food becomes too long.
I was pleased to see that salmon was one of the choices for ingredients (other meats include chicken, pork, and beef). There are also three different kinds of noodles. I like the Thai rice noodles and the Chinese lo-mein-style wheat-based noodles. A scrumptious selection of veggies is available, all remarkably fresh and attractive. I loaded up on cilantro, broccoli, and other items. One thing that really sets HuHot apart is the rich variety of sauces, about 20 in total. In addition to the basic sauces like ginger water, lime, sesame oil, etc., they have a great selection of premixed complex sauces such as Black Thai Peanut, Yellow Belly Curry (with coconut milk), and "Kung Pao...Yow!"
I was also impressed with the salad that came with my meal. Beautifully prepared with elegant dark green lettuce and a delicious oriental salad dressing.
Given how quickly the bowls of food are cooked, HuHot could almost count as fast food. But it's also an elegant and classy place for a special occasion or a treat for the family.
You can get Mongolian barbecue at several other places in the Fox Cities, such as China King in Oshkosh, and Asian Garden in Appleton (Mongo's is now closed), but HuHot was the most enjoyable for me. I'm anxious to go back!
HuHot is at 3456 West College Ave. in Appleton. Phone: (920) 257-2555. (HuHot was also featured on the Appleton Blog, Feb. 27, 2006.)
Gyros Kabob for years was hidden away in a little cranny at Soldiers Square. Business was good, in spite of the awkward location - it's hard to keep great food a secret! Now they've expanded to a more prominent location at 208 W. College Avenue, just a few yards from their old location, but much more visible, right next to Cleo's. The old place used to have a total seating capacity of four people (yes, 4!) around a cheap table, so the nicer new location is quite a step up. But the food is just as good as ever. They make the best gyros in town. The owner and super cook, Josef, has quite a story (you can read it on their Website) and is a very kind and energetic human being. And he understands what gyros are meant to be. The pita bread alone is worth a visit: tender, tasty, and lightly toasted just before being served. A variety of gyro and kabob-based pita sandwiches are offered, along with baklava for dessert and a few other items. I thrilled four people for under $20 recently for dinner. Open for lunch also. Call 920-830-9355. May 2008 update: Second location in Neenah. Gyro's Kabob II just opened in downtown Neenah in the place once occupied by Sassy Sal's on Wisconsin Ave. almost next to Hong Kong Buffet and Zacatecas. Haven't been there yet, but it should be good.
Indian Darbar Restaurant, a relatively new place in Appleton (here since Aug. 2007), is my choice for the best Indian food in the region. While there isn't a lot of competition for that honor, Indian Darbar is really outstanding. This is an extension of the Indian Darbar restaurant in Madison, with the same menu. I took my wife and a son there and we were impressed with everything we tried. When they brought us the crisp Indian bread, papadum, I knew right away that we were dealing with exceptional quality in the food. It had a perfect texture with just the right touch of garlic and spice.
Although there were three of us, were ordered the non-vegetarian dinner for two and shared. Priced at $31 for two people, it was plenty of food for three (well, our goal was not to overload our bodies with food, as is the custom in some local restaurants, so if you're really really hungry, order some additional dishes). It came with fish pakora (fried fish - light and flavorful, nicely spiced), chicken tikka marsala (a creamy red curry dish my wife loves to make - the restaurant's version was almost as good as hers), lamb jalfrazie (hearty, delicious, tender lamb), dal makhni, rice and nan. We tried three soups also, all very good. The rasam soup I had was rich in flavor and had a pleasant texture - a sour and spicy soup. My son had coconut soup and it was OK but not especially exotic. My wife tried mulligawarny, a delicious lentil and vegetable soup.
We also noticed that the mango lassee drinks were richer and fresher in flavor than many we've had.
The service was outstanding. Out waiter was as professional, helpful, and knowledgeable as you could want and contributed to a very pleasant evening.
With the soups and mango lassees, the cost was about $16 per person plus tax and tip, right in the mid-range of Appleton area restaurants and surprisingly low for the fine quality.
India Darbar Restaurant is definitely a winner.
A great place for Italian food, with rich, hearty flavors, a reasonably broad but not huge menu, good service, and attention to detail at moderate prices. They are at 1910 N. Casaloma, Appleton. Phone: 920-882-7876. Jonathan's is hard to beat for good Italian food and an enjoyable environment, though it doesn't offer much of a view if you're seated by a window (the Trasino Center strip mall doesn't offer much to look at). I've been there twice and was impressed both times. They offer warm bread with traditional olive oil and balsamic vinegar for dipping - something I truly enjoy (press torn pieces of bread along the side of the dish with the oil and vinegar to get some of the vinegar into the bread - just dipping the bread straight into the mixture will leave you with nearly all oil and not enough of the vinegar on the bread). The salad was a delight. For the two of us, they brought a large bowl that essentially had four normal servings of a fine salad with a good mixture of crisp greens and a fine Italian dressing. The pasta dishes are imaginative and excellent, such as the three ravioli dishes, all outstanding. My wife was pleased with the portabello mushroom ravioli that definitely tasted better than the related dish at Olive Garden, and had sizeable chunks of mushroom instead of a finely ground paste. I had a goat cheese and roasted red pepper ravioli that surpassed my expectations. Tangy, perfect flavor and marvelous texture. Very nice work! Another review of Jonathan's is available from Blogger Beer. (Note: In Dec. 2006, Jonathan's displaced Zuppa's for my Best Italian award - though the award might soon go to Cannova's, another fine candidate.)
Jonathan's is part of the Supple Restaurant Group, which include Fratello's, the Melting Pot, and Golden Corral. Their Website allows you to make online reservations for these restaurants. Cool!
If those honors aren't enough to motivate you to try this restaurant, you better stay home and stick with peanut butter sandwiches. It's exciting enough that Korean food has finally come to Appleton - but it's EXCELLENT Korean food and Japanese sushi. This started as a small extension of an oriental grocery store in 1997, but in 2000 moved to a spacious location on Northland Avenue with a major upgrade in the menu. This is now my favorite restaurant. I am simply delighted with the great flavors. Plus the place is attractive (one of the most beautiful interiors of any restaurant in the Valley), clean, with rapid service. Bee-bim bop, bulgoki, noodle soup, and many more dishes are featured on their menu. 201 W Northland Ave, Appleton, 54911 - (920) 733-3205.
This Chinese restaurant in Appleton (opened around the beginning of 2003) offers reasonably priced and well spiced Chinese food. The lunch buffet and dinner buffets are inexpensive. They offer some California rolls and a variety of hot dishes. Not a huge menu, but adequate and fairly food. The dessert area also includes lychee nuts and other unusual items. Min Du is at 100 West Wisconsin Avenue, about 2 blocks west of Richmond Street, in a strip mall on the north side of Wisconsin. (920) 731-3327.
I first ran into Noodles and Company in downtown Madison, where I was anxious to try their cuisine but deterred by a long line of locals (mostly students) trying to get into this popular place since I was in a hurry. The new (2005) Noodles and Company in Appleton does not have that problem (at least not yet), so I've been able to try it twice now with members of my family - and we've been thoroughly impressed. They offer a variety of outstanding noodle dishes covering Asian, Mediterranean, and American style food. The Asian dishes have bold flavors as fine as much more expensive restaurants. The Japanese pan noodles (udon) are outstanding, as is the Pad Thai, Bangkok Curry, Curry Soup, and Italian Penne. A typical dish costs $5 (I added the "vegetable trio" for another $1.75 - not needed but I love lots of veggies), and they will let you customize your meal as well. And if you don't like the flavor, they will adjust it or replace it. My Bangkok Curry on my second visit had a weak flavor, but they quickly brought me a little dish with additional sauce that brought the meal to perfection. The service is incredibly fast - you may have your food within five minutes or less from the time you order (about 2 minutes on my second visit). You pay at the order counter and they bring the food to your table if you are eating in. They also have a drive through - an indication of how quickly the dishes can be prepared. But it doesn't taste like fast food at all - the quality is outstanding. One sign of quality, in my opinion, is their choice of hot sauce on every table: my favorite Huy Fong Sriracha chili-garlic sauce. First class! I also recommend their flatbread - a delicious pancake-like bread for just 65 cents. Very tasty. And they offer some of our favorite trendy soft drinks, including excellent cream soda and Wisconsin root beer. They are on the north side of the Fox River Mall, at 4333 West Wisconsin Avenue. Open 11 AM to 9 PM Sun-Wed, and until 10 PM the rest of the week. Phone: (920) 734-4859; fax: (920) 734-4895. Also be sure to get a frequent eater card.
I finally tried Red Robin, the relatively new restaurant near Home Depot on the southeast side of town (Calumet and Kensington, on the south side of Calumet). Yes, I know it's a chain, but what a fun place! I had the Garden Burger - definitely the best vegetarian burger I've had and my son and daughter-in-law had another gourmet burger and a pasta dish and were quite happy with their food. The burgers might be considered pricey - around $8 typically, but that's a large portion with plenty to eat, including fries. Then the Hawaiian Heart Throb Smoothie really won me over - absolutely delicious, almost as good as the ones I make. It came in a beautiful, artsy glass that I was tempted to photograph (but refrained).
Service was very friendly and attentive. And you can tell that the people there, both customers and employees, are having fun. I like that. N109 Stoney Brook Rd, Appleton. Phone: (920) 733-8750.
Sirocco's is a breath of fresh Mediterranean air in the Fox Valley. Mediterranean tapas, are its specialty. Tapas are the light and elegant appetizers of Spain which come in dozens of varieties. Sirocco's has extended the quintessentially Spanish concept to bring in delicious themes from throughout the Mediterranean (Spain, Italy, Greece, Lebanon, and Morocco), served tapas style. But if you think you already know Mediterranean cuisine because you've had a lot of pasta and pizza, think again. Sirocco's is not about loading you up with starchy calories. They focus on elegant and even stunning dishes that are small but so memorable and delicious.
Sirocco's is in the quaint spot formerly occupied by Peggy's on College Avenue (125 E. College Avenue 882-3813). We went on a cold Thursday night in December, arriving at about 8 pm. We were seated fairly quickly, but the place was packed. Since they are relatively new, just opening a couple months ago, it's a good sign to see such good business on a normally slow night. The word is out. The atmosphere was vibrant and filled with energy - people were having a great time.
Each dish I tried was a surprise and a delight. Fabulous flavors, unusual ingredients, attention to detail and appearance. Even in something simple like a salad there were surprises, such as the use of small delicately flavored champagne grapes.
Sirocco's is on the somewhat expensive side for the Fox Cities. Tapas range from $8 to $12 each, but you need about two per person for a meal since they are small and light (perhaps three if you're really hungry). They also offer seven main courses to choose from, ranging from $16 to $28.
For a discussion of some specific menu items, see my more complete review of Sirocco's on the Appleton Blog. They get my award for bestMediterraneann food in the Fox Valley. Let me know if you disagree!
Solea Mexican Grill at 709 N. Appleton Street in Menasha, used to be Los Compadres. Solea now has a new owner but still has a lot of the outstanding flavor of its predecessor, with some new twists. My family and some friends went there for lunch recently and we quite pleased with the great food. They still have the awesome bean dip that Los Compadres had (and still has in its new locations). The meals are not too expensive and full of rich flavor, including great guacamole. I also was pleased that they serve good horchata, my favorite rice drink. The Fox Cities have a strong selection of outstanding Mexican restaurants, with Solea Grill being right up there with the best. Highly recommended! You'll especially enjoy their fine bean dip and fresh salsa that is served before you order.
My choice for best Mexican, along with La Solea (a tie). See my blog entry with photos. They started in one location in Menasha that is now occupied by Solea Mexican Grill, but they have now expanded to two locations in the Fox Cities and one in Oshkosh. Relatively authentic Mexican food with friendly, down-to-earth service and low prices. They've got an awesome bean dip that comes with your chips. The two Fox Cities locations are (1) on West College Avenue (the former Friar Tuck's building) at 2120 W College Ave, Appleton, (920) 882-9331 (my favorite of the two); and (2) in Neenah near Town of Menasha, just a couple blocks west of the intersection of Highway CB and American Drive, at 1575 Plaza Dr, Neenah, (920) 722-6572 (pretty good). For the Neenah location, note that Google Maps shows the wrong location (as of Jan. 19, 2007). The restaurants are much the same in their offerings. There used to be one in Darboy by Wal-Mart, but they closed after I gave them a negative review for poor service and high prices. No cause and effect relationship, mind you - or was there??
After two experiences there, I have to say that I LOVE Texas Roadhouse. Yes, it's a chain, but one of the best, and clearly one of the most popular this part of Wisconsin has seen. This restaurant is designed to feed people well and keep them happy. And what food! Absolutely outstanding steaks at some of the best prices I've seen, please a lot of other great choices.
They used to be open for lunch everyday, but now lunch is available only on the weekend. For the rest of the week, they're open from 4 pm to 10 pm (11 pm on Friday). Current hours are listed on their Appleton page.
Since they are fun, delicious and inexpensive, the place is popular and often busy. If you're smart, you'll call before you get there to let them know you're coming. They'll put you on the wait list as if you had just walked in the door - you can do this for up to an hour before you arrive. On a Friday or Saturday, there might be 20 to 40 minutes wait, so it's good to call first. This worked out perfectly for us. But if you do have to wait, don't worry. They have a waiting room where you can eat all the salted peanuts in shells that you want, and you can just throw the shells on the floor. I guess that's supposed to be Texas style, but we Midwestern folk seem to get the hand of that right away. Also, while we were waiting, a girl came around with free samples of their delicious onion rings and dip for people to try. I like this business model: they work hard to keep you happy. Part of their secret is having lots of energetic and friendly employees. Even though the place was packed, we received a lot of personal attention from several staff members. Amazing service. Shortly after we were seated, we were brought wonderfully delicious fresh-baked rolls. Yum! We ate them in a hurry, so they brought us more.We placed our orders and were served surprisingly quickly. One of my sons and I shared a T-bone steak, one of the best I've had, while another son enjoyed a combo platter with steak and chicken, and my wife had a small sirloin steak that turned out to be the best sirloin I can remember. And we really enjoyed the side dishes as well. The chili, like all their side dishes, was made on site from fresh ingredients, not canned. The salad was fine, their green beans were wonderfully flavored, and the sweet potato was to die for - well maybe not die, but it's worth at least a mild stroke.
My first time there, I had dinner there with a couple of outstanding patent lawyers early on a weeknight when it wasn't too busy (and still pretty new to Appleton). Perhaps it's too rowdy for a business dinner, but it was mighty fun with excellent food at surprisingly low prices. My Dallas steak was outstanding and the homemade rolls were great, but my favorite part of the meal was a side dish, their baked sweet potato that was covered with brown sugar and topped with half-melted marshmallows. They gave me some cinnamon at my request. It was huge, superb, and better than almost any dessert I've had - but I'm quite partial to sweet potatoes. (My years in the South may be to blame.)
Texas Roadhouse is next to Woodfield Suites on College Avenue, just east of Highway 41. 3910 W College Ave, Appleton. Phone: (920) 738-7427. (Texas Roadhouse was also featured on the Appleton Blog, Feb. 24, 2006.)
Outstanding Italian food at low cost. Very large quantities (ok, TOO large, in my opinion) are a trademark of this place. I've entertained well-fed people from the east coast at Victoria's and they were really impressed, so it's pretty good. I've been there many times with people from different walks of life, and consistently find that Victoria's please most people most of the time. Huge variety of dishes, though sometimes the emphasis seems to be on quantity rather than quality. Nice decor, great service, and a large variety of people-pleasing-platters.
One of Appleton's nicest restaurants, according to many people. Good Greek food in a pleasant setting. I've had e-mail from people who feel it's an utterly superb restaurant with great service, and I have to agree. Wonderful dolmades, great egg and lemon soup, delightful lamb. Quite popular for dinner just before at big show at the PAC, so be sure to get reservations of there's a major show or performance that night.
Here's a story I heard from a friend about Apollon that I shared when I featured Apollon on the Appleton Blog:An acquaintance of mine recently had visitors from the East Coast spend some time with her here in Appleton. The visitors were joking about what they would be able to find for dinner in a Midwest town like Appleton, thinking that Pizza Hut would the most elevated cuisine that our "flyover village" might offer. My acquaintance took them to Apollon, (207 N Appleton St., just a few yards west of the Appleton public library, as their map indicates - (920) 739-1122). Apollon offers high-quality authentic Greek food in a pleasant setting, an excellent choice for visitors used to high culinary standards. As they were enjoying some impressive food, beautiful notes from a female voice sounded in the background. At first they thought it was recorded music being played over a sound system, but they soon noticed this was live. In fact, a fabulous singer was providing live operatic entertainment in their restaurant - and it was tremendously beautiful. It turns out that the woman was a Greek opera star whose son attends Lawrence University, and she was visiting him that week. While in town that night, she kindly offered a little operatic flare for her fellow Greeks at Apollon. The visitors were wowed at the combination of food and entertainment they found in Appleton. My acquaintance shrugged her shoulders and said, "Yeah, just a typical night in Appleton."
Asian Garden, formerly Great Wall Chinese, is a good Chinese buffet conveniently located near the Fox River Mall at 405 N. Mall Drive, Appleton. The restaurant features a large spread of items, rivaling that of Hong Kong Buffet in Neenah. It's a good choice for lunch, with comfortable booths and a quiet atmosphere. The food is good and fresh with an excellent variety, but not many of the dishes stand out as really excellent -- a common problem for buffets, of course. The buffet includes a Mongolian barbecue, but the selection of ingredients is relatively small and the cook prepares only one person's food at a time, resulting in a painfully slow wait during busy times. I suggest skipping the Mongolian barbecue and focusing on other items, including the good California rolls and excellent variety of fruit. Open all week long. Phone: (920) 954-8888.
This chain from the South has become quite a hit in this far corner of the North. It's one of my favorite places for a good low-cost meal. If you love good breads, don't miss this place. I recommend a half-and-half combo (half a sandwich and a soup) with the soup upgraded for $1 extra to a bread bowl of soup. You can also buy loaves of excellent crusty breads. Recently, I took six friends there and they all were pleased with my recommendation of the half-and-half with soup in a bread bowl. I got positive feedback on their chicken chili and their potato soup. i tried the roasted red pepper soup with feta cheese and was impressed with the rich flavors, though perhaps the soup would be better with a little less oil in it. The California Avocado sandwich is a particular favorite of mine, and also got good reviews from those that tried it. On the down side, their bagels are dense and relatively flat, so don't bother. Just about everything else is outstanding. They lso have wireless Internet access. Location:: 650 N. Casaloma Drive just west of the Mall, in the same parking area as DSW Shoes, phone (920) 735-1540 (they closed a second location in Darboy near Wal-Mart - I think the traffic problem there hurt them).
After a couple trips to New York City, my bagel awareness is at an all-time high, and I've been on a quest for Appleton's best bagels. While several bagel shops and bakeries sell a lot of bagels to hungry Fox Cities dwellers, I hadn't found true bagel greatness in the area until last month when I walked into Big Apple Bagels. Oh la la! These people know their bagels, bagels that come close enough to actual New York bagels to fool most non-New Yorkers. While a quirk in the laws of physics actually makes it physically impossible for perfect bagels to exist more than about 30 miles outside of Manhattan, Big Apple gets close enough for my taste.
I'm delighted at the many fine varieties they offer. Their egg bagel is light and flavorful, for example. I have tried five varieties so far and think they've really got a winning approach. Delicious! They also offer a variety of sandwiches, smoothies, and other fare. Great place for a quick lunch!
Big Apple Bagels can be found on the west side of town at 2601 W College Avenue, phone: (920) 739-0618. A second location for you east-siders is near the southeast Wal-Mart, across Calumet close to Kohl's: W3192 County Road KK, phone: (920) 733-3120.
They claim to have the largest number of dishes of any Chinese buffet in the area. Reasonably good quality. Many people like it and tell me it's great for lunch. If you go for dinner, go early - probably no later than 7:00 PM. On June 22, 2005, my son and I, both feeling very hungry after a long day (my wife and other boys were out West then), went there at 8:15 P.M. for dinner, 45 minutes before closing, and found that nearly all of their hot dishes were empty. There were a couple dozen or so empty bins and only about six with anything left. We should have walked out, because five minutes later there were only two or three with anything left, but we had already begun eating. As I stared forlornly at an entire row of 16 empty bins with appealing names, empty plate in hand, the manager said I could pick one dish and she would cook more, but it was hard to select something based on the appearance of the aged scraps. We ate some remnants and left. Their policy of letting the bins go empty is bad business. It's not like there were no customers - there were about a dozen people in the restaurant, at least one of which wrote a review of their experience, and a group of about six people came in but wisely walked out when they saw that all the food was gone. Corner of Calumet and South Oneida.
Big Tomatoes is a fairly new Italian place in downtown Neenah that I strongly recommend for a quick and tasty lunch with a variety of outstanding salads, pasta dishes, paninis, etc. It's located on the heart of Neenah at 124 W Wisconsin Ave. You have to go inside a complex on the south side of Wisconsin to find the entrance (it's where Luna's used to be).
For lunch, Big Tomatoes is somewhat like Zuppas. You place your order at a deli-like counter, and then go into the dining area where your food will be brought if it's not ready yet. I had the fresh green salad with carmelized pear, gorgonzola cheese, and pistachio nuts. Spectacular. The paninis were also good. I've taken people there twice with positive results both times. Reasonably priced, fast, and very friendly.
The completely different dinner menu looks great as well, though I haven't tried dinner there yet. Look forward to the experience. One of the staff there told me that dinners there are truly excellent. No reason to doubt that based on what I've tasted so far. Phone: (920) 729-9712.
Offers good steaks and American fare. The real attraction is the entertainment on Friday evenings: live magic at your table performed by local magician Bruce Hetzler (whose book, Bev Taylor's Town House Magic, is reviewed on my magic page). Bruce is also a well known Professor of Psychology at Lawrence University. B.J. Clancy's is in south Appleton at the intersection of Oneida (Hwy 10) and Midway Road (Hwy AP).
This relatively new restaurant offers one of the most interesting menus in the Valley and is a good choice for fine dining, but it's expensive (by my standards). I was there for a business dinner recently and it cost a little over $70 for two (no alcoholic beverages), but it was very impressive. I had a delicious serving of roast duck with a novel sauce that included real maple syrup and berries. The service was excellent. Was in a classy old home on Memorial Avenue, but was just moved onto College Avenue, next to the Copperleaf Hotel.
Another fine chain with great food. Buffalo Wild Wings has two locations in Appleton, one on Casaloma just west of the Fox River Mall (421 Casaloma Court, Grand Chute, phone 920-735-2999) and one on Calumet near Home Depot in the southeast part of Appleton (3201 E. Calumet St., phone 920-733-9464). I took a son to the one near Home Depot. Very impressive chicken! We had chicken legs on one of their "chicken leg Wednesdays" in several flavors -- garlic, hot pepper, blue cheese, teriyaki. They have some of the best sauces for chicken you'll ever find. A lot of good food for not too much money.
Appleton's relatively new Latino restaurant, Casablanca, located right between Fusion and Señor Tequila's in the heart of Appleton, offers an exotic array of foods from Mexico and other nations to our south, as well as Spain. It's a classy, more expensive restaurant with a beautiful interior and excellent service. Interesting combinations and adventuresome presentations are offered, such as my Veracruz-style tilapia served on a large banana leaf with a couple of perfectly cooked habaneros on the side. (The peppers are, of course, dangerously hot - gringos, beware. Uh, yes, I ate one. Whew!)
My wife had a lamb roast encased in a pastry coating that was one of the best lamb dishes I've tasted.
Entrees are typically about $20 or more each and include a side dish. Fun place and great food.
Casablanca is at 531 W College Avenue. Phone (920) 954-1010.
In early 2007, my wife and I took a visitor to dinner at Cannova's Pizzeria in downtown Neenah (113 W Wisconsin Ave, Neenah, WI). This is a classy restaurant that offers great pizza and some outstanding Italian dishes. My friend, a scholar and traveler who spends a lot of time in Europe, was impressed. We went on a cold Thursday evening, and the place was packed, but we got the best table in the house at the front window. I was impressed with the salad, a very nice mix of hearty ingredient, and then truly delighted with the lamb chops, the special of the day. Honestly, I have never tasted better lamb. Perfectly done! And so tender. The lamb was presented on a bed of risotto with beets on the side. Very pretty. The risotto was a little too "al dente" for me, but was very good nonetheless. And the beets were outstanding.
My wife tried the scallops and was pleased. Our guest tried another pasta dish and enjoyed it as well. But I think I had the best of the three dishes.
The selection of deserts was hard to resist. I kept things light with a simple orange sherbet, but it was a high quality version.
Service was very good. The place is attractive and lively, but not too noisy - no hideous music blaring. Easy to have a conversation.
Entrees range from about $9 to $17 each. Reasonably priced.
One of the most popular Chinese restaurants in Appleton, the China Buffet features a very large selection of excellent Chinese items plus an American-style salad bar and soft ice cream. All you can eat at a low price, with lower prices for kids under 10. It's part of the Northland Mall in north Appleton, just about 1 block west of Richmond Avenue (Highway 47), almost adjacent to Shopko. 982 W Northland Ave. Phone: (920) 749-1666.
A little east of the huge Regency cinema on College Boulevard (Hwy CE) east of town, the China Dragon Buffet offer a good Chinese buffet. They have many Chinese dishes, several soups, plus desserts, fruits, salad items, and vanilla and chocolate soft ice cream (relatively low-fat for reduced guilt, the way I like it, though some won't care for this). I don't think they use MSG (no MSG aftertaste hits me after eating there). I previously gave this a Webmaster's Choice Award for best Chinese buffet, but now I'm not so sure. They seem to have changed management and made some changes in the food, so the last time I was there was not quite as good as I previously experienced. Maybe just an off night.
The lunch buffet is open from 11:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday, with the dinner buffet from 4:30 to 9:00 p.m. Take-out is also offered, and China Dragon Buffet now provides broad delivery service for all of Appleton, Menasha, Kimberly, Little Chute, Combined Locks, Kaukauna, and even the Sherwood Area. Call (920) 830-8158.
The address is W3169 Van Roy Road, Appleton, WI 54915, but think of it as being on the south side of College Avenue (Highway CE) near Kimberly just west of Eisenhower Drive. It is about one block west of Regal Cinema, next to the new Big Lots store. From College Avenue, turn south on Eisenhower and immediately turn right onto Van Roy Road or into the Big Lots parking lot.
China Garden has been in business since 2006 in Darboy at W6141 Country Road KK (Calumet Street) just a couple blocks east of Wal-Mart (W6141 County Road KK, by the Tanglz Salon). I've been there twice now and find it to be surprisingly good, inexpensive, with a friendly and entertaining atmosphere, thanks to the charming personality of the owner.
It's a small restaurant that seems to do most of its business as take out, so it probably won't be crowded when you go - and that means the charming owner will be able to visit with you. He is more native Appletonian than I am, since he came here at age 9, but he went back to Hong Kong for several years of education and has a rich Chinese heritage that he shares at China Garden.
During my family's visits to China Garden, we've been pleased with several dishes. Recently we tried Wor Shu Duck, a crispy duck dish which, like Peking Duck, has a delicious skin. This was one of the best duck dishes I've had, coupled with excellent sauteed vegetables in a flavorful sauce. More duck than I expected. It's one of the more expensive items on the menu at just $10.50. It's more than one person can eat, I think.
I was especially impressed with a vegetarian dish, the Home Style Bean Cake, which had fried tofu in a delicious sauce with sauteed vegetables. I was pleased with the flavors and surprised to see so much of this excellent food for just $5.95. We also tried Beef with Chinese Mushrooms and Bamboo Shoots ($8.65) and Triple in Garlic Sauce (jumbo shrimp, beef, and chicken with vegetables, $9.85). All very pleasing with a variety of flavors. The four dishes were more than four of us could eat, including two teenage boys. I think we could have fed five or six people with the four dishes we ordered.
Previously we enjoyed the Chef's special called Happy Family, a combination of lobster, shrimp, scallops, chicken, pork, and vegetables. It's tied for the most expensive dish on the menu, at a mere $11.75.
The hot and sour soup was excellent.
The rich menu of China Garden emphasizes Szechuan, Hunan, and Cantonese dishes. Like most Chinese restaurants in the Valley and in the US, this one offers foods adapted for American pallets and employing readily available ingredients like carrots and broccoli that might not play such a prominent role in restaurants seeking to provide exotic, authentic encounters with the foods of the Orient. And that's just what you need when you're taking your family out to dinner - especially on a budget.
China Garden is open seven days a week and offers free delivery (minimum order $18). MasterCard and Visa accepted. Open for lunch, with 32 different $4.95 lunch specials. Hours: 10:30 am - 9:30 pm Monday to Saturday, and noon to 9:30 pm Sunday.
I believe no MSG is used.
Call (920) 380-0058. Fax: (920) 380-0079. Be sure to say the tall guy with the family of four sent you.
A popular steak house with three locations in the Fox Valley: 1309 E. Wisconsin Ave., Appleton (920-738-0100), 2369 W. Wisconsin Ave, Appleton (920-738-0116), and 221 South Kensington Drive (by Menards), Appleton (920-739-5969). I include this by popular demand since I haven't been there yet (OK, I'm not a huge fan of steak). One friend strongly recommends their Saturday special of a 10 ounce Sirloin steak for $10. The buildings new or remodeled and are said to be quite nice inside. Let me know what you think. Here's one recent comment (May 2007):
While there are steaks on the menu (and they may be quite good), they are most famous for their charcoal-grilled burgers, brats, and chopped steak sandwiches, which are outstanding. The atmosphere at the two older locations is typical 60s greasy spoon/drive-in, while the East-side Kensington location is more hunting-lodge/sports bar mix (wood décor all around with quite a few TVs on the walls). You really are doing yourself a disservice by not visiting. It may even overtake Red Robin for your best burgers pick.
Looking for a high-quality ice-cream shop? Cold Stone Creamery provides almost unlimited choices for the ice-cream mixtures they blend by hand as you watch with real ice cream they make on the premises each day. It's top quality and pricey, but a great way to get a special treat. There are two stores in town, one in the Fox River Mall and the other next to Starbucks on Calumet Street (KK) and Highway 41, just west of Highway 41 on the north side of the road. We went there on opening night and were pleased, though my Italian Sorbet was more like an American sherbet. But the mixed ice cream creations were great.
A Wisconsin chain offering the best fast food around. Wonderful sandwiches, soups, fish, and especially their frozen custard! A classy place for fast food, but affordable. One is near Woodman's groceries and the other I frequent is on Highway KK (Calumet Street) in the south east part of town, just east of Highway 441.
The Far East Restaurant on south Oneida Street in Appleton, near St. Elizabeth's hospital, is one I've stubbornly avoided for years. I had a bad experience with the previous restaurant in that building, and unfairly kept that mental image as a barrier. But in June 2007, after hearing several people tell me how good the sushi was, I decided it was time to ignore an irrelevant past and give it a try. Good idea! The Far East Restaurant offers some of the finest sushi in the Fox Valley, in my opinion. The unagi - fresh water eel - was the best I've had, done perfectly and beautifully with a delightful sauce. The combination plate of sushi and sashimi was truly a pleasant surprise, with remarkably rich and tender fish and wonderful sushi rice. The tuna and salmon were rich and full in flavor, and the squid was some of the best I've had, tender and more flavorful than usual. So much was a pleasant surprise.
For three people, the cost, including tax and tip, was $72. That included two extra appetizers and four sushi orders in addition to the combination plate, which was priced at $38. (No drinks were ordered.) Everything is a la carte. Given that the Fuji Sushi buffer is $12 a person for dinner or $10 for lunch, as I recall, the Far East Restaurant might be viewed as on the pricey side, but if you're looking for great sushi, this should be on your list.
Ambience is pleasant and a bit dark. Quiet, comfortable. Excellent service. No complaints.
Far East Korean and Japanese: 1330 South Oneida Street, Appleton, WI 54915. Phone: (920) 830-9810.
Be sure to try the unagi! (Posted on The Appleton Blog, June 20, 2007.)
I've had e-mail recommending Frank's. Quite a few people like it, for reasons not clear to me. I finally went there with my wife on March 4, 2005. Sorry, folks - I really struggled with their pizza. Their main pizza line is all thin crust - no other option unless you want to wait for deep dish. And the thin crust was pretty much like a saltine cracker - dry, brittle, flavorless, maybe not as thick. The sauce was little more than plain tomato sauce with a lot of salt. The garlic bread was outstanding, I'll admit, but for pizza, you're better off with Pizza Hut or much better off with Figaros. The Pizza Palace was packed, and people were smiling - help me see what I'm missing here! Is it my lack of Midwest roots?? (815 W. College Ave., open 4 p.m. daily. Phone 920-734-9131.)
Fairly new to Appleton, Fratello's is a fun pasta, steak, and seafood place with two great locations: Fratello's Waterfront, located on the north shore of the beautiful Fox River in what used to be the high-end and obscurely named "J a Restaurant" near Oneida Flats, about 100 yards downstream of the dam beneath the Memorial Drive bridge, and Fratello's Fox River Mall, formerly the Fox River Brewing Company. There are three other Fratello's around the state in Oshkosh, Milwaukee, and Madison. I went there recently for a business dinner and was pleased with the food. Well presented, stylish, and delicious. Midrange in price. Beautiful setting and good service. Went back with my son for lunch and had another positive experience.
Fratello's Waterfront is located at 501 W. Water Street, which is the road on the north side of the river along Oneida Flats. It's just west of the Paper Industry Hall of Fame, right where Water Street turns away from the river and heads uphill (about two blocks west of the Lawrence Arts Academy). A member of the Supple Restaurant Group. Note: A trusted friend told me that Fratello disappointed his out-of-town visitors recently when they served instant mashed potatoes as part of a salmon dish. Instant mashed potatoes?? They were certain that's what they were. Well, I still like the place - but will avoid the mashed potatoes.
In March 2007, I went to Fuji Sushi at 1003 West Northland Avenue, on the south side of the street across from Northland Mall. Very impressive! This is a clean and delicious buffet with real sushi (salmon, clam, tilapia, etc.), many varieties of sushi rolls, several excellent Chinese dishes and some good deserts. Spartan decor but excellent food. For lunch of dinner, the cost is about $10 per person.
One of the best choices for sushi, especially if you don't have a lot of time. Koreana still has the best sushi in town, in my opinion, but if you want sushi in a buffet setting, you won't beat Fuji Sushi! (Also see my post on the Appleton Blog.)
Closed Mondays. Phone (920) 832-1388.
In May 2006, I took some of my family to Galvan's Restaurant, 2220 E Northland Ave. by the Superbowl bowling alley. Galvan's is a family diner that has been praised for their gyros. They also offer basic sandwiches, soups, pies, etc. Fairly inexpensive and generally OK basic food is my take, but there were a couple glitches. I started with an order of their soup of the day, seafood gumbo - but they were all out of that. This was a bit late, around 8 PM, but still, that's a real shame. They also offered white chicken chili and regular red chili, or so the waitress claimed, so I ordered a bowl of the red chili. What was served me was a version of refried bean soup, similar to a recipe that my wife has used, but far less appetizing because this version had a lot of cream in it. I think the ingredients were cream, pureed refried beans, tomato chunks, chicken, and chili spices. It was an awkward combination with a coarse, almost gritty texture and did not seem to fit into any chili category that I was familiar with. I couldn't finish it.
The gyro was good, except that the white sauce was based on sour cream instead of yogurt used with "real" gyro dishes. I'm sure many people prefer the fattier sauce, though. Others had a basic hamburger (looked OK) and a Reuben sandwich that was good but was inadequate when it comes to the sauce that should be inside on the bread - just not enough or not tasty enough to enhance the sandwich.
On a later visit, the salmon with broccoli was quite good, as was the soup.
A lively restaurant on the corner of Richmond Street and College Avenue with a huge menu ranging from burgers to Italian, Mexican and Cajun cuisine. Dishes are reasonable priced and generally good. While I've had negative reports about the Mexican dishes, it still remains a good choice when you need a diverse menu to meet the needs of a group that just can't agree on any one style of food. Many people love the place. May 2006 update: one of my sons was just there with friends and reports that their nine-layer lasagna is outstanding, but prices are higher now.
Grazie's is at W6157 Lorna Lane (intersection of Calumet and AP just east of Wal-Mart on the southeast corner of town). Pleasant decor, good service and low prices, with OK food. (The bread was somewhat stale and served with ordinary Italian dressing for dipping instead of olive oil.) Fast lunches. 920-996-9999.
On a Friday night in May 2008, my wife and I were treated to PERFECT steaks cooked exactly our way because we did the cooking at Grillin', a fun restaurant where you pick your own steak and then grill it on a large, hot grill. Grillin' Steak House and Lounge is at N19 Stoney Brook Rood in Appleton (nearly in Kimberly), but it's essentially on Eisenhower Road just about one block south of Kohl's. Phone (920) 733-5077.
For some reason, Saturday is the super busy night for this place according to our kind friends who treated us to this marvelous meal, but on Friday you'll probably get immediate seating. In this area, early Friday is the busiest time for most places, and it's easy to wait 45 minutes or longer at many restaurants. But we were seated immediately just before 7 pm and were soon selecting our own beautiful steaks and grilling them. Melted butter is available to brush on the steaks, and there are several seasoning mixtures you can apply. I actually got good results using the seafood seasoning on my steak. It was perfectly cooked, too!
The grill has a large air hood over it with powerful fans that make for a bit of background noise, but not too bad.
I would caution you that if you are cooking toast, the molten butter and brushes used for bread look a lot like the ones for steak, except the butter brushes for bread have a little red added to the handles while the other ones have some blue. But the problem is that some people can go up and start brushing butter on their steak with the bread brush before they learn that it's not for steak, and then they'll put that brush back in the large vat of butter for bread. So if you brush butter on your bread, cook it long enough to kill any bacteria that might have been picked up by the occasional customer who didn't know better and brushed a steak with the bread brush.
Grilling has a fresh, modest salad bar that is included with your steak or seafood. The steaks are $19. Seafood for self-grilling is in that range as well. Other dishes are available.
Fun place, good food, and a real gem when you need to find a good steak on a Friday night.
One of my favorite Chinese buffets, with what may be the biggest selection in the Fox Cities (close to that of Big Shanghai Buffet, anyway). The buffet even includes some decent but low-cost sushi. A great place for lunch. Good chicken and beef dishes, plenty of broccoli variations, a baked salmon dish is always there, a load of fried things in addition to vegetables and healthy fare, plus soft ice cream. 145 W Wisconsin Ave, Neenah. Phone: (920) 720-7089.
La Bamba used to be on College Avenue, but is now on Wisconsin Avenue. This fine little fast food place offers some of my favorite Mexican food, specializing in awesome, low-cost burritos. It's also one of the very few places in the area serving horchata, a favorite drink of mine made from rice water with a little cinnamon and sugar. Who can live without horchata? And if you ever need to eat late, this may be the latest closing restaurant around, staying open until 3:00 AM, providing refuge to those of you who stumble out of bars as they close.
An authentic Mexican restaurant that moved from Appleton to Menasha in 2007. They are at 14 Tayco Street, Menasha.
In May 2006, I tried La Fiesta Mexican Restaurant at the old location in Appleton with a group of six people. It exceeded my expectations. I had huarachitos, made from nopalitos -- a cactus leaf that looks like a thin prickly pear leaf without the spines. It was combined with some of the best fresh, grilled shrimp I've had, and the whole dish was a delicate taste sensation. Others were also impressed with their more familiar dishes.
One detail I noticed was that the homemade tortilla chips were much better than average.
Pleasant interior, good service. One negative: the horchata was made from powder rather than from scratch, an important point for horchata aficionados.
The Post-Crescent has an article about La Fiesta from March 2007, when they moved from West Calumet Street in Appleton to the Menasha location. "We have things from all around Mexico, but the seafood is all from Mazatlan. . . . We tried to Americanize some things, but the customers complained so we went back to the way we know." That means authentic - and delicious. Phone: (920) 886-8152.
Formerly Lemon Grass Thai Cuisine, this excellent restaurant has new owners, the same ones that own Seasons. THis hot new Thai restaurant is just north of the Fox River Mall. They offer a good menu and elegant decor. While I personally prefer Cy's Asian Bistro in Neenah, Lemon Grass definitely offers excellent cuisine in a more relaxing setting. It's at 4390 Greenville Drive, Grand Chute, near Media Play. Call 920-968-3317 for reservations. Lunch is served Monday to Friday 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., with dinner starting at 5 p.m. daily.
Located in the Radisson Paper Valley Hotel (333. W. College Avenue), this classy and elegant restaurant offers what may be the best steaks in the state. I went there with a gift certificate recently and was simply amazed at the quality of the food - a meal I will not soon forget. But it is expensive. Without drinks or dessert, you can expect to pay $30 for a typical meal. Three of use shared a 30-ounce porterhouse steak and an order of crab legs, plus two of their large sides dishes (the garlic smashed potatoes were fantastic!), for $85 plus tip. Open daily, 4 PM till midnight. Call 920-380-9390 for reservations. Casual dress is acceptable.
Great country cooking for hearty appetites. The Machine Shed offers unlimited applesauce, cold slaw, and great breads as appetizers and side dishes for their fine main dishes (fish, chicken, steaks, sandwiches, etc.) at pretty low prices. And the lemonade is good, though it's served in decorative mason jars (I prefer regular glasses). Relaxed rustic atmosphere with a gift shop, reminiscent of the smaller Cracker Barrel that used to be at this location. Located near the Fox River Mall at the corner of College Avenue and Highway 41 under a towering sign. (Turn into the mall entrance from College, then quickly turn right again towards 41.)
Friends from California recently tried it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. They thought breakfast was especially good.
Need good home cooking at a low price? Looking for a fast bowl of soup and slice of pie? For full meals or just dessert, Mary's has been a real tradition for many in Appleton. Not very fancy and not very exotic, but good food and service at a low price makes Mary's a useful addition to anybody's dining list. (A nice place to take someone who doesn't like ethnic food.) Two locations: 2312 North Richmond or 2106 South Oneida in Appleton.
Included here by popular demand! This restaurant offers showmanship from the cooks and great food. Two of my son have been there and loved it. A favorite restaurant of some visitors to Appleton. Based on recent reports, the sushi is excellent and the showmanship of the chefs is entertaining as they chop and prepare food.
One of the best bets for creative American fare at reasonable prices. I've been to O'Charley's for both lunch and dinner and was impressed both times. I took some special guests there for dinner (Feb. 2008) and they really enjoyed it. A relatively quiet and pleasant atmosphere enables conversation, with food that is carefully prepared with some exciting and original concepts. Service was outstanding. Their cedar grilled salmon and prime rib pasta were great. 3775 W. College Ave., just a few yard west of Westhill on the south side of College. (920) 734-1456.
Now near the Fox River Mall, this restaurant offers casual buffet dining (all you can eat) at a low price with generally excellent food. I love their dessert bar. Great place to take hungry kids. 4531 W Wisconsin Ave, Appleton. (920) 830-6486.
It's a chain, but one with fabulous Italian food. Unfortunately, there is a risk of HUGE wait times. Reminds me of Yogi Berra's quip about a restaurant: "Nobody goes there anymore - it's too crowded." On a recent Saturday, we waited nearly an hour just to be seated. We could blame that on the weekend. But then my wife went with a small group on a Wednesday night and had another huge wait (over 30 minutes to be seated). Lots of empty tables, just not enough staff to handle the people who came. Now that's a problem. If you are lucky and get served quickly, try their truly amazing dish, "Ravioli a Portabello" (ravioli stuffed with a mushroom filling that's out of this world, if you're into mushrooms). Bonus: soft drinks, bread sticks, and the soup that goes with your entree are replenished for free, if you want them. It's near the northwest corner of the Fox River Mall, 1275 North Casaloma Dr. (off of Wisconsin Avenue). Ph: 954-8005. They don't accept reservations.
Good place for breakfasts or lunch (dinner is no longer served). Located in the atrium of the Radisson Paper Valley Hotel on College Avenue. The Orchard Cafe has a relaxing atmosphere well suited for conversation. I've been there several times for business breakfasts and can recommend the Mariners Benedict dish as one of the best egg dishes you'll ever have.
I once gave a negative review to Pancheros, a low-cost Mexican restaurant with two locations in Appleton. But after a second try, I think they have made some improvements that have won me back again. Pancheros serves burritos, fajitas, quesadillas and tacos that are offered in several varieties featuring chicken, steak, pork, or grilled vegetables. They make their flour tortillas fresh after you order, with pre-made balls of dough that are rapidly pressed flat in a tortilla maker and then cooked on a grill. The problem last year was that the tortillas were pressed too hard and too long, resulting in an extremely thin and rubbery tortilla inferior to less fresh store-bought versions. But now it appears that they have an improved technique: when the press that flattens the dough is operated, it is given a couple of quick pulses to more gently press the dough rather than hammering the dough with one long high-pressure episode. As a result, I think we've got much better tortillas now with more body and a great texture.
I had a quesadilla with grilled vegetables, and it was excellent. Others in my party had burritos or fajitas, and they were all impressed with the food. The items cost around $4 to $6 each.
Pasties, baked fresh daily at this shop, are a Midwest food item that is foreign to many visitors. According to John L. Hoh, Jr., of Milwaukee, "pasties were a meat-potatoes-carrot-rhutabaga concoction brought over from Wales by Welsh miners coming to mine copper in Michigan's Upper Peninsula and in the mines of Southwest Wisconsin. This Yooper delight is now available in Appleton." The Pasty Koop is at 135 E. Wisconsin Ave., across from St. Therese Church. Phone: (920) 830-0896. Hours: M-F, 5:30 AM - 6 PM; Saturday, 5:30 AM - 2 PM; closed Sundays and holidays.
I'm usually not big on steaks, but most everyone who is loves this place. Tara L. says, "The steak was amazing, prices are good, and the service was great!" And D.J. says, "You gotta go there. It's my favorite." 500 N. Westhill Ave. Phone: 738-1900.
One of Appleton's newest restaurants is Pullman's in Trolley Square in the Oneida Flats area deep in the Valley, right next to the Fox River at 619 Olde Oneida Street. Such a beautiful view, right across the river from Fratello's and the Atlas Coffee Mill. Pullman's has a sports bar area with huge TV screens for watching sports events. We were seated in the restaurant area, which has very high ceilings with decor representing the brick walls of old city buildings. Lively, pleasant, and popular. The first time we tried to go there, there was a 45 minute wait. We got there very early on a Friday the next time, about 5:30 pm, and just barely got in before it got full.
Cuisine includes American food such as burgers, fish, seafood dishes, popular sandwiches, steaks, and some vegetarian dishes. See the Pullman's menu at Foodspot.com.
I had the best lobster bisque ever there. Delightful! Almost enough to win my award for the best soup in Appleton - though there are many contenders. The salads are excellent, as are the sandwiches. Call 920-830-7855.
A pleasant, quiet restaurant in the heart of Neenah is Remington's inside the Holiday Inn Neenah Riverwalk Hotel (formerly called the Valley Inn), 123 E Wisconsin Ave, Neenah. Remington's has a number of beautiful brass sculptures featuring the famous Western-themed work of Frederic Remington. Most are reproductions, but one by the restaurant and one behind the front desk of the hotel are originals. Beautiful! I've been to Remington's for breakfast, lunch, and dinner now, and thought they did a good job each time. It's basic American fare at reasonable prices with good service. One thing my wife and I noticed was that the amount of food was right - not an overwhelming pile of calories or a skimpy nugget or two, but enough for a good meal without regrets. Phone: (920) 725-8441.
Sai Ram was the first to bring excellent Indian food to Appleton. Located on the north side of town at 253 W. Northland Avenue (ph. 733-3003). For lunch, they offer a superb buffet that is as good as what you'll find in the highly touted Indian restaurants of Chicago or other big cities. The owners and hosts are kind, warm people that add to the experience. A real favorite of mine! They offer some spicy dishes, but most are within the range of typical North Americans. Their nan bread is usually excellent, and their meat and vegetable dishes tend to be richly flavored and prepared with care. Enjoy!
Sammy's is at 211 North Appleton Street, just across from the public library. This restaurant has been a landmark for many years. One pizza lover told me that Sammy's has "a nostalgic 'good old days' flavor" with "old-fashioned sit-down booths and tile flooring that just looks old." I haven't been there yet, but many people seem to like it.
A chain, but one of the best, in my opinion. An outstanding deli with some tremendous hot sandwiches. Great bread is the key, made from scratch, I understand. 881 North Casaloma Drive, Appleton. Phone: (920) 731-7272.
A popular choice for trendy dining. Many execs in the area use this routinely for entertaining guests and some tell me it's their favorite place in town. Definitely classy with great good and generally excellent service (though I had poor service there once - a problem that I think has been corrected). Definitely worth a try. Across from the Holiday Inn at 213 South Nicolet Road.
Reasonably good Mexican food in a great downtown location on College Avenue (531 West). I've been there twice. The first time, the Mexican-style scrambled eggs were outstanding (better than the related dish I had once in Ciudad de Juarez, where I learned to relish spicy Mexican "huevos"). The second time, I tried a shrimp taco, which was pretty good but rather bland. Service was poor the first time but good more recently. They used to have large screens playing loud videos, but that annoyance is gone now. In general, they've got good prices, a good menu, and nice atmosphere. Worth a try.
A new low-cost family restaurant with a surprisingly diverse menu and generally OK food (not great, though). There is a children's menu and specials for seniors as well. The 5,600-square-foot restaurant seats 180 people. It's next to Lawrence University's Banta BowlIt's at 1401 E. John St. If you're coming from downtown, take College Avenue east across the bridge, then at the intersection, continue toward the right, heading southeast on John street. It's just past the intersection on the right at a site that used to be a Hardees, close to the Banta Bowl of Lawrence University. I took six people there and we were generally very pleased with the soups (outstanding!) and the entrees. Warning: my key lime pie had a stiff, high-fat green frosting on it that destroyed the pie. 2008 update: Went there again and found some of the food on the disappointing side. A quality review is needed, in my opinion.
Missing in Action
Restaurants come and go. Sassy Sal's, once a great place for low-cost home cooking from the ever colorful Sal, has been replaced with a second Gyros-Kabob. I'm sorry to report that Mancino's Italian Eatery has closed in 2008 (an interesting legal battle is in progress with the property owner). Other 2008 closures include Casa di Luigi (which I didn't like), and Figaros in Darboy, which was "Webmaster's Choice: Best Take-out Pizza." People liked the pizza, but it was in a terrible location by Wal-Mart in Darboy, where traffic problems made it difficult to reach and difficult for their delivery service to be efficient. Other departed restaurants that I've written about include Trim B's (was at 201 South Walnut St., Appleton), which closed its doors in August 2006. Peggy's has also vanished, replaced by the marvelous Sirocco's. An old favorite of mine, Taste of India, closed in doors in 2007. Mongo's Mongolian barbecue has vanished, also. Come on, folks, get out and spend to keep my favorites alive!
A popular pizza place at 110 N. Douglas Avenue, visible on the north side of College Avenue about 1 mile west of downtown. on College Ave. Their deep dish pizzas are said to be better than those of the famous Pizzeria Uno in Chicago (the place where deep dish pizza allegedly originated). They seem to focus on takeout business, but you can sit down and eat inside as well.
Steak Escape is in the Fox River Mall and is a vital source of Philadelphia Cheesesteaks and other sandwiches. I'm told that their fresh-cut fries, cooked in peanut oil, are divine.
This Thai restaurant on the east end of College Avenue offers an excellent menu with high-quality Thai food. The red curries are especially good. Sorry, no green curry. One possible problem: sometimes the service is extremely slow. Recently we were seated for over 30 minutes before we could even place our order, and it was another 30 minutes or so before the food came.
A national chain - but a great one. Lots of atmosphere, unusual yet delectable food, and not expensive. Love the oddities on the wall and ceiling. By the Fox River Mall. Fairly noisy, though.
Zacatecas is a popular Mexican restuarant in downtown Neenah. They offer some relatively authentic dishes with a good mole, good tacos, etc. I tried the enchiladas blancas recently and was pleased. I would call it Americanized semi-authentic, in my opinion, which is what a lot of people prefer. Good food, very good service, and a pleasant environment. Nice place for lunch, with your choice of a weekday lunch buffet or menu items.
Zuppa's is in Neenah, just a few minutes south of Appleton, and gets my thumbs up as one of the best places for lunch. You order your food cafeteria-style at the food preparation area and carry it away on a tray, but don't let this casual approach fool you. Exotic salads, great pasta, good pizzas and sandwiches - a very robust selection that can satisfy almost anyone. Kudos to their talented chef, Peter Kuenzi. The selection of deserts is also quite tempting. And I like the relaxed, attractive decor. Two can have a delightful meal for $30 or less.
Located at 1540 South Commercial Street (in The Shops at Mahler Farms), downtown Neenah. Phone: (920) 720-5045. Closed Sundays, and they close at 8 pm otherwise, so don't plan on a late meal. It's just south of the Copps near Commercial and Breezewood on the south end of Neenah, in a small strip mall. The understated sign makes it easy to miss - but don't miss this place! See their Website: Zuppas.com.
These are some restaurants that might not appeal to me personally (or ones that I just haven't had the time or incentive to try), but may be worth considering. The Menasha Grille on Main Street in downtown Menasha offers some Cajun cuisine. I went there for there lunch buffet at the end of 2005. It was OK, but I found the flavors to be timid. I understand they do a better job for dinner, but haven't tried it yet.
Another place that was "OK but disappointing" was Michiel's in Menasha, although I highly recommend Michiel's banquet hall in Appleton as a place for receptions.
For those who prefer to cook their own food, Woodman's is the biggest store around. I like it for its great produce, huge selections, and exciting ethnic specialties (they even have yerba mate, the popular South American beverage). Visitors often are surprised to see the name of another popular chain, Piggly Wiggly. If you say it fast and keep a straight face, no one will trouble you. Copps, Rainbow Foods, and Pick 'N Save are also popular.
For spices, Penzeys near the Fox River Mall is hard to beat. Incredible selection, low prices.
In addition, there are many pubs and bars all over Appleton that also serve a variety of foods, though I personally avoid bars.
Of course, there are many more great places to ward off hunger. For a quick treat, many people like Manderfield's Bakery. For those with a flare for Asian specialties, Appleton has several oriental grocery stores (catering primarily to the Hmong community). So many choices - so little time to eat!
